The Strolling Lifeless returned (kind of) with yet one more spinoff: Lifeless Metropolis. Technically, Lifeless Metropolis is a sequel as a result of it picks up the tales of Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). I used to be excited for this as a result of in contrast to the opposite spinoffs, we really already knew the primary characters. Cohen is nice even when Maggie has by no means been one in every of my favourite characters, however who doesn’t love – or at the least like to hate – Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan? As well as, Željko Ivanek can also be in the primary forged as “The Croat,” and I’m an enormous fan of his work (Damages, Heroes, 24, Madam Secretary, 12 Monkeys) – simply to scratch the floor of his tv work!). However – and this can be a huge BUT – Eli Jorné is the showrunner, and in case you’re like me, you thought… who? He joined The Strolling Lifeless within the remaining season and wrote 3 episodes – not precisely a deep reference to the franchise. The particular results are typically fairly lack lustre as a result of Greg Nicotero is barely a “consulting producer” on the present.
“Outdated Acquaintances” was written by Eli Jorné and was directed by Loren Yaconelli (FBI: Worldwide, The Cleansing Woman, The Strolling Lifeless, and The Strolling Lifeless: World Past), who at the least has some expertise within the Lifeless universe. The whole premise of the present is de facto Escape From New York with out a younger and really horny Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken (not gonna lie, that’s the primary time I’ve written out his identify and simply obtained the “Pliss” appears like hiss…). Maggie has to sneak onto Manhattan to rescue Hershel (now performed by Logan Kim) – simply as Snake needed to sneak in to rescue the President…
Proper from the start scene this felt “off” to me. Maggie is alone scoping out Manhattan. She sees walkers and, apparently terrified, hides underneath the remnants of an overpass. As she’s watching them cross, one other sneaks up on her and nearly kills her. I suppose the entire story might have been advised as a flashback, however fairly unlikely the star can be killed earlier than the credit roll on the primary episode… She fights him off, making a bloody pulp of his face (an attention-grabbing parallel to the flashbacks of Glenn) – making quite a lot of noise that by some means doesn’t entice the opposite walkers again to her.
Maggie is on a mission to search out Negan to assist get her son again from the Croat – who simply occurs to know Negan – who’s holding Hershel for ransom to get grain out of Maggie’s neighborhood – which is now not at Hilltop… Aside from Negan realizing the Croat, I’m nonetheless questioning why Maggie didn’t name on her previous mates to assist her.
Maggie traces Negan to a bar run by Michelle Hurd. She finds that he has befriended a traumatized woman – Ginny (Mahina Napoleon). Ginny will get dropped off at Maggie’s new neighborhood despite the fact that Napoleon is listed as an everyday. There’s by no means any reply to what occurred to Negan’s son or spouse – although there appears to have been some hassle with a “Justice of the Peace.” They introduce a brand new neighborhood: New Babylon – not refined – that’s clearly mimicking the “previous west” tropes. We even get Marshalls in duster coats – Gaius Charles performs Perlie Armstrong – the one Marshall nonetheless standing by the tip of the episode. He offers Michelle Hurd’s unnamed character good previous frontier justice by feeding her to walkers – that are known as “chompers.”
The episode returns to the nice/unhealthy man query that has been explored all through the sequence. Maggie nonetheless hasn’t forgiven Negan for Glenn on any degree, however Negan throws it again at her, asking her what number of fathers she’s killed. That comment is probably going answerable for her not killing Perlie after he tells her that he’s a father.
An deserted New York with walkers falling from the sky is an effective backdrop – and naturally Negan continues to get one of the best traces as a result of he would have been mates with Snake Plissken… The Croat is clearly the large unhealthy who enjoys torturing individuals. It’s unclear why he would wish to torture Hershel apart from being one other psycho. It’s going to be laborious to extend the stress with him beginning out at 11 – villains just like the Governor have been at all times more practical as a result of they appeared affordable on the floor. I’m certain all of us seen that the Croat (and what the hell does that signify/imply?!?!?!) was lacking an ear AND that it regarded prefer it was probably burned off – extra of Negan’s ironing handiwork? I can’t say that it was a very effectively carried out impact – however let’s keep in mind that Nicotero isn’t doing this present.
Total, I discovered this episode poorly paced and the plot very by-product. I’ll maintain watching due to Ivanek and Morgan – I AM very excited for them to have scenes collectively! Nonetheless, I believe that The Strolling Lifeless’s shedding streak relating to spinoffs/sequels is constant. I hope I’m improper, however do you assume I’m? Persuade me in any other case within the feedback! Let me know what YOU considered the episode.
