The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 15 "The Calm Before" Discussion Thread

[Man in the Suit]

Directed by Laura Belsey
Written by Geraldine Inoa & Channing Powell​

 

[NotNickFury]

This may indeed have the big moment from issue #144 in it. If so, very much to seeing how this episode concludes.

 

[galmorzu]

Here it comes...

 

[kvz5]

Wasn’t

Spoiler

Rosita and Ezekiel in the comic line-up

I’m surprisingly sad for

Spoiler

Tara, Enid, and the Highwaymen helping and paying for it with their lives.

 

[NotNickFury]

Alright, so we finally got the big border reveal from issue #144 brought to life. I see they didn't go the comic route and kill off characters like Rosita and Ezekiel, but getting rid of folks like Henry and Tara is still a big deal. Sort of wish that we had ended the episode like the issue did with just the reveal and wondering what happened next, rather than getting Siddiq's uplifting speech.

Still, though, good episode. This easily could've been the season finale and I don't know why it isn't, but I suppose we'll see how this all wraps up next week.

 

[galmorzu]

Yeah, I'm ready for Negan to kick some butts again.

 

[squeekness]

For whatever reason my DVR cut off right after Alpha sits next to Lydia in the theater. Had to read a recap to get what I missed.

 

[Man in the Suit]

The pikes reveal, Daryl screaming no, Carol's reaction, Bear Mcreary's score... That was great.

 

[ironman_rick]

Henry is out........finally.

 

[KevTravels]

One of the top 5 episodes of the series IMO

 

[ironman_rick]

Yeah, I'm ready for Negan to kick some butts again.

Yup....... i think they have teased us a Negan face turn for quite some time. It would be awesome to see him brutalize the whisperers.

 

[blackdragon6]

Henry's death was shocking cause it was unexpected. But I think it was a great bait and switch. Cause clearly he's not Carl's replacement, and probably wasn't meant to be. Yeah he took some of Carl's arc, but its clear now that Henry was his own character. And ironically I think the character is better for it.

 

[ironman_rick]

A Sort of wish that we had ended the episode like the issue did with just the reveal and wondering what happened next, rather than getting Siddiq's uplifting speech.

Yup, it would have been an awesome end to this episode and that will almost guarantee monster ratings for the show next week.

 

[KingDrac]

For whatever reason my DVR cut off right after Alpha sits next to Lydia in the theater. Had to read a recap to get what I missed.

Mine cut out early as well but a little after that scene. Very annoying.

 

[squeekness]

I'm rewatching it now on demand. Of course it won't let me fast forward so I'm just letting it run until I get to what I missed.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I thought it was pretty great episode. I think the show has made major strides in bringing a sense of fun and humanity to the series. If I had a complaint (or two) it's that I wish they had picked a more iconic movie, considering how much they had been talking it up. The actual scene lacked the fan fare I felt it deserved.

As for the pike scene, I thought it was actually really well done and handled. But the show may have pulled it's punch regarding who it killed off. I've been seeing a lot of reactions where people either didn't recognize some of the people, or were relieved that others had been spared. Unfortunately, because we are without Rick and Maggie, and because Michonne will be leaving next season, the show is down to Daryl and Carol has series regulars, with a lot of relatively new faces. Meaning they may have been reluctant to kill off some of the people it did in the comic.

 

[galmorzu]

I thought if they had done what the comics did and have Rosita there, it would have had even more of a heart-wrenching impact knowing she had been pregnant.

But I'm really glad Ezekiel wasn't taken. I think the show still needs someone with his kind of character and charisma just to balance things out. His actor just knocks it out of the park.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Still one more episode left. I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted to give Ezekiel a more heroic death.

 

[squeekness]

I'm glad I rewatched it. Seeing the ending had more of an emotional impact than just reading a recap. It is a bit annoying that no one seems to hang around like g, like the writers just live to kill people off.

 

[Erik20]

I don't know how they did it in the comics, but I was surprised a pretty important character like

Spoiler

Tara, who has been on the show for years

got killed off without getting a death scene.

I'm glad they didn't announce the actors leaving beforehand, like they recently seem to be doing a lot. I prefer to just see it happen on screen without already knowing "something" is going to happen to a certain character. For instance Jesus dying would've been a lot more shocking to me if I hadn't already heard the actor was going to quit...

And in hindsight, it was a nice swerve with

Spoiler

Henry. It wouldn't have much of an impact if we weren't forced to spend that much time with him. Also really sad about Enid

Great episode, I think the show really needed a "big event" like this. It's been a while, but this felt like I was watching the "old" Walking Dead I used to love. I hope they can keep this up from now on.

(I'm still using spoiler tags, just in case..)

 

[KevTravels]

Yup, it would have been an awesome end to this episode and that will almost guarantee monster ratings for the show next week.

Monster ratings for this season would be 8 million or so since the average has been around 5 million.

 

[Iron_Stark]

Just watched the episode last night, man that was gut wrenching, heartbreaking, and brutal.

That's how you end an episode! That's how you end a season. I can't wait for next week's episode, Carol cut your hair and Michonne, UNLEASH NEGAN!!

 

[X-Ray]

For whatever reason my DVR cut off right after Alpha sits next to Lydia in the theater. Had to read a recap to get what I missed.

Oddly enough. My cut off at that exact moment too. Watched rhe rest online. **** the on demand route with no fast foward feature.

 

[Gut0nez]

For whatever reason my DVR cut off right after Alpha sits next to Lydia in the theater. Had to read a recap to get what I missed.

Mine cut out early as well but a little after that scene. Very annoying.

Oddly enough. My cut off at that exact moment too. Watched rhe rest online. **** the on demand route with no fast foward feature.

This episode was about 10 minutes longer than usual and I don't remember seeing any announcement about it beforehand, so I think most networks didn't have the time to update their listings with the correct end time for the episode. That's my best guess as to why a lot of DVRs seem to have cut the episode short at the end.

 

[Drizzle]

I missed seeing it air. My DVR cut off too but I knew it had been extended because I had seen something they posted on Facebook so I just watched it on demand right away.

Spoiler

I have to say I wasn’t affected by any of the deaths at all. I would have had it been Ezekiel, Jerry or even Rosita. But I’ve wanted Tara dead for a while and I never really cared about Enid or new Carl. Was it a shock? Sure, but it wasn’t “one of the greatest TWD episodes ever” like some are saying. Was it the best since Rick left? Sure, but this show is still just a shell of what it once was.