There’s a scene in The Walking Dead’s latest episode—‘Hunted’—that perfectly encapsulates all of my frustrations with this new-and-improved zombie show. Things have gotten better since the embarassment that was Seasons 7 and 8, but quality control is still nowhere to be found when it comes to the script, which the show’s writers under Angela Kang continue to fumble.
The scene I’m talking about involves several of Alexandria’s surviving women who have gone out to retrieve the community’s horses. Carol, Magna, Rosita and Kelly set out to find the horses and instead find many of their corpses. Feeling defeated, they decide to return home before it gets dark.
Then, miraculously, the horses appear over a crest, galloping across a field. They’re headed toward the dairy farm, one of the women exclaims. We can pen them up there! And so off they go, on foot, to catch the horses.
We cut ahead to the dairy farm where the last of the steeds is being successfully corralled. A job well done. But how? How did these four women, all on foot, wrangle all these horses up? How did they manage to catch up with them in the first place, let alone herd them through a gate?
In an earlier scene they attempt to catch just one of these beasts and all four of them at once couldn’t get a lasso ‘round its neck. How, then, are we to believe they caught all the rest? It’s preposterous.
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It reminds me of the first episode of the season when Ezekiel, Yumiko, Eugene and Princess manage to get out of their cage, steal two suits of Stormtrooper armor and almost make good their escape from the Commonwealth.
Sure, we knew that two of the guards were bumping ugly on break and had to take off their armor in order to do the deed—but how did our heroes know where that was taking place, let alone reach the armor without detection—let alone get out of their cage to begin with? It’s not just an oversight, it’s lazy—and arrogant—writing. Angela Kang may as well say it out loud: “We think our audience is stupid, so we’re going to write these ludicrous, implausible scenarios and not even show our work and our stupid audience will just lap it up anyways.”
That’s been the arrogant attitude of The Walking Dead’s showrunners since Scott M. Gimple was in charge. Either that or they really don’t understand that even though this is a zombie show, we expect things to make sense. We expect characters to act in ways that are plausible and sensible and to suffer consequences for making stupid or selfish decisions.
Things can’t just happen and that’s especially true offscreen. Carol’s little group of cowgirls wouldn’t have stood any reasonable chance of wrangling a dozen or so horses up on foot so easily, so they just don’t show it. Why even have the sequence to begin with? Why not just have the horses wander into town?
The better scene, by far, is Carol’s painful decision to kill one of the horses so that the people of Alexandria could eat, but even that was confusing since we see the kids eating bits of meat at the same exact time as Carol is out in the stables killing the poor creature. Was that not horse meat, then? Were they eating something else? It’s confusing.
Don’t Fear The Reapers
The Carol horse-whisperer stuff is the side-plot in tonight’s episode. The real meat of the story (well, the figurative meat of the story, in any case) is entirely focused on the survivors of the Reaper attack. (At a certain point the names of all these groups gets so stupid and annoying—Wolves, Saviors, Whisperers, Reapers and yet our own heroes have no such moniker, why is that?)
The opening scene is a poorly choreographed disaster pretending to be an exciting action sequence.
What’s with the weird lighting on Maggie’s face during each close-up? Why is this shot filmed from such a distracting angle, with our heroes all sort of running here and there while the off-screen Reapers throw hatchets and knives at them? When the big guy is hit with those knives they look like they’re moving in slow-motion. Why does the one Reaper just nick Gabriel’s neck? It’s just a distractingly bad opening segment.
From here, things pick up a little. Maggie finds herself suddenly, inexplicably alone and wanders off I guess either to just get away or to find other survivors? She goes to an abandoned department store and almost gets a throwing knife to the back. When she gets inside, the Reapers are apparently already there—I guess one of their superpowers is knowing exactly where the good guys will be.
She finds Alden in a big, open room at the top of the building. He’s hurt and how he made it this far on his own remains a mystery. Two Reapers appear quite literally out of nowhere and tackle Alden and Maggie to the ground. Another Reaper superpower is being able to move with absolute silence and invisibility. Maggie’s almost a goner when Negan shows up to save her.
He almost manages to save the episode as well, but not quite. Still, things do get better once he’s around. They help Alden out of the building and find two more of Maggie’s people. A woman named Agatha and the big guy, who is on death’s door. Why bother learning any of these peoples’ names when they’re just used as cheap deaths? Maggie has now lost almost all of the people she brought with her to Alexandria.
Elijah—Maggie’s own masked friend who apparently sports a similar style as the Reapers—was taken prisoner, it appears, though I’m not 100% certain about that. So it’s just Agatha left, and a few minutes later she gets bitten by a zombie. Maggie tries to save her and Negan is forced to carry her off—saving her a second time from certain death, not that Maggie is grateful. She gives another speech about how he’s not one of them, never will be, blah blah blah. Maggie you left for years. Negan’s more a part of the group than you are at this point.
They leave Alden on his lonesome after Negan tells Maggie she needs to make the call and she goes on some silly monologue about how he doesn’t get to decide who lives and dies anymore. “You still need to decide,” he says, looking tired more than anything. So they leave Alden behind and promise to return for him after they . . . well I’m not really sure what the plan is at this point. Negan kills a zombie outside and the blood dripping from his crowbar reminds them both of the time when Glenn met Lucille.
It just reminds me of when this show took such a massive turn for the worse and I find myself puzzled at how much I’ve come to like Negan and how much I’ve come to dislike Maggie.
Watch my video review of this episode below:
Verdict: Negan And Gabriel For The Win
The best female characters in this show are not its stars. Carol is almost constantly irritating with her constant wishy-washy melodramatic nonsense. Maggie is a one-note bore and we were better off without her.
Give us more of Rosita’s level-headed sensibility; more of Princess’s zany weirdness. Magna and Yumiko, when not being written into a silly relationship corner, are more interesting and layered.
But The Walking Dead insists on making Maggie and Carol this show’s female stars whether they bring anything to the table or not, and Michonne is gone after losing all credibility when she left her children behind during the middle of a desperate and terrifying war with the Whisperers. So here we are.
Gabriel, meanwhile, continues to be one of the show’s most surprising characters, having gone from sniveling coward and rat to one of the most cold-blooded killers in our merry little band. When he tracks down the wounded Reaper, the man asks him to pray with him (exposing the group as a band of religious zealots) and Gabriel gets the best line of the episode.
“I thought you were a man of God,” the Reaper says.
“God isn’t here anymore,” Gabriel replies before killing him.
In many ways, Negan and Gabriel are the two characters who have changed the most and the most consistently. Carol changes constantly but with no real consistency in her arc; Rick was the same way. Daryl changed long ago but he’s remained pretty much the same dude for many seasons now. Negan and Gabriel have had the most dynamic and interesting arcs.
All told, this was a pretty weak episode. The opening two were better (though better still as one long episode) but when you stand all three next to each other, it’s a pretty shaky start to The Walking Dead’s final season that does little to make me optimistic for what comes next. Maybe this was just a bad episode tucked in among good ones. We shall see.
What did you think? Let me know on Twitter or Facebook.
Oh, and don’t forget to watch this World Beyond Season 2 trailer!
Previous Season 11 Reviews:
- Episode 1 Review
- Episode 2 Review
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FAQs
What did Carol do to the horse? ›
Magna was sorry for the guilt with which Carol was grappling, but she was only making it harder for Connie's sister to grieve and move on. Off that interaction, Carol forlornly slit a horse's throat so that Alexandria could eat that day.
What were the kids eating in walking dead? ›The better scene, by far, is Carol's painful decision to kill one of the horses so that the people of Alexandria could eat, but even that was confusing since we see the kids eating bits of meat at the same exact time as Carol is out in the stables killing the poor creature.
What happened in twd season 11 episode 3? ›As the Reapers ambush the scavenging team in the woods, Cole is cornered and killed by a Reaper, while Duncan, Gabriel, and Negan are wounded in the process; the group scatters. The following day, Maggie continues to be hunted by two Reapers, but later joins up with Negan and Alden in an abandoned department store.
Is Dog dead on The Walking Dead? ›If you've been watching the final season of The Walking Dead and rooting for Dog to survive, you'll be thrilled to know that he doesn't die.
How does horse meat taste? ›Horse meat is widely reported to be somewhat sweet, a little gamey, and a cross between beef and venison, according to the International Business Times. While meat from younger horses tends to be a bit pinkish in color, older horses have a darker, reddish-colored meat.
Why was Carol hyperventilating? ›Melissa McBride's performance in "The Same Boat" is sterling, as Carol begins hyperventilating, seemingly as a ruse to lure the Saviors into trusting her just enough to leave her all alone in a room — at which point she promptly breaks free of her restraints and destroys everyone who's been holding her captive.
Why did Carol slice the horse's throat? ›Magna was sorry for the guilt with which Carol was grappling, but she was only making it harder for Connie's sister to grieve and move on. Off that interaction, Carol forlornly slit a horse's throat so that Alexandria could eat that day.
What Mental Illness Did Lizzie have in TWD? ›Lizzie appears to be suffering from a form of schizophrenia, one that leads her into the delusion that death is merely an inevitable transformation into zombification as a different state of being.
Who had the saddest death TWD? ›- 4 Paul "Jesus" Rovia's Unexpected Death Broke Fans' Hearts. ...
- 3 Beth Greene's Accidental Death Was Truly Heartbreaking. ...
- 2 Carl Grimes' Caring Nature Came To The Fore In His Devastating Final Moments. ...
- 1 Glenn Rhee's Death Tore Viewers' Hearts Out And Stomped All Over Them.
Dog is a dog that appears in AMC's The Walking Dead. He was once the pet of Leah Shaw, who also owned his mother, but had been living with Daryl Dixon as his pet since Leah's disappearance.
Where did Daryl's Dog go? ›
As The Walking Dead inches ever closer to its series finale, “Dog is at an unspecified location. He's been taken by some bad soldiers,” EP Angela Kang makes clear. “Maybe this is saying too much, but there were some COVID production reasons why it was harder to use Dog this year as much as we would have liked.
What breed is Daryl Dixon's Dog? ›This list would not be complete without mentioning Dog, a Belgian Malinois that Daryl Dixon adopts as his companion on the show.
Why are there no kid zombies in Walking Dead? ›"We talked about it," Ian Goldberg told Insider when asked why no one is ever brave enough to show a zombie baby on screen in "TWD" universe. "It was something that we talked a lot about." Why didn't they show it? "Ultimately it just came down to — and this is just our personal sensibility.
Who kept feeding the walkers rats? ›Tyreese reveals that Lizzie had admitted to being the one at the prison who fed rats to walkers at the fence (as seen in "Infected") and who dissected the rabbit that Tyreese found in the tombs (as seen in "Too Far Gone").
Who fed rats to the Walkers? ›During Sunday's episode, Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) turned out to be a bigger threat than anyone realized and was revealed to have been the one feeding mice to the walkers at the prison.
Why is horse meat illegal in the US? ›U.S. horse meat is unfit for human consumption because of the uncontrolled administration of hundreds of dangerous drugs and other substances to horses before slaughter. horses (competitions, rodeos and races), or former wild horses who are privately owned.
Why horse meat is not eaten? ›Horses became a taboo meat in the ancient Middle East, possibly because they were associated with companionship, royalty, and war. The Book of Leviticus rules out eating horse, and in 732 Pope Gregory III instructed his subjects to stop eating horse because it was an “impure and detestable” pagan meat.
Why does dog follow Carol? ›As McBride says, “Dogs are very instinctive like that,” and it seems that Dog senses something that told his doggy instincts that Daryl would be okay on his own and that Carol needed him more at that time – just like he kept leaving Leah for Daryl when Daryl was alone in the woods at his lowest point.
Was Carol Faking her hyperventilating? ›Carol, on the other hand, simply grabs at the rosary she finds in the room and begins to fake hyperventilate as the Saviors return until they finally ungag the two of them. While doing so the Saviors mistake Carol's little show as signs of weakness.
What pills was Carol taking? ›Haunted by the death of her adopted son Henry (among the other losses she has experienced over the years), and hopped-up on expired caffeine pills, Carol started seeing things and having imaginary conversations.
Why the horse was shaking his head? ›
Head Shaking Syndrome in Horses
While some head shaking is a normal behavior, such as in a tool to escape insects or even a display of exuberance, excitability, or frustration, this behavior is considered abnormal in horses if it begins to interfere with normal activities such as riding or eating.
A fly mask is a piece of gear used on horses heads to cover the eyes, jaw, and sometimes the ears and muzzle to protect them from flies and other biting insects.
What does it mean when a horse is strangled? ›What is strangles? Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the upper airway in horses. Strangles can cause the lymph nodes to block the upper airway. Veterinarians can diagnose strangles by taking a swab.
Why did Lizzie suffocate Judith? ›That's why she almost smothered Judith — by silencing Judith, she was trying to prevent the walkers from approaching and getting killed by her sister. At the same time, she believed that Judith wouldn't really die from being smothered — she'd return as a walker (which is just as good as a human).
Why does Lizzie look at the flowers? ›Lizzie pleads with Tyreese to keep a trapped walker alive. Later, she freezes when a walker attacks her and after her younger sister kills it, Lizzie has to “look at the flowers” to calm down from her panicked state.
Why did Lizzie stab Mika? ›Later, she and Mika help Carol cook pecans. As Carol and Tyreese leave them, she stabs Mika in the chest in an attempt to show Carol and Tyreese that walkers aren't different.
Who is the best TWD villain? ›- 8 The Walkers.
- 7 The Claimers Group.
- 6 The Wolves.
- 5 Terminus.
- 4 Shane Walsh.
- 3 The Whisperers, Alpha & Beta.
- 2 The Governor.
- 1 Negan.
Are there any immune people in the Walking Dead? Lydia is the very first character in the series' universe shown to be totally immune to the zombie plague; based on experimental observations by the Darkwater Militia, she is not infected by bites and, if she were to die, she would not reanimate.
Who is the best shot in TWD? ›...
The Walking Dead: 10 Best Marksmen (In The Comics)
- 1 Andrea. No one comes close to Andrea as far as shooting goes.
- 2 Dwight. ...
- 3 Rick. ...
- 4 Abraham. ...
- 5 Mercer. ...
- 6 Jesus. ...
- 7 Carl. ...
- 8 Aaron. ...
Leah first showed up in Season 10C, as a love interest for Daryl. That concept was revolutionary for Daryl's character, and fans didn't hate the idea. However, by the end of their episode, the two of them had split up, seemingly for good -- until Season 11.
Did Daryl choose Leah? ›
Over the course of the episode, Daryl spends more and more time with her, and they begin to form a relationship. However, when she gives him the ultimatum to choose between her or his family, he picks the latter, and Leah disappears.
Who is older Merle or Daryl? ›Merle is the older brother of Daryl Dixon. Having no mother and a neglectful and abusive father, Merle raised Daryl when not incarcerated in juvenile detention.
Why is Daryl's back scarred? ›While roaming through the forest, an argument between the two reveals that they were planning to rob the Atlanta survivors back in Season 1. In anger, Merle rips Daryl's shirt and reveals scars on his back.
Who is the girl Daryl meets in season 11? ›Leah (played by Lynn Collins) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) have shared an unlikely love story, with the troubled pair managing to find each other in a world full of walkers.
How many Dogs played Dog on The Walking Dead? ›Dog on The Walking Dead is played by a canine called Seven, who is a Belgian Malinois. This breed is a type of Belgian shepherd dog often confused for a German shepherd. There are, however, a number of differences between the two breeds.
What kind of dog is Paisley? ›Paisley is an 11-year-old Brussels Griffin cross who, along with her brother Finnley, is most known for her recurring role as "Dude the dog" in Disney's The Descendants films. In the films, Dude is Carlos' trusty sidekick.
What type dog is Skye? ›Skye is a fearless and smart Cockapoo who loves to take off in her helicopter or activate the wings in her pup pack.
What breed is Marley's dog? ›Marley, a yellow Labrador Retriever, is described as a high-strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active, and often destructive of their property (but completely without malice).
Why did Carol slaughter the horse? ›In Episode 3 of Season 11, titled 'Hunted', Carol decides to kill the horse in order to provide food for the people of Alexandria.
What did Carol do to get banished? ›What did Carol do to get banished? The reason she was forced to leave was that she had killed because she was trying to save the people she loved from the flu that was spreading throughout the prison. She returned when she saw the smoke from the fall of the prison war with The Governor.
What happened to the horse in The Walking Dead? ›
Death. As Rick Grimes rode the horse into Atlanta, he noticed a horde of walkers. While turning back, another horde blocked him off. Unable to escape, the walkers startled the horse, causing Rick to fall, the horse then being eaten alive.
Who stole the horse and why How did they use the horse? ›Mourad stole the horse because he was passionate about riding it. However, he returned it later because he could not afford the horse and John Byro, the farmer reminded him of his family and their honesty. Q. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
What did Carol's note to Deanna say? ›It only seems to feed Deanna's despair and anger. When she hears Carol's knock and opens the door and sees Carol's casserole with a note, "We're truly sorry for your loss," she burns the note. She is seriously regretting bringing Rick's group in.
What happens to the horse meat at a slaughterhouse? ›The slaughterhouses exported about $42 million in horse meat annually, with most going overseas. About 10 percent of their output was sold to zoos to feed their carnivores, and 90 percent was shipped to Europe and Asia for human consumption.
Who kills Hershel? ›It was a proud moment for Hershel, who gave his friend one beautiful final smile before the Governor cruelly used Michonne's sword to decapitate Hershel.
What episode does Daryl and Carol kiss? ›What episode does Daryl kiss? "Still" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 2, 2014. The episode was written by Angela Kang and directed by Julius Ramsay.
What happened to Peter's horse? ›All the competing horses are named after cancelled FOX shows (the litany of which takes minutes to read). Peter's horse, “Til Death,” freaks out and crashes the stands, resulting in his own death and thousands of dollars in damages that the Griffins have to pay.
What happened to Michonne's horse? ›Despite being ridden by one of the most badass badasses ever to grace the series, Michonne's horse apparently didn't inherit her survival skills. After the fall of the prison, we see poor horsie lying in the field where he (or she) was taken down by the undead.
What was the first horse from walking dead? ›The Horses of The Walking Dead
The first episode featured an unnamed chestnut horse who was found by character Rick Grimes and promptly ridden to a grisly death at the undead hands of a massive horde of zombies. Michonne shows up with a horse called Flame in season 4.
Mourad stole the horse because he was passionate about riding it. However, he returned it later because he could not afford the horse and John Byro, the farmer reminded him of his family and their honesty. Q. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
How did Aram justify stealing the horse? ›
Solution : Aram felt that it would not be considered stealing till they offered to sell it, which they would never do. Stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing it for something else, such as money, according to him.
Why did the two boys ultimately return the horse all of a sudden? ›Ans: Although the two boys had planned to keep the horse for at least six months, they returned it all of a sudden the next morning after they accidentally met the farmer John Byro from whom Mourad had stolen the horse.