Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Welcome to the Tombs"

The Walking Dead decided to forgo another crazy bananas finale a la "Beside the Dying Fire," but "Welcome to the Tombs" was a mostly satisfying way to end the season.

After the Governor stabbed Milton so he would turn into a biter and kill Andrea, he led the Woodbury army on an assault mission against the prison, but no one was there. They continued to search deeper into the prison, and ended up in the tombs where they were ambushed with flash grenades. The inexperienced militia retreated, but the Governor stopped them while they fled back to Woodbury. Most of them refused to fight, so the Governor executed them all except for Martinez and his number three, and they got into a truck and drove off.

Back at the prison, Rick's group reconvened and it was revealed that Carl killed one of the Woodbury residents. He claimed that it was in self-defense but Hershel told Rick the truth... the boy was handing over his gun when Carl pulled the trigger. When confronted about it, Carl said that he did what he had to do because showing mercy hasn't worked and only caused more of their own people to die. After the initial skirmish, it was decided that they could not just let the Governor go, so Rick, Daryl and Michonne headed to Woodbury to finish it once and for all. Along the way, they came across the massacre and the only survivor, a woman named Karen, gave her self up. The four made it to the Woodbury gates when Tyreese and Sasha opened fire on them, but Karen convinced them to stop by telling them what the Governor had done.

Rick talked to Tyreese about how Andrea never made it back to the prison, so they all went to the holding area and found her. She had put down Biter Milton but not before he took a chunk out of her. She said some final words to her friends before asking Rick for his gun so she could end her life on her terms. He handed it over, and everyone left the room except for Michonne who wanted to be with her until the very end. When it was all over, Rick and the others returned to the prison with Tyreese, Sasha, and some other Woodbury residents in tow.

For a season finale, "Welcome to the Tombs" felt relatively low-key. Yes, there was the Battle of the Prison, but after the shooting stopped the episode slowed down up until the Governor went all crazy... again. I for one thought that the pacing worked, but I'm sure some viewers were annoyed because they wanted another massive action set piece like what happened at the barn. I suppose the reason why I was OK with this approach had to do with the fact that we got some interesting stuff from Rick and Carl. When Carl shot that guy, I immediately thought about how cold-blooded he was, but it was hard to argue with his logic after he explained why he did it. You could see him morphing into a mini version of the monster they were fighting, and I can't wait to see how Rick handles this one.

I know that I've been hard on Andrea for the show's entire run, but I didn't want to see her die at the end of the episode even though she kind of outlived her purpose. That said, I wasn't broken up when it happened, but I was annoyed with how it happened. Her final scene was supposed to be this emotionally devastating moment where she heroically passed on while her friend held her hand, but the writers dropped the ball in terms of making her an interesting character AND botched up her relationship with Michonne, so I ended up feeling nothing at the end of the day and that's a shame. Even though I hated her, Andrea deserved a better send-off than that.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I was expecting the first scene between Rick and Mischonne to be awkward... not flirting and sexually charged.
• The Bible was a nice touch.
• Just when I thought Beth couldn't get any cuter, she put on knit cap.
• I'm sorry, but this season wiffed on the Governor. By the end, he was such a comic book character (I know he's technically always been a comic book character) that he ceased being menacing and was just plain nuts.
• Those poor pliers.
• Finally, Rick and Tyreese are somewhat on the same page. I'm excited to see what the show does with the latter next season.
• I got why Rick brought the rest of Woodbury with him, but how's that going to work logistically?

So there you have it, Season 3 of The Walking Dead is in the books. While it did have a few missteps, it was a vast improvement over Season 2, and it'll be interesting to see where the story takes us next fall now that Scott Gimple is in charge. Regardless, it was a mostly entertaining season and that's all I can really ask for.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "This Sorrowful Life"

Last week, The Walking Dead spent all of its time and energy on Andrea and Woodbury, and "This Sorrowful Life" was in some ways the spiritual sequel to "Prey" since it did the complete opposite and focused on the prison as it prepared what what's to come.

Rick decided to give Michonne to the Governor despite the fact that both Hershel and Daryl were not completely on board with the idea. For some reason, Rick thought that they needed a fourth, so he recruited Merle who agreed to go along since he figured Rick wouldn't have the stomach to sacrifice her. After Rick caught a glimpse Lori, he changed his mind but he was too late... Merle took it upon himself to deliver Michonne to the Governor. Daryl headed out after them.

While on the road towards Woodbury, Michonne had a heart to heart with Merle and tried to convince him that they could just go back to the prison even though they're both clearly outsiders. It looked like she got to him because he let her go but continued on to the meet-up. Before showing up, he lured some walkers and used them to ambush the Woodbury militia. During the chaos, he took out some of the armed men, and had his sights on the Governor and was going to take him out once and for all, but the kid from Tyreese's group got in the way. Martinez and the Governor were able to find Merle's location, and they worked him over until the Governor went truly nuts and bit off his fingers before shooting him.

As Merle led a one-man assault on Woodbury, Daryl ran into Michonne who told him that his brother let her go and he was alive. The younger Dixon continued his search and insisted that Michonne not let anyone come after him. Unfortunately, he didn't make it time and Daryl had to put down the zombiefied version of Merle. Meanwhile, Michonne made it back to the prison and Rick saw her in his scope as she walked up to the gates.

I'll be honest, I liked "This Sorrowful Life" a lot more than "Prey" because it had nothing to do with Andrea and had very little Woodbury. Since those two elements have been the weakest links this season, I'm all for taking a break from that side of of the story, and yet there were other things to like besides the absence of my least favorite character. We all knew that Rick wouldn't go through with sacrificing Michonne, but I still enjoyed those brief moments of doubt and watching his evolution as a leader. Also, I'm never going to complain about an episode that focuses on the Dixon brothers AND gives the characters some depth. All that said, I could've done without the Governor becoming a total monster.

Other Odds and Ends:

• In a minor C-plot, Glenn decided that he wanted to marry Maggie, and he asked for Hershel's blessing before ripping off a walker's fingers to get an engagement ring. She said yes after he placed the hopefully sanitized ring in her hand.
• Also, Rick finally came to his senses and realized that a dictatorship was not the way to go and installed a democratic system that allowed everyone to decide on how they wanted to live and die.
• With a show like The Walking Dead, someone's always going to die before the finale, but offing Merle was kind of a waste.
• That shot of Walker Merle's eyes before Daryl stabbed him in the head a bunch of times was haunting.
• That first conversation between Michonne and Rick is going to be awkward.

So, after a minor slip up The Walking Dead was back on track just in time for the season finale. Let's just hope it can stick the landing.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Prey"

Nothing halts momentum more than focusing an entire episode around an unlikable character or people viewers barely know. Unfortunately, The Walking Dead did both in "Prey."

Andrea decided to finally kill the Governor after learning his true intentions for Michonne and the prison, but Milton talked her out of it and convinced her to leave and warn her friends. She made it over the wall, although she was confronted by Tyreese and Sasha, and was on her way until the Governor figured out that she left and went after her. He stalked her to an abandoned warehouse, and it looked like he bested her, but she unleashed a herd of biters that were trapped in a stairwell. She finally made it to the prison and was about to flag down Rick when the Governor grabbed her from behind. By episode's end, she was back in his clutches and tied up in a makeshift torture chamber while he continued to lie to everyone around him.

Meanwhile, Tyreese started to wonder about the Governor after he was warned by Andrea. In preparation for the meeting between Woodbury and the prison, the Governor asked Tyreese and his people to help Martinez with the task of collecting biters. Initially, Tyreese was not on board and refused to help, which caused added tension between him and Allen. While this new group of survivors were trying to do whatever they could to stay in Woodbury, someone torched the collected biters, but the Governor ruled out the newbies and set his sights on someone else.

Obviously, my biggest issue with "Prey" had to do with the fact that we were asked to care about these marginal characters all of a sudden. Granted, Andrea's not a marginal character, but more on her in a bit. Up until now, Tyreese and his people have been a group of random plot devices plopped in to further muddle up what was going on in the prison and pushed to the back burner once they decided to join the Governor. If the show had taken some more time to make them fully realized characters, then I would've responded better to watching Tyreese struggle with how things are done in Woodbury and his spat with the other guy, but right now he and his group feel like wasted potential.

As for Andrea, it's not a secret that I don't like her at all, so I'll admit that my enjoyment of this episode dropped a few notches when it became clear that it was going to be mostly about her and the Governor. Now, I'm sure that there are some Andrea fans out there who loved "Prey" and are tried of people like me bashing her, and I'm glad that they're in her corner. For me, she's just too far gone to be worthy of my sympathy or time. That said, the sequence involving the warehouse did have some genuinely creepy/scary moments, and it was a standout performance by Laurie Holden.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The episode opened up with a flashback that gave a glimpse of Andrea's time with Michonne, but it was too little, too late. That's something we should've seen months ago so we could actually care about their relationship.
• Either Milton's a horrible liar or there's more to him than we've been led to believe.
• Someone please kill Allen already.
• So, the Governor's pretty much a horror movie villain at this point?

Again, I admit that my biases towards Andrea and the lack of development of Tyreese and his group impacted my interest level in "Prey" and it's hard to be objective, but I can also acknowledge that there were some strong moments too... I just wish I cared more.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Arrow on the Doorpost"

It seems like I write an awful lot about balance when putting together these Walking Dead recaps, and that's because this show in particular needs to fine tune its episodes for them to be effective. Last week's standout episode, "Clear," was a good example of everything just clicking, but I knew that it was an exception, and "Arrow on the Doorpost" temporarily halted the progress the season's made unfortunately.

The majority of the episode focused on a sit-down between Rick and the Governor, which was orchestrated by Andrea, while everyone left at the prison tried to keep Merle on a short leash since he felt the need to chase after his brother who accompanied Rick. After some posturing and exposition, the Governor tried to strike a deal with Rick: Woodbury would leave the prion alone if Rick gave up Michonne. Rather than divulge the truth, Rick prepped his people for war, and the Governor revealed his plan to kill everyone anyway. But Rick was not completely devoid of emotion because he came clean to Hershel hoping that the old man would talk him out of serving up Michonne.

On paper, everything that transpired during "Arrow" should have really captivating and exciting, but the episode stumbled when it came to execution. In a lot of ways, it once again exposed The Walking Dead's weaknesses because it relied too much on dialogue, rants about surviving in this new world, and weak characters. Now, it could easily be argued that "Clear" did the exact same thing, but at least it packed an emotional punch that was lacking in "Arrow." On top of it all, there was also an absence of action and tension. Sure, we got a zombie-killing pissing contest between Daryl and Martinez, but it wasn't enough.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'll say it again, The Walking Dead is at its best when no one talks, and the opening where Rick, Daryl and Hershel arrived at the meeting was by far the highlight of the episode.
• Honestly, I probably would've liked this episode more if it had less Andrea.
• Maybe I'm giving the writers too much credit, but I did appreciate how the representations of each camp's psyche were paired up: Rick and the Governor (ego), Hershel and Milton (super-ego), and Daryl and Martinez (id).
• I was seriously crushing on Beth before, but her firing a gun in the air to stop Glenn and Merle's fight cemented my love for her. She's at least 18, right? I hope so because I don't want to sound all pervy.
• Speaking of pervy, Glenn and Maggie. That's all I'll say.
• Andrea picking Woodbury over the prion was a clear indication that she's up to something.
• As for scheming, Rick just needs to tell Michonne what's what so she can be apart of the plan to take the Governor down.

I'll admit that I'm probably being too harsh on "Arrow on the Doorpost" because it wasn't able to follow-up "Clear" in an equally mesmerizing fashion, but The Walking Dead's in the homestretch and it needs to finish strong, and this episode just wasn't at this show's highest level in my opinion. Maybe it can rebound next week.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Clear"

Like so many things in life, good television needs balance, and sometimes a program like The Walking Dead can miscalculate its equilibrium by focusing too much time on zombies and action sequences and not enough on the development of characters and relationships. Thankfully, "Clear" took a step back from the war between the prison and Woodbury to take a longer look at some woefully underutilized people, the show's core bond, and how this new world has affected others. It was the right calibration of all of these elements than made "Clear" the standout episode of the season if not the entire series.

Rick, Carl and Michonne went out on a run that took the Grimes family back to their hometown. The initial reason for returning was Rick wanted to check out his old sheriff station's armory to find some weapons as they prepared for the impending clash with the Governor, but things took a very different turn when the cupboard was bare and they were greeted with walker booby traps and a masked person shooting at them. It turned out that the man behind the mask was Morgan Jones from Season 1. From that point on, Rick tried to convince Morgan to join him at the prison while learning about how this new world has destroyed his long-lost acquaintance, and maybe even helped him realize that he still has something worth fighting for.

Meanwhile, Carl and Michonne went on a side mission since he felt the need to grab a family photo from the local cafe, but of course that was not as easy as it seemed because the place was packed with walkers. Together, they were able to get the picture, but Carl dropped it while running from the zombies. Instead of letting him go back inside, Michonne went volunteered to retrieve it for him. Carl need the picture because he planned on using it to help his sister understand where she came from. This little adventure made Carl realize that Michonne was one of them and could be trusted, and he shared his revelation with Rick as they headed back to the prison.

It's no secret that Michonne has been one of the most underdeveloped new characters, so it was refreshing to see her get some much needed shading. I don't know if she's still a fully realized person after this episode, but I appreciated the slightest hints at her personality and the small footsteps that were taken, and it was nice to see her bond with someone besides Andrea. Let's just hope the writers can keep this momentum going forward.

The Rick moments were equally effective because not only was it good to have Morgan back, but the scenes shared between the two men gave us a better understanding of life during the zombie apocalypse and how it can go in very different directions. Even though it's somewhat understandable that Rick would crack under the pressure of losing his wife while leading this group of survivors, it was interesting to see someone who's suffered even more, and hopefully this was the catalyst that sets Rick back on the right path since it can always be worse.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The running bit involving the hitch hiker was another intriguing nod to how these people have changed.
• Lennie James was phenomenal in this episode and gave Andrew Lincoln a run for his money in the acting crazy department. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of him.
• Those poor rats and birds.
• I know we didn't follow Michonne back in the restaurant  but that whole sequence was missing something. And how did she get in and out so quickly?
• That small moment of shared understanding between Michonne and Rick might be the best thing this The Walking Dead's ever done.
• "The mat said, 'welcome.'"

The brilliance of "Clear" was the fact that it didn't abandon what has made The Walking Dead successful. We still got zombie kills, people shooting at each other, and tension, but it added a nice sprinkling of humanity that's sometimes lost in the shuffle. I know that it's probably unfair to expect the show to always be at this kind of transcendent level, but it's reassuring to know that it still can reach it from time to time.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "I Ain't a Judas"

After two somewhat decent episodes, The Walking Dead stumbled a bit with "I Ain't a Judas" because it really didn't accomplish much of anything.

At the prison, Carl asked Rick to take a break and let Hershel and Daryl lead the group while everyone continued to debate on whether they should stay put or make a run for it before the Governor attacked again. The back-and-forth stalled when Andrea staggered up with a pet walker in tow, and she insisted that she was there to broker peace between the two groups, but Rick wasn't having it. Before she left, Carol suggested that she bed the Governor before killing him, which she was about to do until she backed out. Meanwhile, the Governor was building an army which could be strengthen by Tyreese and his group who were welcomed into Woodbury after they stumbled upon Andrea and Milton in the woods creating her guardian zombie.

Now, Carl asking Rick to step down for the good of the group was inherently and I'm interested to see where things go from here, but there was so much junk floating around along with some wheel-spinning that made me flashback to Season 2's lowest points. Admittedly, the fact that "Judas" was an Andrea-heavy episode didn't help matters because she's so unsympathetic at this point that most of her scenes fell flat. Add to that a lack of any real action and/or tension, and it all ended up being a little dull. That said, Tyreese's crew joining Woodbury was an unexpected twist that could payoff down the road.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'm sorry, but Andrea leading anything's ludicrous, and if she's the key to peace then give me endless war between the prison and Woodbury.
• Carol telling Andrea to do the Governor and assassinating was icky.
• Beth's quickly become my favorite character. I hope she sticks around for the long haul.

To be fair, "I Ain't a Judas" was not The Walking Dead at its worst, but it didn't really offer anything of substance to keep me engaged. I'm not saying that this show has to be non-stop craziness, but it does have to give me something to care about, and "Judas" didn't do that.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Home"

The Walking Dead flipped the script with "Home" compared to last week's episode, meaning that it had a slow and quiet beginning just to end on a crazy bananas high-note. Add a few twists and turns, and you've got a pretty entertaining hour of television.

At the prison, Glenn and Maggie tried to come to terms with what they went through in Woodbury while preparing for the inevitable retaliation made by the Governor. Herschel tried to be the voice of reason and suggested that the prison was no longer safe and they should move on. Glenn, on the other hand, refused to give up their safe haven and wanted to take the fight to the Governor but ultimately backed away from that suicidal plan before storming off. While all of this was going on, Rick was off chasing Lori's "ghost," and was coming clean to Hershel when the Governor and some of his men opened fire on them. While chaos broke out, a van being driven by a mysterious masked person charged through the gates and let a herd of walkers in the yard. Thankfully, Daryl and Merle showed up to join the fight, and Glenn returned in the nick of time to save his friends.

Before returning to the prison, Daryl and Merle talked about how much things have changed since Atlanta, and Merle wondered how his brother's new family would react if the knew that they planned on robbing them blind. Daryl tried to convince Merle that he was a different person, and even proved it by helping a family survive a walker attack and let them go before the elder Dixon could steal from them. While this was going on, the Governor was sweet-talking Andrea into becoming the new leader of Woodbury before he asked Milton to keep tabs on her and then snuck off to attack the prison.

Like most of this season, the Woodbury scenes didn't quite work for me, like when the Governor was duping Andrea or when she tried to act all tough in front of Milton, but everything that happened outside of the town was pretty great. For example, Glenn morphing into this hardened person who's pushing away everyone close to him has a lot of potential and could be a turning point for both the character and the narrative. And there was Rick's continued decent into madness, which I'm more on board with now after watching this episode because Andrew Lincoln plays crazy awfully well.

But at the end of the day it's all about the Dixon boys. Even though we only got a few glimpses of them on their own, their scenes together were a nice combination of tension, action, but more importantly character development that sometimes gets tossed aside in favor of zombie gore. I would've preferred to watch them wandering the woods for one more episode, but I understand why the story needed them back at the prison, and I was ultimately happy with what we got so I really can't complain.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The opening scene where Rick sees Lori while Michonne watches on was another example of how good this show can be when it embraces quiet and starkness over zombified action. Good stuff.
• For some reason Andrea using the word "abdicate" was laughably bad. She's got to go at this point.
• It was refreshing to see Rick tell Herschel about his visions because that's the kind of secret that most other shows would keep hidden until the last possible second.
• Poor Axel. We hardly knew you, you dirty perv.
• Having a masked person behind the wheel of the van was an unnecessary layer of "mystery" but it worked because I want to know who it was.

All in all, "Home" was another successful episode of The Walking Dead because it hit all of the right notes that I look for from this show. Sure, there were some low points but the good outweighed the bad when it was all said and done.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "The Suicide King"

The Walking Dead kicked off the start of the second part of its third season with a somewhat reserved episode (at least by this show's standards) that laid of the gas a bit so the characters and the audience could get back on the same page. I know that I'm probably in the minority, but I appreciated this approach over non-stop action and gore.

Naturally, "The Suicide King" picked up where "Made to Suffer" left off. Merle and Daryl were in the Governor's clutches and were forced to fight each other to death until Rick and Maggie opened fire to cause enough of a distraction to allow them to escape. Once out of Woodbury, they regrouped with Glenn and Mischonne which caused some friction for obvious reasons. Daryl pleaded with the group to let Merle return to the prison with them, but it was clear that Rick wasn't willing to allow the elder Dixon or Michonne back into their ranks, and Daryl decided to join his brother out in the wilderness. As for Michonne, Rick would let her get patched up before sending her away since he couldn't trust her.

In Woodbury, the residents were panicked and some even wanted to leave but were not allowed to by those guarding the gates. While everyone was in a tizzy, the Governor was no where to be found as he hid and licked his wounds from the battle. All of a sudden a small herd of biters (that got in via the hole in a fence Merle left behind when he fled) attacked a towns-person who was put down by the Governor after he emerged from his apartment. Andrea tried to convince the Governor to help calm down his people, but he was too upset and questioned her loyalty since her friends were responsible for the attack. With no one left to lead, Andrea took it upon herself to share some words of comfort, which quelled them for now.

Back at the prison, Herschel was dealing with the new group of survivors who stumbled into the prison, and while the old man sympathized with Tyreese and his companions, he made sure that they understood that the decision to let them stay or not was not up to him and that they didn't get too comfortable. When Rick and others returned, he was hesitant to bring in the newcomers since he didn't know them and didn't want to be responsible for more deaths, but Herschel tried to reason with him until he saw a figure that resembled Lori which sent Rick deeper into madness.

After the initial rescue scene, "The Suicide King" shifted to a more dialogue-heavy episode, which could have been problematic since The Walking Dead has proven that it's not at its best when it trades action for words, but I felt that almost every conversation worked and accomplished exactly what it was supposed to. For example, the moment when Daryl had to choose between his real family and his surrogate one was filled with  just as much tension as, if not more than, the attack on Woodbury because his decision could drastically alter the chances of survival for not only himself but the rest of the survivors. And in the end, I thought that his choice to stay with Merle was the right one, in spite of the fact that it fractures the story yet again.

Unfortunately, not everything worked like the aftermath at Woodbury. Now, I'll give those scenes some credit because a wounded Governor is exponentially more intriguing than the one we met before, but everything came to screeching halt when Andrea opened her mouth. It'd be easy to pile on her and discuss why she's a bad character, but all I'll say is her rousing speech fell flat and I didn't buy it for a second. It's just a shame that the episode wasted time on her rather than adding some depth to more interesting characters like Tyreese. All in good time, I suppose.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'm kinda over angry mobs and zombie death matches.
• Merle's inept and short-sighted plan to escape was oddly refreshing.
• I forgot how much of a crush I have on Beth.
• It'll be interesting to see where Glenn and Maggie go from here.
• Man, they're really pushing the whole Daryl and Carol would-be romance. I still don't see the appeal of that pairing.

So, while "The Suicide King" was not the action-packed thriller that most viewers have come to expect from The Walking Dead, there were some good ideas and character moments presented to make up for the lack of blood and guts, and I'm okay with that. Let's just hope the show can maintain this vital balance.

Top 5 TV Surprises of 2012

Now that I got my top five let-downs of 2012 out of the way, it's time to end things on a high note with some pleasant surprises that occurred over the past year.


3. Lost Girl

Honestly, I had never heard of Canada's Lost Girl until I started writing for The Televixen. Once I started reading all of the positive reviews over there, my curiosity was piqued and I was determined to check it out when it finally premiered in the States. I have to admit that it didn't blow me away out of the gates because it was another run-of-the-mill supernatural procedural like... Supernatural. My interest level in that specific genre started to wane, so I stopped watching it on Syfy but got back on board thanks to Netflix, and boy am I happy that I did. It's still not a groundbreaking show by any means, but it has all of the elements that I look for from this kind of show and it pulls them off fairly well. I can't really ask for any more than that.


4. Glee

As a longtime Glee apologist, I've forgiven Ryan Murphy and Co. for all of their previous sins, but I've also been able to acknowledge that the show hasn't been as good as it used to be (or even good at times). While I've never gotten close to writing the show off completely, I have lowered my expectations to the point where I rooted for mediocrity, so I was just as surprised when the show rebounded during Season 3 and actually improved early on in Season 4. OK, so the New York stuff hasn't been all that entertaining, but I've found myself caring about what's going on in Ohio, and it's been a while since I've felt so invested. Unfortunately, I cannot say that Glee's been able to recapture its former glory, but at least I'm not as ashamed to admit that I'm still a fan like I was during Season 2. Who am I kidding; I've never been ashamed.

3. The Walking Dead

It's been well documented that the first half of The Walking Dead's second season was mostly a bust, but the show was able to get back on track during the tail-end of its sophomore run. Thankfully, Glen Mazarra was able to keep the momentum going and the first part of Season 3 has been the show's best string of episodes to date. There's a possibility that the show will once again hit a snag now that it's been renewed without its current showrunner, but at least we'll get a few more episodes of the Mazarra-era Walking Dead. Let's just hope his successor can avoid another rough patch.

2. The Finder

I wasn't all that impressed when I watched Bones episode that acted as a backdoor pilot for The Finder. From the looks of it, Hart Hanson's new show was going to be a carbon copy of his old one, so my expectations were pretty low come last January. Then I actually watched the show, and it quickly grew on me. Sure, it was still a quirky procedural, but I didn't find Walter Sherman and his crew as annoying as Brennan and her Squints, and after a few episodes it was making me laugh more than most of the other shows that I was watching. Unfortunately, less than stellar ratings and a lack of confidence from the network doomed it, and The Finder was the first new show I watched that was canceled prematurely in my eyes. Man, I really miss it.

1. Chuck's Series Finale

OK, so this last one's kind of a cheat since we all knew that Chuck was coming back for a fifth season, but I felt the need to include it because there was a time when the thought of five seasons of Chuck was nothing more than a dream. Yet the little show that could was able to survive (mostly due to NBC's misfortune) and we even got a proper finale. It may not sound like much, but so many shows and its fans do not get that kind of luxury, so I felt blessed that the show that changed my life had the chance to go out on its own terms. There's a lot to feel cynical about when it comes to the television business, but Chuck's improbable run's not one of them and it's proof that good things can happen.

And that's it. My Top Five Lists of 2012 are done. Overall, I have to say that of 2012 was a pretty decent year, and let's hope that 2013 will be too.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 47: 'Tis the Midseason

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 47. Kristal's back and we talked about the AFI Top 10 List, the Golden Globe nominations, and we checked in on a few new and returning shows now that the first part of the season has wrapped up. As always, refer to the episode breakdown to avoid any spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:27

TV News: 1:28 - 17:10

• AFI's Top Ten TV Shows of 2012: 1:28 - 6:28
• Golden Globe Nominations: 6:29 - 17:10

Midseason Rundown: 17:11 - 54:37

• Go On: 17:40 - 23:31
• The Mindy Project: 23:32 - 29:33
• Nashville: 29:34 - 33:35
• The New Normal: 33:36 - 38:04
• The Walking Dead: 38:05 - 41:20
• New Girl: 41:21 - 46:47
• The Vampire Diaries: 46:48 - 54:37 

What We're Looking Forward To: 54:38 - 56:22

• Homeland and The Voice finales, holiday movies

Closing: 56:23 - End

Check out the episode below, download it over at iTunes or stream it on Stitcher:


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TV Report Card: Week of December 2, 2012

I was so behind on my television watching that I didn't have time to put together a full fledged TV Report Card this time around (and for a second there I wasn't sure if I was going to post one at all). I know, I'm the worst.

Sunday
The Walking Dead: "Made to Suffer"
For a mid-season finale, "Made to Suffer" didn't have the pop of last year's but it was still an improvement over most of what we got in Season 2. I thought the assault on Woodbury was decent enough, and I really liked Carl's role this time around, but I could've done without Michonne and the Governor brawling. GRADE: B

Homeland: "Two Hats"
Boy did Homeland cause an uncalled for ruckus? I for one didn't hate "Two Hats," but what do I know. Sure it was silly but I don't tend to watch the show so closely that I get distracted by the implausibilities. Was it great? No. Heck, it wasn't even all that good but Homeland didn't deserve the backlash either. GRADE: C+

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Lobster Crawl"
To some extent I can overlook the stalling and how unfunny this show has become because it has far worse sins, namely ruining Robin as a character. She's no longer the independent, strong woman that Ted stole a blue French horn for. Nope, now she's a stereotypical "want what you can't have" crazy person. What a shame. GRADE: D

Castle: "Secret Santa"
I guess having a dead Santa was kind of entertaining, but this one didn't quite click for some reason. I guess it had to do with Rick's over-enthusiasm for Christmas and Kate's Scrooge-ness that didn't sit well with me. It could be argued that they were in character but it felt lazy. GRADE: C+

Tuesday
Ben and Kate: "The Trip"
I thought that the reason for Kate and Will's fight (and possible break-up) was weak because we've seen it all before, but I did like that we got a BJ/Tommy story that had little to nothing to do with what the Foxes were up to. GRADE: B-

Hart of Dixie: "Sparks Fly"
After an unintentional absence due to my oversight, Hart of Dixie's back on the Report Card with an OK episode. The farcical nature of the bachelor auction probably wasn't needed, but it did create some funny moments. I just don't know how I feel about Zoe and Wade at this point. GRADE: B-

Happy Endings: "P&P Romance Factory"
Penny's trouble with men has gotten stale, but I liked everything else especially Brad going off the deep end while being a cliched trophy wife.

Go On: "The World Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"
I could watch Ryan and Anne trade barbs all day, but the rest of the episode left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't buy that Yolanda and Sonia would care enough to sabotage Wyatt's proposal, and I don't think Mr. K's strong enough to head up his own story as this point. GRADE: C+

New Girl: "Bathtub"
Still don't care about Schmidt and Cece, and unfortunately the rare Jess/Winston sub-plot didn't quite gel either. Thankfully, we got more Jake Johnson genius and Olivia Munn as a stripper. GRADE: B-

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "Whatever it Takes..."
Usually, I don't complain about little things but watching an episode that was clearly from Season 1 was distracting. Luckily, JVDB was back in DTWS mode (and we found out how he became close to June's mother), but everything else was too out of place to ignore. GRADE: C+

The New Normal: "Baby Proofing"
I liked the fact that Bryan was not in soapbox mode and in my life is about to change mode because it suits him better. As does a less politically incorrect version of Jane. Didn't care for David though because his obsession with safety felt out of character. GRADE: B

Wednesday
Arrow: "Vendetta"
Even though they rushed the Huntress arc, and it was accompanied with some horrible acting on both parts, I have to admit that I liked what they did. As for all of the stuff going on around Oliver and Helena, I could've done with out most of it (i.e. Tommy and Laurel). GRADE: B-

Nashville: "Where He Leads Me"
I'm still digging the new direction that Nashville's heading in. Juliette's more interesting when she's not boffing Deacon (the same's true for him) and I kind of like her QB boyfriend. I wasn't jazzed about the proposal but I'll roll with it since she's up to something. I even liked the continuation of the young'uns love triangle which is rare. Let's just ignore the political stuff, OK? GRADE: B

American Horror Story: Asylum: "Unholy Night"
Ian McShane as a Santa suit wearing serial killer. That is all. GRADE: B+

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street"
I'm still over Damon and Elena. I still hate her. And I still love Caroline when she's not tied at the hip with Tyler. That pretty much sums up my thoughts on this one. GRADE: C

Glee: "Swan Song"
I didn't love or hate "Swan Song"... I just didn't really care about it at all. It spent way too much time in New York pretending that it's a magical place where somewhat talented people have their dreams come true with little to no effort while putting the more interesting collapse of New Directions on the back burner. Yawn. GRADE: C+

Elementary: "You Do It To Yourself"
I'm never going to turn down learning more about Sherlock and Watson, so the issues she had with her ex were good enough to establish her character. I just wish this show would incorporate more interesting cases week in and week out. GRADE: C+

Friday
Nikita: "Sideswipe"
We all knew that Sonya was the mole, so I'm glad they got it out of the way even if it only introduced another insider. At least Amanda's a more entertaining villain than she was last season, and I liked the introduction of Cyrus. As for Alex's return to drugs and Sean... moving on. GRADE: B

As you can see, no 30 Rock this week because I still haven't watched the latest episode. Again, I'm the worst. Sorry.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Made to Suffer"

Last season, The Walking Dead proved that it knows how to prepare for a long hiatus with the barn massacre, and this time around it was up to the assault on Woodbury to keep viewers on the hook until February. While I cannot say that "Made to Suffer" was as strong of a mid-season finale as "Pretty Much Dead Already," it was still a very decent installment in a markedly better run.

The episode kicked off in the woods as a new group of survivors, led by Tyreese and Sasha, were fighting off walkers. After one of them was bitten, they came across a breached fence and the rubble of a building. As it turned out, it was the prison. Once inside, the newbies still had to fight off zombies, but their commotion caught the attention of Carl who decided to help them out. He even took them back to their cellblock but locked them away to ensure his people's safety.

Meanwhile at Woodbury, the Governor decided to send Glenn and Maggie to the "screaming pits," but they were able to fight off Merle and his men which alerted Rick and the rescue party to their location. Thanks to smoke grenades and military precision, Rick was able to get his people back but he lost track of Michonne along the way. As they made their way to the wall in the midst of a firefight, Rick thought he saw Shane coming after him and his brief hesitation ended up costing Oscar his life. They were able to make it out safely, but their numbers were smaller due to the loss of Oscar and the missing Michonne and Daryl.

As Rick and his men tried to free Glenn and Maggie, Michonne took it upon herself to get even with the Governor. She sneaked into his apartment and channeled her inner samurai as she laid in wait, but a loud noise from behind a door caught her attention. After kicking the thing down, she learned about the Governor's wall of severed heads and his biter daughter. She was about to put Penny out of her misery when the Governor showed up in the nick of time and pleaded to have her released. Instead of showing mercy, Michonne ran her sword through the back of Penny's head, and then a brawl broke out that left the Governor with only one eye. Luckily for him, Andrea barged in before Michonne could do anymore damage, but it was clear that the former friends had picked their sides.

A patched up Governor addressed his community and vowed to make the invaders pay, and he tossed Merle to the wolves by claiming that he led Rick and his group to Woodbury because of his brother. He then brought out a hooded Daryl and asked his citizens what should done with the Dixon boys. As the mob cried for blood, Andrea looked on in shock and horror. While the Governor was calling for a public execution, Michonne met up with the others and reminded a distrustful Rick that they needed her help to either get back to the prison or to help save Daryl.

Man, a lot happened during "Made to Suffer" and almost everything landed. For me, the best part of the episode had nothing to do with Rick's rescue mission but with what was going on in the prison. Over the first two seasons, Carl became more of a joke and the source of Internet memes than a productive character, but his growth over Season 3 has been admirable, and it was only fitting that he'd be the one to save Tyreese's group. He's prematurely become a man in front of our eyes, and he very well could be the most important person when it's all said and done. Carl's now a far cry from the kid egging on stuck walkers and getting Dale killed, and I cannot help but applaud the show for his evolution.

As for Tyreese, apparently he's a fan-favorite from the comics, but since I don't read them I was a little confused by a random group of people just showing up, and for a second there I thought they were apart of a time jump forward when I realized that they were seeking refuge in the prison. I pictured the crumbling facade as a remnant of the battle between Rick and the Governor. From the little we saw of him, I have a good feeling about the character and cannot wait to see what role he'll play in future episodes. Sasha... not so much.

The Woodbury scenes were more problematic, which shouldn't be surprising since that's been true throughout these first episodes. Everything that had to do with Rick busting out Glenn and Maggie worked for me. These scenes had the right amount of tension and action, and I was on the edge of my seat especially when Daryl learned that his brother was alive. The only drawback was the stuff that was going on around them. Andrea's transformation from star-struck groupie to wannabe badass was somewhat in character but still mildly annoying, but it was kind of worth it when she interrupted the utterly pointless fight between Michonne and the Governor because at least she brought a shred of importance to that moment.

My main issue with the brawl had to do with the fact that it was between a character that we're not supposed to like and one that we barely know. Usually, in these kind of situations there's someone you're genuinely pulling for, but so far The Walking Dead has completely squandered the opportunity to flesh out Michonne, so her face-off with the Governor meant absolutely nothing. I guess I could give the debacle some credit for trying to humanize the big bad of the piece, and I did feel a little bit for him when Penny's skull was impaled, but he too has been so poorly conceived that the fallout didn't feel earned. In the end, the entire fight occurred between two people I don't care about, so I had zero rooting interest whatsoever and I would've much rather spent time with Rick, Daryl or Carl.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Glenn giving Maggie walker bones to kill a guy was brilliant... and gross.
• They killed Oscar but kept pervy Axel around? What's a brotha have to do to survive the zombie apocalypse?
• How long before Carl kills Axel for hitting on his woman?
• When did Rick and Daryl become a legit strike force?
• Speaking of Daryl, he has to survive Woodbury right?
• Oh never mind, the promo for episode 9 pretty much answered that one for me.
• At least we know that Carol's not a lesbian.
• "Sasha, back away from the door and let the man go."
• "His house."
• Beth: "Shouldn't we help them?"
  Carl: "I did."

Again, "Made to Suffer" couldn't really compare to last year's mid-season finale because it lacked the insanity and emotional punch that "Pretty Much Dead Already" had but I'm okay with that. I'll take a capable episode within a better overall season over a crazy bananas one that was the highlight of a mediocre season any day of the week. Either way, I cannot wait until February.

TV Report Card: Week of November 25, 2012

Here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
The Walking Dead: "When the Dead Come Knocking"

What Worked: As always, Rick and the prison worked for me. Even the silly cabin the woods scene was entertaining in its own way. But by far the best moment was one of the quiter ones as Carol and Rick shared that knowing glance in regards to Lori.

What Didn't Work: If the prison worked, that means Woodbury was once again the weakest link. I'll give it credit for the brutal interrogation scenes involving Merle and the Governor, but any goodwill was wasted on the boring Andrea and Milton subplot. Sure, it introduced some interesting questions but it took the wind out of the sails.

GRADE: B

Homeland: "Two Hats"

What Worked: I know that one of the cool things to do nowadays is to poke holes in Homeland's plot, but I thought that this was a decent enough episode. Nazir's plot and the taking down of his cell had enough tension (and I could appreciate them because I don't constantly nit-pick) and they helped keep things moving along. Ditto for Saul's fake interrogation.

What Didn't Work: While I'm not in the anti-Dana camp, I did find her annoying this time around, but then again she's always been annoying. I also could have done without Jess and Mike's sexy time because it was so telegraphed and anti-climactic. No pun intended.

GRADE: B

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Twelve Horny Women"

What Worked: Not much. I think I laughed a few times because of Brad's antics but that was about it. I suppose I also didn't hate the fake out involving Marshall but I'm so tired of this show trying to trick the audience.

What Didn't Work: There are certain standby gags that HIMYM insists on pulling out that just bore me to tears and one of them is the pointless competitions. I get the point behind these stupid games but I'm no longer entertained by them, so them trying to prove who was the biggest teenage bad-ass was a huge waste of my time. And that final bit about Robin re-thinking her feelings for Barney because he called off his pursuit was insulting.

GRADE: D

Tuesday
Ben and Kate: "Guitar Face"

What Worked: Even though this episode was Sitcom Writing 101, it was still successful at being a competent episode. Usually, I'm not a fan of the lead picking apart their new significant other as a way to protect him/herself, but Dakota Johnson can do anything in her own awkward way and win me over. And as always, I'm not opposed to more Geoff Stults. Man, I miss The Finder.

What Didn't Work: As much credit as I gave Dakota Johnson, the rest of the episode was a little too formulaic. While I got a laugh from Ben and Tommy, their story was very familiar and didn't bring anything all that new. As for BJ, she was downright dreadful and I'm shocked that people still think that she's the best part of this show.

GRADE: B-

Go On: "Back, Back, Back... It's Gone!"

What Worked: I was really excited when it looked like Carrie was going to play a major role in this episode but was even more upset when she was once again tossed aside for more Ryan and Lauren moments. That said, her presence alone was enough to keep me happy, and the episode subverted the Ryan and Lauren stuff just enough to keep it from being trite.

What Didn't Work: The rest of the subplots involving Sonia, Danny and George were decent enough, but I would have rather traded one of their stories in favor of more time with Carrie and Ryan. I know I'm getting repetative, but why does this show hate Allison Miller so much?

GRADE: B-

New Girl: "Eggs"

What Worked: Nick Miller's probably the funniest character on television right now and he's even better when he's teamed up with Winston. Those two had me rolling all episode long, but they also had a very human story that I could relate to. I still want Winston to be his own character, but I'll always be in favor of him being Nick's source of wisdom.

What Didn't Work: I haven't been loving Jess this season and her story about her biological clock ticking was OK but far from great. Even Cece's part didn't quite land because it felt like something we've seen a billion times before. Also, I don't care about Schmidt's sex life or the fact that he's in love with Cece. That ship's sailed.

GRADE: B+

The New Normal: "The XY Factor"

What Worked: I'm nowhere close to being a father, but even I could understand where Bryan was coming from when it came to the gender of his unborn child, and the added angst made the character even more sympathetic, so I couldn't help but smile when he realized that he could be a good father to a son.

What Didn't Work: Even though I thought that Goldie's story line worked this week, and I was happy that she's been given some direction, my beef has more to do with the fact that she's floundered for most of this season. The character really hasn't had much to do besides putting up with her wacky family, and there were even moments when she was nothing more than a prop. I hope we get more stuff from her moving forward; if not then I'll be convinced that Ryan Murphy hates blonde, pregnant women. Or he cannot write for them at the very least.

GRADE: B

Wednesday
Arrow: "Muse of Fire"

What Worked: I like the idea of Helena Bertinelli but we'll have to wait to see about the execution. Her introduction was decent enough, although I couldn't remember if her family's been a major player up until this point or if it was just introduced, and I'm glad that Oliver's been given a romantic foil for now because the rest of the characters are not pulling their weight in the love department.

What Didn't Work: So, that last comment had to do with the fact that I still do not care about Laurel and Tommy. His courtship was not cute, and the only positive this story brought to the table was the fact that Captain Jack's his father. Also, has the acting always been this bad? I know that Stephen Amell's chops haven't quite been there all season long, but it felt like everyone was too busy chewing scenery.

GRADE: B-

Modern Family: "When a Tree Falls"

What Worked: Luke got a few chuckles out of me, and the Phil/Jay combination's usually works for me but that was about it.

What Didn't Work: Cam in a tree was stupid. Cam in Cats was stupid. Mitchell giving in to Cam was stupid. Claire and Gloria at Costco was stupid. Alex trying to humiliate Haley was slightly less stupid but far more insidious and not very fun. At this point, I'm done writing about Modern Family. I'm just tied of writing the exact same thing over and over again, and I'm those few people who read these entries are just as burnt out on my indifference. I'll keep watching it, and I might add it back to the Report Card if it improves but that's doubtful based on the last two and half seasons. I just cannot do it anymore.

GRADE: D

American Horror Story: Asylum: "Dark Cousin"

What Worked: Maybe I've become desensitized but this episode did not seem as frantic as previous installments. The angel of death was a nice touch which was used quite effectively and I hope this was not the only time we got to see her. And there were some good performances as usual.

What Didn't Work: While I thought Sarah Paulson did a great job during the episode, I didn't care for the curve ball that was thrown at us after she escaped from Bloody Face's lair. I understand that they needed to get her back to Briarcliff (sort of), but having her get away from one monster just to encounter another was a little silly.

GRADE: B

Nashville: "Lovesick Blues"

What Worked: If the last two episodes are an indication of the new direction Nashville's going in, then I'm going to be a happier camper because I thought that this was another solid episode. Having Rayna and Juliette ditch their love triangle with Deacon in favor of actually making music has been a breath of fresh air.
Leave the lovey dovey angst to Gunner and Scarlet.

What Didn't Work: Do I really have to write it? Fine. Nothing will ever make me care about the mayoral campaign storyline. Nothing at all. It even upset me even more because the supposed clean Carlisle decided to jump in the mud with Rayna's husband (I honestly don't know his name at this point). Just horrible stuff all around.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "My Brother's Keeper"

What Worked: As much as The Vampire Diaries has frustrated me this season, I still enjoy plent of aspects of the show. For one, I love Caroline Forbes. Love her. So, seeing her tear into Elena for being an idiot was amazing and made up for everything else in one single swoop. And I'll admit that my Caroline/Stefan shipper tendencies are speaking for me, but that's fine by me. Something else I liked, Jeremy stabbing Elena in the neck.

What Didn't Work: As you can see, I still hate Elena. She has never been my favorite thing about TVD and so far she's made me question why I'm still watching. Her damsel in distress routine's getting old because she insists on doing stupid things to get herself into trouble. I cannot have sympathy for a character like that. As for her romp with Damon? Yawn. I'm just glad they decided to pull the rug from under us by blaming a sire bond. That should make Dalena fans happy.

GRADE: C

30 Rock: "Mazel Tov, Dummies!"

What Worked: I guess the idea of Liz Lemon finally getting married has entertainment value, but I would've liked to have seen it be taken seriously. Sure, this was a 30 Rock wedding but still. Honestly, my favorite moments had to do with Jenna which surprised me since I don't like her, but watching her and Jack realize how their aging was bittersweet..

What Didn't Work: I honestly cannot think of why we needed Tracy around this week. To be fair, his story went along with the rest of the episode's theme but having him on his own can be a tricky thing to pull off, and unfortunately he didn't stick the landing.

GRADE:

Glee: "Thanksgiving"

What Worked: Much like The Walking Dead and Nashville, it's going to be easy to figure out how I felt about Glee. The stuff that revolved around McKinley and Sectionals worked for me because it was a good mix of old and new. Having the graduates come back to mentor the newbies was a good idea that I wish had developed more but it felt like Glee was successfully blending its two generations...

What Didn't Work: But then we had to go to New York to see what Rachel and Kurt were up to and all of the momentum was lost. Once again, I don't care about NYC and I don't know what Murphy and Co. have to do in order to get me invested. Having characters constantly going back and forth won't work but something needs to happen. And who cares what a Kiki is?

GRADE: B-

Elementary: "The Long Fuse"

What Worked: For the first time in a long time I was not bored by the case-of-the-week. Dr. Cuddy playing a hooker who tried to bomb her own business was entertaining enough to keep me from wandering off, and I liked how Lisa Edelstein once again played a character smitten with a Sherlock-ain character. I'd say she was in to the real deal, but we all know that Miller's version is as much Holmes as Dr. House was. Police stuff aside, I also appreciated the Sherlock and Joan moments as she prepped him for her departure. We all know she's not going anywhere but the idea of breaking them up was intriguing.

What Didn't Work: Even though I wasn't bored by this week's case, the procedural nature's still the show's biggest drawback. I don't expect CBS to stray from what it works, but Elementary's still not doing enough to make it standout from the rest of its ilk. Castle and Bones are just as by-the-book as this show, but there's enough unique elements to set them apart. Right now, Sherlock Holmes isn't enough to make Elementary more than what it's supposed to be.

GRADE: B-

Friday
Nikita: "The Sword's Edge"

What Worked: I got a kick out of this week's mission, but I found myself caught up more in the Alex and Owen moments. Now, I don't need Nikita to be bogged down in relationships, but the idea of Alex and Owen's far more interesting than her with Sean because Lyndsy Fonseca has way more chemistry with Sawa than she does with the other guy. Also, how good was Sawa in that interrogation scene?

What Didn't Work: I'm getting a little burned out with all of the distrust going around Division, and I felt that Ryan's getting an unfair shake since no one really knows how to run a covert, black ops outfit for good and not evil. But that's a minor quibble.

GRADE: B

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 45: This Is A Tasty Burger

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 45. During this episode Kristal and I discussed the death of Larry Hagman, cast shakeups, the return of Cory and Topanga, the current episodes of Bob's Burgers, Raising Hope, Wedding Band and Glee, as well as what they're looking forward to. There are some sound quality issues, so please pardon the mess. Check out the episode breakdown to avoid any possible spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:02

TV News: 1:03 - 20:09

• Larry Hagman: 1:03 - 3:31
• The Mindy Project and Community cast shakeups: 3:32 - 13:08
• Cory and Topanga officially join Girl Meets World: 13:09 - 18:09
• Series 3 of Sherlock delayed: 18:10 - 20:09

What We're Watching: 20:10 - 38:51

• Bob's Burgers: 20:11 - 24:04
• Raising Hope and Wedding Band: 24:05 - 28:00
• Glee: 28:01 - 38:51

What We're Looking Forward To: 38:52 - 42:05

• Leverage and The Walking Dead

Closing: 42:06 - End

Check out the episode below, download it over at iTunes or stream it on Stitcher:


For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents
Screen Invasion: @screeninvasion
Invasion Radio: @invasionradio

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "When the Dead Come Knocking"

Comparatively speaking, "When the Dead Come Knocking" wasn't as pedal to the metal as some of the previous episodes due to its lack of zombie ultimate fighting and hunting parties out for Michonne, but it was still a well-crafted hour of television that set the table for what should be an epic mid-season finale.

In Woodbury, Merle took a shot at getting some information on his brother and the rest of Rick's party by interrogating Glenn. When it was clear that he was not going to give up the goods, Merle roughed Glenn up a little and even sicked a walker on him. Thankfully, life in the post-zombie world has taught Glenn a thing or two and he was able to save himself. Meanwhile, the Governor took it upon himself to question Maggie, but he took a very different approach. Instead of physically torturing her, he took a psychological route by having her remove her top and threatening to rape her. In the end, it was all a power play to rattle her cage, and he was able to get what he wanted after he threatened to kill Glenn in front of her. Now, the Governor has intel on the prison and we're one step closer to the inevitable showdown.

Actually, we might be even closer to the face off because Rick and a band of survivors showed up at Woodbury's doorstep when they learned that Glenn and Maggie were taken. A weary Michonne had to fight off some walkers in front of the prison after they caught a wiff of her blood, and eventually Rick and Carl saved her after she passed out from her wound. She was brought into the prison and was staying at arms length until she witnessed the return of Carol and how it affected this new group that she stumbled upon. Michonne eventually came around and told Rick about Woodbury and what happened to Glenn and Maggie. Once she was patched up by Hershel, she accompanied Rick, Daryl and Oscar on a mission to get their people back. After a brief detour that involved walkers, a cabin in the woods and its occupant (who was sacrificed so they could live on), the search party showed up at Woodbury ready to bust out their friends.

I know that I'm going to sound like a broken record, but pretty much everything that involved Rick and the prison worked (even the admittedly silly cabin scene) while Woodbury continued to be the show's main weak spot. Granted, the interrogations of Glenn and Maggie were disturbing, especially the latter since it showed how despicable the Governor can be, but the prison still packed the most emotional wallops due to the return of Carol and them gearing up to get their people back. Woodbury just had bad men doing horrible things under the guise of survival, but we all know it's about more than that. And to be fair, killing the hermit in the woods and sacrificing him to the walkers was just as self-serving, but that felt like more humane compared to what Merle and the Governor were doing.

The thing is Woobury's not hamstrung just by its lack of action, which included a C-plot about Andrea helping Milton with an experiment on whether biters maintain a sense of consciousness after they've turned, but also due to a lack of compelling characters. Sure, the Governor's shaping up to be a somewhat interesting villain, but Merle's already showing signs of regression, and Andrea's cluelessness is starting to be a huge detriment. Even Michonne switching sides wasn't enough to make her any more interesting because she was only there to help Rick inch towards the Governor, and this lack of development was the episode's biggest misstep because we could have learned so much about her but she continued to be a plot device instead of a true character. That said, things could get really interesting once Daryl, Merle, Michonne and Andrea are all reunited and loyalties are tested.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The exchange between Rick and Carol after she realized that Lori died was beyond amazing.
• In my opinion, Michonne's turning point was when she saw how Rick's group was a family rather than just a community, and that's something she could get on board with over just security and electricity.
• We also got a great moment between Rick and Carl as they talked about what's happened and naming the new baby Judith.
• Aw man, I really wanted to see Beth kick some ass.
• Andrea and Milton's experiment raised some interesting questions, but boy did those scenes suck the wind out of this episode.
• Glenn's such a badass.
• Honestly, I'd rather take Glenn's beating than be subjected to what Maggie had to endure.
• "It's what we do."
• "Remember the Alamo?"

In a lot ways, "When the Dead Come Knocking" was a bridge episode primed to get everyone pumped for the mid-season finale and it did just that. There were enough character and plot-centric moments to make up for the relative lack of zombie killing, and for the most part they did their job because I'm excited for next week. I can't wait!

TV Report Card: Week of November 18, 2012

Thanksgiving seriously cut into my time, so this is going to be a very bare-bones edition of the TV Report Card.

Sunday
The Walking Dead, "Hounded"
I bought the bait-and-switch involving Rick and the phone calls, but I could've done without Woodbury and Merle's hunting party for Michonne. GRADE: B-

Homeland: "I'll Fly Away"
I'm always going to be a fan of Carrie and Brody on their own, but Dana's story took a slight step back, and who didn't see Nazir showing up at the end of the episode? GRADE: B

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "The Stamp Tramp"
It wasn't the worst episode ever, but it still wasn't any good. When are the writers going to learn that trying to come up with new pop culture catchphrases and strained sports metaphors can only go so far? GRADE: D

Castle: "After Hours"
An episode that takes Kate and Rick into the depths of NYC after midnight should be exciting, but this one was only OK. GRADE: B

Tuesday
Raising Hope: "Candy Wars"
One of the funniest episodes of television so far. GRADE: A-

Ben and Kate: "Reunion"
I was happy that it wasn't a full Thanksgiving episode, and I liked that we got more of Will, but the BJ and Ben stuff was so tired. GRADE: B-

Happy Endings: "More Like Stanksgiving"
Happy Endings isn't the new Friends yet, but some more Thanksgiving episodes like this one and it could get there. Plus, The Real World: Sacramento and Dave facing the hardships of his Native American brethren. Funny stuff. GRADE: B+

Go On: "Dinner Takes All"
I was expecting more from Lauren Graham, and we did not get enough of Carrie. I have a feeling I'm going to be constantly let down by this show's criminal under-utilization of that character. GRADE: B-

New Girl: "Parents"
It was OK. I appreciated how the episode tried to subvert the idea of Jess and Nick, and I liked the dueling Schmidts, but overall it was decent enough. GRADE: B-

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "It's a Miracle..."
Chloe was better this time around than usual, but James Van Deer Beek was wasted in spite of him having a few good lines and moments. GRADE: B

The New Normal: "Pardon Me"
This one was hard to sit through because the main characters came off as kind of selfish. Usually, that's not a bad thing, but it didn't work this time around. GRADE: C+

Wednesday
American Horror Story: Asylum, "The Origins of Monstrosity"
Sure, there was a lot of exposition but the episode was twisted enough to keep things interesting. Quinto was creepy as all get out, and we got to see a priest use his Rosary as a whip/garrote. GRADE: B

Thursday
Glee: "Dynamic Duets"
Probably one of the best episodes in a long time because it successfully meshed theme, music and story. Yes, Glee's always done that but it wasn't as clunky this time around. GRADE: A-

So, there you have a very rushed and to the point TV Report Card. Hopefully, I'll be able to dedicated more time to next week's. See you then.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Hounded"

So far, Season 3 of The Walking Dead has been firing on all cylinders, but it was bound to have an episode that didn't completely click and that episode was "Hounded." Now, that's not to say that it was a misfire by any means because it was still highly entertaining, but it wasn't as solid as previous installments due to some interesting storytelling decisions and anti-climactic moments.

At the prison, Rick was given a glimmer of hope after he answered the phone and spoke to some representatives from another group of survivors who claimed to be somewhere safe. He did his best to convince them to take them in, but things hit a roadblock when he refused to talk about Lori's death. After a series of strange calls, one that included Lori's voice on the other end of the line, it became clear that everything that had been going on was another symptom of Rick's break with reality. The last remnants of hope were shattered, but Rick took solace in the fact that he was able to tell his wife that he loved her one last time.

Meanwhile, Daryl tried to bond with Carl while on a sweep, but they were ambushed by a walker that had Carol's knife stuck in its neck. A shaken Daryl tried to come to terms with Carol's death when a rattling door pushed him over the edge. He prepared to kill the walker behind it, but he was shocked to find Carol sitting there instead of a zombie.

In Woodbury, Andrea continued to adapt to living in this new community and voiced her displeasure over the biter death matches, but she was committed to being a productive member of society and volunteered to work the wall. After her first lesson in being a sentinel went sideways, she got a talking to from the Governor, which led to her admitting that she did enjoy the fights but was ashamed to admit it, and that in turn led to drinks and some sexy time.

While the Governor was getting closer to Andrea, Merle was heading up a mission to find Michonne. They came across a message she left them via zombie bits, and of course Merle ignored it, so Michonne decided to ambush the group and ended up killing two of them. Merle and some new guy continued the hunt and engaged her again until a herd of biters showed up. She was able to get away, and Merle decided to head back instead of following her into the "red zone." When it the new guy said that he wouldn't lie to the Governor and admit that they didn't kill her, Merle shot him in the head. A wounded Michonne found a strip mall, and Glenn and Maggie pulled up while on a supply run. She stayed back and watched as Merle showed up and forced Glenn and Maggie to accompany him back to Woodbury. Michonne made her way to the prison, which she overheard them talking about, and stumbled up at the gates where she came face to face with a shocked Rick.

I'll be honest, I was duped at the end of the last episode when the phone started to ring, but it became obvious as things progressed that the voices were either figments of Rick's imagination or coming from Woodbury. I was pleased that it was the former because it added some depth to what's been going on with Rick, and it allowed Andrew Lincoln to continue to give amazing performances. Plus, it added to the bleakness and despair because it looks like there's no hope. Was the actual device of phone calls from the beyond a little silly? Sure, but I thought that the scenes were effective and entertaining.

It's just too bad that I didn't feel the same way about Woodbury and the hunting party. Now, I'll give Merle and his lackeys credit for adding some action to what could have been a very dark and cerebral episode, but I have to admit that it also brought some silliness. After trying to paint Merle in a different light, his character reverted back to his violent, redneck days. To the show's credit, I was a little surprised when he found Glenn and Maggie, but it really shouldn't have because of course Michonne was going to show up at the strip mall which meant he was not far behind. And while some of the machinations were a bit contrived, I was excited when Rick noticed Michonne walking up to the prison because that means that the two stories should be meshing soon. Let's just cross our fingers that the prison makes Woodbury more interesting and not the other way around.

Other Odds and Ends:

• My favorite moment by far was when Daryl told Carl the story about how his mother passed. It was just a nice, humanizing moment that should earn Norman Reedus an Emmy nomination.
• On the flipside, I was a little annoyed when Carol popped back up because it took away from last week's scene where Daryl placed the Cherokee rose on her grave. I suppose he could have been putting it on T-Dog's but I doubt that.
• Was I the only one who thought that Andrea and the Governor hooking up was a little icky?

Like I mentioned before, it's hard for every episode to be a winner, and every show's bound to have a few bumps along the way. "Hounded" was just another one in The Walking Dead's path, but it was by far better than most of Season 2's weakest moments, and there was still enough to admire when it was all said and done. So, while "Hounded" was far from perfect, and had its fair share of issues, it was still entertaining and that's all I can really ask from any show.