The Walking Dead | Season 7 | Episode 8 | Hearts Still Beating [AMC] [SPOILERS]

NUTZZ

MID-SEASON FINALE

The Walking Dead - Season 7

Episode 8 - "Hearts Still Beating"

Airdate - December 11th on AMC at 9/8c | December 12th on FOX UK at 9PM

* This is an extended 85 minute episode, including commercials
**The Walking Dead will return in February 2017 for the remaining 8 episodes of Season 7

Negan's unwelcome visit to Alexandria continues as other members scavenge for supplies. With tensions high, things quickly spin out of control.

Promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czKMhDXiFuo

Sneak Peek 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1eaDwb-p10

Sneak Peek 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x53h7NaiGPo

5starpool

6

Episode was ok, but it took far too many episodes just to show the scope of the control exerted by The Saviours and how much it pisses off each group under their yoke to reach the "we're going to fight them" inevitable conclusion. Hopefully the second half moves at a better pace. I didn't like either of the people killed this episode anyhow, but we've just traded Daryl as a hostage for Eugene, plus how are they going to manufacture bullets without Eugene now?

willmunny1990

Not bad, the first 8 episodes were paced poorly enough imo and they are over relying on Negan and his antics. Its too much.

JDM is doing about as good a job as can be expected playing Negan I suppose all things considered, I dont really think the transition from comic book character Negan to TV Negan is working that great, the over the top nature along with Negans shtick is a bit cringe and unbelievable, they should of toned it back some imo to make it more realistic and more believable for a real life situation.

On another side note WARNING COMIC SPOILER :

The boot scene when Rick and Aaron were loading the truck, im thinking they might be introducing the whisperers early?

titan18

willmunny1990 wrote: »

Not bad, the first 8 episodes were paced poorly enough imo and they are over relying on Negan and his antics. Its too much.

JDM is doing about as good a job as can be expected playing Negan I suppose all things considered, I dont really think the transition from comic book character Negan to TV Negan is working that great, the over the top nature along with Negans shtick is a bit cringe and unbelievable, they should of toned it back some imo to make it more realistic and more believable for a real life situation.

On another side note WARNING COMIC SPOILER :

The boot scene when Rick and Aaron were loading the truck, im thinking they might be introducing the whisperers early?

There was an after credits scene aswell with the person in the boot scene. Just incase anyone misses it

5starpool

6

I missed that. The download I had didn't have it, or at least I assume not as the music started with 25 seconds left and I turned it off. Must look it up.

thegreengoblin

7

Best episode since the season opener but then again the bar has been set pretty low in the meantime. Like last week it was all over the place but it seems like their decision to split all the storylines into separate episodes left them with too much catching up to do, both this week and last.

I liked Negan much more in this one. There was less cheese than usual, less laying it on thick. Losing the neckerchief and having a shave made him appear more threatening. Lucille taking a bullet for him was ridiculous though. Rosita can't have been more than 12 feet away from him. Interesting to see where they go with Eugene. I don't think they'll need to break him like they did with Daryl. Which brings me to his escape. That was all a bit weird and definitely too easy. He hardly has any obstacles thrown in his way. I felt a bit sorry for the lad he killed (the Saviours' version of Olivia) but he had to take his rage out on someone.

I think we all knew Spencer wasn't long for this world so it wasn't a shock to see him go and he's no loss to the group either. But poor Olivia! She's been the brunt of some nasty fat shaming 'jokes' and then as thanks she gets a bullet to the head. I know she's a minor character but she's dead and forgotten about in the space of a minute! Rosita was as responsible for her death as Daryl was for Glenn's but the next time we see Rosita she's hanging out at the Hilltop hugging session with a smile on her face.

Which reminds me, were Carl and Enid the only two not to embrace in that scene? Must admit I did get some 'man chills' when Rick and Daryl got it on ...it was a cheesy moment but effective all the same.

If nothing else than this episode gives me hope that the show can get itself back on track. But they need to do away with the extended episodes, tighten things up and not split the characters up so much.

Necronomicon

It was okay, feels like a minor miracle these days when an episode progresses multiple different arcs/perspectives in the same episode, so having two on the bounce is most welcome. I'm glad it didn't have a bullshít ending like last year's mid-season finale.

Can I just say, though, that the end scene with the camera panning on each of their faces was one of the cheesiest scenes in the show's history.

NUTZZ

7

Poll added!

CastorTroy

I don't post in here often, but I was kinda disappointed that we didn't see Daryl arriving at the Hilltop. Wanted to see how Maggie would greet him. He blames himself for Glen's death so would've been nice to see relief or something on his face if Maggie hugged him

Hombre Lobo

Sometimes things just don't make sense in this show.
Carl opens up a machine gun on Negans men and gets chaperoned around.
Rosita tries to put a bullet in his head, no big deal.

The whole thing with Negan and Judith seemed pointless. I was half expecting Negan to just turn around before leaving and say something "oh and one more thing, I'm taking Judith with me". It just seemed like it was completely overlooked.

I really hope things pick up in the second half of the season as it's currently shaping up to be one of the worst.

klose

Overall it was a pretty meh season barring episode 1, glad to see they aren't gonna sit around moaning licking their wounds anymore and plan to attack the saviours. I actually though that carl was going to be the one to try shoot negan and missing and hitting Lucille, I felt the darts scene from a few episodes ago where he constantly threw to the left of the board would be a precursor to him aiming for negan and shooting Lucille but I guess I was half right.

Keplar240B

9

What was in the after credits scene? I missed it.

naughto

I've got a feeling that the food was poisoned or something. You win but you lose. It could play a major part in beating the Saviors if they all get a food poisoning.

Collie D

Keplar240B wrote: »

What was in the after credits scene? I missed it.

The guy with the boots from the lake was watching Alexandria

klose

Keplar240B wrote: »

What was in the after credits scene? I missed it.

The person(or pair of boots I guess) that was watching rick and Aaron raid the houseboat on the small lake was also spying on Alexandria from a treee with a pair of binoculars at night, the last scene looks like him jumping from the tree. A new comin book character being introduced I assume?

5starpool

6

klose wrote: »

The person(or pair of boots I guess) that was watching rick and Aaron raid the houseboat on the small lake was also spying on Alexandria from a treee with a pair of binoculars at night, the last scene looks like him jumping from the tree. A new comin book character being introduced I assume?

Nothing like him in the comics as far as I know but I could be forgetting something.

Sudden Valley

6

Good episode and a long awaited beginning for the fightback against negan. The tense scenes with Negan were ruined, for me, by his continuous chirping about Lucille. Though I do enjoy how wussy he is a bout killing anyone who tries to murder him.

John_D80

7

At last, a decent episode. Best since the opener. More like this please.

NUTZZ

7

Post credits scene;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsaCpA1yOmQ

Banjaxed82

6

What's the point of this season? Seriously, what's it trying to say?

The gang getting back together and only now going all A-team seems like such a plot device. Considering all the sh!t this gang has been through I just don't buy that they would be so subservient.

neonman

4

Enjoyed the episode as many have said already best one since the first episode. For me it's starting to go the same way that Lost did. I've invested this amount of time to it I'll still watch each week even though it's annoying as hell Still trying to get over that show Lost.

NUTZZ

7

Banjaxed82 wrote: »

What's the point of this season? Seriously, what's it trying to say?

The gang getting back together and only now going all A-team seems like such a plot device. Considering all the sh!t this gang has been through I just don't buy that they would be so subservient.

In fairness, it has only been about a week in the Walking Dead world since Abraham and Glenn were killed, and now the group are all ready to fight again after being 'subservient'.

Mr.Nice Guy

2

A very poor episode and thus a fitting mid-season finale.

There has been so much filler throughout this season that you'd think that would be out of the way at least for this episode, but it was more of the same: carrying on the various sub-plots, teasing out something interesting but delivering nothing, and all the while typified by horrendously cheesy overacting as well as bad writing.

The opening scene with Maggie talking to Gregory was a suitably dull portent of things to come. Most of this episode involved Maggie either eating, or grinning in a montage sequence; it seems the writers have lost faith in her acting with that ridiculous accent.

Pity they couldn't limit the screen time of my old pal Austin Tatious aka Russell Bland aka Negan who again went overboard in the acting for this episode, prancing around Rick's kitchen whilst exuding all the menace of one Ainsley Harriott. So much for the badass Carl in this episode as well - did he even have any dialogue in this one? When Judith is outdoing you on the acting stakes mate, call it quits. The infant is the smartest one on the show, falling asleep at this snoozefest.

And "Pass the rolls please" must be the lamest segue into the opening credits in the history of the show.

Speaking of lame dialogue, the episode took another decline when we returned to Solid Snake aka MacGyver aka Carol. If you're new to the show and aren't clear on her back story, here's a quick recap: she was a former battered housewife who inexplicably became a sharp-shooting, James Bond-esque badass. No, seriously. And what a witty exchange her and Morgan had. I'll paraphrase:

Morgan: (sees fruit bowl) "Ooh I see King Lear Ezequiel stopped by, huh?"

Carol: "Mmm. Some people just don’t want to believe I want to be left alone."

Morgan: "Well I wanted to leave you alone but you called me over."

Carol: "Yeah I know I called you over; that was to ask you how you are."

Morgan: "Oh. Well, I’m good."

Carol: "Oh, cool. Well now you can go."

So shall we award the Emmy for best writing now, or will we wait? What show can measure up to that snazzy, sparkling exchange? With this scene and the earlier one about bread rolls, I hope these writers aren’t pushing themselves too hard. And yeah, this scene DEFINITELY needed to make the final draft. Yep.

We then get a scene involving water-dwelling walkers, or maybe stuck-in-the-muddies is more accurate. I felt no sense of jeopardy when Aaron fell in which goes to show how useless the dead now are on the show. Total afterthought.

Over to a Michonne scene with some woman in the car. I'll sum up the dialogue: "filler, filler, filler, fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-filler."

Then a scene with Sasha, Enid and Munchy - sorry Maggie, scoffing on an apple. I'll sum up the dialogue: "filler, filler, filler, fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-filler."

We then go back to Morgan and Carol speaking to their new pal, Eddard Stark. "The Kingdom will fall", "we must strike down the saviours" etc. Yeah, winter is coming.

Another dull scene with Rosita talking to Gabriel. I was amused by one bit here though when Rosita says if Abraham was alive they could fight…yeah, probably they could. Then she says the same about Glenn - huh? The f*ck would he do?

Back to Winterfell and we get the most cringeworthy scene of the episode where Morgan says of Carol, and I quote: "She's probably the most capable fighter in this room." Oh come now, Morgan. Don’t downplay her. We’re talking about a world class lethal assassin here!

The Daryl break out scene was perhaps the most interesting bit of the episode but they had to make it goofy and hokey with Jesus coming on the scene right when Daryl has his smashy, smashy moment. Daryl then has a face-off with Jesus and says something about "getting by isn’t enough, you have to take it all." As we knew by the end of the episode, closer to the truth would have been if he'd said, "the writers on this show don't like fat people."

We then get to the bit of the episode that really mattered despite the previous fluff. Spencer plays politics and winds up having a game of pool with our big bad guy (presumably both men were mic’d up for everyone to hear their conversation). Our big bad guy kills off Spencer and this leads to the big moment where Rosita...wait for it...shoots the bat Lucille! Huh ho! You clever writers. What a wonderful climax to that whole subplot! Boy, do I feel my time was suitably spent with that! I'll say this..at least finally we had someone make an attempt on the guy, despite the fallout being a total insult.

Rick getting punked out by this overacting irritant annoyed me but at least we got a sense by the end that he is actually going to fight back now. I didn't like the cheesy montage they gave us at the end which was overdone but I did like the manly hug between Carl and Daryl. Forget blinking and Morse code, I can work out hug language. This was what they said:

Daryl: Time to bump off that lousy-acting sum’bitch.
Rick: That’s my son.
Daryl: No I meant the other one.
Rick: Now you’re talking. C’mere you.

As already noted, however, why could we not get an episode where Daryl has a heart-to-heart with a conflicted Maggie. Would that not have had great drama with a heartbroken Daryl devastated over what happened to Glenn? Did we really need an episode devoted to Gregory's politicking with the Saviours over that scene? Apparently Maggie is over the grieving process pretty handily.

Daryl: Hey Maggie, I'm real sorry 'bout what happened to Glenn.
Maggie: Aw shucks, don't you say another word about that. You wanna apple?

Overall I have to give this episode a fail grade. Too disappointing. I will rate it a generous 3. At least now we get some respite from this dreadful season. Hopefully things pick up in February. Can't see it getting much worse tbh.

To all on the board, have a Merry Christmas.

alchemist33

An okay episode but as a season ender, meh (I don't buy this "midseason" bolloxology. It was a whole season to me with months to the next). The gang get their mojo back after six weeks of blah, and now.... we have to wait months again. We're going to have a great next season opener and then wait for another at the end again.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Great episode.Spencer and Olivia are dead and Negan was class again, what's not to like.

forumuser

Mr nice guy, I really don't get why you still watch when you so obviously hate the show. It's just tedious now

NUTZZ

7

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Pity they couldn't limit the screen time of my old pal Austin Tatious aka Russell Bland aka Negan who again went overboard in the acting for this episode, prancing around Rick's kitchen whilst exuding all the menace of one Ainsley Harriott.

So shall we award the Emmy for best writing now, or will we wait? What show can measure up to that snazzy, sparkling exchange? With this scene and the earlier one about bread rolls, I hope these writers aren’t pushing themselves too hard. And yeah, this scene DEFINITELY needed to make the final draft. Yep.

I'll just leave this here; :pac:

https://twitter.com/WalkingDead_AMC/status/808447593936199681

Dirty Dingus McGee

forumuser wrote: »

Mr nice guy, I really don't get why you still watch when you so obviously hate the show. It's just tedious now

Mr Nice Guy: Last night's Walking Dead was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured that I was on internet within minutes registering my disgust throughout the world.
Bart Simpson: Hey, I know it wasn't great, but what right do you have to complain?
Mr Nice Guy: As a loyal viewer, I feel they owe me.
Bart Simpson: What? They've given you thousands of hours of entertainment for free. What could they possibly owe you? I mean, if anything, you owe them.
Mr Nice Guy: Worst episode ever.

Dirty Dingus McGee

NUTZZ wrote: »

I'll just leave this here; :pac:

https://twitter.com/WalkingDead_AMC/status/808447593936199681

:D:D. Somebody laughed at me last week for suggesting he might be up for an Emmy for his performance.

Ann22

I stand alone methinks. .but I feckin enjoyed that episode. I just can't help it.I find Negan deliciously and gleefully evil and I'm on the edge of my seat watching him.... tittering to myself at almost everything he says!!
Delighted to see Rick's badass, coolness come flooding back there at the end.

CalamariFritti

The seasons are all becoming the same. A new enemy pops up. The worst yet. A couple of regulars or semi-regulars get knocked off. The group is scattered or f***ed or both. People from the group have their little sub plots maybe introducing a new face or two. The group starts to recover building towards the 'big finale'. The big finale. Reboot.

I still like it enough 'cos I like zombie stuff. Classy, I know. But the zombie stuff has turned almost into an afterthought and I'm getting a bit bored with the rest. Can't see too many more seasons unless they inject a bit of life and new ideas into this.