I starting vacuuming during the first commercial and the episode was still on when I finished. I need a bigger house.

I enjoyed the first episode, but couldn't help pick up an American Horror Story vibe, and not just because of Lange and Bates. The technicolor look of it, the just-over-the-top acting… Made me wonder if this was originally intended to be a season of AHS.

Maybe the physical resemblance is lacking (as it is, frankly for the principals as well), but I think Bates did a decent job of getting Blondell's speech rhythms down.

Point taken, but I expect some narrative contortions on the way to Tara's betrayal of the commune. Gee, maybe there'll be an entire episode dedicated to her reaching that agonizing decision. Lots of close-ups, musical montages, etc. And then they kill her off.

She looks much different in real life, aka, The Talking Dead.

At first I thought the Scavengers might be some kind of human-zombie hybrid horde, but no — theyre just extras waiting for the next Road Warrior sequel casting call. And just where do they scavenge, anyway? With so many survivor communities living within such a short distance of each other, most working for Negan,…

I could assume it was a clever nod to the classic scene in the 1951 version of The Thing where the cast spreads out on the ice until they form a circle to match the outline of the flying saucer frozen below. But no, it wasn't.

Still bugs me that absolutely no one in Alexandria heard the ridiculous racket Gabriel made while looting the supplies. For a community at risk, liable to be rousted by Negan's gang at any time, those folks sleep like babies.

Once the show established that any sharp instrument can easily penetrate a zombie skull, logical arguments based on human anatomical or physiological principles in the real world are pretty much beside the point.

Agreed! I still can't understand why Rhea Seehorn was snubbed by the Emmys. Ditto for Eva Green in Penny Dreadful. Both are amazing actors.

I think the single assassination attempts function narratively to make the (obvious) point that the collective is stronger than any individual: Carl's attempt: fail. Michonne's attempt: fail. Rosita (with Eugene by bullet-making association): fail. Solution: Rick makes diplomatic junkets to other communities and…

I had the distinct sense that the mysterious watcher is female. Maybe it's Carol, keeping tabs on the old crew after all….

A scarf? I thought it was an ascot. Guess I want Negan to be a little weirder than he is. Come to think of it, a red velvet smoking jacket would be a nice touch, although I suspect the Governor already had one of those…

Carl could have taken Duane out as well, since he was also nearby, thus creating a serious leadership crisis at ye old Sanctuary.

This sequence reminded me of a similar plot device in Contact — where the religious fanatic infiltrates the wormhole portal command center and sabotages the mission. Seemed a little too pat here, but it does serve a critical narrative function.

Could that sad expression on Eugene's face at the end — in addition to telepathically communicating news of her girlfriend's death to Tara — also suggest that he really couldn't figure out how to make one stupid bullet, after all?

As long as we're time traveling, I'm always amused by Lucien Prival's butler in the 1935 Bride of Frankenstein when he scolds Minnie the maid. Suddenly there's a touch of Brooklyn in this timeless, sorta-Germanic-but-not-really neverworld. But it's such a great film, who cares?

Darn! Why do I keep thinking that the watch belonged to Dale…?

"Close to You." Needed to hear those Herb Alpert-ish horns.

I think he'd be scarier than JDM's Negan; in fact, lately I've been thinking that Danny "The Count" Koker from Counting Cars might have been a more frightening Negan. And I say this with all due respect to JDM, who was great in Watchmen and The Salvation playing nasty dudes.