Oiling the writing wheels
Need to exercise my writing muscles a bit, and as posting last week seemed to get things moving I thought I'd try it again. Aside from that, I want to try and post some thoughts about the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead, which I watched last night. This usually doesn't go as well as I'd hope, so please bear with me.
Unlike many others, I've enjoyed this season so far. Installing the group in the relative safety of Hershel's farm for a few episodes has acted as a pressure-cooker on personalities and relationships. Yes, it's been more talky with less zombie action, but they've done what Lost failed to do, which is to explore the dynamic of a group of people thrown together in isolation amidst lurking danger. And the results have been in some ways surprising:
- Daryl has gone from redneck-with-attitude to determined rescuer, and has even made a connection with Carol (although it will never work, what with their names rhyming like that).
- Glenn has met someone in Maggie who sees his strengths and wants to bring them out.
- The Rick-Lori-Shane triangle has become interesting, with Lori's pregnancy, although I do think Rick needs to angst a bit more about her relationship with Shane.
- Dale sees himself as a good guy and can't understand why Andrea won't accept the values he's trying to impose on her.
- Andrea has a lot of anger, but I think is starting to regret less that she didn't die as she wanted to in the CDC. She seems to be finding new sides to herself.
- Shane's transition from wannabe-hero to out-and-out bad apple has been really well done, I think. He's a man of action and can't understand Rick's desire to negotiate and compromise, particularly with Hershel.
Everything in the episode was basically leading up to the last 5 minutes, when Shane finally lost it and released the walkers from the barn, whereupon almost the whole group lined up to shoot them down. Even Maggie acquiesced to Glenn joining in (and I love it that he wanted her to be OK with it before he did it). Hershel's face was a picture of torment, watching creatures he'd convinced himself were simply ill and could be cured be shown to be less than alive, and then callously and expertly mown down.
That would have been enough for me: 'Where do they go from here?' was the huge question left hanging by the massacre. But then the writers pulled off a coup de grace, and Sophia stumbled out of the barn. Right up until the moment she appeared, I hadn't suspected it, not even, slightly, so for me it worked brilliantly. And then Rick, who up until that moment hadn't touched his gun, stepped up and shot her in the head.
Wow.
Today I discover that there aren't any new eps now until mid-February, which leaves me slightly tearing my hair out.
What else? I'm reading The Crimson Petal and the White which is quite hard to read in bed because it's a weighty tome, but I'm enjoying it a lot. Still loving Fringe and I'm getting slightly obsessed with Strictly. Last night the University Challenge music round was on science fiction TV themes - the last one was Blake's 7, which made me really happy, except that none of them knew it, which didn't.
Unlike many others, I've enjoyed this season so far. Installing the group in the relative safety of Hershel's farm for a few episodes has acted as a pressure-cooker on personalities and relationships. Yes, it's been more talky with less zombie action, but they've done what Lost failed to do, which is to explore the dynamic of a group of people thrown together in isolation amidst lurking danger. And the results have been in some ways surprising:
- Daryl has gone from redneck-with-attitude to determined rescuer, and has even made a connection with Carol (although it will never work, what with their names rhyming like that).
- Glenn has met someone in Maggie who sees his strengths and wants to bring them out.
- The Rick-Lori-Shane triangle has become interesting, with Lori's pregnancy, although I do think Rick needs to angst a bit more about her relationship with Shane.
- Dale sees himself as a good guy and can't understand why Andrea won't accept the values he's trying to impose on her.
- Andrea has a lot of anger, but I think is starting to regret less that she didn't die as she wanted to in the CDC. She seems to be finding new sides to herself.
- Shane's transition from wannabe-hero to out-and-out bad apple has been really well done, I think. He's a man of action and can't understand Rick's desire to negotiate and compromise, particularly with Hershel.
Everything in the episode was basically leading up to the last 5 minutes, when Shane finally lost it and released the walkers from the barn, whereupon almost the whole group lined up to shoot them down. Even Maggie acquiesced to Glenn joining in (and I love it that he wanted her to be OK with it before he did it). Hershel's face was a picture of torment, watching creatures he'd convinced himself were simply ill and could be cured be shown to be less than alive, and then callously and expertly mown down.
That would have been enough for me: 'Where do they go from here?' was the huge question left hanging by the massacre. But then the writers pulled off a coup de grace, and Sophia stumbled out of the barn. Right up until the moment she appeared, I hadn't suspected it, not even, slightly, so for me it worked brilliantly. And then Rick, who up until that moment hadn't touched his gun, stepped up and shot her in the head.
Wow.
Today I discover that there aren't any new eps now until mid-February, which leaves me slightly tearing my hair out.
What else? I'm reading The Crimson Petal and the White which is quite hard to read in bed because it's a weighty tome, but I'm enjoying it a lot. Still loving Fringe and I'm getting slightly obsessed with Strictly. Last night the University Challenge music round was on science fiction TV themes - the last one was Blake's 7, which made me really happy, except that none of them knew it, which didn't.