#we’re rewatching twd together

[mrsdulac]

man, what a wonderful day to remember that richonne is canon

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Bits & Pieces, Themes & Evidence

Morning Everyone! So, below are just a bunch of bits and pieces that me, my fellow theorists and/or others in the fandom have come up. They don’t really fit into one, cohesive theory, but they’re most about or have come out of 10x18. I keep joking that this is the episode that just keeps on giving. We’re STILL talking about it and figuring things out about it.

Leah as a Hallucination/Daryl’s PTSD:

It’s been suggested that in 10x18, Dog never actually left Daryl. The episode is cut in a way to suggest that Daryl went long periods without seeing Dog (which is symbolic, of course) but maybe that’s not true and Dog was always there. Not only is that super interesting, but it works with one of my first observations. When I first watched the episode, I thought that the second time he sees Dog, first time as a grown dog and not a pup, and meets Leah, he didn't seem surprised to see Dog. So, I thought maybe he'd seen Dog a lot by then. I changed my mind for the sake of the symbolism. If it represents Grady, it makes more sense that Daryl simply recognized him as the pup me once met, but really had been separated from his for awhile. But I’m just saying this hallucination theory and the idea of Dog being there all along, just backs up my first impressions. That's all.

Also, weapon13whitefang left a long comment on my Tumblr post about Leah being a hallucination. It's really not so much about the show as about PTSD because they have some experience with it. I found it really interesting and enlightening, so it might interest some of you. You can read it HERE under the comments.

Why He Got Defensive at the Idea of Leah Leaving Him

A couple of my friends were talking about this, and this is just my contribution to the conversation. I think it's directly because Leah is predicated on his time with Beth. Even if he's not consciously aware of the delusion, some part of his UNconscious brain knows that Leah = Beth. And he knows Beth wouldn't have willingly left him. Not only because she said that, but because when she DID disappear, it wasn't her fault or her choice either time. So, when Carol says, "maybe she just left," Daryl's brain rails against that and he gets really defensive. And the interesting thing is that it's really not about him taking it personally or about his ego. It's about what he knows to be true of Beth. It's actually his brain being really logical in the midst of the delusion.

The Talk Dead to Me Podcast with Lynn Collins

I listened to the Talk Dead to me Podcast and this week’s guest was—no surprise—Lynn Collins. No huge TD smoking guns or anything, but it was interesting nonetheless. First of all, one of the really big C@ryl accounts was pretty much called out for being a toxic troll.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Lynn Collins gave a different interview a few days back (not this podcast; just a different one) in which she mentioned that Daryl and Carol’s relationship is very mother/son. Just after that, I won’t say the name but one of the most well known C@ryl accounts who can be REALLY nasty to…well…I was gonna say other shippers but pretty much anyone in the fandom who dares disagree with her, called Lynn an ageist for saying that Carol was mothering Daryl.

So, when the podcast began, Johnny O’Dell, who is the host, said that most TWD fans are super cool but a lot of the shippers can be toxic. He doesn't mention any particular ships in accordance to that (I actually think he briefly mentions all of them, saying people ship Daryl with Carol, Beth, Connie, and Rosita the most) but then after saying SOME of the shippers can be toxic, he talked about the post she made calling Lynn Collins ageist and said that was ridiculous and toxic and that we need to be cool to the actors. So, it's very obvious it was her comment he was talking about.

And of course, the ageist thing she accused Lynn Collins of is ridiculous. Not only is it true that Carol and Daryl’s relationship can be very mother/son at times, but saying so is not an insult to Carol. It’s a comment on the nature of the relationship, not on anyone’s actual age. Of course Carol isn’t old enough to be Daryl’s mom. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t mother him.

Then when Lynn Collins came onto the podcast, she addressed the ageist comment. She basically said everything I said above in more detail. She talked about how she was taken aback by being called that because, being a woman over 40 in Hollywood, she actually deals with a lot of ageism. And about how she's a mother, but became one a little later in life (in her thirties, rather than her twenties) and she was shocked that being called a mother can actually be derogatory to some people. It REALLY shouldn’t be. It’s really sad that people would take that as an insult. And then she went on to say that any character can be maternal, even if they're not the biological mother of the person they're mothering. She even said Daryl is somewhat paternal to Carol, teaching her how to gut a fish and everything.

Now, maybe this is neither here nor there when it comes to TD stuff. But one thing I thought was really interesting was that Lynn Collins said when she first started watching the show in S2 or S3, she was actually a Caryler. She wanted them together originally. She also said that eventually she realized that's not where they were going with it and kind of moved on. 

But the thing is, it just proves to me even more that she's being told to talk about it in a particular way. If everything she's said is true: that she was a raging fan and has been in the tags and talking about it a ton (and she says that on the podcast again; that she would get really excited about it and watch with friends and they would tell her to chill, lol) then why on earth would you talk about Daryl and Carol as a mother/son relationship...unless you were instructed to. 

She knows how passionate and sometimes toxic the Caryl ship is because she used to be one of them. So that just drove home for me that this isn't something she would just come up with on her own. And I did like what she said and how she said it. I honestly think she's trying to help the Carylers feel better about things, but also let them down gently. And of course there are some hardcore Carylers, like that account that said the ageist thing, that are just never going to give it up. Not much anyone can do about that.

The only other thing that struck me about the podcast, and also brought to mind stuff said on TTD, is that I'm more and more sure that everyone knows what's up with Leah's character. If she's an illusion (and I'll assume she is until we know different) I think everyone knows that. I think Lynn knows it, Norman, Melissa, all of them. 

For one thing, she said in this podcast that she didn't know if or when she'd be back. That was kind of a slip of the tongue, I think, because we already know she's signed on for S11, and she's announced it. And they're filming. So that's just untrue. And I thought that about Melissa on TTD, too. She said she didn't know what the Leah story line would be, they only told her a little bit back in Bonds when she had to say "her dog." But Melissa is a long time, mainstream cast member. I just don't believe that she doesn't know where the story is going. Again, just something they're instructed to say. But something else occurred to me, too.

When Melissa talked about the "her dog" line on TTD, she said, "there was a line that became a thing." From that, I have to assume she meant that people started to obsess about it online and wonder what the "her" was about. I honestly don't know if anyone other than TD picked out that line, but they might have. Either way, between this, and their reaction to the Caryler's "ageist" comment, it proves that they read the online theories. And of course we all already know that, but there's proof. That ageist comment was posted like 24 hours ago. And already they're addressing it and obviously don't like it and don't want people thinking the show or its actors are associated with that sort of thing.

Which is exactly why I think they HAVE to know about our Leah-is-a-hallucination theory. Even others outside our fandom suspect it. But the writers aren't addressing that. And don't get me wrong: I don't think they will. The Bonds line was literally MONTHS ago, and they waited until the Leah episode to address it. Because otherwise, they'd have to give spoilers and they weren't going to do that. But my point is, if the hallucination theory was not a thing (kind of like Rick being on TWB was not a thing and Lynn Collins being an ageist is not a thing and Beth not being BBQed at Terminus was not a thing) they would be addressing and discrediting it. They aren't. I’m definitely side-eyeing that.

Daryl’s Search for Rick/Beth’s Search for Liquor

This is something my fellow theorists and I were discussing back and forth for a few days. I’m not going to give you the entire conversation, but someone said something about Beth searching for liquor in Still and couldn’t that be a foreshadow? See—you’ll probably hear more about this in coming weeks—but we’ve been rewatching old episodes like Still, Alone, and others, with an eye toward what we’ve learned from S10 and especially the bonus episodes. And we’re realizing there’s a lot more foreshadowing in them than we ever realized before. Most of what’s in them we’ve looked at in terms of the Bethyl romance and of course Beth’s return, but I for one have never thought to go beyond that. Yeah, I REALLY should have.

So here’s the thing. We always talk about Daryl searching for people, but Beth was searching for liquor in that episode. I've never really thought to connect those two things. It either represents the same template of Daryl's search for her, or it might represent her searching for him. But then, those two templates may be one and the same. I need to think on it more and make more connections.

One thing it did make me think of, though, is that there's a theme about not accepting the first and only thing that comes your way, because there's something bigger, better, happier, more fulfilling down the road. So, Daryl didn't want Beth to drink the peach schnapps because that's a weak drink. He wanted her to have a REAL drink. And of course we've talked about this theme in terms of the peach schnapps before.

But we kind of see it everywhere, including in relationships. The small, short term relationships all follow this pattern. Maybe it’s not a terrible relationship, but it’s not true love, either. So they need to move on from it and find the more perfect relationship for them. The locations or homes do, too. So, in 4b, we saw each of the groups stop somewhere and try to stay. And it wasn't so much that they chose not to. More often than not, circumstances forced them to leave. But still. The theme is that it was better that they moved on so a bigger reunion could take place.

And on that note, Leah really still does fit the short-term relationship pattern. If the point was to always show short term relationships that weren't ideal and something better coming down the road, that's why they wanted to do something like this for Daryl. Beth is obviously going to be the much better, more fitting, more fulfilling relationship, where he belongs, etc. But I think they knew they couldn't do that without doing a disservice to Daryl's character. The only way to satisfy both criteria was to make her a hallucination. So the pattern is still there, but for him, it's not a real or literal relationship.

Find Me Theme

So, @wdway​ is the one who reminded me of this. Back in 9x05, Rick gets hurt and starts hallucinating right before blowing up the bridge and being taken to the CRM by Jadis, right? All on the same page? Well, in that episode, there’s a huge theme about Rick finding his family. In every hallucination, he tells the people he sees—Shane, Hershel, etc—that he’s looking for his family and needs to find them. Near the end, he hallucinates Michonne and the others being with him on the bridge, and Michonne tells him that they’re his family and he did find them. Then, just before he shoots the dynamite, he says, “I found them.”

And now we have this episode called “Find Me” where Daryl is obsessively searching for Rick, and there’s a ridiculous amount of Beth symbolism thrown in. Are we seeing the over-arching theme?

So, what does this mean? I don’t think I’ve really pinned it all down, yet. But I do think this is an over-arching theme for the entire show. I think in some ways, “home” and “family” are synonymous, because home is wherever your family is. It’s not a physical location.

But we started out with Rick looking for Carl and Lori. Then Merle went missing, and Daryl searched for him. Everyone searched for Sophia when she disappeared. And the list goes on and on. So it’s a big theme. I’ve always said Andy didn’t leave the show just to spend more time with his family. That’s a happy bonus, I’m sure. But this was always a planned part of the story. Now Michonne is actively looking for Rick, we see Daryl searching for his body. And the reason Beth symbolism is thrown in is because he searched for her, but they didn’t show us that and won’t because it would be spoilery. And Beth is alive, even if Daryl doesn’t know it. And yeah, I could go on and on. Just wanted to point out this theme and how important it is. Which leads me to….

The Three Spikes

The last thing I’ll mention is the grouping of the three spikes he sees both by the door and on the outside of the house that we’ve all been trying to interpret. I kind of had a breakthrough the other night. But the thing is, it’s not just a breakthrough on the three spikes.

It’s kind of a breakthrough on the ENTIRE rule of threes theme. It’s actually kind of epic.

So here’s how I came to this. I was going over the template in my head, yet again, that I mentioned is shown both here, in 6x03, and that will be in the spinoff. So let’s run through it. We’ll use this episode, 10x18, as the example. So, Daryl is searching for Rick, right? And Carol wants him to stop and come back with her to where Zeke and Henry are. Those are two possible choices for him. But there’s also a third: staying with Leah.

Similarly, in 6x03, Daryl goes searching for Rick, rather than staying with Sasha and Abraham. Those are the two things he’s trying to decide between, and he eventually goes back to Sashraham. 

Now, there is actually a third choice there. It’s just that Daryl doesn’t seriously consider it. The third choice is going back to Alexandria to help them. And this IS addressed in the episode because they talk about how they don’t know what happened, but some loud noise pulled half the herd off the road. We, the viewers, know it’s the Wolves, but Daryl, Sasha, and Abe really didn’t know what was going on there. And who is back in Alexandria, spear-heading the defensive against the wolves? Carol!

So you see what I mean. There are three possible choices there: find Rick, go with Carol, or stay with Sashraham. And I’ve said forever that Sashraham = Beth/Bethyl. And of course so does Leah. So the third choice is always the one that represents Beth.

Do you see where I’m going with this? If not, I’ll just tell you. This represents three different paths for Daryl. They’ll diverge at some point and he’ll have to make a choice about which one to take. And then I realized—duh!—they’re all actually represented for us here in this episode. Not only because of what I said above, but because Leah lays them out in her ultimatum. Where do you belong 1) out looking endlessly for your brother 2) back at the communities with your family (i.e. Carol) or 3) here with me.

So those are the three paths that he’ll have to choose between during the spinoff. That’s what the spikes are about, because they specifically dealt with his three choices in this episode. But that may even be the reason they used the rule of threes around Beth to begin with. She’s the third and correct path.

Want more proof this is a thing? @wdway​ sent me this pic after I first told her about it:

And guys, go back and watch this. When he gets to the crossroads, the camera pans around him, showing him being unsure about which path to take.

Then, while writing this up, I remembered that this did this in 6x03 as well:

On the left is Daryl on his bike, rejoining Sasha and Abraham who are coming down from the top.

Yeah, 3 paths. 3 spikes. Rule of 3s. Who’s excited for the spinoff? 🙋

Now, just one more thing not add to this I think you all will like. In re-watching 9x05, there’s the part where Rick hallucinates Shane, right? Well, part of their conversation there is about the “third man.” And I’ve talked about this before, but probably not nearly enough, because it’s more important than most of us give it credit for. Rick and Shane talk about when Rick was shot in 1x01 before the apocalypse hit. They say they thought there was only 2 men, but there was a third they didn’t know about and “that changed everything.”

I always saw that as perhaps a statement about Grady. Because they should have had three prisoners for the hostage exchange, where Dawn only had two (Carol and Beth). But after Rick killed Lambson, they only had two. If they’d had three, Dawn wouldn’t have been able to demand Noah back, because it would have been an even exchange. So the third man would have changed everything.

Another way to think about it is that, if the shot that hit Beth didn’t come from Dawn—and it REALLY didn’t, y’all) then there was another threat somewhere that they couldn’t see and didn’t know about. If they had, they might have been able to guard against it. See what I mean? I genuinely believe they used Rick’s arc in 1x01 as a jumping off point for planning what happened at Grady.

So, when I rewatched 9x05 and heard this conversation between Rick and Shane yet again, it made me think of the three spikes and Daryl’s 3 paths. So what if he only knows about the two paths he can take: look for Rick or go with Carol. But there’s a third path he’s not aware of, yet. But the third path changes everything. Because that’s where/how he’ll find Beth.

Eh, eh?

Okay, well, I’ve given you enough to chew on today. These are just some things we’ve been discussing from the episode that just keeps on giving. ;D Meanwhile, episode 19 will be airing in a few days, and it will be fabulous, too. Probably not quite as epic as 10x18, but still fabulous. ;D Thoughts?

[thingwithfeathers]

tag 9 people to learn more about their interests

tagged by: @enniomorricone :)

MUSIC

fave genre? indie/alternative rock, and pop but not really current pop more like 80s/90s.

fave artist? bastille, twenty one pilots, fleetwood mac, the clash, the smiths, abba, probably a lot more i can’t think of right now.

fave song? my joint favourite songs are ‘with or without you — u2′ and ‘landslide — fleetwood mac’

most listened song recently? 'song for zula — phosphorescent’ it’s become one of my favoure songs ever.

song currently stuck in your head?  any abba song because i was listening to them a lot earlier.

5 fave lyrics?

“It’s a hell of a long way to fall just to learn to get up” — the mess, the naked and famous.

“But now it’s just another show / and you leave them laughing when you go / and if you care, don’t let them know / don’t give yourself away / i’ve looked at love from both sides now / from give and take and still somehow / it’s loves illusions that i recall / i really don’t know love at all.” — both sides now, joni mitchell (this entire song though! really hard to choose lyrically because it’s a masterpiece).

“See, honey, i saw love / you see it came to me / it put it’s face up to my face so i could see / yeah then i saw love, disfugure me / into something i am not recognising / see the cage, it called, i said come on in / i will not open myself up this way again / but my heart is wild and my bones are steel / and i could kill you with my bare hands if i was free.” — song for zula, phosphorescent.

"Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? / can the child within my heart rise above? / can i sail through the changing ocean tides? / can i handle the seasons of my life? / well, i’ve been afraid of changing / ‘cause i’ve built my life around you / but time makes you bolder / even children get older / and i’m getting older too.” — landslide, fleetwood mac.

“And then you put your hand in mine / and pulled me back from things divine / stop looking up for heaven / waiting to be buried / and all their words for glory / they always sounded empty / when we’re looking up for heaven.” — bastille, glory.

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie (depends!) | loud or silent volume in-between! I slow or fast songs | music video or lyrics video | speakers or headset | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on.

BOOKS

fav book genre? just fiction in general. i’ve kind of grown out of young adult so i don’t really read a lot of that, and have been reading classics lately. just any books that make you really think and are written so beautifully that you can highlight quote after quote. i’ve also been reading a lot of non fiction spiritual books lately.

fav writer? recently, taylor jenkins reid. i’ve read two of her books and they’re incredibly gripping. love the simplicity and warmth of benjamin alire saenz as well, the care that ari & dante was written with. and also emily dickinson, especially her letters in particular to susan are just gorgeous.

fav book? aristotle & dante discover the secrets of the universe, wuthering heights, little women, a little life, and recently the seven husbands of evelyn hugo.

fav book series? i don’t really read book series, so the only thing coming to mind is harry potter which i only read for the first time about five years ago now.

comfort book? little women and aristotle & dante.

perfect book to read on a rainy day? any easy read, probably several i listed above.

fave characters? aristotle & dante, jo & beth march (little women), mina murray (dracula).

5 quotes from your fave books that you know by heart?

“You teach me now how cruel you’ve been — cruel and false. why did you despise me? why did you betray your own heart, cathy? i have not one word of comfort. you deserve this. you have killed yourself. yes, you may kiss me, and cry; and wring out my kisses and tears: they’ll blight you — they’ll damn you. you loved me — what right had you to leave me? what right — answer me — for the poor fancy you felt for linton? because misery and degradation, and death, and nothing that god or satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will did it. i have not broken your heart — you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine. so much the worse for me that i am strong. do i want to live? what kind of living will it be when you — oh god! would you like to live with your soul in the grave?”  — wuthering heights, emily bronte (i could choose so many from this book but this is the most underrated one in my opinion and deserves more recognition).

“I will love you forever, whatever happens. ‘til i die and after i die, and when i find my way out of the land of the dead i’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, ‘till i find you again. i’ll be looking for you, will, every moment, evert single moment. and when we do find each other again we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. every atom of me and every atom of you... we’ll live in the birds and the flowers, and the dragonflies and pine trees, and in the clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams... and when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me, we’ll be joined so tight...” — his dark materials (amber spyglass), philip pullman. (don’t talk to me, this quote makes me actually ache)

“I wanted to tell them that i’d never had a friend, not ever, not a real one. until dante. i wanted to tell them that i never knew that people like dante existed in the world, people who looked at the stars, and knew the mysteries of water, and knew enough to know that birds belonged to the heavens and weren’t meant to be shot down from their graceful flights by mean and stupid boys. i wanted to tell them that he had changed my life and that i would never be the same, not ever. and that somehow it felt like it was dante who had saved my life and not the other way around. i wanted to tell them that he was the first human being aside from my mother who had ever made me want to talk about the things that scared me. i wanted to tell them so many things and yet i didn’t have the words. so, i just stupidly repeated myself, “dante’s my friend.”” — aristotle & dante discover the secrets of the universe, benjamin alire saenz.

“There are many beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”— little women, louisa may alcott.

“And so i try to be kind to everything i see and in everything i see, i see him.”— a little life, hanya yanagihara.

hardcover or paperback (paperback for general reading and hardback for special editions!) | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature (i love nature and want to be able to read outside but i cannot be in nature without being hypervigilent of bugs so wouldn’t be able to concentrate) | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending (i also used to read the last line of a book first for a long time but i started to piss myself off when it wasn’t vague enough) | reliable or unreliable narrator  | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary (i can’t help it, i love pretty covers) | rereading or reading just once.

TV AND MOVIES

fave tv/movie genre? disaster/post apocalyptic, drama, sci-fi, documentary, occasional fantasy. i’m pretty on board with most things, other than horror but even that has some exceptions.

fave movie? titanic, shaun of the dead, little women (1994), eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, wuthering heights (2009 tv movie), portrait of a lady on fire, practical magic, the greatest showman, finding nemo, the grinch (2000).

comfort movie? finding nemo, little women (1994), shaun of the dead, all my favourite christmas movies which are too many to list.

fave tv show? friends, charmed, golden girls, gilmore girls, the walking dead, new girl. currently: 911.

most rewatched tv show? friends. i watch it almost every day and it would be impossible for me to count just how many times i’ve watched it from start to finish.

5 fave characters? all the friends on friends, piper halliwell (charmed), tara chambler (twd), glenn rhee (twd), maddie buckley (911).

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging (i’m conflicted because i miss the event of catching a show every week but at the same time once you binge watch you can’t go back) | one season or multiple seasons (but shows need to know when to stop) | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes (depends on my mood) | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once.

tagging: @bettyhofstadtdraper / @kubrickking / @koningen / @urispatty / @marmaladepotion / @mixye + anyone else that wants to do this, feel free to tag me to read :) !

[queenlannisters]

TWD Rewatch S.8 Pt.1

I want a bottle episode of Gregory. I hate him but it is downright comical how no one respects him. People make fun of him for his inability to kill walkers, Kal drove him halfway to the Sanctuary and then left him on the road when he realized what Gregory was doing. Hilltop was deadass not going to let him in. I want to see how he met Jesus, the Saviors, etc. I also want to see him when he worked in the chamber of commerce.

The secondary characters of the Kingdom are treasures. I love Jerry and Dianne. Dianne is out here like “hey my sister had that dress that walker is in” and “no I can’t make that shot sorry”

On baby Gracie - do you think Aaron ever told her about how she was found and that his group likely murdered her biological parents? Do you think anyone alive like Alden or Negan knew her biological parents?

On Aaron - I respect that after Eric’s death, Aaron said “I am gonna keep going and do what needs to be done” and that he adopted a baby. That’s survivor mentality and Eric would approve. 

negan tells Gabe that in Virginia the hot sun cooks the walkers and the guts frequently “infect” people. Gabe says “we’re from Georgia” and Negan says “lucky you” this implies that in Georgia there isn’t the same problem. Gabe gets deathly ill from Virginia walker guts. I assume all guts are disguising but why are the Virginia guts worse than Georgia guts? (they’re both hot states…)

I disagree with Jesus taking dozens of saviors hostage. Alden is a good kid but I don’t think a single other worker-savior here is good news. This is war. Take them and drop them off in the woods, tied together if you can’t kill them.

[head-and-heart]

The 100 Highlights - “Sleeping Giants” (5x03)

Hey, guys! It’s Kate back this week to recap the latest episode of The 100, “A Dad Story”, by listing some of my personal highlights of the episode. I have to say, every single episode of Season 5 so far has been super solid and this episode is no exception to that. Can’t wait to dive into this one!

Can I just start off by saying that I love how tastefully they have been implementing music into the show this season so far? I absolutely love Tree Adam’s score and its honestly weird sometimes to think that we had an entire two seasons without his genius, but I also think there’s power in not using any music at all for certain scenes. It creates a different vibe (and it becomes more effective when music is used). My one beef with the score in previous seasons has been that there were certain scenes I felt music wasn’t required, and that scenes would actually be more powerful without it (such as in the scene where Bellamy finds out Octavia is “dead” in Season 4 - I felt the music was detracting from his cries of grief). But I have noticed this season that they have quite a few scenes, compared to usual, where the music is used extremely liberally if not at all! And it gives a different vibe to the show - reminds me of TWD a bit at times. I love it.

Hi there. Charmaine Diyoza is joining Niylah, Luna, and Jaha on the list of characters who have the most soothing/pleasant voices to listen to on this show. It’s hypnotic. Honestly. God.

I’d like to take this moment to say that Emori and Raven’s friendship and trainee/mentor relationship is EVERYTHING!

The dramatic irony of Bellamy and the others listening over the radio and thinking the woman they are talking about is Octavia ... it’s A Lot

“She’s a feisty one. Pretty too.” Yasss that is my QUEEN

I have to say that the new characters we’re getting this season are possibly the best new characters we’ve ever been introduced to. Kara Cooper was amazing. Charmaine is a chilling, smart, yet reasonable antagonist and every line she says is fascinating. Madi has so much character potential, and McCreary is just the right kind of sociopath that can fuck our heroes up and ensure the show is always interesting (and also the kind of villain I feel JR has been so hesitant to incorporate into the show in the past, with the whole “there are no good guys” everything-must-be-morally-grey stance). Not to mention Zeke, who is just like ... everything I could ever want guys. THE NEW CHARACTERS ARE JUST SO GOOD. And the acting has been REALLY strong.

CHARMAINE DIYOZA IS SO FUCKING COOL AND RUTHLESS AND BADASS AND I ALREADY LOVE THIS NEW ANTAGONIST. She manages to be both authoritative and intimidating without ever having to raise her voice or pull out a weapon. That’s power. 

Seriously fam, I can’t get over how awesome these new characters are. We really hit the jackpot this season. They’ve opened up so much room for future story by introducing all these new people.

I really love how they have managed to show just how close the members of the ring are with each other while also demonstrating the tension between everyone, and all the ways that they can push each others buttons. There are so many layers to all the dynamics up in space and I am pleasantly surprised by it because, with how the season has been described, it sounded like the factions were going to be spacekru as a unit vs the bunker vs Clarke/Madi vs Eligius. But by showing all the conflict within these small groups, it creates potential for allegiances to shift around more than I was expecting. The bunker is built upon internal chaos, Eligius is far from being a unit (with a handful of loose canons and Zeke thrown into the mix to switch things up), Spacekru has some conflicting opinions/beliefs, and even Madi and Clarke are not completely on the same page about how to deal with the new threat. It’s really exciting all the different things the writers might do with that.

The scene where they find the cryo chamber felt like it could have come straight out of a scene from the mummy, where one character walks past a coffin and disturbs one of the dead. And when Kodiak’s eyes popped open, it was like a mummy awakening from the crypt. There was just something so eery about the vibe in there. The suspense was glorious.

“Murder ... murder ... arson resulting in murder ... armed robbery ... resulting in murder” I love one (1) comedian

Great-great-grandpappy Blake had four pHD’s. Bellamy is descended from a family of nerds: confirmed. I love winning.

The debate between Bellamy, Raven, Murphy and Echo over what to do with the sleeping army was just so tense and SO GOOD. Every single one of them had a good point. This is The 100 handling moral dilemmas at their finest.

“Clarke didn’t die just so we could go back to the ground and make the same mistakes.” THIS IS BELLAMY AT HIS BEST - THIS IS WHAT HIS ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC HAS BEEN LEADING TO. THIS MOMENT. He finally got to face that sleeping army of 300 once again and had the opportunity to choose differently this time. And he did. isaythatsmybabyandimreallyproud.gif

ZEKE SHAW IS AN ANGEL I FREAKING LOVE HIM. “Believe it or not, this is the best conversation I’ve had in over a hundred years.” HIS SMILE IS THE CUTEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN Y’ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WANT TO JUST HUG THIS KID

But seriously, let’s talk about Zeke Shaw. Hearing someone take about life before the apocalypse is just ... wow??? I didn’t know how good it would feel to find a character that we can actually relate to, that understands our time. Hearing him talk about being an altar-boy just outside Detroit, being a fun-loving adventure-seeking kid with a Harley Davidson, made my heart warm.

“God, I miss that bike. More than most of the people.” First of all, relatable. Second of all, my heart hurts. When you think about it, Zeke’s story is pretty tragic. Leaving his whole life behind only to wake up a hundred years later to discover that everyone he once loved is dead and the world is irreparably changed. Imagine how fucking jarring that would be? Even if he doesn’t show his sadness much, I’m sure he must be feeling it, if his reminiscing is anything to go by.

HIS SMILE IS SO BRIGHT. WHEN DO WE EVER GET GENUINE SMILES LIKE THIS. LIKE, GOD, I MIGHT BE FALLING IN LOVE WITH THIS GUY

I’m never going to be over how awesome these new characters are fam. They’re so well-rounded already I’m shaking

“Start with how the world ended.” “Which time.” MOTHERFUCKER I’VE GOT CHILLS. HOW TO BE A BADASS WITH TWO WORDS: A GUIDE BY CLARKE GRIFFIN

“I left Clarke behind to die and I can’t - I’m not doing that again.” MY BOY GOT CHOKED UP IT’S BEEN SIX YEARS AND HE’S STILL SO AFFECTED BY HER LIKE F UCK

But real talk, that BR scene was beautiful. Their relationship has been chronically strained in the past but it really feels like they’ve built a true partnership up in space and I’m super here for it. They’re a good team, and they have a bond that kind of reminds me of a sibling-like bond (one that’s not as fucked up and dysfunctional as what the Blakes have). I really loved it.

“There wasn’t an escape pod.” “...Wut” Congrats, you PLAYED yourself. What a classic Murphy move dam

“You know what, you’re right: dying alone would have sucked.” I LIVE FOR THESE SEASON 2 PARALLELS

Real talk though: I may not ship them romantically but Lindsey and Richard have hella good chemistry and Raven and Murphy’s scenes together always pop so this is a GREAT sign for 5x04

“Just breathe” Bellamy Blake is the daddest dad to ever dad you heard it here first

BELLAMY AND EMORI BELLAMY AND EMORI BELLAMY AND EMORI 

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A SMILE MORE BRIGHT

“She’s just a kid.” Bellamy, this is the most on brand thing you have ever said.

“Bellamy. Clarke knew you would come.” CUE MY SCREAMING AND FLAILING HOLY F UCK I KNEW I WAS GOING TO DIE WHEN MADI AND BELLAMY MET BUT THE FACT THAT SHE RECOGNIZED HIM ENOUGH FROM CLARKE’S DRAWINGS (and JUST him) OH MY GOD. This is the fanfic meeting of my dreams. 

Madi: *grabs Bellamy’s hand* Me: *dies*

“Madi ... no.” “Madi, no.” I LOVE TWO SOULMATES

“I won’t let anything happen to Clarke. I promise.” Even after all this time he’s always looking out for her. And Madi just trusts him. So easily. Ugh my heart.

BELLAMY STEPPING OUT OF THE HEADLIGHTS LIKE AN ANGEL. BELLAMY HOLDING UP THE BEST DAD IN THE UNIVERSE MUG. BELLAMY BARGAINING FOR CLARKE’S LIFE. BELLAMY HOLDING CHARMAINE’S ARMY AGAINST HER. BELLAMY PERFECTLY BALANCING THE HEAD AND THE HEART. BELLAMY. 

i’m turned on

Let’s be honest though that “Best Dad in the Universe Mug” is the MVP of the show for sure. That mug has singlehandedly carried the whole season. Riley who? Nothing but respect for my new fav character.

No offense but Clarke immediately dissolving into tears on the floor at the sight of Bellamy is highkey relatable. Me too bitch the fuck

SHE.

IS.

BOOM OUT MOTHERFUCKER

okay okay okay I gotta backtrack though because when Bellamy says those words he is literally JUST staring at Clarke, right into her eyes. Because those words were not for Charmaine, they were for Clarke. So she would know just how important she is to him. So she knows that, even though they have aged, their connection has not. I mean, fuck. 

THIS EPISODE WAS SO FREAKING EPIC GUYS. IT WAS POSSIBLY EVEN BETTER ON REWATCH. IT WAS JUST SO GOOD. 

And 5x04 is gonna kill us all so expect some WORDS from me next week. Byeeeeeeee

[sienna27]

Rant

Random people on social media who see posts saying that X new episode of TWD was really good, and then pipe into the conversation to say TWD is “garbage” (consistently the word used) and that’s why they stopped watching back in season 3 or 5 or 7 (the number rotates with the person), shut the ever loving fuck up you absolute morons!  Oh my God.  You are trashing a show that you just admitted you haven’t watched in like forty to SIXTY episodes!  That is a blockable offense because you’ve demonstrated yourself to be too stupid to exist on a wavelength where I might run into you again.  But yet, this happens all the time.  I think it’s actually been happening since like season two, because I remember clearly all of the bitching about the search for Sophia, “OMG the show is so slow now!  This sucks!  Blah, blah, blah, dance monkey dance!”  And that went on the whole season.  Obviously you can be a fan of something and still critique it if you’d like to see it be better in certain ways . . . that’s why we’re all here . . . but if you STOPPED WATCHING a show, don’t shit all over other people’s continued enjoyment of that show by jumping into THEIR conversations where they’re saying that they’re still enjoying it!   I didn’t like the tone of season seven, simply didn’t watch it.  And somehow during all of that, I managed to not post weekly with a kindly “tagged” reminder to everyone that the show was garbage.  So easy.  And I don’t like Fear TWD.  I gave it two years, and a genuine effort, still hated it by the end, so I stopped watching that completely.  But I never went onto any ‘pro-Fear’ post or thread or even a neutral account and talked shit about this show that other people like.  I do that here, on my own page, because that’s the non-douche way to function in the world.  It’s just so indicative of basically everything now, that being a douchebag is the line of first approach, for SO many people.  “Everyone must want to hear my thoughts on their favorite show, movie, song, color, pizza topping, etc., etc., that I must leap in where I haven’t been invited, to share opinions that I haven’t been asked!  Yay me!” 

For some people with depression, anxiety, or just a horrible run of luck in their personal life (or maybe just a horrible life), delving into a fantasy world can be literally ALL that is holding them together.  So just leave them the fuck alone, and let them have their escapes.  And I say that from personal experience.  December 2015 was one of my worst depressive cycles in YEARS.  I immersed myself in a TWD rewatch, and TWD fanfiction for the entire month.  Then I started writing my own story.  All of that, was all that got me through Christmas.  So yeah, if you’re a dick about these things, just fucking stop.    

[weapon13whitefang]

Liz Talks TWD 8x01 [Possible Spoilers]

So I went back and rewatched S08E01 and here are my few opinions on some things that caught my eye or that went through my mind. Keep in mind, these thoughts will be all over the place because I have so many things in my head.

But before I really get into that, let me just say that – for the 100th episode – I wasn’t too impressed. Now that’s not to say this was a bad episode. No as a story piece it was pretty good. It set up the top half of TWD and seeing all these different factions come together was needed. My favorite line was “I got your back” and the guy goes “you just met me” (or something like that) and I was happy because THAT is an important message in the show. Right next to “It’s not about you”.

And why is that important? Because later – in the next episode preview – we see Tara say “we have a job to do” and Jesus goes “we’re not here for revenge”. Each character has a motivation for why they’re fighting Negan. Whether to protect family, themselves, the future or whatever. And each fraction – Kingdom, Alexander, and Hilltop – have a different person they stand for (again either for themselves or for Maggie or Ezekiel or Rick). And hell some of them don’t even know what they’re fighting for, but they’re there and they’re gonna fight.

This season is called All Out War. A war doesn’t have to be just about what’s happening physically. In fact, a war can also mean what’s going on inside ones self. When people go to war, they start out one way. In the beginning of a war you see boys. By the end of a war, you see men with troubled or peaceful faces. War happens to the body and the mind as much as on a battlefield and I think that’s a big thing to keep in mind for this season and for each character; what is their own war and how is it going?

But anyway, the reason I wasn’t that impressed with this episode is that I was… Bored. Like the first half of the episode, until they drove the vehicles to the Savior Compound, I was bored. Because as someone who writes scripts and who studied scripts and film, I understand what’s going on and I just find it frustrating. What’s happening is the setup. We are setting up the season. We are setting up what’s going on and whose with us. We have three fractions vs one giant fraction. Rick and Maggie and Ezekiel’s team VS Negan’s team. We have the three fraction coming together and meeting for the first time and it’s one of those “hi nice to meet you this is awkward but I guess we’re partners” moments one might feel in high school or college when you have to partner up with someone you’ve never once talked to or even paid attention to. It’s awkward and uncertain… But this time you’re partners to survive in an apocalyptic world war of survival… No pressure.

So we have this set up happening… And that’s so boring. I’m not saying it isn’t needed! By God no, it’s needed. We can’t just suddenly be standing in the middle of the battlefield with Rick and Maggie and Ezekiel screaming orders while Negan is laughing and yelling about his dick (btw that scene was stupid but I laughed a little because JDM gets all the stupid lines) as he swings Lucille around. I mean I get that… They could do that but it wouldn’t work as well and all the crazy shit happening at once could leave people just as confused as it not happening at all.

But here’s the thing… They’ve been setting up this war since the beginning of Season 7 with Abraham and Glenn’s death. And it was topped off with Sasha’s death at the end of last season and Shiva coming into save Rick and Carl. I mean we’ve been ready for this war since season seven… More build up is… It’s kind of getting ridiculous at this point. It’s frustrating because I REALLY DO GET WHAT THEY’RE DOING but I do not like it because I’m getting tired of all this stacking and building. I love this shit but after a whole goddamn season of it, I’m just… I’m done.

But that said, I get it and I’m like “fine, fine okay whatever” right now. And when we see Negan step out of the Savior compound, I wasn’t as bored. Because now we were getting something fun. Negan’s swagger wasn’t as… Swag. He actually was slowly showing frustration because his call out plan didn’t work. Gregory didn’t come through because everyone had fallen behind Maggie (for the most part anyway) and Jesus. Gregory (Fuck this motherfucker by the way) was a useless trump card for Simon and Negan… Same with Eugene and Sasha last season. Negan is losing his trump cards slowly. Which THAT I found fascinating and fun to watch. Little by little he’s getting picked away.

Anyway, my main thought on this episode – my overall feel – is that it could’ve given us a lot more. I get building up the theme and the season. I get that they’re waiting to give us something big to chomp down on. But I need them to at least give me some meat on this pile of ribs because a girl can only lick a bone for so long you know? That’s my frustration with it. Not the episode itself. Not the storytelling device that it is. Just the lack of more.

And a lot of that might be that it’s the 100th episode. Episode 1 gave more than the 100th and that’s just kinda like “wtf”. Yes I know it was a brand new show back then. But that’s an excuse more than anything to me. I’ve seen this show give us amazing over the line episodes. This was a chance to do that while also setting up the season. They could’ve used next weeks episode as the kind of extra build up. That would’ve been more satisfying for me personally. You can still build up without taking away from the hype.

That said, I don’t hate this episode at all. The first part bored me but overall I liked seeing the visions of Old Man Rick (I don’t wanna call it future Rick or daydream Rick or whatever because that whole set up didn’t feel like a daydream or future view but more like a hallucination but not… So I’m just calling it a vision and Old Man Rick). I’m also laughing because people pointed out that older Judith’s eyes went blue from the brown they were when she was a baby and also wondering if that’s because Rick’s eyes are blue and Shane’s eyes were dark brown and Lori’s eyes were a very light brown and this is part of Rick’s vision that Judith is fully his child instead of falling on that belief that she’s Shane’s daughter. Either way, it made me kind of laugh but also go hmm.

I also liked the shot for shot image of Carl mimicking Rick in Season 1 and then Rick turning to see a young woman zombie with her face ripped open and wearing a light bathrobe and looking just like Summer – the little girl zombie Rick kills in the first season that was played by Addy Miller – only older. Was curious and looked her up on Twitter and sure enough, she’s the walker we see walking to Rick and Carl. Very very nice touch and that made me grin!

Eugene getting cut off was kind of deserved. I mean I believe he’s just grabbing information and playing a part because, hey, Eugene is good at that kind of shit like he did against Abe and his old crew. But I still think he’s being a real big piece of shit coward and needs to be SIT THE FUCK DOWN from time to time.

So no I didn’t hate this episode. Just got a bit frustrated with it.

Now for some fun little TD shit because I gotta nudge the water sometimes. I’ll probably do this any chance I can. Because I like TDers. Most of them have been nice to me and I find their metas fascinating sometimes.

Ticking clock noise in this episode and in next weeks episode and lots and lots of clocks.

Here’s a little fun nudges I wrote awhile back dealing with the trailer that I think is important for us to note. This is talking about the trailer In the trailer, we have the beating of an instrument in a sort of tribal-like setup. I found out from a friend – who is more musically trained than I am – that the instrument is most likely what is called a clave. AKA those wooden stick instruments a music teacher gives young kids to teach them how to learn music rhythm, to keep a beat. Since music is important, I decided to look into the clave. I did some research. Probably not needed and probably a bit excessive, but blame the scriptwriter in me. I found a blog that talks heavily about the clave and the first thing it discusses – besides telling us that the clave looks like a hot dog without the bun… So a hot dog – is that the clave “also refers to the 2/3 or 3/2 rhythmic glue that holds all the different polyrhythms together. You hear the rhythmic pattern and sound in all Cuban music, most Puerto Rican salsa, and a great deal of African music as well… The hardwood sticks have a sharp, penetrating sound that can be heard even over a large orchestra of loud, blazing horns.” (x) I found this information fascinating. As I said, trailer music I number one on the list of three important things in a trailer. That is because music – as well known – sets a mood. It sets a rhythm for the chosen images and cut-list of the trailer. A good example of how music can set a trailer is the infamous “Scary Mary” trailer (x) that can be found on Youtube – turning Mary Poppins from the whimsical musical and into a horror film. Simply by changing the music, they had an outline for a way to choose clips and make it seem that the classic Disney film Mary Poppins was instead a horror thriller. It’s still the same story, but the change in music makes it a whole other level of cinematography. That in mind, why the clave for this trailer? My thoughts go first back to the line “…The hardwood sticks have a sharp, penetrating sound that can be heard even over a large orchestra of loud, blazing horns.” Which is true. From 0:41 to 2:14 of the AMC posted trailer (x) we can hear the clave being played alone. No other instrument is with it. The music is the only clave’s being beaten to different rhythms to create a single sound/song. As rick begins to talk at 2:14, the clave’s – even muted, are not blocked by Rick’s speech. From 2:14 to 3:04, Rick’s speech is undertoned by the clave’s… This is important. This music – this instrument that can even be heard over larger sounds and can penetrate through it all – was chosen for a reason. What reason? Well, in my personal opinion, because it sounds like a clock and it sets up a feeling of anxiety. Also, according to my research and stated in the website above, the clave was created when slaves – who missed music – took two cuban carved pegs – pegs made to hold the ship together since nails were very expensive back in the late 1400s – and beat them together and discovered their sharp sound. “The Aricans started fashioning these pegs into smooth, round sticks that could be used as rhythm instruments.” (x). This sound also – to me – gives the whole things a sort of tribal feel. It makes me think I’m off running with a tribe. It’s like I’m on a hunt… And that’s what is happening. There is a hunt going on. Negan vs Rick. I mentioned that the clave also sounds like clocks. Like clocks ticking away. This show does love its time and clock. A ticking of a clock symbolizes many things. In media, it is often like that old saying “the clock is ticking”, meaning “time is running out”. This could be someones clock is ticking away to their death. A good example I like to use is ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN and how Charlie the Dog has a watch that represents his time on earth and he’s told his watch has stopped and meant his time is up. The clock stopped ticking for Glenn and he was eventually lost… Now it doesn’t all mean bad. “The clock is ticking” is also a saying that yes, your time is up. But that doesn’t mean your time is up in a bad sense. It could also symbolize an approach of someone or something. And since season 8 is supposed to be about the war with the Saviors (so it seems anyway), then the ticking clock sound can mean the time of approach of the war. A ticking away of a clock is also used in media to give narrative tension. To me – personally – we do get this. There’s something tensing about hearing the clave’s beat away like a clock. Like we’re Captain Hook and we hear the clock of the crocodile coming to get us. A post by Julie Eshbaugh gave the best example of explaining this tension. She said the ticking of a clock creating tension is a simple concept. And the concept is that “a certain task must be completed by a certain deadline or the character will fail and suffer the consequences of that failure… The addition of a ticking clock instantly creates increased tension. A challenge may feel relatively easy to overcome if time is not an issue. But take away the luxury of unlimited time and you immediately turn up the heat on your characters.” (x) Team Family is out of time. Negan has rallied together his Saviors and rallied Jadis with her Scavengers (a union that may have its own ticking clock hanging over it; a ticking bomb clock with how bull-headed Jadis and Negan seem to be just from their last seen exchange) and they have to rally together their plan of attack or risk their loss.  The clock is ticking on the approach – on the drop – of the war.Now as for that little bit of Team Defiance / Team Delusional in me that likes to peak out? Well, maybe this is the ticking – the final tick-tock – of Beth’s approach to team Family. She’s been linked with clocks and time before. Wouldn’t surprise me if this ticking clock was Beth’s clock ticking over team family… But again, that’s just me being a speculator.

The Weird Al song made me so confused/baffled, but @dynamicsymmetry pointed out how it’s interesting they used a Weird Al Song for a background song. Because a Weird Al song is a cover and a distorted version of an original song. Another One Rides the Bus is a parody of Another One Bites The Dust. He takes the songs and basically rewrites them with a new feel. The parody song resembles the original but it’s been altered to give a whole new mood. And to me, that’s kind of a good example of what they did with WHAWGO because they gave us this feel of a funeral for Beth but the feel was wrong because it was actually supposed to be a feel for Tyreese. See what I mean? Now of course not all music relates to Beth but Sunny pointing that out made me kinda pause and nod because yeah lol

Carl left a sorry note. Which can also be a nudge to Beth wanting to leave a Thank You note at the funeral home.

Carl talking about them needing hope because without it everything else isn’t enough. And I find it fascinating that it’s CARL that’s talking about Hope while driving around in the damn Phoenix van. I once said I think Carl is going to have a hand in finding Beth again and I still believe that if she’s gonna come back y'all.

[aubzylynn]

The Walking Dead 💀

You’re precious Sarah Jean. I love you

my all-time ultimate fave character: This is HARD. It’s a pretty strong tie between Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne.

a character I didn’t used to like but now do: I’m gonna get so much hate for this. Carol. I really could not stand her for the longest. But on my last couple rewatches of TWD, I’ve gotten to like her more.

a character I used to like but now don’t: I don’t have one. If I liked them before, I like ‘em now. If I straight up don’t like them when I start watching, I almost always don’t like them where we’re at. Carol is one of the very few exceptions.

a character I’m indifferent about: Any of Negan’s people. like... Imma be real honest, I’m about a season behind rn, and I don’t remember the last couple of seasons, but I don’t care about Negan’s people aaaat alllll

a character who deserved better:

a ship I’ve never been able to get into: Caryl. Carol/Darryl. Like...I get it. But not my cup of tea.

a ship I’ve never been able to get over: Richonne. Love it. I’ve wanted it from day 1 when they were introduced to each other. AND GLEGGIE. DEAR GOD THEY’RE MY ENDGAME OKAY

a cute, low-key ship: Carl & Edith. That boy deserves something good in his life, okay?

an unpopular ship but I still enjoyed it: I really don’t even know lolol

a ship that was totally wrong and never should have happened: In the comics, Rick and Andrea got together and I was thrown off by it...like...nah my dude Andrea is the WORST why you do that to yourself????

my favourite storyline/moment: Literally anything in season 2 with Maggie and Glenn when they were figuring out they liked each other. so cute. So stupid. I love them so much.

a storyline that never should have been written: GLENN AND LUCILLE. THAT’S ALL I’LL SAY CUZ I DON’T WANNA SPOIL STUFF. 

my first thoughts on the show: “This is stupid, I’m only gonna watch this so Heath (my stepdad) will shut up about it oh my god.”

my thoughts now: “THESE ARE MY CHILDREN. THESE ARE MY BABIES. I WILL DIE FOR THEM. FUCK YOU DON’T TOUCH THEM!”

PUT A TV SERIES IN MY INBOX!

[thewalkingdead-obsessed]

Rewatch S1x1 Days Gone Bye

It's summer break for me officially and as promised I have started my rewatch of TWD!! As soon as I started the episode I realized how long it had been since I've watched season one and wow have things changed!! **SPOILERS AHEAD** It was such an interesting choice to start the show with the first death not just being a walker, but a child. Quite the statement to make in the pilot of a show. The first thing I noticed was the little girl's ability (and want?) to pick up a stuffed animal. Being so far into the show I feel like it's easy to forget how the walkers used to be and the premiere is really telling of how much things have changed in the characteristics of the walkers. Seeing old Rick and Shane made me so happy. In the scene where Rick gets shot, you see the bond and care in their friendship. Even though we only get a brief scene in this episode of pre-apocalypse Sheriff Deputy Rick, it makes me wonder, although he quickly takes on leadership rolls in this new world, was he really all that strong before? It seems like Shane was really the leader/strong one of the duo. I also think it was a really interesting choice to only show scenes of Shane visiting Rick while he's in a coma rather than his wife (who we previously heard him complain about) and his son, the people that at this point in the show are driving all of his action. The coma scene where Rick's vision is blurry looks a lot like another scene at the end of the episode but I'll get to that in a bit!! I've ALWAYS had tons of questions about Rick being in the hospital and surviving as long as he did. I know Shane blocked the door, but I'm also curious as to how he survived logistically (could be the IVs but I don't know much about medicine) and from the walkers/people who were clearly executing folks. Rick's hospital scene has suuuuuuch dope horror movie vibes, I had forgotten about how much it really puts you on the edge of your seat. I especially love the "don't open dead inside" part, the hands coming through the locked door and all the breathy walker noises definitely felt like a good ole zombie movie. And then when he was in the staircase and eventually left the hospital only to see piles and piles of bodies, it's so shocking to watch (especially when we're almost on season 8 now, seeing profound loss doesn't seem that wild anymore in a desensitizing sort of way). Side note: Andrew's accent in the beginning is DEFINITELY different but sooooo darn cute 😭😍 When Rick finally gets home and realizes his family is no where to be found, along with no other sign of people, he goes "is this real, am I here, wake, wake up" which is an interesting line for sure (I guess this could be proof of some sort to people who believe the Rick's coma theory, which I don't really care much for but still it's a notable line nonetheless). Then we're introduced to Morgan and Duane, some of my favorite characters. After Duane hits Rick, we hear him call him "Carl" (reminded me of when Morgan calls Benjamin Duane in S7). All Rick's experiences with Morgan and Duane certainly leave a lasting impression. It's clear that the audience is meant to know we aren't seeing the last of them in episode 1. Rick riding a horse into Atlanta is such a classic scene. The use of animals in the walking dead is something I feel I don't quite understand yet (I feel their must be some deeper meaning since soon after the introduction of many animals we see them killed). I absolutely LOVE the scene where we see the first glimpse of a herd in the show. We go from only seeing walkers far and few between, not coming off as dangerous as one might think, to seeing hundreds of bodies shuffle through the tight streets of a city devouring a horse and leaving us feeling hopeless about Rick getting out of this shitty situation. Once he's in the tank and shoots the military walker, Rick's vision gets blurry and he's disoriented for a moment (probably due to the vibration of the bullet off the tank walls). This kind of looks like the coma scene where Rick sees Shane. That could mean something, or it could just be that he's weak and out of it. Then as soon as you think all hope is gone you hear sweet baby Glenn say "dumbass" 😭😭 which eventually pans out to the shot of all the walkers trying to get in the tank. Ahhhhhh so much happened in this episode and obviously I can't note every little detail but here are a few things that I thought were important/interesting/notable/etc.: -There is such a clear focus on the behaviors of the walkers, between picking up a toy, attempting to open a door, seeming to have memories (i.e. Morgans wife). Compared to the walkers in seasons to come, the strength, intelligence, and characteristics of the walkers are so different. They look so fresh at this point in the show. -This is more so just an opinion but I REALLY wish we got to see more of Duane and Morgan together. Duane's character is one that I felt could have been fascinating if explored more. -Because the apocalypse is such a new idea (obviously, it's the first episode) it makes you think we're going to get more knowledge on the why/how this happened and a possible cure, but we never really do. -I think Lori and Rick were over before all this happened, they already had a strained relationship so their falling out later comes as no surprise. I believe the love he felt for her in the later seasons and in his mourning had to do with the fact that she (and Carl) were all he had left from his life before and he wanted to preserve that in this scary world they live in now. Doing this made it easier to give him other love interests eventually. -Morgan's been saving people and changing the course of the show since season one, how fricken cool is that!!!! This were so different but I'm excited to keep watching and seeing what else I notice and pick up on that I never did before! NEXT: episode 2!!

[writeyouin]

Could you do a Valentines day TWD fic where the reader gives Eugene flowers, and it's the first time the reader has tried to reveal their feelings for him? (I've been doing a rewatch and wanted to give him a bit of love. 😛)

Eugene Porter X Reader - Supply Run

A/N – Happy Valentine’s day folks.

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

Toiletries. Batteries. Baby food. Nappies. Antibiotics. These were all the items you were asked to keep an eye out for while on your next supply run from Alexandria. You slung your backpack over your shoulder, ready to head out of the community and into wherever your feet would guide you.

“Excuse me (Y/N).” Eugene’s droll tone caught your attention.

You grinned excitedly, eager to see him before you left. “Hey Eugene.” You beamed. “You alright?”

“Rick has just informed me that you intend to go on your supply run on your own without the assistance you could so direly need. Is that correct?”

“That about sums it up.”

“I must say, I am not pleased with this plan if it can be called such. You would be much safer within the confines of Alexandria’s walls.”

You smiled softly. “Eugene, I’ve been on a hundred supply runs, why is this one bothering you?”

“(Y/N), when was the last time you went alone anywhere?”

“Ooh, I’d say it’s been a good while now.”

“Exactly. If you insist on leaving, then it would be more logical to do so with a companion.”

“Hold on, if we’re gonna argue this then we both know I can’t do so with logic.”

“In the absence of logic, may I ask what you propose?”

“Videogames.”

Eugene frowned quizzically, both perplexed and intrigued by your statement. “Go on.”

“Right, so, if I take between one and three other group members in my party for this campaign I gain increased perception and attack strength. However, I would lose stealth, speed, and agility which is useful for sneaking past foes, into dungeons. Agreed?”

Eugene pondered a counter-argument before conceding and nodding stiffly. “Your hypothesis is solid.”

“Great. Is there anything you need while I’m out?”

“Copper wire.”

“Okie doke, I’ll keep an eye out.”

Eugene opened his mouth to say something but closed it abruptly, unsure of what to do next.

“(Y/N).” Glenn waved you over from the house porch, meeting you half way when you approached and leaving Eugene to walk away uncomfortably. “Sorry to interrupt but I heard you’re on a run today.”

“Yeah.” You nodded. “What do you need?”

“Uh, I went to the flower patches nearby but they’re pretty overrun by walkers right now so if you see anything along the lines, I’d like to give them to Maggie later on.”

“Aww, feeling romantic are we?”

Glenn gave a small laugh, “I’ve tried to keep track of the days ever since this all started and if I’m right, today’s Valentine’s day. I’d like to do something for her.”

“Really? Valentine’s day? That’s nice, I’ll see if I can find you anything.”

“Thanks (Y/N). Hey, before you go, what was that about with Eugene? He was acting… weirder than usual, I guess.”

“Yeah, he didn’t want me going out alone but it’s fine now, I think he was just worrying over nothing.”

“Yeah? Or maybe he likes you.”

“What? No, he doesn’t- He uh- Did he say anything?” You blushed, looking around for Eugene.

“Face it (Y/N), you stood up for him when nobody else did, he actually talks to you, the two of you kind of hang out on a regular basis, and to top it all off, he doesn’t want you to go out alone but he didn’t bat an eyelid when Michonne left this morning.”

You didn’t know what to say. While you knew you had strong feelings for Eugene, you didn’t have an inkling that he may feel the same until now; it’s what had stopped you from acting upon your impulses and asking him out.

“(Y/N)? You okay?” Glenn hovered in front of you, wondering if he’d said too much.

“I um- Happy Valentine’s day Glenn. I’ll catch you later.”

You ran off excitedly, eager to find whatever the outside world held. “Flowers.” The thought struck fast, dominating the other ideas that appeared at the notion of Valentine’s day. “Glenn thinks flowers are a good idea, I’m sure I can get enough for both of us. Right, supplies first, flowers second.”

You sat on a boulder overlooking Alexandria’s wall in the dimming light of the setting sun. All in all, it was a successful run, you’d found an old shed with its fair share of tools, including a spool of copper wire. On top of that, you’d come across a handful of wild flowers which made a miniature bouquet but there was definitely not enough for two people. You sighed despondently, deciding that the bouquet rightfully belonged to Glenn who’d asked for it first. Despite that, you still wished you had something to give Eugene apart from the wire which you pulled out of your pack to inspect. As you looked back and forth between the two items, half an idea formed. You fiddled with the wire, bending it easily. After a minute or so, you grinned, snapping a long piece off and shaping it; it only took a few minutes of work to form a half-decent, copper daisy. While you would’ve liked more time to improve your work, the sounds of approaching walkers alerted you that it was time to leave.

Glenn ran over to you as soon as you returned to Alexandria, you made sure Maggie was nowhere to be seen before discreetly pulling out the bouquet from behind your back.

“This is perfect, thanks (Y/N).” Glenn admired the flowers, tying them together with some ratty string he’d found.

“No problem, just hurry up and give them to her, Valentine’s day is almost over already.” You looked up to the sky which grew darker with each passing minute. Glenn nodded, running off ecstatically. Although you hadn’t got the bouquet it felt good, seeing how happy he was.

You pulled the copper wire and your gift out, knocking on the garage door which held Eugene’s workshop; he used the space to repair items that the people of the small community brought to him. Eugene opened the door hesitantly, then held it wide open to let you in.

“(Y/N), I was beginning to grow concerned, you have been gone a long time.” He stated, matter-of-factly.

“Yeah.” You smirked lopsidedly. “I found wire.” You held it out to him mechanically, nervous for what would come next.

“Thank you, this will speed up my work greatly.”

“R-right, this is for you too.” You shoved the flower into his chest roughly, avoiding eye-contact as he inspected the gift curiously.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.” He frowned as if he was missing some form of joke.

“Oh um, Glenn told me it was Valentine’s day but I couldn’t find any flowers so I made one.” You half-explained.

“Am I supposed to pass this on to someone for you?”

“Excuse me?”

“It is within the nature of Valentine’s day to anonymously confess to someone, is that what you require my assistance for?”

“No, no, not at all. That’s for you.” You stared pointedly at Eugene, hoping that he would get the meaning so you wouldn’t have to awkwardly explain everything.

“Am I to assume from this that you have the same romantic feelings for me as I have come to harbour for you?”

You smiled bashfully. “So you do have feelings for me?”

Eugene’s lips twitched, turning upwards slightly at the corners. “Would you like to join me for dinner now (Y/N)?”  he offered his arm which you accepted gratefully.

“I’d love to.”

[twdmusicboxmystery]

TWD 10x19: More Stuff Pointing to Beth’s Imminent Return

Morning Everyone! As you can see, these are just a few more odds and ends about 10x19 that I didn’t cover yesterday. It’s not so much details or not details as just things I didn’t get around to in my first post, which was already very long. So, in no particular order, here goes.

***As always, spoilers abound below for 10x19. Don’t read until you’ve watched!***

First off, there were several Beth references that didn’t occur to me until I was watching the episode live.

Gabriel’s whole speech about how the bible is “still” important.

He gives Mays this rundown about how the word of God is still important and applicable. How it’s a beacon of light in an otherwise very dark world.

Now, I’m sure lots of people picked up on this as a Beth reference. Talk of the bible. Talk of light in the darkness. These are symbols that have definitely been used around her before. But what struck me upon rewatching it was the way he said it was “still” important. It can be directly linked to her “I still sing.” And if you analyze both conversations, both are about transcendence, rather than just surviving.

Mays fires his gun at the little office, and then only afterward, tells Gabriel Aaron is inside and asks, “do you think he made it?”

Guys, this is subtle, but this is a huge parallel of Beth. Think about it. Aaron being in the office could almost represent a tomb of some kind. He’s tied up (imprisonment). Mays shoots the gun (bullets). Then asks, “Do you think he made it?” When he goes to check, he says, “looks like he’s still breathing.” And then, when he brings Aaron out, he’s bleeding from a wound in the left side of his forehead. Exactly same place as where Beth was shot.

 I can’t believe it took me like 3x watching the episode to pick that up, lol.

Gabriel’s story about his mentor

I felt like this had to be important, but it was hard for me to say how. And even now, I don’t think I have it all pinned down, but it may not matter. This speech may actually be more about Gabriel and his character than anything else.

I did wonder if the mentor in his story could represent Rick. It doesn’t all fit in detail (Rick’s not the biggest people person out there, lol) but there was a time when Rick really didn’t like Gabriel and wouldn’t give him the time of day (understandably) but eventually Gabriel earned his trust and they did become friends. Even if I’m right that this represents Rick, I’m not sure what the point of having this speech here is. It’s probably the kind of thing I’ll have to return to.

As always, I wanted to relate it to Beth, but I wasn’t sure how. I did feel somewhat justified in looking for TD clues here, not only because the episode is so heavy in them, but because right before Gabriel starts relating the story about his mentor, he says, “I’m serious.” And there were a few small clues, such as talk of driving 80 mph (Beth’s been missing 8 years in the show). But that’s pretty small.

But the one big reference that got me kind of excited was the funeral reference. He talked about going to a funeral with his mentor. While there have obviously been other funerals, the one really big one we saw Gabriel preside over was Tyreese’s in 5x09. A huge Beth episode, where we actually saw the number 8 next to her. And we have to assume, if TF tried to bury Beth, that he would have presided there, too. We just haven’t seen that, yet.

But here’s what got me. Even though Gabriel says this was the funeral of the young man, he said he was a college kid. And while Beth never went to college that we know, in Still Daryl did accuse her of looking for hooch like some dumb college bitch.

So, between that and all the other callbacks and references in this episode, I do think this was a subtle reference to her and perhaps to her “funeral” that we never saw. I’m unsure why they’ve put it here or how it’s supposed to function for us, but I think that will become more clear as the story progresses.

TTD:

I’m not going to do a separate Talking Dead post this week, because there just wasn’t tons to point to in this episode. Basically, there were three things that jumped out at me.

1. Ross Marquand mentioned the three people exiled from Alexandria in S5. And it seemed like a really random reference to bring up. I’m not sure why he did. For one thing, it’s a callback to S5. But that thing about those three being exiled was never hugely resolved. I know a couple of them were meant to be the walkers Aaron and Maggie found in the sewer, but still. It feels unresolved to me, and him bringing them up randomly here felt significant.

2. The Golf Sequence. So, I mentioned the golf parallels in the episode yesterday, but apparently there was a much larger, extended golf sequence where Aaron and Gabriel put together a whole mini golf course, but it got cut from the episode for time. So, not a big deal. It’s just that there would have been MUCH larger golf parallels in this episode if they could have included them.

3. The writer talked about how, at the end of the episode, where we see Gabriel and Aaron heading toward he water tower, there’s a dark, ominous forest between them and the water tower, and anything might happen in there. So, it     sounds like this story with the two of them isn’t exactly over, and we’ll probably see another episode about the two of them in S11.

Alright, I said yesterday I’d talk about where this is going. It still sounds like one of these two might die, and you know I lean toward it being Gabriel. I did have a few people message me and point out that Aaron putting a gun to his head might foreshadow his death, and that’s a possibility. I can’t deny it. Honestly, I don’t follow the symbolism around either of these characters (except where it indicates Beth) closely enough to make an educated prediction here. But I do still lean toward it being Gabriel. Mostly because, as I’ve said before, he’s the Sirius character. And there’s one more thing that may indicate this.

The Bible Passage Gabriel Looks At:

I talked yesterday about how Gabriel opened one of the bibles and we could see the passage. It’s 1 Samuel: 1-21. Read the passage HERE.

Now, this passage basically talks about two things. This is where a new king needs to be crowned, and that king will eventually be David. First, the prophet (Samuel) goes to Bethlehem to offer up a sacrifice so the Lord will show him who is to be the new king.

Just the fact that we’re talking about a sacrifice, and it’s Gabriel reading the passage, screams death omen to me.

Also remember that both because of the cross she wore in the hallway at Grady, and because of Gabriel’s (yes, Gabriel’s) strange words to Sasha in 5x16 about “sacrificing one of your own,” Beth is often seen as a symbolic sacrifice of some kind. (I even think his white shirt in 5x16 could point toward him being a sacrifice, but that’s a whole other theory.)

Back to the bible reference. So the second thing that’s done here is that each of Jessie’s sons is brought before the prophet so he can tell which one the Lord has anointed to be king, but he doesn’t choose any of them, saying the Lord is telling him that the king is not among them. He asks if these are all of Jessie’s sons, to which they reply that the youngest (David) is not present.

Now, if you know anything of the bible, David does become king, but they didn’t think to bring him before the prophet here, because they just didn’t think he was “king” material. David was a shepherd. He was humble. He was a poet and a bard.

Yes, you read that right. David sang. He actually sang very beautifully. Tended to totally mesmerize the court with his singing.

Sound like that could be a Beth parallel to you?

In this passage, David is not crowned king, but he is anointed to be king one day. I also notice that the page Gabriel looks at says 1 Sam 16:21, which just means verse 21 is the last verse on that page. Verse 21 ends with David basically living by and learning from the current king, Saul.

Just reminds me of Rick declaring Beth the “new sheriff in town” and how we’ve always said she’ll be his protégé.

So, all I’m saying is that I think this passage suggests both a sacrifice of some kind, and the coming of a new “king” (read: sheriff) that has a lot of things in common with Beth. And since it’s Gabriel who opens the bible, it makes sense that he’ll be the one to die as or just before she arrives. Just saying.

Okay, that’s all I have for today. I’ll get to some Asks tomorrow.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Connections Between Nebraska, the CRM , and TWB

Morning Everyone! I wrote this last week and it jumps around a bit, referencing some old TWD episodes, a TWB episode, an a few other things. The biggest thing here is just making connections and showing that the symbolism is the same across all shows in the franchise. That all of them are connected. And that the writers are telling one, huge story, and have been since very early on.

So, while speaking with a follower last week, I ended up making some interesting connections. Nothing groundbreaking. Bit of a rabbit hole, but not too deep. ;D

But someone sent me something yesterday that said on the walking dead wiki page for the CRM, it says they’re based out of Omaha, NE. Now, they definitely talk about the Omaha location in TWB, but I didn’t remember it saying the CRM is actually based there. 

So I went and looked at the wiki page. What it says is that it’s part of the Alliance of the Three, and Omaha is one of their locations. The actual base of the CRM is still unknown.

But I started thinking about TWD 2x08, Nebraska, and decided to go back and watch that episode again. It’s honestly been years since I sat down and watched it beginning to end. I did, and I’ll come back to that in a minute.

(CRM Page HERE.)

A/B Theme

But further down on the page, it also defines the A and B symbolism. It says A = a strong leader who is spirited and willing to fight back. And B = someone who either can’t fight back or won’t.

But it also has a note under the A that says 1x04 of TWB confirmed that A also = Bitten. That seemed a little weird to me. I didn’t remember them confirming that for sure in the episode (we would have talked about it a LOT more). And Jadis called Rick a B, which suggests he’s not bitten. So I was like, Hmm. What’s this about?

Well, I went and rewatched 1x04. I really need only have watched the after-the-credits coda, since I’m fairly certain that’s where they’re getting this. (And of course let’s remember that anyone who is a member can update wiki pages; so this isn’t exactly a confirmation from tptb.)

In the coda, as you will remember, the woman is eating a sandwich and talking into a recorder about test subjects. All of them have an A before their numbers. And the camera pans over all of them, clearly showing bite marks. So, I’m thinking that’s where they’re getting that A = bite from. But to me, that’s not exhaustive evidence. I still think Rick was bitten, and I still think we don’t entirely understand the definition.

I COULD get behind there being two definitions going on here. One that they’ll acknowledge in the show as the actual way the CRM uses the numbers, and one that’s more symbolic that tptb will never confirm or deny. I mean, they did this with the A on Daryl’s shirt at the Sanctuary. And then there’s the A Sam had in 6a, and the A painted on FG’s church. Are we supposed to believe they’ll all be directly linked to the CRM in the show?

So, I’m wondering if the strong fighter vs weak fighter is how the CRM actually uses it. But symbolically, that’s where the bitten/not bitten comes in.

And you may ask, even if that’s the case, why would Jadis call Rick a B? I mean, he’s clearly one who will fight back.

But here’s the thing. When she had him prisoner in his blue skivvies in the yellow storage container, she wrote an A on the outside. So clearly, whatever it means to the CRM, she thinks he’s an A. And obviously he wasn’t bitten then. So either B does mean bitten, or else she’s just lying about him being a strong leader and fighter. Why would she do that?

I’m thinking about Grady. They saved Noah but left his father behind. And I’m thinking that given what we know of Noah’s weakness, his father was probably the stronger fighter. You could also argue that they saw Beth as weak and took her, but when they saw Daryl in their review mirror, they sped off. I think they only take vanilla people they believe they can control. So maybe Jadis said it because otherwise they wouldn’t have taken Rick, and she wanted to save his life. And because he was hurt and weak, his rebelliousness really wouldn’t have come across to the guys in the helicopter.

Boy are they in for a rude awakening!

So yeah, basically it confirmed nothing for me, lol. The symbolism is still clear as mud, no?

Nebraska

As for Nebraska, when I watched, I mostly saw more connections to what we’ve learned recently, about the CRM and the Great Britain theme (Revolutionary War) and such.

So, I wanted to specifically listen to what the guy says about Nebraska. I wondered if he could have ties to the CRM at all. I didn’t see any evidence of that, but there was still kind of an interesting hint. He was talking about how they’d met lots of people, who all had stories about where some community might still be functioning. And one of the things he said was that they met someone who was sending supplies via RAILWAY toward Omaha, NE. And that was it. They went on about Nebraska in a few other lines, so we’re clearly supposed to take note of it. 

But what we CAN now confirm via TWB is that one of three communities in the Alliance of Three is in Omaha. So, to me, this was definitely a very early, very subtle CRM clue.

(Clearly from the above pic, which is not mine, other people in the fandom are also putting these things together.)

I’ll give you one more small thing and then the part that gets kinda wild. His shark t-shirt. Um…Stafford Sharks, I think? And I know we’ve talked about this before in the sense of it being a water clue. But the Stafford Sharks thing is a real place that’s based out of the UK. Their website even ends in the “.co.uk” suffix. And of course there’s an 11 on the back of the shirt, which we’ve talked about for a long time and, as has recently been pointed out, MIGHT among other things point to S11.

So for me, we have the 11, a hint at the UK (Julia Ormond’s character is British and represents Cornwallis in the Revolutionary War template), and a subtle reference to where the CRM is, all in one person/conversation. And if this guy, at a broad level, represents the threat of the CRM, I think it’s important that Rick kills him. Yeah, Rick’s totally gonna knock the CRM on it’s butt by the end of the series. (Yay!)

But here’s the other thing I thought about. This episode is THE next episode after Sophia comes out of the barn.

Think about that. 1. Missing girl 2. Girl found 3. Hint at CRM    

Just saying.

TWB 1x04

As I said, I rewatched the entire episode and probably didn’t need to, but I was actually glad I did. If I had more time, I do rewatches of literally EVERYTHING right now. Unfortunately, that’s probably not going to happen just yet.

I didn’t nail down the TWB template until the final episode of season 1, so rewatching it, I’m just seeing things I didn’t pick up on before.

This was the episode where they went into the high school to get out of the rain, Silas and Iris dance in the auditorium, etc. And mostly I was focusing on the pairings. We picked up the idea of Iris and Silas being Bethyl proxies when we first watched it. That much was clear. But now that I know Felix = Daryl and Huck = Carol, I saw more.

They divide into 3 groups and what really jumped out at me is that in this scenario, Huck and Faith are together. If anything, because she goes into the CRM at the end, Faith = Beth, right? Which we talked about. So I was thinking about what I’ve said that Daryl and Carol will split up and Carol and Beth might have the first reunion, and kind of watching it through that lens. Nothing huge jumped out at him until…

…the wolf.

Remember the wolf that was building a nest and protecting it’s young and dragging walkers through the halls? I don’t even know how to interpret it in a forecasting way, but since TWD ep 21, where we saw Daryl fixing the bike and hear the wolf howl, it really jumped out at me. The idea that the wolf symbolism will return with Beth and be an important part of the story.

Beyond that, I think we MIGHT be able to take some clues about Daryl’s future arc from this little sequence with Felix and Elton, but nothing huge jumped out at me. So, I’ll probably have to go back again later, maybe during or after S11 as we learn more.

So yeah. As I said, very meandering thoughts and connections today.

Thoughts?

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Re-Watch 7x11: Hostiles and Calamities

Next up is my rewatch of 7x11, which is mostly Eugene at the Sanctuary.

So, we start with the Saviors arriving with Eugene at the Sanctuary (this picks up after Negan decided to take him Alexandria in 7x08, because Eugene admitted he’d made the bullet Rosita tried to assassinate Negan with.)

Actually, we first see Dwight and some other Saviors find Joey who Daryl killed when he escaped in 7x08. Joey’s sandwich is smashed on the ground beside him and you can prominently see the smashed tomato, which is symbolic. 

There’s also a puddle of blood and of course they’re next to all the motorcycles. The setup reminded me a lot of the bike and puddle of blood we saw in 6x02 when the Wolves attacked Alexandria.

Then Laura shows Eugene around. This is where he gets the jar of pickles. She has an interesting line that you’ll like, Frangi. She says, “beer, break, cut your head.”

He goes out to talk to Negan and Negan asks for a solution for how to keep walkers from eventually falling to pieces on the fence and Eugene gives him the idea of melting down scrap metal and pouring it over them, especially over their heads so no one can stab them and put them down. I’m still not sure what to make of this theme, but it’s repeated many times around Eugene, so I’m sure it’s important.

Okay, onto the good stuff. Negan says something like, “what do you say to me for doing you this favor?” (paraphrasing) and Eugene says thank you. Then he says, “Seriously, thank you.” So there’s Sirius reference #1.

As a reward, Negan sends three of his wives (Frankie, Tanya and Amber) to hang out with him. This is where we get tons more Sirius mentions. I counted three. Two on their own, those close together in the dialogue. The third time he said, “Serious as sepsis.” Which really mirrors the one you always bring up, Frangi, that he said while playing cards on the way to Alexandria. I believe one of the ladies asked him, “Serious?” Or “Seriously?” And that was his answer. He was talking at the time about how he could use household cleaners they had lying around to make a bomb.

Then he goes out to demonstrate his “bomb” for the three women. Remember that he’s humming the 1812 Overture. I remember everyone discussing this in detail when this episode first aired. Honestly, we had no way to really appreciate what this might mean. Now I can see that it was clearly a foreshadow. So I reviewed some info on the 1812. It was composed by Tchaikovsky to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleon’s INVADING army.

So here’s what I’m thinking. This is probably a foreshadow of where we are now in the show. It either foreshadows TF fighting against the helicopter group or possibly against the invading walker situation at the hospital. (The Sirius references come because Beth’s return will happen somewhere in there.)

So, remember how in 10x15, Luke was making something? I totally didn’t get what that was at first. I saw someone, somewhere online say, “obviously he’s making a bomb of some kind.” And I was like, “…oh. I totally didn’t get that. I thought he was trying to put together a power source for the hospital.” Lol. But given that he had Carol and Kelly go find him wiring from a car, it makes sense that he’s constructing a fuse of some kind.

So I’m wondering if this sequence with Eugene foreshadows Luke’s bomb which will ‘successfully defend’ them from the invading army of walkers. The only weird thing is that Eugene isn’t actually present at the hospital. BUT. It did cross my mind that Eugene doesn’t represent himself directly in the analogy in S7. Maybe he represents Beth. She’ll somehow bring the final component they need to make the bomb and help lead the walkers away.

Or something. Damn TWD’s vague possibilities of interpretation!

Moving on.

Next we see Dwight go search in the cabin for Sherry. I don’t think I need to say much about that. Tons of symbolism, but we all already know what it is. 

The three rings laying in his hand symbolize the helicopter group in some way, which probably means the people in FTWD will run into them at some point. (I know Al already has, but Dwight hasn’t, technically.) 

The camera focuses on a particular cigarette Dwight pulls out. It has a red ring of something near the top. I think it’s meant to be lipstick. It’s Sherry’s cigarette and he kept it. But the paper of the cigarette itself has a green ring around the bottom. Resurrection themes (because he’ll find Sherry again, which we already know he will in this season of Fear) but also reminded me of a can y@wdway found while re-watching Still, recently. I’ll post her findings either later this week or early next week.

Then Tanya and Frankie come to ask him to make a suicide pill. At first he says no and we get another “are you serious” reference. That’s 5 in a single episode around Eugene.

But he reconsiders and asserts himself as being important and takes all the cold medicine, bed pan, stuffed animal sloth, etc from the one Savior lady. He calls her #16. Don’t know if that’s important, but I’m hoping it points to Beth’s return in a season finale.

So I looked up sloth symbolism and not tons jumped out at me. They spend a lot of time in trees and such, and have some things in common with owls, so some possible symbols. But one thing did catch my attention. They say a sloth only consumes what it needs to survive and is very measured about what it takes in and its waste. 

I know it’s weird because we’re talking about sloth bowel movements, but the way it was phrased in the article I read made me think of Beth’s line to Dawn when Dawn was trying to convince her to eat. She said, “I don’t need much.” I just wonder if the all the bed pan symbolism might play into this in some way. We’ve always associated it with Grady, and therefore Beth, but this could be another aspect of it. And Eugene did take a bedpan with him at this part. Just some food (hehe) for thought.

Um…at one point, Negan calls Daryl a puppy. And I’m not sure if that’s meant to be a Sirius reference, or maybe a way of showing symbolically that Negan truly doesn’t understand Daryl’s nature. (Because he’s a cat, not a dog.)

Negan knocks on Eugene’s door to the rhythm of a Shave and a Haircut. This, combined with Laura calling him Haircut at the beginning draws a lot of attention to his hair. I can’t help but wonder if that’s a Sampson thing. A way to name him Sampson or a pre-Sampson, if you will.

(I should have posted this yesterday. It applies more to 7x10, but I didn’t see it.)

@wdway​:

I enjoyed your review, @twdmusicboxmystery. A couple of things popped into my head like when you were talking about Rick getting Michonne another cat my mind went to she had a child that she lost and he will give her another child. Something we could not have foreseen back then.

About the Smokey and the Bandit tractor trailer can't remember all the discussions which we've had on this subject but the funny thing is that David, Aaron and I were had this strange discussion about Coors Beer last night and I made the comment that in Smokey and the Bandit that's what they were hauling, they were bringing Coors to whatever state, I want to say it was Georgia but not totally sure about that. So this tractor trailer is actually a beer/cold reference. I also feel since it was disconnected from a trunk that means this particular symbol was frozen/ not moving at that time, as the symbol of Sirius it is not on the move, would not appear, get to its destination anytime soon.

@frangipanilove​ 

I did a post that deals with the Smokey and the bandit trailer in august last year, here’s the link if anyone’s interested: https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/187351457970/blue-clues-shanes-22-necklace-truckers A lot of this post deals with other elements from 7x10 as well.

[thewalkingdead-obsessed]

Rewatch: S1x2 Guts

I feel like in this episode the show shifts less from a horror movie (not to say it isn’t still scary) and more into that of a tv show. We finally start to see some plot and character development, unlike the first episode which is really just an introduction to the show, Rick’s character, and the dynamics of the world they’re living in.

Lori and Shane hooking up was an interesting way to start the episode. Some people hate Lori and Shane for getting together during the apocalypse, but can you blame them? Rick was as good as dead, and they were in such a hectic time, god forbid they wanted some familiarity and comfort. I do believe they really fell in love tbh. Lori seemed happier in those brief times we saw her with Shane than we’ve ever really seen her with Rick. Lori’s attitude very much reminds me of many of the women in TWD comic books, so many sexist stereotypes - I wish they developed her more.

I loved seeing Glenn as a navigator and runner, he was so witty and young. The heart of his character has always been his ability to go on runs, and I just miss Glenn in general. His iconic car scene made me cry, ngl.

Honestly, seeing the OG Atlanta crew together makes me heart so happy and sad at the same time. It’s wild to see a group of people killing one walker when now that’s barely a threat to them. It’s also fun to see some badass walker kills and seeing people work together and begin to form those bonds.

Notable things in this episode:

-I mentioned this in the last episode rewatch, but it’s crazy to see the differences in the walkers. Picking up rocks and smashing windows, climbing ladders, sounding like straight up dinosaurs, and just looking more fresh and lively. Considering where we are in the show as of now, I think this is something that

-The fact that T-Dog locked the door for Merle was something that really stood out to me. This was still a time where people held onto their morals from before, they hadn’t yet let go of the world they knew before.. Although Merle should have died because he was a piece of racist garbage, T-Dog risked his own life to take the time to lock the door so nothing could get through. Morals regarding the living and the dead are some of the biggest topics in the beginning seasons of the show.

-The little bit of flirty-ness with Rick and Andrea was something I totally forgot about. That ended real soon (then they fucked up her character in my opinion but I’ll get to that in later episodes).

-We’re starting to see the importance of the RV. I always felt that it was a really important asset the the group and their survival. That kind of symbolism carries on later in the show.

-We’re really starting to learn about the walkers. What they’re attracted to (sounds, smells, lights), how they act, and how they’re killed. This is so cool to watch because as the survivors are learning, the audience is too. I love watching the character get used to and adapt to this new world.