The Walking Dead | Season 9 | Episode 15 | The Calm Before [AMC] [SPOILERS]

NUTZZ

The Walking Dead - Season 9

Episode 15 - "The Calm Before"

Airdate - March 23th on AMC at 9/8c | March 24th on FOX UK at 9PM

A celebration at the Kingdom brings all the communities together, but danger lurks on the horizon.

The fair at the Kingdom is underway, with all four communities coming together in celebration for the first time in years; while some pacts are renewed, other deals will come at a much steeper price

Promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYdmGNZzd0M

Sneak Peek

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

BillyKilkenny

8

Jesus christ that scene was genuinely disturbing.

Unearthly

Good episode. Think they could have had more peripheral characters killed but a much needed purge nonetheless

Sudden Valley

yes the whispers are quietly effective at going about their work. Really couldn't care less about the characters they purged.

DoozerT6

Well having spoilered the hell out of it for myself ( I haven't actually seen it yet) , I don't understand how everyone was so surprised

that Henry was piked. He was the whole reason that Alpha was on the warpath in the first place, the reason Lydia is no longer with the Whisperers. If I were Alpha, he'd be the first to go!

There seemed to be quite a number of random peripheral characters on the lineup - I wonder what the writer's strategy was behind those people in particular. I mean, I hardly knew who some of them were, apart from the Big ones. I'm presuming nothing is done/written randomly and there will be fallout from each death. Maybe if they added someone like

Laura the Saviour, someone from Magna's group, Nabila,

you know, recognisable faces that aren't quite main characters - I think it would have been more impactful that a lineup of "who? who? who? oh, her!!..who?...." etc.

Anyway, I'll shut up now as I haven't seen it yet

fritzelly

7

BillyKilkenny wrote: »

Jesus christ that scene was genuinely disturbing.

Yep, the music and Carol got me

fritzelly

7

Just read up on the comics equivalent - they really were teasing the

Ezekial death which happens in the comics

, I thought it was gonna happen (not having read the comics)

Recliner

fritzelly wrote: »

Yep, the music and Carol got me

I was expecting it to be Henry, but only him, but not as many as it was. And yes, my heart broke for Carol.

helimachoptor

9

Best ep in a loooooong time

GSPfan

8

Aw lads that was brilliant. If I had to kill off anyone it would of been that sap Henry. Enid was a surprise but Tara was a complete shock for me. Delighted she is dead purely because I assumed she was safe and the Maggie stand in. I’m not up to date on the comics so I’m genuinely surprised and delighted.

CiaranW

6

Apologies, deleted my earlier post for spoilers, but that was a satisfying episode.

h0neybadger

9

right in the feels

DoozerT6

Yeah, great episode actually. There's been a real tonal (??not sure if that's the best word) shift this season. It seems to be harking back to earlier seasons in mood and action. I thought it stagnated somewhat once the gang got to Alexandria initially (with Aaron and Eric in S5), and they dragged the Negan arc out for way too long. But this season has been different. It's just been....better.

I really felt for our gang in the barn at the end. It must have been a genuinely desperate feeling for them all. I didn't need to see how Alpha and the Whisperers took them from the Kingdom - I guess it didn't matter. I was a little confused time-wise when Alpha met with Daryl etc in the woods - how long were they tracking the Hilltop crew? It was light, it was dark, it was light again...

Side note, I just noticed that Samantha Morton is listed in the opening credits with the main characters, not as "also starring...".

geotrig

9

Great episode.... Really enjoying this season so far.

Spook_ie

8

Fully expect Carol to have a short haircut next week as she goes ballistic on whisperers.

fritzelly

7

Wondering if this is where they bring Negan out to do the dirty stuff, everyone else is all a bit too hippy/flower loving at the mo bar Carol having a psychotic breakdown and going all Fallen Down

expectationlost

they needed to travel in bigger groups

MarkR

The mulleted wonder is going to have to dust off his herding algorithms. This will be a doozy.

Off camera death for some big characters, although I did like the flashback part, with the doomed heroes coming to the rescue.

They really kept us guessing on who would be on the pikes.

Enjoyed the episode.

bazz26

Great episode and long overdue. One or two shockers in there but overall a good and necessary character cull.

stargazer 68

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I really felt for our gang in the barn at the end. It must have been a genuinely desperate feeling for them all. I didn't need to see how Alpha and the Whisperers took them from the Kingdom - I guess it didn't matter. I was a little confused time-wise when Alpha met with Daryl etc in the woods - how long were they tracking the Hilltop crew? It was light, it was dark, it was light again...

...".

I thought I had missed the bit where they got them - obviously didn't! Great episode though IMO.

Dontfadeaway

fritzelly wrote: »

Just read up on the comics equivalent - they really were teasing the

Ezekial death which happens in the comics

, I thought it was gonna happen (not having read the comics)

Shame it wasn't him, his character is like a parody.

The last 10 min was really good.

DoozerT6

I wonder what will become of the Highwaymen? Will they feature as a group in future episodes, now that Ozzy and Alek are dead?

It seemed unnecessary to introduce them at all unless the rest of them become a part of the story from here on. They only featured in two episodes, without being integral to the story - I mean, anybody could have cleared the roads and attempted to rescue the piked group. Introducing them with such a fanfare only to kill off the leader a handful of scenes later seems kinda silly.

Anybody got any insights/theories on this?

Recliner

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I wonder what will become of the Highwaymen? Will they feature as a group in future episodes, now that Ozzy and Alek are dead?

It seemed unnecessary to introduce them at all unless the rest of them become a part of the story from here on. They only featured in two episodes, without being integral to the story - I mean, anybody could have cleared the roads and attempted to rescue the piked group. Introducing them with such a fanfare only to kill off the leader a handful of scenes later seems kinda silly.

Anybody got any insights/theories on this?

Actually really disappointed that Ozzy's gone, really thought his group would have a much bigger part to play. Thought he had great potential.

TerrorFirmer

8

Those last 5 minutes.....10/10, absolutely where the show needs to be, and where it needs to go.

Ll31

9

I wonder did Carol have a flashback over what she said to the kid in Alexandria, Sam I think.. if u tell you'll wake up miles away and the monsters will get you etc... Thought it was great episode. Weird, or maybe not, how the whisperers killed the younger ones, maybe more devastating for survivors? Easier to get them, as more naive...?

DubOnHoliday

Great episode. But one question, towards the end Alpha called one of her own over and knifed them... who and or why?

gooch2k9

DubOnHoliday wrote: »

Great episode. But one question, towards the end Alpha called one of her own over and knifed them... who and or why?

They saw her crying. Alpha can't be seen to look weak.

nannerby

7

Delighted Tara is dead pity it took so long to kill her off totally useless character.

thegreengoblin

One of the great WD episodes, no doubt about that. The way the heads scene was handled was so good. Daryl turning Carol away from watching it as he did when Sophia came walking out of the barn on Herschel's farm. I loved that shot of Alpha in disguise at the fair. You knew something awful was going to happen but the sense of dread from that point on was something else.

My only gripe, as a comic reader, is that we didn't get the same characters killed off here. Had they followed the comics the impact on viewers would have been in a different league. But maybe it's a good thing that they had a different take on it, similar to the Glenn and Abraham episode.

ebbsy

On a different note I see some really big names have pulled out of the WD convention in London this weekend, including Jeffrey DM and Lauren Cohen. They were charging eye watering prices for entry and autographs as well.

thegreengoblin

nannerby wrote: »

Delighted Tara is dead pity it took so long to kill her off totally useless character.

Would have been more enjoyable when she was properly annoying, acting all goofy and stuff. Now it's just meh. But yeah glad she's gone.

CiaranW

6

thegreengoblin wrote:

Would have been more enjoyable when she was properly annoying, acting all goofy and stuff. Now it's just meh. But yeah glad she's gone.

Yeah I'm delighted she's gone. So much time gone into her character and she was just annoying! Also delighted with Henry!
Finding Jerry quite annoying now, I liked him at the start. But all the cheesy things he says now is turning me!
I feel sorry for Enid, she had a lot more to offer I felt and her character was getting stronger.

The saddest deaths so far to me are Herschel and Glenn/Abraham.

DoozerT6

It must suck for Alanna Masterson to realise that her character was so polarising - not many other characters have such a love or hate response from fans. Of course, that wasn't her fault. She could only work with the script she was given. I've long thought that there are just too many characters in general in the show. It's sometimes hard to really become invested in someone's character when they only appear in a few scenes, maybe every couple of episodes. A smaller cast leads to better stories for everyone, therefore more of an impact on the viewer when they die. Even Jesus got a raw deal - his character in the comics was, I believe, much bigger and more badass than the screen version. No wonder he was happy to go in the end.

FWIW, I liked Tara, but I thought she got 'lost' in the group.

DoozerT6

Oh and I'm also kinda disappointed we didn't get to hear Luke and Alden actually sing in this episode

TerrorFirmer

8

Honestly while I thought it was a good episode - the strongest in ages probably - I don't particularly care whatsoever about any of the deaths. The show has way too many half-baked, small-time characters and almost none you'd actively root for, except maybe Daryl. I didn't actively dislike Tara, but I never cared for her either. I could say the same of almost every single character. Didn't give a flip when Jesus died, nor Carl. At this point, the only death that'd leave me miffed would be Daryl.....I'd say the last on-screen death that shocked me was Glen, but I knew that one was coming.

The best part about this episode though is them having the balls to finally do something interesting that really catches the viewer unaware and leaves them genuinely hungry in anticipation of the reaction and where it's all going to end up. When is the last time TWD was truly compelling, cannot-wait-to-see-the-next-episode compelling? I'd say probably Negan's introduction, but then that completely fell apart after that strong opening episode. Before that, god knows.

They've made such an unholy mess of the show the past few seasons, this one is trying its best to right things but it'll take time...not sure they'll ever get there. It's a shame because TWD has endless potential, and while the viewing figures have always been relatively high, and some of the earlier seasons were solid, the show has pretty much never lived up to its full potential, even in its glory days.

CramCycle

I actually thought she was going to kill off the other three that were with Daryl. The way she said you'll know the barrier, and your friends are safe being a play on a sort of, they will never fully die. It was a good moment but I thought that would have been some epic deaths right there and been far darker.

Robsweezie

bit miffed that half of the pike lineup was wasted on characters we barely know. those cowboys were only in the show five minutes.

tvnutz

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Honestly while I thought it was a good episode - the strongest in ages probably - I don't particularly care whatsoever about any of the deaths. The show has way too many half-baked, small-time characters and almost none you'd actively root for, except maybe Daryl. I didn't actively dislike Tara, but I never cared for her either. I could say the same of almost every single character. Didn't give a flip when Jesus died, nor Carl. At this point, the only death that'd leave me miffed would be Daryl.....I'd say the last on-screen death that shocked me was Glen, but I knew that one was coming.

The best part about this episode though is them having the balls to finally do something interesting that really catches the viewer unaware and leaves them genuinely hungry in anticipation of the reaction and where it's all going to end up. When is the last time TWD was truly compelling, cannot-wait-to-see-the-next-episode compelling? I'd say probably Negan's introduction, but then that completely fell apart after that strong opening episode. Before that, god knows.

They've made such an unholy mess of the show the past few seasons, this one is trying its best to right things but it'll take time...not sure they'll ever get there. It's a shame because TWD has endless potential, and while the viewing figures have always been relatively high, and some of the earlier seasons were solid, the show has pretty much never lived up to its full potential, even in its glory days.

Totally agree. Was a decent ending. But I've heard people comparing this to the Red Wedding. Which is hilarious as well as ridiculous. This show has been so bad over the last few years I forgot Tara was in it so long and didn't give one toss about her death. I'll be honest and didn't know who Enid was, she has obviously been that irrelevant. The rest of them then were nobodies. The only one half interesting was Henry, only because he has been shoved in our faces since Carl died. If they had wanted to make it somewhat interesting and shocking they should have had the stupid parody characters up there...the king and Eugene. Also throw the priest in there because he is one of the worst characters on tv.

Likewise I think Glen was the last one that shocked me. The only interesting characters are Daryl, Michonne and Carol.

It was a well done scene and I actually think the whisperers are the best enemy in a while, they are quite creepy especially Alpha. But didn't give a crap about one of those deaths.

Yester

For the first time in ages, I'm looking forward to the next episode.

sonofenoch

Just watched it.......How did Alpha get from the fair to the capture of Daryls gang so quick ........and she must already had those heads on a spike by then, I won't bother with asking how the **** she managed to kidnap so many people from a community without anyone noticing

CramCycle

sonofenoch wrote: »

Just watched it.......How did Alpha get from the fair to the capture of Daryls gang so quick ........and she must already had those heads on a spike by then, I won't bother with asking how the **** she managed to kidnap so many people from a community without anyone noticing

I thought that too but I presume there is simply a time gap that they don't waste time explaining, and they were captured for a few hours or a day or two. It is like the wild west out there, people seem to walk alot so alot of time passes between many scenes.

FreudianSlippers

2

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I wonder what will become of the Highwaymen? Will they feature as a group in future episodes, now that Ozzy and Alek are dead?

It seemed unnecessary to introduce them at all unless the rest of them become a part of the story from here on. They only featured in two episodes, without being integral to the story - I mean, anybody could have cleared the roads and attempted to rescue the piked group. Introducing them with such a fanfare only to kill off the leader a handful of scenes later seems kinda silly.

Anybody got any insights/theories on this?

Honestly, that's my biggest problem with this episode and thus the back-half of the season. We just spent 4 (?) episodes focused on and introducing a bunch of characters that died. I know

Tara

isn't a well-loved and I'm sure most people are happy to see her gone... but why bother making a big song and dance about her being

the new leader of Hilltop

. Exact same thing with

Enid - why bother making her go through the trauma of cutting the arm off and finally making her not annoying just to kill her

... it's lazy emotional wringing instead of actually having a coherent plan across at least one season.