The Walking Dead - Stradivarius

As a casual viewer of The Walking Dead, I can see why some have suffered fatigue. I can see why many have fled. But some have stuck it out...for better or worse. I don't have passion for the show, admittedly, but I watch it occasionally to see what is available. Following others, most fairly critique it, but the apathy and burden of 9 seasons....for those who have been there since the beginning, it does appear to be an albatross, oftentimes a wearisome task writing about it. Perhaps not wasting away through the years, popping in and out, has saved me a lot of exhaustion. I can't say personally Stradivarius was a good hour of television. Well, it wasn't technically the worst, either. middling, is the term I'd use. There was a scene where a character named Luke speaks about "unity" regarding how humankind survived down through the years. You have all this hammered home about the need to unite instead of being separate. I had talked with a friend about how this show remains obsessed with faction drama. Communities building only to suffer from whatever problem you wish to insert as the next unstoppable threat...often against each other as the walking dead intrude on occasion as well.

Probably what many fans currently feel or have felt lately

With Lincoln departing for a sweetheart movie picture deal, I did ponder about Reedus. In this episode he’s still a loner (except for a dog that helps alert him of zombies in his area/space) who kills “game” (in this episode’s case, a snake), remains weathered, brooding and quiet (identified as a man of few words, Daryl is the very symbol of this archetype), never going very long without using his iconic crossbow. Carol returns to ask for his mentorship/protection of her “boy” (Matt Lintz). His peerless stare, grizzled visage/presence, and damaged psyche; Daryl is still pretty much the same kind of hurt soul gnawing away on his situation even after all this time. Except this time it is because he can’t find Rick. Carol just knows how to talk to him, though. Because these two have been through hell together (and apart, reuniting over and over), there’s a love and respect that they hold for each other. When Henry assists Daryl in freeing up his dog and doing away with a nagging zombie (there are like three in the murky night where visibility is elusive), Daryl realizes that the kid has guts (even if he is stubborn and doesn’t always listen) with Carol later assured he’ll step up for her if she had to leave him behind at Hilltop to learn ‘smithing (blacksmith apprenticeship). Of course, as soon as Daryl, Carol, and Henry arrive at Hilltop (Daryl unearthing his hidden motorcycle from a hideaway to once again ride), a rescue mission is about to be underway as fucking Eugene has once again placed himself in a bind (trapped in a barn) while an injured and bloodied Rosita is found by Hilltop “acting” leader, Jesus (Tom Payne) and Alexandria resident, Aaron (Ross Marquand) after they spar for a bit in the grass. Daryl goes with Jesus to find and hopefully save Eugene at the very end. The overhead shot of Hilltop is a distanced aesthetic visual grab designed to pop the audience. It prepares us for the mid-season finale. So as soon as Daryl gets to Hilltop, he leaves again. Seriously?

But back to Reedus, with a child now I did wonder if he starts to think similarly to Lincoln. How long can he sustain an interest in a character who more or less acts and looks the same year after year. I realize they'll throw money at him in the hopes he'll agree to stay, but where else can the character go at this point? He's kind of treading water, isn't he?

There are scenes and dialogue pieces (“characterization”) I just didn’t really consider all that impactful. You have Tara () at Hilltop as “community organizer” fielding complaints and addressing developments that need answers and results with Jesus, assigned the role of leader because Maggie has left to “develop another community in need of help”—meaning she needed to be written off the show until a potential return can be worked out—although he really seems little-interested in any of it. It reminds me of those unfortunate situations where the lackey (Tara) is the actual hardworking heart and soul of a  leadership while the “boss” (Jesus) begrudgingly accepts the title without truly wanting to put in the effort to serve those in need of that authoritative voice that can build them into an operation that works. Tara and Jesus debate his needing to embrace the position while he clearly would like to avoid it altogether. Tara is all about Jesus not leaving Hilltop at any point (even his excursions to chat with Aaron are noticeable by those at the community) but relents at the end anyway. What was the point of their conversations if Jesus is just going to leave on the rescue mission anyway. Tara, who tried to wear down his defenses and talk him into doing the job left for him, is left to be the acting leader herself while he’s away.

And don’t even get me started on Luke (Dan Fogler) and his storytelling scene about Neanderthal and music as Michonne listens on (after cutting in half a violin). Michonne taking a batch of newcomers who have been braving the wilds of America (Enid, Siddiq, Yumiko, Magna, and Connie), learning that Luke loves looking for musical instruments so that “art can be kept alive”. Trying to get them to Hilltop alive, with plans to leave them there to adapt to the community, Michonne (with her sword in tow) eventually—as you come to expect—must clear past an undead horde. And the episode makes it a point to dramatically build to a member of the newcomers’ party they lost eventually showing up with his entrails hanging out approaching Magna (Nadia Hilker), the one he would obnoxiously and playfully annoy. Magna is that attitudinal, kvetching young woman who carries a seething anger due to the suckiness of the zombie world. She breaks down when he emerges among the undead as Michonne “humanely” sticks him from behind. The “sort of” effort seems there to have us sympathize but I just don’t think these new introduced characters have reached that point yet where we really connect to them. Clearly Siddiq sees Michonne’s leadership as an asset to all of them while she isn’t keen on returning to Hilltop as Maggie and her had some sort of falling out. There is this whole six-year gap left for us to ponder, giving those in Creative the chance to kind of fill in details overtime if they so choose.