The Grove

Tyreese, Carol and the children find a good location and contemplate staying.

This is a beautifully made 43 minutes of utter misery. I cannot say I enjoyed it because it's not meant to be, but I appreciate the filmmaking.

It's hard to discuss plot details without spoiling it so I'll just say that it's quite brutal in its portrayal of certain characters and extremely downbeat. A huge theme is people changing in light of the post zombie apocalypse. Some adapt in order to survive, some become disturbed as a reaction to the horrors, and some do not change when they probably should. There are also some aspects of it reminiscent of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men' and this is very well done.

It is an excellent Carol episode that continues the strong development evident in the writing of her character and Melissa McBride gives a fantastic performance.

Chad Coleman is also great and has a number of difficult scenes, including one very significant exchange between Tyreese and Carol near the end.

Brighton Sharbino and Kyla Kenedy were given a massive challenge as child actors with such dark subject matter and (all factors considered) their performances are impressive. There are a few moments when the dialogue doesn't quite work, but personally I think it's down to the writing. It makes them sound like children reading lines meant for adult characters.

Visually it beautiful, especially the cinematography of the characters and the surrounding landscape. The shots through the kitchen window are class.

For me it's an 8.5/10 but I round upwards.

This was beyond anything I have ever seen! There is no words that can justify this experience or give you a hint of the overwhelming emotions you will feel in this slow tragedy that unfolds!

Lizzie is the embodiement of what this world does to you mentally and how disturbed you can actually get! Everything is so surreal and brutal to the point where you cant differantiate between right and wrong! The consequences however... are beyond belief and reason!

The Walking Dead went to a very dark place in this episode! Territory only a handfull of shows have dared to go to!

Melissa McBride was EXCELLENT as Carol and she captivates how much she has been through and her inner struggles!

I will never recover from this!

From the opening credits I knew this episode was going to be different than any other one so far this season. And boy, was I ever right. It's writing was straightforward, without any cheesy side-stories to fill time, and it's cinematography was a lot better than what we have seen these past few weeks.

I'm a much bigger fan of this kind of horror. I like the fact that, even though there are flesh-eating zombies outside your house, maybe the biggest threat will come from where you'll least expect it; inside your house, hidden deep inside the people that you love. It was scary, in a different kind of way, there was no meaningless gore, just slow building tension, surprising twists, moral dilemmas and an eerie soundtrack that would make James Wan proud...

If you were uncertain if you should continue watching this series after the disappointing "Still", it's with a happy heart that I confirm you there is still hope with this show.

OH MY GOD!! WHAT A HEART BREAKING EPISODE!!

Plot In A Paragraph: We catch back up with Carol, Tyreese and the girls en route to Terminus and they think they may have found sanctuary in an old abandoned house.

This reviewer is not ashamed to admit that I was crying at the end of this episode!!

Tip of the cap to both young Brighton Sharbino (Lizzie) and Kyla Kennedy (Mike) who are both superb. Especially Sharbino as the confused yet determined Lizzie. Melissa McBride and Chad L Coleman are both brilliant too!! This episode stayed with me long after the end credits!!

Arguably the best episode of The Walking Dead ever, most definitely the best episode not to feature Rick or Daryl. The story is contained to just one small group, Carol, Tyreese, Lizzie and Mika, and I think could be absolutely be watched alone, independently from the rest of the show, most of it has the feeling of a separate film. Using children in horror is hardly a new trope, but the way this episode does it is scary, but ultimately sad, focusing on a child that under ideal modern circumstances would have had a chance to get the help she desperately needed, but in the zombie apocalypse there are no good options. Melissa McBride gives the performance of her career, as Carol having to make some heartbreaking choices. Chad L. Coleman also gives an underrated, but brilliant performance, as a man with a heart who is unsure and conflicted.