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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 23 Review

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

There is one more episode of The Walking Dead after this week and there is a ton to process.

The biggest story of the week is Judith being shot by Pamela. To me, this is a remix of the comic book scene when Sebastian shot and killed Rick Grimes. While that was a straight up assassination, this was an accidental crossfire in which she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wanted to see Pamela die once this happened. But I have a feeling that Pamela will be overthrown as the leader of The Commonwealth and to be jailed for her actions.

With that said, while the shootout scene was good, it reminded me of The Walking Dead’s eight’s season. I love that season, but just like the many opportunities Rick had to kill Negan, the same can be said for Pamela. How is it that Daryl had a clean view to shoot the fire extinguisher but yet he could not do this to Pamela before that. With that nitpick aside, the battle kept my attention.

Lydia getting bit was something I found to be unexpected. Cassady McClincy did a great job with her acting on the scene including when her wrist had to be cut off. Also to note, Aaron telling Lydia that she is loved by the family is a great touch of a warm feeling since she did not have that same love from her own mom regardless that Alpha protected her most of the time.

I do not expect Mercer to be in jail for long since he is working against The Commonwealth now. Plus, He has to be the one to help everyone that got boxed it with the walkers and variants by Pamela’s orders. It is a sticky situation that brought the family together!

Another easter egg we got that I liked is the way Daryl carried Judith which mirrored Rick carrying Carl Grimes when he first got shot. I think the scene would have been better without Judith saying “daddy” to leave it more ambiguous but that is just me.

I really enjoyed this one and it is my favorite of this final batch of episodes of The Walking Dead. Next week is the final episode ever which is going to be a big one!

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EXCLUSIVE: The Walking Dead star Khary Payton Opens up on working with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Melissa McBride, and a video call from Andrew Lincoln

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon
Editor’s note, this interview took was scheduled to be published on Oct. 23 prior to our new server update.
Khary Payton has been a main character of The Walking Dead since the seventh season as Ezekiel. As the main show is wrapping up, Ezekiel and Negan had a conversation for the first time as he called the former Saviors leader out for coercing women for marrying him, killing his Kingdom residents, and pretty much letting him know that he will never forget what he did. Ezekiel is also part of the revolt against The Commonwealth.
With that said, I caught up with Khary Payton to talk about these developments along with his memories on the set in this exclusive interview.
How was Alexandria being turned into an outpost and labor camp approached by you?
“It came to me in the script. I didn’t get any input when I picked up the script, so I was like, ‘oh, this is cool.’ We’re going full circle, you know? After leaving Alexandria, it’s becoming another walk down memory lane and it’s going to be pretty cool. It’s going to be pretty interesting because. Because the time that we were shooting all of this stuff for Alexandria ends up being some of the coldest that I’ve spent shooting the show. And it’s and I feel like you can see it in the filming. It’s gray and dank.”
You and Jeffrey Dean Morgan finally had an exchange of dialogue for the first time. Were you satisfied with the outcome?
“Jeff and I were excited to finally work together. We’ve been on the show for years, and except maybe on a battlefield where arrows and bullets are flying and swords swinging, we weren’t having interaction. So this was the first time we actually had a conversation So we were looking forward to it. It was fun. I love the way he worked. And it was cool to finally get together and do it that way. It’s like it’s one of those things where life isn’t perfect. And when they hand you lemons, you make lemonade. When they hand you Negan, you use him to do what he does best, which is which is a little havoc. And hopefully this time it’ll pay off for people who deserve it. You know, I think that Ezekiel’s intent was to put his own feelings aside to take care of business.”
After the filming of the series concluded, what was the first thing you did when you went home and did you had time to reflect on your time on The Walking Dead?
“I went home and hugged my kids. Before the pandemic, I would fly home constantly. So even if I was away for a couple of weeks, that was as long as it was. So when the pandemic hit, it was like months at a time before I would see them again and that was really hard. So this was a grind getting to the end of the show. And, and I feel like I’ve still haven’t had a chance to take a deep breath and breathe it all in and understand what it’s meant to me and my life and career and all of that. Melissa McBride is probably the thing I will miss the most about the show. She is the greatest acting teacher I’ve ever had. I learned something beautiful and nuanced from her every time I’m on set with her. I don’t think I’ll ever know anyone like her again. And it was always magic when we were on set together. The thing is, she teaches you without even trying. She is a raw nerve and a live wire. And she feels and and takes aspects of so many things about from the script or just in the room surrounding you. She takes and uses it and she’s pointed out things to me along the way that have just changed my perspective on a scene and the way that we interact with each other.”
One of my favorite episodes from the previous season was “Walk With Us” when we saw The Hilltop burn down during that chaotic battle. Any moments you would like to share about your experience during that lengthy scene?
“I remember how awesome the kids were. I had one kid in my arms holding one’s hand and seven others running behind me and they were such little professionals. They listened and took direction. There’s all this fire and flames and horses running and all of this stuff. I’m proud of all of them. And that’s what I will remember most. I also remember that because we were right next to the fire and there were so many fun moments, the nights that we were shooting those scenes, with The Whisperers and the walkers. We’d all been waiting for this battle to happen all season. And it was and it felt so cathartic, you know, I remember that Andrew Lincoln video called Norman that night. And we all huddled around the phone and video chatted with Andrew Lincoln, who we hadn’t seen in so long. It was a cool night.”

 

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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 22 Review

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

If there is a question to ask about what you learned about tonight’s episode of The Walking Dead, the answer is, family is family.

That was on full display when Ezekiel stepped in front of The Commonwealth Troopers as they were about to execute Negan and his pregnant wife. That scene and the lines exchanged were some of the most emotional driven scenes of the season. I felt like Khary Payton put his all in delivering the speech as he made a believer out of me as the leader he once was. 

Even though I am a huge fan of Negan, it was quite satisfying to see him get a taste of his own medicine for once to see what it is like being treated like crap. Negan used to do this to lower ranking members to The Saviors so it had to come back to him at one point. Jeffrey Dean Morgan really shines on this episode when it comes to his comedic timing in those serious situations. 

My only drawback for this episode was Eugene’s trial. There could have been more time to present more things for his case for his defense. It wrapped up abruptly, but Mercer’s kick ass line got me hyped for the next episode.

And finally, Luke and Jules appeared out of nowhere to do what AMC has yet to do since episode 16. That is, update us on Oceanside. There are only two episodes left so I highly doubt we will ever see it again. 

This is a much better episode than that mess of “Outpost 21” last week. The story is starting to feel like it is concluding. And bonus points for Rosita as she used that walker to devour Warden. Having a high regard for practical effects, that was really gruesome.

 

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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 21 Review

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

How does The Walking Dead addresses the ending of last week’s episode? By barely moving the story forward with illogical decision making.

First off, we learn that the communities that The Commonwealth took over were transformed into forced labor camps. It is here that we see Alexandria being used to expand the train operations. I like the idea, but could we have saw this a few episodes earlier? There is no reason why we had to wait to the near end of the series to see this. Also, how ridiculous is it to bring the Alexandria residents back there as prisoners since they know the entire layout of the community.

Speaking of The Commonwealth, whatever training Mercer did with the soldiers are pointless. They act and talk like video game NPCs and it was on full display here as many of them were easily killed by Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and others.Sure, I love a good gun battle, but those soldiers looked pretty stupid trying to combat back. Plus, there was no sense of urgency or tension while I was watching the ambush take place.

And do not get me started on the intro. Cool to see that solder get shot from the back of his head. But it meant nothing due to what transpired before. Everyone in that truck was zip-tied and those are not easy to get out of when its behind your back. How did Maggie just break out of that?! At least when Rick, Daryl, Bob, and Glen were zip-tied, they showed Rick using the sharpened wood to break it. For some reason, Maggie had super powers for a second and broke free. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?

And the other two things that were ridiculous was that scene when Rosita dislocating her arm, and the one solder that fell asleep. Soldiers are supposed to stay awake when they have captives. Why would he fall asleep with his assault rifle? And last, why would the train conductor use that horn when there could be walkers miles away? Do the writers even know what show they are writing anymore?

There are some positives. I am a huge Negan fan, but I am glad that Ezekiel brought up how Negan used to force women to marry him and burning Dwight’s face. It was glossed over for so long and I felt like it was a big scene between Negan and Ezekiel since they never interacted outside of battles. Gabriel also did not forget his roots as a preacher all season long as he spoke with the injured soldier before he died. And finally, Kelly knowing what would happen if she escaped the worksite like the three others did.

After all this, the episode ends the same way as the last episode did. Which is, back to Alexandria. Or in this case, Outpost 22. Nothing of value was gained here except the positives that I mentioned. When it is all said and done, this episode of The Walking Dead in my eyes is the weakest and most illogical of this final half of season 11.

 

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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 20 Review

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon
Although the plot did not progress much on this week’s The Walking Dead, there was time for some good character development.
Daryl and Carol in particular, had some really great scenes and interactions with each other. Add in the fact that these two were involved with the most action in this episode. With that in mind, I am puzzled with some of the storyline decisions. Sebastian getting killed off a few episodes ago was something. But with Lance now being killed, who is the last “big bad” that the group has to deal with? I will give praise that it had to be Carol to kill Lance and I am glad that Daryl did not take her kill point this time.
Josh Hamilton will be missed on The Walking Dead and it is a shame that Lance had to go this way as there was more they could have gotten out of the character. With him gone, we still do not know what happened to Oceanside, his deal with another unknown group, or whether or not if Pamela even knows what Lance did to the communities that he captured. One thing he did let slip is about the railroad operation.
Over at Commonwealth, Yumiko has a conflict as Pamela is using her friends against her for Eugene’s upcoming trial. Eleanor Matsuura is underrated on The Walking Dead and I believe that this is her best episode as Yumiko since she joined the cast two seasons ago. Her performance came off believable and convincing as a lawyer. Bonus points between her scenes with Connie.
With that out of the way, I do not like how The Commonwealth soldiers became NPCs from a video game. They lack intelligence and act as if they never paid attention to Mercer’s training. It boggles my mind that they became a joke as the season progressed.
There are three more episodes left and everyone is suddenly at Alexandria as it is now “Outpost 22.” Let’s see where this goes.
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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 19 Review

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

The first and only time that we were able to see “smart” walkers on The Walking Dead was on the very first episodes of the first season.

Ten seasons later, one of them made a good return on this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. When I saw that walker climb the shed of the house with a rock, I thought to myself why this is happening. Sure, they can reference this on the final episode of World Beyond, but I believe that the reason it took this long for a variant of a walker to appear on screen again is due to the long legal battle with the first show runner.

With that aside, I like the episode. However, there are some nitpicks I have that ruined my enjoyment. Remember that “Evolution” episode from season nine? That one built up The Whisperers as a threat from the start to the finish. Here on “Variant,” they tried to replicate the same mood and feel from that episode with little to no build up that ends in an anti-climactic normal walker takedown.

The performances from the cast were good. Ross Marquand, Michael James Shaw, Josh McDermitt, and Christian Serratos stood out to me in a bright fashion. The Eugene and Rosita scene felt like a final goodbye between the two characters. Aaron being the one to lead the small group to Oceanside brought out the leader in him regardless of how stressed he was. And Mercer and Princess both realize that there is a conflict of class ranks with their relationship.

All the stories displayed here on this episode were great. Just the build up to the variant walker left me underwhelmed with how this will play into the rest of the season. What I am more concerned about, is that the story does not seem like there would be a valid conclusion by the end.

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Exclusive: Norman Reedus, Eleanor Matsuura, Lauren Ridlorr, and Scott Gimple Talk The Walking Dead at Paley Fest

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

Cast members of The Walking Dead arrived at Paleyfest this past weekend to promote the final 8 episodes of the series.

Before they took the stage, they were greeted by fans outside that were eager to see them for the final time on the show. Cast members such as Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Lauren Ridloff, Lauren Cohan, and more showed up at Paleyfest hours after appearing at the Museum of the Moving Image as there is also an exhibit there with props and costumes from the series.

The Knockturnal got the chance to catch up with cast members Norman Reedus, Eleanor Matsuura, Lauren Ridloff and The Walking Dead’s Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple to talk about the final episodes. They were all ecstatic about the direction of their characters for this final half.

For the last episodes of The Walking Dead, The Commonwealth took control of the communities and the team of Daryl, Maggie, and more are not only trying to get them back, they are also going to have conflicts as The Commonwealth is not an easy adjustment for everyone.

After the red carpet took place, the cast went in for the panel prior to heading to New York Comic Con.

 

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New York Comic Con 2022: The Walking Dead Panel Recap

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

Saturday afternoon, The Walking Dead’s cast and crew descended upon Manhattan to celebrate the series’ final appearance at New York Comic Con before next month’s finale. It all comes together,” said inscrutable Walking Dead brand manager, Scott M. Gimple. “All these characters reach their conclusions.

AMC has already confirmed several spinoffs featuring major characters – including Negan, Maggie, Daryl, Rick, and Michonne – but Gimple assured fans that the eleventh season will wrap up the sprawling undead saga that began over a decade ago. As he added, “We do tell the end of the story of The Walking Dead.” “Yes, there are other shows, but bringing all of this together makes sense.”

It’s been one hell of a f—ing ride.” Those are the words Jeff Dean Morgan used to describe his experience: “I hadn’t expected Negan to make it this far.

The mystery spinoff (which does not yet have a name) will take place in France, feature many familiar faces, and sport a brand new aesthetic, Reedus said. He described it as epic in scale. 

“It’s f—ing epic. I’ve been on location scouts over there for a bit, I’ve been talking to sound people. It’s crazy what we we’re gonna do over there. I think France is gonna have a f—in’ heart attack, which is good; which is what I want. It has a different look, it has a different feel, it has a different sound to it. It has all the things you like about the show, but new people experiencing them in a different kind of way … It’s gonna very cool.”

“Frace gives Daryl the opportunity to experience things he hasn’t before in his life and with walkers,” Gimple explained, confirming that the spinoff is directly connected to the stinger featured in World Beyond’s Season 2 finale, in which French scientists were implicated directly in the walker outbreak.

Gimple announced onstage that Dead City will premiere in April (production stills were also shown). As he hinted, “It’s a very, very, very different world in the apocalypse in New York City. 

AMC premieres new episodes of The Walking Dead every Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern. They can be accessed a week earlier by AMC+ subscribers.

 

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On The Scene: AMC Network’s Annual Summit

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

For the first time in three years, AMC Network hosted their annual summit in Brooklyn, NY.

At this conference, talent and network executives were invited to participate in moderated discussions centered on the legacy company’s content, its past, its present and its future, as well as to discuss the new and epic worlds coming to AMCN’s platforms, as well as introduce the next seminal characters, which will capture the hearts and minds of viewers.

 As part of the event, AMC Networks’ President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, Dan McDermott (who hosted the event), was joined by cast and creatives from across AMC brands, including AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, BBC America, Shudder, WE tv and ALLBLK. AMC Networks kicked off the morning by renewing Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for a second season. The new series is expected to premiere on Sunday, October 2.

The first panel that took place was The World is a Dumpster Fire – Let’s Build New Ones moderated by Chris Hardwick. Scott Gimple, Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead talked about several topics surrounding The Walking Dead’s universe. “With ‘The Walking Dead’… it’s a strange fantasy for the audience, that everything stops. That all of the things of society fall away and it’s just us with each other and we’re tested. We find out who we are. I think that was a weird fantasy that people dove into, to be tested that way and to look beyond this life. And I think they liked having those questions every week and they still do which is like ‘what would I do’. That certainly pulls you away from your everyday life.”

Gimple also went over the production changes over the years as the show has been filmed in digital since the third half of the tenth season. “Digital has been with us for a while. It’s only gotten better and better. It’s a huge part of production design, it’s a huge part of making that world,” said Gimple.

During the Love and Connection in the Black Community panel, the panelists that consisted of MC Lyte (‘Partners in Rhyme’), Da Brat (‘Brat Loves Judy’), David Shanks (‘61st St’), Colman Domingo (‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ ‘West Philly Baby’), Angela Simmons (‘Growing Up Hip Hop’), Diallo Riddle (‘Sherman’s Showcase’), Nikki Love (SVP, Development & Production, ALLBLK), they all talked about the importance of black and diverse talent that are on today’s landscape of television.

“Because the world would usually like to deny that part of ourselves, actually. So we need more love – we need to show accurate depictions and complex depictions of our families. It is our job as creators, as people who perform these roles, I think – it’s a responsibility we didn’t ask for but we have it,” said Colman Domingo on why it’s important to highlight this in TV and films.

Black people continue to struggle for quality roles on both the small and big screens, despite having won Academy Awards in acting, screenwriting, music production and other categories. “What we have here is a cast of people who are willing to do what’s right over what’s ‘sellable’ or ‘satiable,'” said MC Lyte on avoiding Black stereotypes. The topic of the next generation of Black queer content also came up as every panelist were passionate to talk about this since representation matters. “I think you have to be creative and I don’t know what that is- I mean, maybe it’s me and my wife having a baby. Whatever it is, I’m willing to show it so people can relate to it and understand what it’s about,” said Da Brat.

There were other great panels that took place such as Horror as a Safe Space, and AMCN’s Next Legacy Lineup Panel that I enjoyed too. It was a great event to not only mingle with the key executives of the AMC Network, but to also see them talk about the franchises that they are part of. The panels were not live streamed at the summit so you would have to be there in person to witness this.

 

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The Walking Dead returns with two explosive episodes to kick off the final half of season 11

by Julian Cannon
written by Julian Cannon

The last time The Walking Dead graced our screens was nearly six months ago. Now the wait is over to see where the story is heading after that cliffhanger from episode 16.

The beginning of one of these episodes have some of the best stunt choreography i’ve seen on The Walking Dead in ages. before I get there, I have to say that based on the two episodes I saw, the rest of the seasons will open with narration monologues from Judith with video compilations of past scenes to set up the plot of each episode. It is something different so I welcome it.

Now back to the action. I was on the edge of my seat when the battles took place between team family vs. The Commonwealth soldiers. This started with a plan in which Negan had to participate since Lance never saw him before. I wish I can give further detail, but the plan works Speaking of Lance, he is more blood thirsty than ever before. He is doing everything he can in these two episodes to make it known that he is the ringleader even though Pamela does not approve. Josh Hamilton is fantastic with his delivery in each scene that he is in.

Two people that I never thought of having a scene together is Negan and Mercer. I will not say what they talked about, but it is something to keep in mind for the rest of the season. Also, Negan finally drops an F-bomb in one of the episodes. As much as I wanted this to happen for years since the character was introduced in season 6, when it happens, it is not for comedy. It is used on a serious manner.

Over at The Commonwealth, there is a huge protest going on due to the story Connie put out on the newspaper. I do wish that it was not resolved this quick, but I have a feeling that a full scale riot is brewing. Also, watch out for Carol’s big knife and Jerry protecting the children! There is also a scene that I like between Carol and Negan as they are both now working together to solve an issue for the time being.

I did not forget the walkers. There are two scenes that stood out as the gore involving them is disgusting, but great to look at. Be on the lookout for those moments.

Of the characters that I like for these two episodes, it will go to Eugene, Daryl, Negan, Jerry, Rosita, and Yumiko. They all had stand out performances that kept my attention. I will not spoil a major sequence in these two episodes, but it happens after a wrestling match (Note, I know the two independent wrestlers that were on this scene). And finally, there is a major character death on one of the episodes. It is so huge that it deviated from the comic book series.

Overall, I enjoyed “Lockdown” and “”A New Deal” as i personally think these two were better than the opening episodes of 11A and 11B. Where will this all lead to on The Walking Dead? We will see in the weeks to come!

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