After several years of meandering plotlines that seemed to tread water (the entire time on the farm in Season 2, the post-prison characters "scattered to the wind" episodes of Season 4), "The Walking Dead," seemed to generally find its footing again last season. Even the episodes that didn't totally work (Beth's solo sojourn to that Atlanta hospital) were ambitious.
So it's nice to see that general level of quality sustained through the first two episodes of Season 6. The premiere, "First Time Again," deserves credit for going all out, with the most massive scope we've ever seen, at least in terms of pure zombie population. And it gave us perhaps the coolest image the show has ever created- Daryl Dixon serving as Grand Marshall for a parade of the undead. The black and white vs. color scenes worked well, both visually and to give clarity and structure to what was a potentially confusing time-jumping episode.
Yes, there were the typical TWD questions about why this character did that totally unnecessary dumb thing or that character made that clueless comment. But that's standard issue for this show and to get overly riled about it is like expecting you dog, who can fetch and roll over, not to lick its butt. That expectation is not realistic. Nor is expecting TWD to logically cohere at all times. Just be happy with the fetching.
And that's what made the season's second episode, "JSS," so much fun. Because, after a brief introductory period involving chats about smokers, it jettisoned any attempt to provide expository jibber-jabber and dove headlong into an "Assault on Precinct 13" -style hellscape that had almost nothing to do with zombies.
Who would have expected that one of most shocking moments in the history of the show would not be in any way related to a zombie attack but rather a quiet, suburban moment undone by out-of-nowhere human-on-human brutality? The lesson- don't take that smoke break.
And from that moment on, the episode turns into a nonstop, unrelenting torrent of unchecked viciousness, pulsing anxiety and Carol ass-kickery. The undercover housewife traded in her apron for a hoodie and blood-stained "W" forehead tattoo, moving through Alexandria like some sort of domestic ninja goddess leaving death and pasta recipes in her wake. Only Morgan was unsurprised by the transition, barely batting an eye at the new look from the woman he already suspected was only play-acting at being Donna Reed.
Speaking of Morgan, let me say that I really appreciate having him around. He's a complicated, fascinating character who I suspect will play a huge narrative and moral role on the show this season. And were it not for him and Carol, Alexandria would have been Wolftown by episode's end.
But what is up with his refusal to kill? I mean, I get it generally. He's a lot like Oliver Queen on "Arrow"- a man who had to embrace his own blood lust to survive but wants to find a way back to his humanity by forgoing killing, even bad guys . But come on!
At a certain point, I think he gets a pass to engage in a little wooden staff termination. And that point is when a wolf dude hiding in a house tries to off him even after he's been warned off and given a reprieve. Morgan did ultimately take the guy out. But his "three strikes and you're still not out" policy is starting to feel a bit outre during, you know, a zombie apocalypse.
That said, "JSS" was one of the most purely entertaining episodes the show has ever proffered. It's hard to imagine the creative team can sustain that level of intensity next week. And trying to may be a mistake. Then again, there is a Mardis Gras-sized zombie crowd headed for Alexandria, so who knows?
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