Tales of the Strolling Lifeless debuted with “Evie/Joe” written by the crew of Maya Goldsmith (The Strolling Lifeless: World Past, Tips on how to Get Away with Homicide, and Fairly Little Liars) and Ben Sokolowski (The Strolling Lifeless: World Past, Arrow, and The Flash) and directed by Ron Underwood, whose different credit embrace Worry the Strolling Lifeless, Hawaii 5-O, As soon as Upon a Time, and Brokers of S.H.I.E.L.D. Underwood has an extended and spectacular profession behind him, and I actually favored the work Sokolowski did on Arrow, however World Past was a large misstep for the franchise. I used to be not a fan of World Past nor of Creepshow, so I used to be a bit nervous about how I’d like Tales. Nonetheless, the primary episode obtained the sequence off to a stable begin.
Whereas “Evie/Joe” didn’t have the identical general really feel of The Strolling Lifeless, if we’re being trustworthy, The Strolling Lifeless doesn’t have it anymore both. However I liked the horror film/highway journey vibe that the episode did have. Is Terry Crews (Joe) the most effective actor ever? Not likely. Did he clearly have an absolute ball filming this? You betcha, he did! And that enthusiasm paid off massive time for me. Olivia Munn (Evie) was completely sensible because the hippie, new age sidekick to no-nonsense, jock Joe. Full disclosure, I’m a giant fan of Munn… Kersti Bryan is completely fabulous as Sandra.
I like that the episode takes us again to the start once more – or at the least shortly after the start and provides us a glimpse of what occurred to a few survivalists. Naturally, the met in a chat room of finish of worlders. Joe is coping fairly effectively after we first see him. He’s a loner, so he appears happy with being alone. He’s obtained issues – SODUKO – to maintain his mind sharp, and he has a routine, together with train. He’s additionally deliberate forward with a self-sufficient bunker. He’s additionally not fairly alone as a result of he has Gilligan – his Doberman. I completely love that he gave the canine that title – as a result of he’s stranded on his personal desert island! I want we’d seen an indication that known as his bunker the Minnow… Issues are superb till the inevitable dying of Gilligan. Then, Joe begins to really feel the isolation and makes the choice to search out the girl he’d been chatting with on the discussion board.
Joe leaves his safe location on a tricked out bike, carrying his collectible soccer helmet – wouldn’t an precise bike helmet have been higher? Regardless, as ready and succesful as he appears, he runs into the traps that Evie has set and turns into her prisoner. She looks like she mustn’t have made it this far. She’s clearly set traps and is able to killing the “toe-tags,” however she’s residing alone in a cabin. Can we assume that primarily residing off the grid has additionally ready her for the Apocalypse? As a result of Joe has a kill change on the bike, she has to take him together with her on her personal highway journey to attempt to discover her ex.
After all, the 2 opposites find yourself bonding on the highway – till Evie distracts Joe who leaves the bike operating – and a few man steals it, leaving them a child goat as cost. The 2 break up up once they get near their respective locations – and what are the chances that they’d each be heading by way of Ohio to the identical space of Michigan anyway? Evie leads to one other cabin – her ex’s. He’s been angry-painting all of the individuals he hates. She appears to be like by way of canvases and at last finds a beautiful image of herself – he didn’t hate her. He’s not there, in fact, and we by no means do discover out what occurred to him.
Joe in the meantime has discovered Sandra’s home. As he’s surrounded by walkers, she opens the bunker doorways and he falls in, hurting his leg within the course of. Um… Joe? If a spot has as unwelcoming an entrance as that, there’s probability the welcome isn’t going to get higher! Sandra is socially awkward – as you’d anticipate. Is that this as a result of she’s socially awkward anyway (hellooooo web buddies!), or is that this isolation-induced awkwardness, or door quantity three, serial killer weirdness?!!!! This was truly form of a enjoyable analogy to our lockdowns of the final two years – how are individuals coping now that they’re again ‘on the planet’? Hopefully, higher than Sandra…
Sandra affords Joe a huge brownie – “selfmade” – and Joe digs in… and it’s drugged. Sandra coming again with “clown” make-up was improbable, traditional horror film. As was her continuing to attempt to kill him and being interrupted by Evie displaying up with the goat. This whole sequence was traditional horror, and I liked it – just a bit excessive, which it must be as a result of it’s such a traditional trope. Sandra getting the cleaver proper within the chest was excellent.
Evie and Joe set off once more – after a slim escape from walker-Sandra. Um… kill the mind, guys! I actually thought they may take over her bunker or discover Evie’s Ex’s watch amongst Sandra’s trophies, or at the least, steal Sandra’s journey that Joe had an image of. However now, they set off on foot. Evie factors out that they’re alive and there’s magnificence throughout them – effectively perhaps not proper there on the useless walker strewn bridge, however Joe will get what she means.
We’ll doubtless by no means know what occurs to them – however wouldn’t it’s cool to see them later – perhaps within the Frequent Wealth or New York in one of many spin offs? Lastly, it was excellent that Joe named the goat Skipper. It’s an ideal title for a goat (they actually do skip), but it surely additionally circles us again to Gilligan’s Island. So, clearly, I favored this primary episode after worrying that I wouldn’t just like the tone! My fingers are crossed that at the least many of the episodes are this good and so they didn’t simply air the most effective one first. What did you consider the episode? Are you in for the sequence? Let me know your ideas within the feedback under!
