Monsters

The Walking Dead has rapidly become repetitive in recent seasons, and this episode is no exception. The scenes lack substance and suspense, and Daryl Dixon continues to exert his cruel, reckless and tasteless personality.

A redeeming quality of the episode is the interaction between Aaron and his boyfriend, Eric - which is arguably the only emotional aspect of the episode.

Not terrible, just nothing new.

5/10

Ezekiel and his troops travel through the woods on the way to a Savior outpost. They kill several groups of enemies along the way, and sustain no casualties. After they arrive, Carol helps to sweep the compound, leaving no apparent threats. Suddenly, though, heavy gunfire comes from the main building, cutting down the Kingdom's soldiers.

Meanwhile at the office building outpost, Rick is held at gunpoint by Morales. The two men converse, discussing how their lives have changed and criticizing each other's choices. As Rick tries to get through to the man, Daryl sneaks in behind him and kills him with a crossbow bolt to the head. When Rick asks Daryl if he knew who it was, Daryl say yes, but it doesn't matter. Suddenly, the Savior reinforcements Morales called arrive, attacking the building in force.

Elsewhere, the combined Hilltop and Alexandrian forces are escorting about 30 captured and shackled Saviors who had surrendered after the battle at the satellite outpost. Morgan and Jesus argue, as Morgan still believes that all of the Saviors should be killed. This eventually leads to a fight, after which Morgan leaves the group. Jesus proceeds with his plan to take the prisoners to the Hilltop.

Gregory, having stolen Gabriel's vehicle and fled from the Savior Sanctuary, returns to the Hilltop, where he is questioned by Maggie as he stands outside the locked front gates. The man, ever a politician, insists that he had not meet Negan in secret, but instead had acted purely in the interests of the Hilltop community. Even though Maggie knows that he is lying, she eventually allows him to enter. Just afterward, Jesus arrives with his prisoners. As planned, he talks Maggie into allowing the Saviors to live. They are to be locked up in several trailers at the edge of the community.

The Survivors manages to defeat the Savior reinforcements, and he takes the baby girl he'd found and gives it to Aaron, who is grieving after his boyfriend Eric succumbed to his gunshot wound. Aaron promises to return the child to the Hilltop. Rick and Daryl then question a surrendering Savior, who tells them that the guns they are seeking have been moved to Gavin's compound. Daryl shoots the man anyway, much to Rick's shock.

"Monsters" delves into the ethical and moral dilemmas that permeate the fabric of "The Walking Dead." This episode seamlessly continues the intense action from "The Damned" but shifts its focus slightly to examine the consequences of the characters' decisions and the blurring lines between right and wrong. The title itself serves as a thematic exploration of what it means to be a monster in a world where the lines between hero and villain are increasingly ambiguous.

One of the episode's most poignant narratives involves the moral conflict within Ezekiel as he leads his group in the fight against the Saviors. His unwavering optimism and belief in achieving victory without loss come to a head in a tragic climax that challenges his ideals and the realities of war. This contrast between hope and despair is a recurring theme, exemplified by Ezekiel's journey from confident king to a leader confronted with the harsh consequences of his choices.

The dynamic between Rick and Morales reaches a crescendo, offering a moment of reflection on how far Rick has come and the man he has become since the apocalypse began. The resolution of their encounter, swift and brutal, underscores the season's exploration of survival at the cost of one's moral compass. This theme is further explored in the interactions between Jesus and Morgan, as they clash over the treatment of Savior prisoners. Their conflict represents a broader debate within the group about mercy, justice, and the necessities of war, highlighting the internal struggles that complement the external battles.

"Monsters" also revisits the theme of redemption through the character of Daryl, who takes a pragmatic but morally questionable stance in the fight against the Saviors. His actions, particularly towards the end of the episode, serve as a stark reminder of the personal toll the conflict has taken on each character, forcing them to confront the question of whether the ends justify the means.

In sum, "Monsters" is a powerful examination of the moral complexities of war in a post-apocalyptic world. It challenges characters and viewers alike to consider the cost of survival and the sacrifices necessary to maintain one's humanity in the face of relentless adversity. The episode adeptly balances action with introspection, pushing the narrative forward while delving deeper into the emotional and ethical landscapes of its characters.

It's like an half baked war movie, with toy guns and no humour. At least all those cheap b-action movies usually have some sense of self awareness like" we know it looks cheap, but we just couldn't afford AAA Hollywood fx guys, so we overplayed it with over the top gore and gallows humour".

Yeah well , but this actually IS a AAA production, so they could afford max level fx, but it STILL looks cheap. Uninspired. Almost boring. Not even complaining about the idiotic writing, I've lost sense who's fighting who for whatever, several seasons ago. Anyhow, those actors are well advised to just lay down and die, because this pseudo war makes no sense at all. Same goes for the producers, look at Spartacus of Starz, how to let a show die with dignity...

Mindless shooting, pointless and lazy dialogue, needless sacrifices and weak action are the theme of this episode.

The saviors are completely unorganized and useless, getting mowed down everywhere. Everyone keeps reminding us "they have the numbers" but it sure doesn't seem that way. They forgot how to even aim a gun as they have not killed anyone noteworthy in the "good guys'" ranks. And where is negan? Where are Simon and Dwight and Eugene etc? Why haven't they been featured in the "all-out war"? Seems just like the writers forgot about them. I was expecting seeing Negan running around and shooting someone but no, I guess he is still in the trailer with Gabriel. The "all-out war" had potential to be great, action-packed and exciting and the viewers seeing fearing for their favorite characters with casualties on both sides. Weak start to the war, maybe it will get better.

This show is on a downward spiral. Many people I know have stopped watching it already and I am very close too. Maybe getting new writers would change something. But the show as it is now, is pretty sub-par.

I admit that this wasn't one of the best episodes, but it's weird how the rating is so low. This episode mostly suffers from how it doesn't make many new revelations and can come off as filler. It's still a good episode because the atmosphere and characters are great. Here we have Maggie allowing Gregory to go back into their community as well as a fight between Jesus and Morgan. If you're thinking that I'm only saying know most of these plot points because the episode of "The Talking Dead" discusses them...well you'd be right. It's hard to keep up with all the characters okay?

While it was pretty brief, this really did have some graphic violence in it. Daryl is as cool as ever and I want to tell you something about him. He was created just for the show and wasn't in the comics. The funny thing is that he's portrayed so well in the show that the actual creators have said they don't want him introduced as the character is so well established in his own continuity. Luckily, we get some fights with the walkers as well as the saviors. This season is moving kind of slow, but it's still good. ***