Faith

The premise of episode 11.22 titled "Faith": Ezekiel and Negan plan a work camp revolt; Eugene stands trial with Yumiko as his defense attorney. Nicole Mirante-Matthews & Magali Lozano penned the script for 11.22 and they brought the writing back to how it should be, the dialogue felt natural and overall well written. The episode uses the big budget wisely, making it brilliant both technically and the acting and so on, the camera work are brilliant and visually a great episode, an overall impressive production. There's so many shots in this episode that are brilliantly shot, such a stunning looking episode, but that doesn't make a great episode.

Rose Troche directed "Faith" and being a guest director, she phenomenal job. Troche's vision and direction were truly great, bringing her skills and experience to a show that currently needs it. Her work on the episode are surely one of the highlights. The cinematography and the other departments, especially the makeup and special effects departments, were as always top notch. The attention to detail and all the shots in the nature, they nailed it on the camera side of things. The cinematography is once again breathtaking and incredible, just right for the show, the way it was shot and so on, simply brilliant. The sets were detailed and perfect, and so are the art and production design. I also found the effects to be fantastic in this episode, practical effects always makes it so more real, and The Walking Dead is known for their practical effects and they didn't let us down for this episode. Superb sound design and a musical score both gripping and dramatic. It's one of many things on the technical side of things that the show succeeds perfectly with.

The Commonwealth arc have had its ups and downs but I'll have to admit, I really liked this episode. I thought it was great. It's the final arc of the series like the source material it's based upon, though very different but most of the changes I can be behind. The plot moves forward nicely and the two separate storylines (Aaron and the others) are now one thanks to everyone is in Alexandria/Outpost 22. The trial in the Commonwealth happens simultaneously and it's suspenseful and full of tension, like the other storyline, the episode is full of suspension and tension. I even sat on the edge of my seat during the most suspenseful sequence in the episode, first time since Sebastian's death I didn't know what was going to happen. But I still think Angela Kang is playing things too safe, the unpredictability hasn't been there in the entire season. We see more of how fascist and how Commonwealth have evolved into a military-state, fully fleshed out. It's brilliant really, believable too. There were so many brilliant performances, my favorites being: Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Khary Payton as Ezekiel, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Eleanor Matsuura as Yumiko and Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa are some of my favorite performances. But I think Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Josh McDermitt has the best performances in the episode, as Negan and Eugene.

This episode kept the story going much more, in a great way. Luke is finally back. Episode 11.22 has most if not the whole cast in it, it feels like an old episode of The Walking Dead. I think this was one of the better episodes of Part C, but I'm tired of how safe they're playing it, all those spin offs which were announced hurt the show a lot, still hurting. Yet, the episode was full of suspension and tension, but almost no action which I liked. You see, The Walking Dead have never been about those big action sequences, it was mostly in season 8 that happened, TWD for me have always been a character driven drama and this episode succeeds with that idea. There's some superb drama in this episode, character interactions that keeps you engaged, you don't need action sequences in every episode (like the previous which had some of the worst) just write a solid episode like this one and you'll be good. It was so nice watching some quality drama. I won't get into details but how this episode ends, I can finally say that I'm actually interested in seeing how the final two episodes will turn out, it's looking bright for The Walking Dead.

So the writing of this show continues to stay perfectly above mediocre, and I was gonna give this one an 8, but the ending was too good to to that and overall the episode wasn't that bad either.

One of the biggest misses they've done is introducing new variants when there are only 5 episodes left and they only utilize those new walkers in one or at most two episodes, so makes you wonder what the point is if they're not gonna be a big threat like Whisperers were. They might be introducing them to use them in new upcoming spin-offs, but what's the point if there aren't gonna do much in the main show, especially when there are only 2 episodes left now?

One thing about this season that was disappointing was how quickly they got rid of The Reapers. I was totally expecting them to be the season's big bad guys or at least ham them for longer, but they went out as quickly as they came in. I wanted the same treatment with the Commonwealth, meaning that they're in the picture for one only one part of the season and the third part be about another group, optimistically Rick and Michonne's.

But obviously, Commonwealth is way way bigger of a threat than The Reapers so it makes sense it's taking the better part of this final season. The problem is tho, that the hugeness of the Commonwealth is kinda not felt? Like they say there are +50k people living in there but we don't see much of that or we're not shown many streets and houses to feel how big this community actually is.

I also think that Ezekiel and Negan's subplot is way too overdramatic to the point of cheesiness and even cringe. Like it's kinda to the point that the writers think they're making V for Vendetta. This season's plot and storyline obviously is reminiscent of that movie and this has always been a serious drama, but for some reason this one feels way too over the top and overdramatic for its own good.

Rant aside, I thought this episode was decent enough but the ending did it for me. Some problems still get solved really weirdly and easy and borders on unrealistic and you can nitpick the hell out of that final prison scene, but overall the episode was good in itself, not sure about it being the third to last episode of the entire show though.

This episodes script was so all over the place it could only have been on purpose. The decision must have been made to go full b grade cheesy schlock.

From the ridiculousness of the court room, where apparently the authoritarian state of the commonwealth has a Judge Judy show that lets prisoners give anti establishment speeches to the attendees. Not sure why they didn't have it live streaming to people on their home tvs, why not eh?

Then our team of harden survivors held captive in a hard labour prison camp shifting a hilariously conspicuous pile of fresh dirt into a wheel barrow (we need them to be doing something while Negan and Ezekiel heart to heart so just dump a pile of dirt there).

Then the team in the woods hiding from the patrol behind there wagon pulled by a living horse??? "the fugitives we're looking for aren't there, all I can see is a horse and cart in the forest". Move on.

Then the team on a car with a spot light scanning for our team in the zombie hoard. Which they would have easily spotted cos make up decided not to put any blood and guts on their face this time, ewww ick etc.. It's like they don't even care any more.

Then all it took was one guard at a hard core prison camp where the officers take glee in tormenting the prisoners, to be disgruntled cos he and wasn't allowed to visit his sick brother (nice touch writing team, shades of covid lockdown, contemporary!), suddenly they're not all authoritarian pawns any more and the rebellion has started, and even better Eugene's speech hit it's mark and the guy who let his girlfriend got to a hard labor prison camp decides he wasn't that hard after all.

The thing is the actors deliver all of this with a straight face, like it's shakespeare or something. So either it's meant to be ridiculous, or these fine actors are in a prison cult, being forced to deliver terrible dialog and plot.

So if you're reading this fine actors who deserve so much better than this, blink twice if you being held captive and need to be rescued.

Much better episode than the last few, though still struggling with a lack of good transitions between scenes and continuity. But at least this episode actually focuses on people we care about and follows them consistently rather than jumping to people I couldn't give a hoot about. And I feel a bit more positive now I know where they are heading- seems like a good end to the story is finally in sight. My one slight worry is how they plan to tie it all up and lay foundations for a link into Ricks story. I miss Rick a lot-especially this season which has been far from the standard I've come to expect from TWD- but it needs to be done well.

Just a terrible final season. This show lost all it's guts years ago. Lame, lackluster storytelling, massive plot holes, characters get to walk in the stupidest manners: need I mention Michonne's departure? Other than alpha and beta what major characters have been killed off? The show has taken a drastic turn from the comic and it's been bad. I feel this is going to end weakly and be disappointing. The whole motorcycle chase was ridiculous. It took Daryl two seconds to catch this guy! Really? Since Season 9 this show has gone doooooowwwwwnnnnnhhhhhiiiiillllllll. I'm sticking with it because I'm a fan, but only the new Star Treks have let me down worse.