This episode deserves so much better than the poor rating it's getting here.
As a fan of the show, a fan of acting, a fan of the storytelling medium that is film and TV, it's almost a pleasure watching Ricks choices, his self assured attitude, his bravado in this episode, knowing what is about to happen. As someone rooting for the group however, it's heartbreaking. But I remember watching it for the first time, thinking "hah, these Saviors are messing with the wrong guy, they done f'ed up, and they gon' learn today". That feeling is instilled in the viewer, by the writers, director etc, on purpose. They want us to feel just as cocky as Rick, so we can slowly start to lose hope, along with him, as the episode progresses. Watching him unravel at the sight of blockade after blockade, at the realization that The Saviors are legion, is just as good as it gets on TV, and Andrew Lincoln's performance has seldom been better!
As the ending approaches, hope turns to despair, and in one of the greatest introduction scenes ever (the single greatest in Andrew Lincoln's opinion), we meet one of the greatest TV villains of all time, played by one of the best and most respected TV actors of the last 20 years. The following scene is nothing less than a masterclass in suspense filmmaking, and within the final minutes of this season, Rick and his group are gonna realize, that they've been messing with the wrong guy, they done f'ed up, and they gon' learn today!
This episode deserves a spot on the top 3 list of the best episodes of the show. It is flawless, masterful TV-making, absolutely top-shelf, and no cliffhanger, no matter how despised or infamous, could, or should, ever undo that!
As a fan of the show, a fan of acting, a fan of the storytelling medium that is film and TV, it's almost a pleasure watching Ricks choices, his self assured attitude, his bravado in this episode, knowing what is about to happen. As someone rooting for the group however, it's heartbreaking. But I remember watching it for the first time, thinking "hah, these Saviors are messing with the wrong guy, they done f'ed up, and they gon' learn today". That feeling is instilled in the viewer, by the writers, director etc, on purpose. They want us to feel just as cocky as Rick, so we can slowly start to lose hope, along with him, as the episode progresses. Watching him unravel at the sight of blockade after blockade, at the realization that The Saviors are legion, is just as good as it gets on TV, and Andrew Lincoln's performance has seldom been better!
As the ending approaches, hope turns to despair, and in one of the greatest introduction scenes ever (the single greatest in Andrew Lincoln's opinion), we meet one of the greatest TV villains of all time, played by one of the best and most respected TV actors of the last 20 years. The following scene is nothing less than a masterclass in suspense filmmaking, and within the final minutes of this season, Rick and his group are gonna realize, that they've been messing with the wrong guy, they done f'ed up, and they gon' learn today!
This episode deserves a spot on the top 3 list of the best episodes of the show. It is flawless, masterful TV-making, absolutely top-shelf, and no cliffhanger, no matter how despised or infamous, could, or should, ever undo that!
