One of the best things about “Rendition,” the latest episode of The walking Dead, is the little that really happens. For anyone who has been left with the thick, thin show (and boy, these last few seasons have been terribly thin at times), it’s a welcome reminder that the series used to release effortlessly free, episodes in which point is less what it happens that how it happens, otherwise known as a good tale. And while the long history of the show may tarnish some of the effectiveness of the introduction to what is almost certain to be the Big Big finale we’ll never know, simply because we’ve already seen variations on the subject. a powerful and effective way to get to know the Reapers and their obviously unstable leader, Pope. When the episode ends with Pope shooting his soldier on fire, for one of the most terrible screen deaths I’ve ever seen on this show (and that’s really saying something), he not only felt satisfying ; it felt inevitable, in a good way.
It can be difficult to analyze why some plots like this — stories where you feel like you’re constantly marching toward an inevitable end and that there’s only one way that can turn out — work better than others, because the ability to predict everything is coming can also be an indicator that what you are seeing is absolute rubbish. Again, it all comes down to execution: unlike just pulling out a share of memory, “Rendition” allows us to sit with Daryl. And sit down. And sit down. You win this exhausted ending, where our hero stays by his side and watches the disturbed leader of the group who massacred Maggie’s community ignite one of his own. It felt good. Director Frederick EO Toye leans toward minimalism, letting Daryl’s impassivity make the whole conversation. When he looks at Leah in the last seconds, seldom has such an immovable expression so effectively conveyed a message of, “A group of people who have come here, Leah.”
This shared story goes a long way to explaining why this episode worked. Daryl and Leah’s relationship, as uninteresting as an independent story in “Find Me“She finally pays some dividends as the two meet again on opposite sides of a conflict, and Daryl successfully tricks her into thinking she wasn’t really part of Maggie’s crew. (I have a desperate curiosity to see if they would have tried a version of this without the advantage of these bonus episodes; “Rendition” would have been split into half flashbacks, half current? Would they have simply removed the personal connection that leads Daryl to the Reapers pile?) Forcing Daryl to do some nonsense and combine various truths and lies together as a way to try to keep his people safe would work much better than it would. without Leah’s presence to keep him invested in the situation beyond his survival and security in Alexandria.
As a result, the story of all the rhythms worked better than they would without the tangle of their past flame. Being on board water, calling Elijah in a way that conveyed its cover story without giving away the gambit and enduring Pope’s complicated boarding process, everything was more effective, thanks to our knowledge of Daryl’s sense. which left Leah down way back when, leaving her and returning only when it was too late. “I was scared,” he tells her as an explanation of his actions. “Of what?” “Letting go.” That’s right, and it’s much easier to believe lies preceded by truth.
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Pope, in turn, felt less grieved than he could have done without Leah prologuing his stance on it with everything he talked about his family. Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either. and it lacks the unpredictable threat of Samantha Morton’s Alpha or Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s high camp villainy in Negan’s time, but the Reapers in general got a big boost of intensity with the murder of a of his on fire. (Waterboarding Daryl ifsqueezing it I’m also not convinced that it gets anywhere among the best villains on this show (the governor remains the high point), but at least it’s not as big a disappointment as I feared.
The religious angle has potential and was shot in a way that involved some disturbing real implications, especially that invocation of the last rites that looked like a scene from an enchanted house, which is another testament to the overall effectiveness of this. episodes. Nicole Marante-Mattthe writing of hews continued to return to the idea of belief and salvation in threat. ways: “God is here. He is angry. I’m angry, “Pope says for the first time, before returning to the subject during his talk with Daryl and driving home the messianic vision that drives the Reapers. That was a solid introduction to this new threat, and even though Daryl plays clearly the waiting game, her connection to Leah adds depth and uncertainty that help prevent her from being overly simplistic.This episode was simple enough; happilyThe implications are anything but.
Lost observations
- At first he made an interesting turn, to make it look like Daryl was looking for the Reapers, only to gradually reveal that he was just trying to escape.
- The moment the reaper threw the dog was the obvious “oh no!” it was clearly intended to be.
- Leah tells Daryl that she has no right to judge, and for now, she’s not wrong at all. Anyone still alive has had to make too many difficult decisions to be in a position to condemn her at the time. At least, until Pope throws his faithful little friend into the fire.
- Elijah doesn’t look too healthy in that other cell.
- I like the fact that the Pope has more faith than Gabriel right now.
- There was a split second when Pope first appeared he was convinced he was a good old Terry O’Quinn, also known as John Locke Lost. Ritchie Coster is a good actor, but so far the character is not quite achieved with the impressive pantheon of the series. crawls.
- Lynn Collins as Leah, however, did a good job; he really kept Leah’s true feelings close to his vest — I have no idea where his loyalties will fall..