Though Daryl Dixon’s deadly crossbow got plenty of hero moments on The Walking Dead, Negan’s barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat—affectionately named “Lucille” and infamously used for smashing heads—is still the standout weapon from AMC‘s long-lived zombie show. So much so that when Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, got his own spin-off in Dead City, he got himself a new version of his signature weapon to keep the fight going.
A huge new Heritage Auctions and AMC Networks sale of The Walking Dead Universe props, costumes, and more means you can actually have a Lucille of your own—with multiple versions of Negan’s beloved bat coming on the block. It begins October 30 and runs through November 1.
The most notable, of course, is the “hero” Lucille used on-screen throughout seasons 6-10 of The Walking Dead. It looks like the prop blood has been mostly removed, but whoever wins it can surely splash some more on if they want.
“Known lovingly as ‘Lucille,’ this signature weapon is used throughout the series in an often brutal and shocking fashion by the charismatic and imposing Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Named after his late wife, the bat never leaves Negan’s side, where it has since become a powerful symbol of fear and control throughout his reign of terror,” Heritage Auctions reminds us.
“‘Lucille’ made its horrific first appearance in season 6, episode 16, ‘Last Day on Earth,’ when Negan used it to execute a member of Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) survivors in a cliffhanger that left audiences shocked and guessing at who the victim was until the series return with season 7, episode 1, ‘The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.’” As it happens, it was victims: RIP, Glenn and Abraham!
Bidding for the hero Lucille starts at $10,000; you can find out more here. If you want the broken version, split at the base like it just crushed a home run instead of human skulls, it’s $2,500, with more info here.
If you want Negan’s signature outfit to go with his signature kill stick, you can also get your hands on that; the lot includes his black leather biker jacket, t-shirt, pants, bandana, boots, belt, and glove. You also get a Lucille with this one, but it’s the “action” version made from foam rubber. Bidding also starts at $10,000; more info here. Just want an “action” Lucille without the costume? There are two available starting at $5,000 each here and here.
Need yet more Lucilles for your collection? Slightly lower-priced versions can be had, including an oversized fiberglass version used for VFX ($500 starting bid here); a set of two Lucilles, one that still has greenscreen tape on it, and one fitted with special tubes for “bloodletting” ($5,000 starting bid here); and a Lucille without the barbed wire, part of a lot of “flashback” props (starting bid at $2,500 here)
But wait! If you’re particularly interested in Negan’s Dead City upgrade, good news: there are two versions of Lucille 2.0 on the block.
Now with electric shock capabilities! Bidding for the Dead City hero Lucille starts at $10,000 (info here); the more lightweight action version is $5,000 (info here).
Oh, and just in case you were curious: multiple versions of Daryl’s crossbow are also included among the sale’s over 1,000 total items. Bidding on the hero version, toted around by the Norman Reedus character during seasons 1-3 of The Walking Dead, starts at $10,000 (info here).
In a tragic turn of events, Amy Blanc Lacy, who served as a script supervisor for The Walking Dead series, has died in the aftermath of a horrific hit-and-run crash. The entertainment industry veteran reportedly battled for her life for four days before finally passing away on September 5.
The Walking Dead’s Amy Blanc Lacy killed following a brutal car crash in Atlanta
According to an Atlanta Police Department statement, Amy Blanc Lacy was involved in a hit-and-run crash on September 1, while she was stationed in her car alongside her two sons.
As per Entertainment Weekly, the report states that 31-year-old Buck Rollins, the primary accused in the case, was driving a Hyundai Elantra westbound on Northside Parkway NW in Atlanta around 5 PM on the said day. He suddenly lost control of his car and crashed straight into Lacy’s Toyota Prius while she was crossing the intersection on Mount Paran Road NW.
While Lacy was in the backseat of the car, the vehicle also contained her 25-year-old son, Adrian, and her 23-year-old son, Oliver, who was driving the Prius. Rollins’ Elantra landed on the driver’s side of the victim’s car, injuring all three of its passengers. Lacy and her sons were all transported to a nearby hospital, where she ultimately breathed her last on September 5.
According to the records procured by People, Rollins’ recorded speed right before the accident was well over 90 mph, despite it being a 45 mph zone. After the incident, he continued to drive as if nothing had happened, only getting off near the Interstate 75 bridge. The accused has claimed that he had suffered from a seizure and does not have a clear memory of the accident.
Nevertheless, the Atlanta Police Department has since arrested Buck Rollins and charged him with first-degree homicide by vehicle, hit and run, reckless driving, and speeding. He is reportedly out on bail, having complied with a $70,000 bond.
Following Amy Blanc Lacy’s death, several industry insiders have posted tributes in her memory. This includes The Walking Dead’s Khary Payton, Murdaugh: Death in the Family’s Erin Lee Carr, and more.
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Television’s favorite zombie slayer is back, but how can fans watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon without cable? Well, we have the secret, and it’s cheaper than most competitors out there.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is a spinoff ofThe Walking Dead, a post-apocalyptic horror series set during a zombie apocalypse. The series, which is the fifth spinoff and sixth TV series in The Walking Dead franchise overall, is led by Norman Reedus, who reprises his role as Daryl Dixon from the original Walking Dead series. In the second season, Melissa McBride, who played Carol Peletier in the original series, reprised her role.
Both Reedus and McBride returned for a third season, which premiered on September 7, 2025. In July 2025, news broke that the series had been renewed for a fourth and final season, which is set to air in 2026. So how can fans watch the penultimate Daryl Dixon season? Read on to find out.
Sling is a StyleCaster sponsor, however, this article was independently written by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.
How to watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon with Sling TV
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon airs on AMC, which is available to stream on services like Sling TV. Sling offers two monthly plans with AMC: Sling Orange, which starts at $45.99 per month, and Sling Orange + Blue, which starts at $65.99 per month. Sling also has a current deal where new subscribers can sign up for Sling Orange + Blue for 50 percent off their first month, which brings the price down to $33.
Sling Orange also offers a day pass with 24-hour access for a one-time fee of $4.99; a weekend pass with access from Friday to Sunday for $9.99; and a week pass with seven-day access for $14.99.
As for which of Sling’s plans is right for you, Sling Orange offers more than 30 channels, as well as the ability to stream on up to one device at a time. Sling Orange & Blue offers more than 50 channels, the ability to stream on up to three devices, and everything included in Sling Orange, as well as Sling’s third plan, Sling Blue. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon with Sling.
Once in a while, a remarkable game comes along to the too-often underdeveloped space of VR, that challenges the belief that magic head-goggles are a niche product. Could Batman: Arkham Shadow be one such example? Here’s everything you need to know.
The Week In Games: Killing Your Heroes, And More New Releases
Early word suggests that like Half Life: Alyx before it, Batman: Arkham Shadow could be a stellar showing for the VR world, that grants full control of the world’s greatest detective as he solves a new mystery in Gotham City—and beats down a bunch of bad guys in the process, obviously. If you’ve been curious about Batman: Arkham Shadow let’s see if we can answer your questions.
Is Batman: Arkham Shadow a direct sequel?
It’s been a long while since we’ve received a game in the Arkham series, so you might be delighted to hear that Batman: Arkham Shadow is set within that same universe.
Taking place between the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum, it casts you as the Caped Crusader once again, as he seeks to protect Gotham City from a fresh threat known as the Rat King. This new villain has abducted a variety of officials from the city, with plans for their execution, giving Batman only a week to rescue them and enact justice once more.
Despite being part of the grander Arkham universe, though, you shouldn’t feel the need to have played the other games in the series. While there are plenty of references and plot points that franchise fans will no doubt pick up on, Batman: Arkham Shadow remains a perfectly enjoyable standalone Gotham adventure.
Who developed Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Batman: Arkham Shadow was developed by Meta-owned developer Camouflaj, the team behind 2020’s fairly well-received PSVR exclusive, Iron Man VR. Before getting bought by Meta to work in-house on VR games, Camouflaj also made episodic stealth game, République.
What platforms is Batman: Arkham Shadow available for?
Batman: Arkham Shadow is exclusively available for the Meta Quest 3 VR headset. As of this writing, Camouflaj has not revealed any plans to bring the game to competing headsets like PlayStation VR2, although given they’re owned by Meta, that seems very unlikely. It’s Meta Quest 3 or nothing if you’re interested in playing it anytime soon.
The good news is that anyone who buys a Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S before April 25, 2025 will receive Batman: Arkham Shadow included with the purchase of the headset. If you’ve been VR-curious but haven’t taken the plunge yet, I’d say that’s a pretty good incentive!
That being said, the Meta Quest 3 can feel a bit pricey at $499. If you don’t mind the slight (though admittedly noticeable) downgrade in pixel count and resolution, the Meta Quest 3S retains a lot of the same technology for $299.
Who voices Batman in Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Screenshot: Oculus Studios / Kotaku
Fans will be thrilled to hear that Arkham Origins’ Roger Craig Smith returns once again to voice The Dark Knight himself. Smith, also known for voicing popular video game characters like Ezio from Assassin’s Creed and Chris Redfield from Resident Evil, is often rated as one of the best actors to bring life to Bruce Wayne and his ass-kicking detective alter ego, since the sad death of Kevin Conroy in 2022.
Other notable stars in the game include Elijah Wood as Scarecrow, Tara Strong as Harley Quinn, Troy Baker as Harvey Dent, and The Walking Dead’s Khary Payton as The Ratcatcher (not to be confused with the Rat King). All in all, it’s clearly a star-studded cast.
How long is Batman: Arkham Shadow?
Many VR games are on the shorter side, so you may be surprised to hear that Batman: Arkham Shadow can take quite a while to complete. As a matter of fact, clearing the game without any side content can take 8 to 10 hours. If you want to see and do everything in this VR recreation of Gotham City, you can spend up to 15 hours tracking down various types of collectibles and completing unique challenges.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is available now on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S for $49.99.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead universe, you may want to know how to watch AMC for free. Since it launched more than 30 years ago, AMC has created dozens of original series including Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Killing, and, of course, The Walking Dead and its spinoffs, Fear The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
As of July 2015, more than 94,000,000 households have subscribed to to AMC, which was originally an acronym for “American Movie Classics” before the network’s transition into TV. In 2020, AMC launched AMC+, an ad-free streaming service that allows users access to hundreds of hours of movies and TV shows, including original programs like Better Call Saul and Kevin Can F*** Himself.
AMC+ also allows users to access content from AMC’s sister networks such as BBC America, IFC and SundanceTV, as well as affiliated streaming services like Sundance Now, IFC Unlimited and Shudder, a streaming service dedicated to horror, supernatural and thriller movies. But back to AMC+’s free trial. Read on for what we know about how to watch AMC for free.
Image: Courtesy of AMC.
What are AMC Plus’ current deals?
For Prime Day 2024, Amazon has a deal where Prime and Prime Video subscribers can also sign up for AMC+ for $4.99 per month for two months, which is $4 off its original price of $9.99 per month. The deal, which ends on July 17, is available for Prime or Prime Video subscribers. Read on for instructions on how to sign up and other streaming services include with Amazon’s Prime Day deals.
Without any deals, AMC+ costs $8.99 per month. The service doesn’t include ads and doesn’t offer any other price tiers.
Does AMC+ have a free trial?
Does AMC+ have a free trial? Yes! Amazon Prime Video offers a seven-day free trial of AMC+, which users can also sign up for on Sling, AppleTV, the Roku Channel and YouTube TV. Not an Amazon Prime Video subscriber? If you don’t have a Prime Video account, the service offers a 30-day free trial. The free trial comes with the same benefits of Amazon Prime, such as free two-day shipping, Prime Music and more. But perhaps the best part about Amazon Prime Video’s free trial is that customers can sign up for it multiple times. According to Amazon, users can sign up for Amazon Prime Video’s free trial over and over again as long as it isn’t within the same 12 months. This means that if you if you haven’t been an Amazon Prime member for more than 12 months, you’re eligible to receive another 30 days for free. After that trial ends, customers can subscribe to Amazon Prime (which includes Amazon Prime Video) for $12.99 per month or $119 per year (which saves them around $36.) Those who just want an Amazon Prime Video subscription can also subscribe for $8.99 per month.
Read on for step-by-step instructions for how to sign up for AMC Plus’ free trial on Amazon Prime Video.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon took Norman Reedus’ Daryl to France to fight off some walkers overseas. (And with a mace, no less.) Now that season 2 is promising a reunion between Daryl and his girl Carol (Melissa McBride) we want to know when to expect it.
The season, which is titled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol brings together Carol Peletier and Daryl after being separated by an entire ocean. To be fair, this is the show that fans were promised at the start of this all so to finally have them reuniting is kind of a big deal.
In a teaser trailer released back when the news broke about McBride’s return at New York Comic-Con in 2023, we see Carol searching for Daryl and fighting off walkers on her way to him. Back in October, it said that the series would come out in 2024 but the question is when will that happen?
In an Instagram story, Reedus confirmed that the series was set to have a summer release date! That is a pretty quick turnaround for Walking Dead fans as The Ones Who Live is set to conclude on March 31st and we will seemingly only have a few months before The Book of Carol kicks off.
It is an exciting time to be a fan of this franchise, especially with McBride and Reedus back in action together.
Get ready for The Book of Carol!
(AMC)
Carol and Daryl have been close since the show’s beginnings. When Carol’s daughter Sophia went missing, Daryl took it upon himself to try and find her. Yes, she ended up being a walker by the time they found her again but Daryl’s action really seemed to strike a chord with Carol and their already sweet dynamic became an important stepping stone for the rest of the show and how these characters all need each other.
When the Carol and Daryl show of our dreams ended up becoming just about Daryl, many of us longed for their reunion. Luckily, the ending of season 2 set up a perfect journey for Carol to embark on. So, as of now, we just know that a summer release is coming for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol and we cannot wait!
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
Rick Grimes may be one of the most iconic comic book characters who isn’t a superhero but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have changes to his “lore.” One of the biggest changes came when the Governor (David Morrissey) didn’t take Rick’s right handon The Walking Dead.
In the comics, Rick loses his right hand when the Governor demands information of Rick that he is unwilling to give. If that had happened in the original run of the show, it would pose a longstanding issue in filming with Andrew Lincoln and the money it would take to CGI it. Instead, Robert Kirkman and company decided against the move to save money and ultimately just didn’t feel strongly enough about it overall.
It left fans wondering if Rick Grimes was going to come out of the apocalypse with both of his hands or not. So when The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live geared up, so did the theories that Grimes would lose his hand this time around. And they were right, sort of.
Spoilers ahead for the first episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
In the first episode of the series, titled “Years,” we watch as Rick loses his left hand. Which is decidedly not his right hand. Not only that, but the reasoning behind it is significantly different than the comic storyline. This time around, Rick is with the Civic Republic Military (the CRM) and they have him handcuffed. In that moment, Rick sees his only chance at escaping them to get back home to Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Judith (Cailey Fleming) since he doesn’t yet know about RJ (Antony Azor).
Sawing off his own left hand (the one handcuffed), Rick does it and tries to flee the CRM to get back home to Alexandria. He’s unsuccessful but the loss of Rick’s hand gave fans that arc they wanted.
A comic storyline brought to life
(Gene Page/AMC)
What makes Rick cutting his own hand off even more tragic than the Governor taking it from him is that it was, in that moment, all in vain. Rick was fighting to get back home but he was still with the CRM. So him cutting off his hand was for what? To just have to learn how to fight one-handed in the apocalypse?
That moment shows that there was going to be nothing that stopped him from getting back to his family, even if it meant losing his own hand. And that’s why it is heartbreakingthat he doesn’t succeed. For all his attempts, Rick Grimes was still stuck and imprisoned with people who “saved him” on the bridge. They didn’t let him blow up but they were keeping him away from the ones he loved.
So Rick losing his hand in The Ones Who Live holds much more weight than it frankly would have during his time with the Governor. Because watching this man who desperately wanted to get home fail? That’s a version of Rick Grimes I am fascinated to be on this journey with.
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh.
A new The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live trailer has been released for the upcoming spin-off of The Walking Dead led by Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira. The trailer features the duo’s characters — Rick Grimes and Michonne — as they try to find one another amidst new and old threats. The show is set to premiere on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, February 25.
“The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world,” reads the series’ synopsis. “Kept apart by distance. By an unstoppable power. By the ghosts of who they were. Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead … And ultimately, a war against the living. Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive — or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”
You can watch the new The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live trailer on YouTube below (watch more trailers):
Who stars in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live?
Alongside Gurira and Lincoln, some of the series’ other stars include Lesley-Ann Brandt, Pollyanna McIntosh, Terry O’Quinn, and Matt Jeffries.
The six-episode limited drama is written and produced by Scott Gimple, who also serves as the showrunner. Gurira is also credited as a co-creator and co-writer. Based on Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard’s comic series of the same name, The Walking Dead is executive produced by Kirkman, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, David Alpert, Joseph Incaprera, Gale Anne Hurd, Denise Huth, and Angela Kang.
It’s the time of year when “Best Of” lists abound, but summing up an entire year of any medium is hard. Thankfully, 2023 was a great year in the world of TV and there’s no shortage of amazing choices to capture the best of what this year had to offer.
For my top 10 shows of 2023, I tried mostly to stick to those that debuted this year, but there were two returning shows with outstanding seasons that I couldn’t ignore. Feel free to discuss the list and tell us your faves in the comments!
10. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, season 1 (AMC)
(AMC)
I was a big fan of The Walking Dead, but once the spinoffs started rolling out, I became increasingly skeptical. I couldn’t get into Fear the Walking Dead, and Dead City left a lot to be desired, so I approached Daryl Dixon warily, but I was pleasantly surprised! Moving a fan-favorite character to another country makes the action feel fresh as it forces Daryl (Norman Reedus), a character who’s changed so much over the years, to think and behave differently as he interacts with new people, new factions, new types of walkers, and a new culture.
It was also a wise choice to make the central relationship of the show between Daryl and a child in his care (the “Child Savior” thing was big on TV this year!). Daryl was always great with kids on The Walking Dead, despite his gruff, loner demeanor, so building a show around that makes sense. And as much as I loved the flagship show, Daryl Dixon feels a bit more mature in tone and themes than its predecessor. Daryl Dixon has allowed the TWD Universe to grow up and explore new emotional terrain without sacrificing the sweet, violent walker-y goodness we’ve come to love.
9. Twisted Metal, season 1 (Peacock)
(Peacock)
The first of two video game adaptations on this list, Twisted Metal shouldn’t work as a show. It’s based on a tournament-style game with no real narrative or character development to speak of where your only goal is to drive fast and shoot anyone in your way.
The show, however, has managed to create characters we come to care about deeply, even as it holds onto many of the game’s more gonzo elements. John Doe (Anthony Mackie) and Quiet (Stephanie Beatriz) are a hilarious and heartbreaking team to follow through this bonkers post-apocalyptic world.
And yes, there is a murderous clown named Sweet Tooth (played by professional wrestler Samoa Joe and voiced by Will Arnett) who drives a tricked-out ice cream truck, but even he gets a backstory that helps you understand his journey from being a child actor to a man built like a mountain who kills his way across the country while talking to his best friend, an empty paper bag.
Twisted Metal was one of the biggest surprises of 2023, and with a second season on the way, I hope it stays on the road for a long, long time.
8. Shrinking, season 1 (Apple TV+)
(Apple TV+)
Shrinking is one of the best recent comedies that lean into dramatic situations and themes for laughs. It’s a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful show about nearly drowning in grief until you learn how to navigate the waves and make it to shore.
Shrinking has an amazing cast led by Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams, and like many of the other shows on this list, it succeeds because of its attention to character. Even the more outlandish characters are fully fleshed-out, relatable people. In addition to the main theme of grief, Shrinking deftly deals with other mental health issues—appropriate for a show about therapists.
Thankfully, we have a second season of Shrinking to look forward to on Apple TV+, and apparently there is a three-season story arc planned.
7. The Great, season 3 (Hulu)
(Hulu)
The Great certainly wasn’t the only wonderful show to have an awesome final season this year (shout-out to Succession and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, two amazing shows that ended after four seasons), but it’s on my best of 2023 list because because of what a unique show it was.
As I’ve written previously, an anachronistic comedy about Czarist Russia based on a stage play shouldn’t have worked. Yet it did, thanks to brilliant writing (and source material) from creator Tony McNamara and inspired performances from a stellar cast led by Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. The show took exciting risks in its execution throughout its run, with its final season being the riskiest of all. (The Great and Succession have a major death halfway through the final season in common.)
Though losing The Great this year was sad, it went out on a beautiful high note. I’ll be watching Catherine dancing to AC/DC on a loop basically forever. That was as perfect a final scene as a show could have.
6. Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
(Apple TV+)
Lessons in Chemistry, based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus and created for television by Lee Eisenberg, is a beautiful and relevant limited series that illuminates the varied ways in which women have to fight harder to excel, as well as the importance of human connection.
Brie Larson, who’s made a career out of playing women who will only grace you with a smile if you f—ing earn it, is perfect as Elizabeth Zott, a chemist who ends up hosting a popular cooking show in the 1960s, empowering women by teaching them the science of cooking and encouraging them to pursue their greatest aspirations.
Meanwhile, the show’s relationships, from Elizabeth’s romantic relationship with Calvin (Lewis Pullman), her friendship with her neighbor Harriet (Aja Naomi King), to her relationship with her daughter Mad (Alice Halsey), all add up to create Elizabeth’s success. Every character’s success or failure is determined by the relationships in their lives—the “chemistry” between people, if you will. And that’s an important and beautiful message these days.
5. Poker Face, season 1 (Peacock)
(Peacock)
Peacock took some big swings this year and brought us one of the best and most creative murder mystery shows ever. Rian Johnson’s Poker Face finally gave us the Natasha Lyonne-being-Columbo series we’ve been clamoring for. Lyonne plays Charlie, a woman with a unique superpower. She’s basically a human lie detector, and while she can’t read your mind, she knows when you’re being less-than-truthful and can call “bulls—t” with 100% accuracy.
This ability gets her in a lot of trouble, but it also puts her in a position to help a lot of people. While there’s a central storyline of Charlie trying to escape people trying to kill her, the show also operates as a case-of-the-week series. Every episode starts with its own murder, and then once we see the murder happen, we go back and see all the events from Charlie’s point of view, following her as she ends up stumbling onto the crime and helping to solve it.
The writing and direction are flawless, Natasha Lyonne gives a fascinating performance as Charlie, and the whole thing is such a breath of fresh air in the current TV landscape. Thankfully, Peacock ordered a second season shortly after the season 1 finale.
4. A Murder at the End of the World, season 1 (FX / Hulu)
(FX)
One of the year’s best shows didn’t premiere until last month, but it’s already compelling as hell. If you love Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij because of The OA or their films The Sound of My Voice and The East, their new show A Murder at the End of the World will be right up your alley.
Emma Corrin plays Darby Hart, a true-crime author and amateur sleuth/hacker who’s invited to a mysterious conference of brilliant minds by tech billionaire Andy Ronson (Clive Owen), who happens to be married to Darby’s hacker idol, Lee Andersen (Brit Marling). As the title suggests, there’s murder at the end of the world, which refers to the remote location of the retreat rather than an apocalyptic premise. However, the apocalypse is evoked, as the devastating effects of climate change (and what can be done about them) are discussed often.
Marling and Batmanglij are excellent at making strange, esoteric worlds feel lived-in and thoroughly human, and Emma Corrin is giving a terrific, compelling performance. Whether you’re into murder mysteries, hacker culture, or just good drama with a unique love story at its center, A Murder at the End of the World will scratch all those itches.
3. Beef, season 1 (Netflix)
(Netflix)
Beef, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, was one of 2023’s most fascinating and unique offerings. It gave us two nuanced, screwed-up characters in Danny Cho and Amy Lau who, in spite of their flaws and their disproportionate obsession with taking each other down, manage to remain completely relatable.
As TMS‘ Madeline Carpou wrote, what sets Beef apart isn’t just the frenzied battle between the show’s two leads, but its incisive commentary on class. Yes, these characters are flawed, but in addition to the social and cultural aspects of their lives (Beef deals with gender, being Asian in the U.S, the intersectionality of being both Asian and Christian), what impacts their lives—and their outsized response to road rage—the most are their individual relationships to money, class, and status.
The Bear‘s first season was a huge success in 2022, but this year’s second season elevated it into the stratosphere creatively and culturally. The first season primarily stuck with its protagonist, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), with the rest of the superb cast of characters serving the central story of “whether he can save the family restaurant.” The Bear‘s second season wisely incorporated deeper journeys for every character—Ayo Edebiri’s Sydney and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Richie, among them—allowing the success or failure of their new dining enterprise to be a true group effort.
What’s wonderful about this show is that it finds the vulnerability, love, and kindness in even the most closed-off and hard-edged characters. Every single person on this show is emotionally damaged in some way, and yet season 2 allowed them to grow, evolve, and find their connections to each other in newer, healthier ways. They all still have plenty of work to do, but I am completely invested in watching every single one of them do that work.
The Last of Us debuted on HBO aaaaall the way back in January, which is basically forever ago in TV time. It’s almost hard to imagine that before this year, there was a world in which Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey didn’t exist as Joel Miller and Ellie Williams; a world where Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett didn’t definitively embody Bill and Frank in a gorgeous episode written by Craig Mazin and directed by Peter Hoar; a world where Tess (played with perfect bi wife energy by Anna Torv) wasn’t one of the most awesome and important characters in TLOU; and where Henry’s little brother Sam (played beautifully by Keivon Woodard, please protect this child at all costs) wasn’t always deaf.
Thankfully, we now live in a world where all these things are true. When TLOU game creator Neil Druckmann teamed up with co-creator and showrunner Mazin, they created not only a beautiful TV adaptation of a beloved video game, but a brilliant and beautiful show in its own right.
A new video game based on the popular TV show The Walking Dead is out now on consoles and fans who have jumped in to check it out are reporting another clunky, broken, and ugly Game Mill-published mess, just like that awful King Kong game from earlier this year.
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My job is to write about video games and to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the industry. So I was pretty surprised to see a new Walking Dead game—that I had no idea existed—land on consoles today with little fanfare. I don’t doubt there were marketing materials and even ads for The Walking Dead: Destinies before it launched, but somehow I completely missed all of that and only discovered the game existed about an hour before writing this paragraph. And let me tell you, it’s been a nice Friday afternoon treat.
Let’s just cut right to the first thing I saw of this game: A boss fight between Rick and Shane over who should lead the group. The big draw of this game is that players can change the events of the show, which is cool in concept! I like that idea. Sadly, the shootout between the ex-friends and former cops is one of the worst and silliest boss fights I’ve seen in 2023.
MKIceAndFire /Game Mill
I think Rick takes about 20 or so point-blank shotgun blasts to the face before getting knocked down. Then the fight transitions to a second stage and at this point, the audio starts to cut out and character voiceovers play on top of each other as Shane smacks Rick repeatedly with a crowbar. Eventually, after all this silliness, Rick dies and Shane walks away the victor, changing the events of the show. But at what cost?
Game Mill strikes again, unfortunately
The rest of The Walking Dead: Destiniesdoesn’t look much better. Cutscenes aren’t animated, character models look ripped out of a PlayStation 3 game, and gameplay seems to boil down to “Run up to zombie, kick or punch zombie, and press the stab button.” Then just do that a few hundred times or so.
Without playing it I can’t say if it’s actually worse than Skull Island: Rise of Kong, another game published by low-budget publisher Game Mill. But even if The Walking Dead: Destinies is better, that’s a low bar to clear.
I don’t blame the developers behind this game for it being such a mess. As previously reported about Kong, Game Mill seems to provide little support and few resources to the studios working on its games.
So it’s entirely possible (and likely) that talented and passionate developers crunched hard on Destinies in a short amount of time to get something out, and this is what we got. And while that sucks and might be another sign of how the game industry treats its workers like garbage, it doesn’t change the fact that you probably shouldn’t buy this new Walking Dead game. But enjoy the videos of its wonky boss fights all you want.
Image: Capcom / Remedy / Devolver Digital / Kotaku
It’s nearly Halloween, so it’s once again time for Valve to throw a big ol’ spooky-themed Steam sale. And this year there are plenty of great deals on new and old games, most of which are scary and perfect to play on Halloween night. Also…
Horror Game You’ve Never Heard Of Is Scientifically The Scariest Ever
BOO! Did I scare you? Probably not. Let me try again. *Clears throat* We live in a rapidly declining civilization that is being destroyed by powerful corporations and dangerously disruptive technology that will, quicker than most people realize, make it nearly impossible for folks to earn a living and live a comfortable life. Scared? Well, I can’t stop all of that but I can help you save a few bucks for the future with some of the best deals currently available via Steam’s “Scream: The Revenge” Sale.
Check out our list below for some highlights, and don’t wait too long to grab some of these creepy classics, as the Halloween sale ends November 2.
7 Days To Die $6 – ($25)
Alan Wake – $3.75 ($15)
Batman Arkham Knight – $4 ($20)
The Callisto Protocol – $24 ($60)
Cult of the Lamb – $15 ($25)
Darkest Dungeon – $5 ($25)
Days Gone – $17 ($50)
Dead By Daylight – $8 ($20)
Dead Space remake – $36 ($60)
Dredge – $19 ($25)
Project Zomboid – $14 ($20)
Resident Evil 2 – $10 ($40)
Resident Evil 3 – $10 ($40)
Resident Evil 7 $8 ($20)
Resident Evil 4 & Separate Ways DLC – $40 ($60)
Resident Evil Village – $16 ($40)
Strange Brigade – $2.50 ($50)
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series $12.50 ($50)
Weird West – $10 ($40)
The Quarry – $15 ($60)
And good luck to everybody with the robot AI overlords and the fall of humanity and all that. Perhaps share in the comments below any good deals you find on Steam during this Halloween sale to help distract us from the doom and gloom of the future.
God love ‘em, the Gemstones’ prayers have finally been answered. Season three of The Righteous Gemstones returns to HBO on June 18, and, in a page straight out of Succession, Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam DeVine) Gemstone finally have control of the family’s televangelist church made world-famous by their father, Dr. Eli Gemstone (John Goodman). But, running a megachurch is not as easy as it seems, and, from the looks of it, the Gemstone children may not be cut out for the gig. Pray for them. —Chris Murphy
The Walking Dead: Dead City
June 18 (AMC)
The universe of The Walking Dead expands once again with this sequel series, which picks up two years after the end of The Walking Dead and finds former enemies Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) traveling in a postapocalyptic Manhattan. It’s the fourth spin-off from the smash-hit AMC series, which wrapped its 11th and final season in November 2022. None of the follow-up series have become as huge as the original, but AMC clearly remains very much in the zombie business. —K.R.
Secret Invasion
June 21 (Disney+)
“We don’t know who’s a friend, who’s the enemy,” Samuel L. Jackson told Anthony Breznican for Vanity Fair’sfirst look at his upcoming Marvel series, which follows Jackson’s former S.H.I.E.L.D. director, Nick Fury, as he uncovers a conspiracy to quietly install double agents into positions of power around the world. He’s joined by Emilia Clarke as an alien radical named G’iah, Olivia Colman as a British intelligence agent who has a past with Fury, and a few familiar faces from the MCU, namely Martin Freeman (as CIA agent Everett K. Ross) and Cobie Smulders (as Fury’s steadfast ally, Maria Hill). Maybe it’s not a new Avengers movie, but Secret Invasion seems just as starry. —H.B.
The Bear
June 22 (FX)
Order up. The Bear—the high-octane kitchen series that premiered on FX last summer and quickly became the network’s most-watched half-hour show of all time—serves up a new 10-episode season two on June 22. After shutting down his restaurant, The Beef, Jeremy Allen White’s chef Carmy and his kitchen crew consisting of his “cousin” Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), sous-chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), and veteran line cook Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) are preparing to open Carmy’s new restaurant, The Bear. Along with the new restaurant, there are a few new faces, with Better Call Saul’sBob Odenkirk and Booksmart’sMolly Gordon both joining The Bear for season two. “It’s not a reopening, it’s a rebirth,” reads the caption on a teaser trailer for The Bear’s second season. Yes, chef. —C.M.
The Bachelorette
June 26 (ABC)
While many of us are still feeling the hangover of a particularly brutal season of The Bachelor, a new season for love is here with Charity Lawson, a 27-year-old Georgia native who was sent packing after hometowns by Zach Shallcross, calling the shots. She becomes only the fifth Black lead in franchise history, following in the footsteps of Matt James,Rachel Lindsay, Tayshia Adams, and Michelle Young—a welcome addition after yet another season where a contestant’s racist past was exposed. Here’s hoping that the exit of controversial longtime creator Mike Fleiss, and Lawson’s career as a child and family therapist bring fresh life to a wilting rose. —S.W.
The Witcherseason three
June 29 (Netflix)
Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Ciri (Freya Allan) are going into hiding as the new season of Netflix’s fantasy epic begins, a journey that promises equal parts discovery and treachery—and lands them in a position of putting everything on the line. Robbie Amell and Meng’er Zhang join the cast as an elven fighter and a human huntress, respectively. —D.C.
And Just Like That…Season Two
June (Max)
Now that the death of Big and a realignment of friend groups has been taken care of, maybe the second season of Max’s Sex and the City continuation can relax and have fun. Maybe we might even get a more episodic format, with each installment centered on a particular theme—you know, like SATC used to be. Though creator Michael Patrick King and producer/star Sarah Jessica Parker have been careful to note that AJLT is not trying to directly mimic the style of their previous hit, this is a different set of shoes altogether. So, perhaps that will be the real narrative of this sophomore run of episodes: audiences learning to embrace what’s different about the series, while its creative team finds a way to make it all fit. —R.L.
The Horror of Dolores Roach
July 7 (Prime Video)
From play to podcast to TV series: That’s the unlikely journey of The Horror of Dolores Roach, which began its life as a one-woman show starring Daphne Rubin-Vega, who reprised the role for the Gimlet Media podcast version. The play and podcast’s creator Aaron Mark will serve as co-showrunner for the series, which stars One Day at a Time alum Justina Machado as a woman returning to her Washington Heights neighborhood after being released from prison. As the description for the podcast went, it’s “a macabre urban legend of love, betrayal, weed, gentrification, cannibalism, and survival of the fittest.” —K.R.
The Real Housewives of New YorkCity
July 16 (Bravo)
RHONY has gotten a rebrand. After 13 seasons, Bravo has done away with original Real Housewives of New York cast members like Luann de Lesepps,Sonja Morgan, and Ramona Singer in favor of a fresh crop of ladies ready to take on the Big Apple. Bravo’s updated RHONY cast includes Sai De Silva,Ubah Hassan,Jessel Taank,Brynn Whitfield, Erin Dana Lichy, and former J.Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons. Season 14 of Real Housewives of New York will premiere on Bravo on July 16 because, after all, there’s nothing like summer in the city. Until then, we’ll have to wait and see whether the new cast will fill the RHONY OGs’ big and fabulous shoes. —C.M.
The Afterparty
July 14 (Apple TV+)
The only thing juicier than an afterparty is what mischief happens next. Even more murder is afoot in season two of this comedic whodunnit, which deliciously recounts the same crime from a different character’s perspective in each episode. The sophomore installment reunites returning cast members Tiffany Haddish,Sam Richardson, and ZoëChao with a—ahem—murderers’ row of new performers including John Cho, Paul Walter Hauser, Anna Konkle, Ken Jeong, Poppy Liu, Zach Woods, Vivian Wu, and Elizabeth Perkins as an unlucky set of soon-to-be interrogated wedding guests. Let the theorizing begin! —S.W.
Praise Petey
July 21 (Freeform)
Annie Murphy as an It girl whose glamorous life comes crashing down? Sounds a lot like Schitt’s Creek, only, this time, Murphy is voicing the animated Petey, who decides to lean into modernizing her dad’s small-town cult. From former Saturday Night Live head writer Anna Drezen, Praise Petey promises comedy for the Gen Z set. John Cho,Kiersey Clemons, and Christine Baranski also star. —N.J.
They Cloned Tyrone
July 21 (Netflix)
Is it a comedy, a conspiracy thriller, a stylish sci-fi-action-mystery-Blaxploitation-throwback? Juel Taylor’s directorial debut looks like all of the above. “Blaxploitation films always represented movies that let us express ourselves, and we could just look snazzy and do cool shit,” star John Boyega recently told EW of the high-concept project. ”It didn’t matter if we knew kung fu. It just all made sense with the music, with the vibes. I’m just proud to, at least, be a part of something that pays homage to that.” Trust his costars Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx to nail the vibe too. —H.B.
Minxseason two
July 21 (Starz)
Axed from HBO Max in dramatic fashion last year, the 1970s workplace comedy has found a new life on Starz, with Ophelia Lovibond and Jake Johnson returning as Joyce and Doug, the pair of unlikely collaborators behind a feminist porn magazine. In season two, the magazine Minx has become a hit, which, for our heroes, “brings more money, fame, and temptation than either of them know how to handle,” per Starz. With the recent Party Down revival, Starz is hopefully well-positioned to promote another smart comedy and treat Minx better than its first home did. —K.R.
Twisted Metal
July 27 (Peacock)
Did you spend the winter of 1995 watching your brother shoot napalm-laced ice cream cones at a souped-up Corvette driven by a ghost? If so, you too may find yourself intrigued by Peacock’s adaptation of the classic Playstation game, which casts Anthony Mackie as an everyman (he’s literally named John Doe) on a quest that, if the original is any blueprint, will mostly serve as an excuse for stylized vehicular mayhem. Yes, the clown who drives a killer ice cream truck is there too—and, this time, he’s voiced by Will Arnett. —H.B.
Breedersseason four
July (FX)
The fourth season of FX’s dark comedy series follows a tense finale in which Ava (Eve Prenelle) finally stood up to her father, while our weary married antiheroes Paul (Martin Freeman) and Ally (Daisy Haggard) don’t split up, exactly, but plan to move forward with a dynamic that may not be fixable, and a lot of pain in the rearview. How will they all pick up the pieces? Hopefully, the premiere lays out the road map. —D.C.
Heartstopperseason two
August 3 (Netflix)
Get ready for a summer of love. Netflix’s hit queer coming-of-age romance Heartstopper returns to the streaming platform on August 3. Based on the New York Times best-selling graphic novel series by Alice Oseman,Heartstopper follows Charlie (Joe Locke) a recently out teen at a British all-boys school, Nick (Kit Connor) a closeted rugby player coming to terms with his sexuality, and their budding romance. With a 100% average Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, there’s clearly many Heartstopper fans interested in seeing what the next step is in Charlie and Nick’s romantic journey. —C.M.
Red, White & Royal Blue
August 11 (Prime Video)
Speaking of Heartstopper,The Royal We meets Netflix’s hit queer romance in Matthew Lopez’s adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s Young Adult bestseller, a sweetly silly rom-com that pairs America’s First Son with the heir to the British crown. Sure, the premise is implausible, but McQuiston’s charming banter was enough to sell it in novel form. Presumably, young cuties Taylor Zakhar Pérez and Nicholas Galitzine will be able to do the same on the small screen. Plus: Uma Thurman as the first female POTUS! —H.B.
Reservation Dogsseason two
Summer Date TBD (FX)
At the end of season two, the titular Dogs—Indigenous teens Elora Danan (Devery Jacobs), Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis), and Cheese (Lane Factor)—have made their long-awaited sojourn to California, a dream they often discussed while living on the Muscogee Nation Reservation in Oklahoma. But, while the last season ended with a sense of resolution, showrunner Sterlin Harjo has teased “some darkness coming” in season three for the group, whose bond was cemented after the tragic loss of their fifth friend just before the show’s start. —S.W.
What We Do in the Shadowsseason five
Summer Date TBD (FX)
Renewed last year for a fifth and sixth season, the vampire comedy returns with a major vote of confidence from its network, and a major cliff-hanger to wrap up: At the end of the last season, human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) had asked to be turned into a vampire. The season ended with several other resets, like Baby Colin’s (Mark Proksch) reversion back to regular adult Colin and the end of Nadja’s (Natasia Demetriou) nightclub dream. But, for vampire characters who have been alive for hundreds of years, there’s clearly time for many more adventures. —K.R.
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Hillary Busis, Richard Lawson, Savannah Walsh, Rebecca Ford, David Canfield, Katey Rich, Natalie Jarvey, Chris Murphy
When we watch a TV show we love, it’s normal to feel emotionally invested in the characters. When something major happens to them — they find love, they experience loss, they have a moment of growth — we’re experiencing that with them. That’s why it’s such a big deal when a TV character dies. Even though we know that it’s just an actor playing a part on the screen, it’s still possible to feel totally devastated.
Of course, in the world of television, things are not always what they seem. Sometimes, a character is only presumed dead, but they’re actually still alive. Unless a character actually has a proper sendoff on camera — where you, as the viewer, can actually confirm they are dead — there’s always a chance that they’ll come back. Depending on the show, this can either be a wild, exciting plot twist, or a completely unrealistic turn of events.
It’s pretty obvious to tell when a character has been (temporarily) killed off for shock value. In some cases, a series just needs a good ratings boost — and nothing drives viewers to the screen like the potential of a fan-favorite character biting the dust. But if the character who dies also happens to be the show’s namesake — for example, Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer — you really shouldn’t be surprised when they return unscathed.
Below, you’ll find 10 of the least convincing death fake-outs in TV history. All of these shows have been out for at least a year, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about spoilers — unless you’re just now getting around to binge-watching Game of Thrones.
The 10 Least Convincing Fake TV Deaths
Did these “shocking” TV deaths actually fool anyone?
10 TV Actors Who Were Replaced For Controversial Reasons
These actors were replaced from hit shows under clouds of controversy.
No offense to Luke or Jules, who were late arrivals to the series and were never major characters, but the real loss in “Rest in Peace” is Rosita (Christian Serratos), an integral Walking Dead fixture since her introduction in season four. Thankfully, she gets the badass and touching swan song that she deserves. Upon tracking down her missing daughter, Rosita, Gabriel, and Eugene (Josh McDermitt) are surrounded by walkers, so they begin to scale a wall to escape. With her child strapped to her chest, Rosita falls to what appears to be her certain death. But—not so fast!—she quickly rises to fight off the walkers, climb on top of an ambulance, and leap back onto the wall. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get out unscathed, later revealing in a heartbreaking scene, that she was bitten. After the big victory over Pamela and the walkers, the crew gathers for a celebratory Thanksgiving-like meal, and Rosita enjoys this “perfect” moment, before sharing the news with Gabriel. She’s then led into a bedroom and laid next to her sleeping daughter, whom she kisses one last time. “We’ll see you again someday,” says Gabriel, taking the young girl and leaving. When Eugene comes in for the last goodbye, Rosita tells him, “I’m glad it was you at the end.” In the flash-forward, we learn that Eugene and Max (Margot Bingham) have welcomed a daughter of their own: Rosie.
WHO RETURNED
Don’t worry, The Walking Dead didn’t sign off without seeing its original leading man and iconic leading lady. Last seen in seasons nine and 10, respectively, Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira return in the last moments of the finale. At first, it appears that Rick and Michonne may be together, with only a fire separating them. “I think of the dead all the time, none about the living…who I lost,” says a somber Rick as images of departed legacy characters like Carl (Chandler Riggs), Laurie (Sarah Wayne Callies), Shane (Jon Bernthal), and Glenn (Steven Yeun) appear onscreen. Meanwhile, Michonne is writing a letter to Judith, insisting she’s trying to get back to her and R.J. “We’re connected,” she says, as her and Rick’s voices begin to overlap. “We’re still connected to everybody we ever loved.”
Unfortunately, they are not together. Michonne, now rocking a new version of her classic pre-mom samurai outfit, pledges to find Rick, “because I know that he’s trying to find us.” She gets on her horse and rides off into a walker avalanche. Elsewhere, Rick is by a body of water, and panics when he hears an incoming helicopter. A voice from above tells him to surrender, much to Rick’s dismay. “C’mon, Rick,” says the mystery person, “it’s like he told you, there’s no escape for the living.” Rick is revealed to be just outside a major metropolis. He puts his hands up as the helicopter comes down, and with a devious smile, Rick looks ready for whatever’s next.
WHAT’S NEXT
And the answer to what’s next is…well, a lot! The Walking Dead has already spawned multiple spinoffs, including the already wrapped World Beyond, the recent anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead, which has been renewed for an eighth season. But, as we alluded to earlier, many of our main characters were previously announced to be getting their own shows, and “Rest in Peace,” ironically, helped prepare us for the birth of three new stories.
As I watch these final episodes of The Walking Dead, I find myself thinking a lot about missed opportunities. I shouldn’t be thinking about this. I should be deeply invested in these characters and the conclusion to their stories. There are a number of reasons why I’m not, of course:
The show has gone on far too long at this point. I’m hardly alone in feeling burnt out on what feels very much like a story that passed its expiration date a few years ago.
The cast is far too big still. Somehow, in nearly 24 episodes, they have barely killed off any of our heroes. Some villains are dead, naturally, but our heroes remain intact (more on this in a minute). It makes the show feel toothless; and a toothless zombie drama is about as effective as a toothless zombie.
Several main characters’ fates have already been spoiled thanks to AMC’s insistence on making early announcements about spinoffs (which is on brand given how frequently the show either straight-up announced or telegraphed a character’s departure).
These factors, combined with my antipathy toward the Commonwealth and its boring leader, Pamela Milton, makes it hard to become emotionally invested in the final season. It’s hard to care about characters dying when they never seem to and I’ve lost my feelings for almost all of them—and those who I still care about, like Negan and Daryl, have spinoff shows announced. Sure, I’m worried about some characters like Rosita and Princess, and I’ve started liking Gabriel and Aaron more, but overall . . . I just don’t care that much.
So I think about missed opportunities instead. For one, this entire season could have been spent killing off more of the cast. Some much-needed sense of impending doom and rising tension could have been put in place long ago (or even just at the end of the second block of eight episodes) that would have upped the emotional ante at this point. If Pamela had killed off some of our heroes six or seven episodes ago, that drive for revenge would be fresh and raw.
Instead, everything feels rushed and messy as we near the end of the line. The good guys have overcome their captors and return to the Commonwealth on the train they commandeered to take down Pamela once and for all. With Eugene escaped, Pamela’s faith in Mercer has crumbled, and she puts a plan into motion to take him down and quell the rising anger among the populace over Eugene’s sentencing. She has troops steering a herd of walkers toward the walls, which she uses both to send Mercer away and to order the streets cleared. Aaron, Jerry, Lydia and that group is walking amongst the herd in their half-assed zombie gut disguises.
I actually really enjoyed Aaron and Jerry playing Whisperer during this scene. It made me think of missed opportunities. Like, what if instead of the show fighting the Whisperers, they’d taken it in a radically different direction and had the heroes become the Whisperers instead? Their motivation would have been rebellion against the Commonwealth. They would have devised this whole method of hiding among the walkers wearing zombie masks and whispering to each other in order to avoid detection from the Commonwealth’s superior military might and waged a series of guerilla warfare battles and terrorist attacks on their enemy.
That’s not the story we got, however. Instead, as the group tries to get inside an RV and Luke and Elijah are pushed away from the others by the herd, Lydia reaches out to save her new boyfriend and a zombie bites her. Inside the RV, they tie a tourniquet on her arm and Jerry hacks it off with his sword. It’s a gruesome scene and you feel bad for Lydia—and then for Jerry who agrees to go looking for the others—but it feels like too little, too late. Lydia’s arm is one of just two casualties in the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead.
The other is Judith, who may or may not be dead, though I’m guessing she survives. She’s shot when Pamela springs an ambush on Daryl and the others as they try to enter the city. Mercer was supposed to meet them, but he’s been arrested along with his loyal troops. Pamela’s men show up and start firing immediately and a big gunfight ensues. For whatever reason, Pamela joins the fight, grabbing a gun and shooting at Daryl. Judith leaps forward to save him and takes the bullet instead. Pamela is shocked, clearly not wanting the blood of a child on her hands. “You did this!” she shouts at them as she retreats. “You did this!”
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Anthony Azor as RJ
Pamela’s plans go awry in more ways than one. The zombies have evolved and the walls no longer hold them back with the few troops she has to spare now that Mercer and his men are in custody. The undead climb the walls, quickly overwhelming the Stormtroopers and opening the gates to the city. The entire horde makes its way toward the Commonwealth and Pamela orders her troops to seal off the “Estates” where she and the other rich and powerful live. When the woman she has running the army now protests—thousands could die if left to fend for themselves—Pamela tells her that their job is to protect the Estates.
Our heroes make it into the city but the dead are there as well, and barricades have already been set up to funnel the dead away from the Estates and into the rest of the city (though these evolved zombies should be able to make their way past the barricades easily enough).
The goal now is survival more than rebellion. The survivors fight through the zombies, clearing an opening for Daryl, now carrying Judith’s near-lifeless form, so that he can break through and find medical help. “Daddy?” she says at one point, looking up at him through blurry eyes. This is probably the best moment of the episode, packing an actual emotional punch for once. Earlier in the episode, Daryl promised that when all this was over, he’d tell her all the stories he could remember about all the people who ever loved her—Carl, Michonne, her birth-mother Laurie and her long-disappeared father, Rick. Judith had talked about having two mothers, but in reality she’s had two fathers as well. Daryl has stepped in as her adoptive father now that everyone else is gone. It’s a sweet, sad moment when she calls him that for the first time, and probably by mistake.
I’m not sure if this show will kill off its final Grimes family member or not. I guess we’ll find out in the finale.
The problem right now, however, is that they haven’t killed off anyone yet. Eugene, once again finding that small pouch of courage he keeps buried deep within, overcomes the soldier searching for him and joins up with the other fighters. Everyone is still alive, even if things look bad for Judith and Lydia. Magna, Yumiko, Luke, Rosita, Princess, Negan, Annie—really, there are even more main characters alive in Season 11 than in Season 10 with the addition of Negan’s new wife and the return of Maggie and her son (and Elijah and all those other people from her community that this show had no problem killing off as fast as possible).
The plot armor is a problem. The fact that any meaningful deaths have to take place in just one episode is bizarre. Jerry is probably a goner, which sucks. I wouldn’t mind if Jerry, Aaron, Gabriel, Rosita, Princess, Negan, Daryl and the kids survived. Honestly, though, if this show had real steel—and AMC wasn’t so interested in spinoffs—it would end like The Mission, with just the children left to pick up the pieces of a broken, tragic world.
The series finale of The Walking Dead won’t come to AMC+ today, which is a good thing. Frankly, I wish AMC had never broken up the show’s audience this way. Far better to air the episodes at the same time for everyone. That’s what event TV is supposed to be and we’ll get it one last time next Sunday, November 20th, when the very last episode finally airs. What a long strange trip it’s been.
The Walking Dead seems intent to limp its way to the finish line in its eleventh, and final, season. I know that this is partly the fault of the source material and partly a problem with losing Andrew Lincoln (and thus the entire Rick Grimes arc here) but I still can’t quite believe that the final season of this long-running zombie show is going out with a whimper rather than a bang.
There’s just not much here from one episode to the next, which makes me wonder why they needed an extended 24-episode season to wrap things up. Half of each episode feels like filler. The cast is still too big, filled with characters we don’t care about. Weirdly, newcomer Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) has become one of the most interesting characters on the show.
In ‘What’s Been Lost’ we follow Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) as they attempt to find their missing compatriots, most of whom having been disappeared by Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). They rescue Hornsby—taking out the ‘rotter’ Sebastian—and enlist his help. Soon, Carol and Hornsby are separated from Daryl, who hangs back to fight off some Stormtroopers.
The two make their way toward wherever Pamela is holding Carol’s friends, eventually running into some sewer zombies. A fight ensues, in which Hornsby hides while Carol takes out the undead.
This was probably my favorite scene of the episode. For all this show’s flaws they really do make some great zombie special effects.
Zombie
Credit: AMC
When the two are caught by more Stormtroopers, Daryl shows up in the nick of time to save them. They continue on their journey and then tell Hornsby that his time is up. “You’re just gonna kill me?” he says. “You can run,” Carol replies.
He walks slowly away, then lunges at a nearby jeep and grabs a gun. Carol shoots him with her bow. RIP Hornsby. The show keeps all the most boring characters alive and unceremoniously discards the ones that are actually compelling.
Hornsby dies
Credit: AMC
Elsewhere, Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) who has become legal counsel to Pamela, is put in the unenviable position of having to prosecute Eugene (Josh McDermitt) for the killing of Sebastian. She agrees and even goes to talk with Eugene, who says he understands what she has to do. But—to the surprise of nobody—when she gives her speech before the assembled Commonwealth citizens, she flips the script, announcing that she’ll be defending Eugene in court instead. Pamela could just have her arrested at this point, but Pamela isn’t a particularly effective dictator.
And that’s about that. A pretty lackluster episode with a pretty disappointing death for Hornsby. He seems like a character whose story had not run dry just yet, who could have figured into the final showdown as some kind of wild card. In fact, they’ve now killed all the most interesting Commonwealth baddies: Hornsby, Sebastian and Carlson, the dude who threw all those people off the roof earlier this season. Now we just have Pamela, who is a pretty dull Big Bad.
Oh well. Just a few episodes left at this point.
The episode ends with the captured heroes being taken somewhere on a bus, under the watchful eye of a group of Stormtroopers, presumably to a place called Outpost 22, the title of the next episode.
See that expression Daryl (Norman Reedus) is making as he glares at Eugene (Josh McDermitt)?
Yeah, that’s the same expression I make whenever Eugene is onscreen, blubbering or pontificating in his endlessly inventive—and irritating—way of speaking. Much of Season 11 has focused, bizarrely, on Eugene’s romance with Max (Margot Bingham) though at first he was duped by a fake version of his love interest, which makes the story even more preposterous and absurd.
Suffice to say, I am not a fan of this subplot, and I don’t buy for a second—not one damn second—that sparks would ever fly between this pair. There’s no onscreen chemistry between McDermitt and Bingham, either.
Eugene is just . . . not a believable love interest, and Max is a new character with very little depth who I’ve never been able to connect with—unlike, say, Princess who I find both hilarious and fascinating, and whose fractured mind contains all sorts of dark and mysterious secrets. More on her in a moment.
In any case, Eugene and Max have taken center stage again in the current Commonwealth plot, having secretly recorded Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson) saying all sorts of terrible truths and then played that recording at the Founder’s Day celebration, directly after the utterly ridiculous WWE match.
All hell breaks loose after they play the tape and some zombies show up (after Hornsby’s agents kill some workers and let them turn). Sebastian is killed and in this week’s episode Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) is out for blood. She has her sights on three targets: Max—who she tells Mercer (Michael James Shaw), Max’s brother, she’d like to spare—Eugene, and her wayward lieutenant, Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) who she has in custody.
Max is on the run and Eugene is being hidden by Daryl at the church. Pamela orders Milton to round up all the people associated with Eugene for questioning, bringing in Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Princess (Paola Lázaro)—two of my favorite characters on the show— as well as Carol (Melissa McBride) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) for questioning.
Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa, Josh McDermitt as Dr. Eugene Porter
Princess was a highlight of this episode for me. Her tragic backstory is gripping and adds some welcome—in unpleasant—emotional resonance to the episode, as she explains to Mercer how she’s come to see the Commonwealth (which is willing to kill a good man like Eugene) like her abusive stepfather and stepbrother. She feels like she’d be just like her mom, who stood around and let the abuse take place, if she stayed in the Commonwealth.
Rosita visits Eugene and agrees to go looking for Max so that he can remain hidden, though we soon discover through his conversation with Daryl about bravery and cowardice, that he’s too much the scaredy-cat to go looking for her himself. Rosita does eventually find Max, who is hiding in an alleyway of sorts, and stupidly runs out into the street the moment she sees Rosita without making sure the coast is clear. She’s apprehended. When Eugene learns the news he decides to man up and go turn himself in, confessing to the whole thing and claiming that Max wasn’t responsible. Max, for her part, refuses to throw Eugene under the bus even to save her own skin.
The more interesting storyline in this week’s episode takes place outside of the Commonwealth. Aaron (Ross Marquand), Jerry (Cooper Andrews), Lydia (Cassady Marie McClincy) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) are on their way back to the settlements when they stop at a town to rest. It looks like a theme town of some sort, part actual town and part Renaissance Fair. Jerry says it would make a cool Kingdom 2.0 and I agree. This would have been a great setting for the original Kingdom, in fact.
Cassady McClincy as Lydia, Ross Marquand as Aaron – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 19 – Photo … [+] Credit: Jace Downs/AMC
Alas, the place is overrun by a zombie horde that night and Jerry hurts his knee as they try to fight their way out. They climb to a rooftop and debate their next move as Jerry sits resting his injured appendage. Just then, we see zombie hands clambering up over the ledge. A zombie has climbed the ladder behind them and reaches down to pick up a rock. “Dude!” Jerry shouts at Aaron, who rushes into action, punching the zombie and tackling him to the ground.
Thinking this is a Whisperer, he reaches down and rips off the “mask”—only to discover that it’s not a mask at all. He’s ripped the face off of an actual walker. A walker who can climb to the roof and has the wherewithal to pick up a makeshift weapon.
A walker, in other words, like the ones from Season 1.
Cooper Andrews as Jerry – The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 19 – Photo Credit: Jace Downs/AMC
This is a very cool moment actually. Probably the most exciting moment in years. I knew they were going to be doing some cool stuff with zombies but I wasn’t sure exactly what, and a return to the more sentient zombies that made Season 1 so fascinating is a great twist. For the first time since Maggie went full revenge back in Episode 9, I’m actually interested in what happens next. Hopefully it will be better than the rest of this largely dull and uninspired final season.
Back in the Commonwealth, Pamela has all three of her targets now. She’s locked Hornsby in a cell with the zombified version of her son, still bound but with a machete to protect himself (somehow, with hands tied behind his back). Hornsby is slippery, however, and I’m sure he gets out of this pinch. I am curious to see what his next play is.
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