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Monday, November 30, 2015

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone


'Supergirl' Gets Full Season 1 Pickup From CBS

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"Supergirl" fans have gotten some super news to start their week: CBS has ordered additional episodes of the freshman superhero drama, picking up the series for a full-season order.

CBS revealed the pickup on Monday morning, announcing that an additional seven episodes would be shot, bringing "Supergirl"'s first season to a total of 20 episodes. The drama stars Melissa Benoist as the titular heroine, who's struggling to adjust to her powers while also juggling a demanding day job working for a media mogul, played by Calista Flockhart.

The series has performed decently for the network, averaging 11.24 million viewers since its debut in October. While those aren't exactly blockbuster numbers, especially for the ratings powerhouse CBS, the show has gotten great buzz from critics and viewers alike, and Variety reports that the network is a fan of the show and is eager to support it. Ordering a full season is one way of doing that.

"Supergirl" joins fellow freshman shows "Limitless," "Life in Pieces," and "Code Black," which have all received either full-season or additional episode orders from CBS. Across all the networks, other new series getting full-season pickups include "Grandfathered," "The Grinder," "Rosewood," "Quantico," "Dr. Ken," "The Muppets," and "Blindspot."

"Supergirl" airs on Mondays on CBS.

[via: Variety]

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'The Walking Dead' Prologue Teases the Arrival of Negan

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the walking dead, twd, daryl, the saviors, neganWARNING: This post contains SPOILERS about last night's "Walking Dead" midseason finale and storylines from the "Walking Dead" comics.

If you didn't tune into AMC's new show, "Into the Badlands," after "The Walking Dead" last night, you may have missed an important clue from the second half of "TWD"'s sixth season: The very first mention of Negan, the notorious villain from the "Walking Dead" comics who's set to join the show soon.

The clip, which AMC released online shortly after it aired last night, features Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham driving the abandoned fuel truck Daryl found in the woods, on their way back to Alexandria after getting jumped by a mysterious gang. That group returns to antagonize them once more in this scene, blocking the roadway with their motorcycles; one of them demands that they turn over everything they have -- including their truck -- because "Everything belongs to Negan now."

As for just who this mysterious Negan is, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was recently cast to play him, though word on the street is that he won't actually show up until the season six finale in May. So just what makes him so bad, anyway? Comics fans know him well, but for the uninitiated, it boils down to this: Negan leads with violence, and instills fear in those around him. He takes what he wants -- forcefully -- under the guise of providing security to surrounding communities. And he's also known to wield a barbed wire-bound bat, dubbed Lucille, which he uses in the comics to kill one of the original members of our Atlanta gang.

In the midseason finale, Alexandria is completely overrun by walkers, and its people are completely lost. They could be desperate -- and stupid -- enough to turn to Negan's group for help (a theory I posed in my finale preview), setting up yet another showdown between sheriff's deputy Grimes and a big bad guy.

We'll have to wait another 10 weeks until we know more. "The Walking Dead" returns for its midseason premiere on February 14.

Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC

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Comedians Jordan Peele and Chelsea Peretti Are Engaged

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TNT LA - 67th Emmy Awards - Red CarpetTwo of our favorite comedians, Jordan Peele and Chelsea Peretti, are about to become one of our favorite married couples: The duo announced their engagement over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Peele and Peretti, who have been dating for two years, spent Turkey Day with Peretti's family, and it was there that Peele proposed. Peele announced the engagement on his Twitter page, tagging Peretti's name with an engagement ring emoji. Peretti filled in some of the details with her own tweet, writing that Peele popped the question "during the family talent show." Sounds about right for this hilarious couple.Peele, star of the recently-wrapped Comedy Central sketch series "Key & Peele," later followed up the announcement with another tweet, this time of New York Giants footballer Odell Beckham Jr. pulling off a dazzling a one-handed catch during Sunday's game. "Had to snag my girl @chelseaperetti like..." Peele wrote of his engagement to the actress, who stars on Fox sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."Congrats to the happy couple! They're pretty much guaranteed to have ridiculously funny children, right?

[via: Jordan Peele, Chelsea Peretti]

Photo credit: Getty Images for TNT LA

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Amy Schumer Poses Nearly Nude (With Coffee) for 2016 Pirelli Calendar

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2015 Governors Awards - ArrivalsYep, there's a real woman for ya! Amy Schumer wasn't required to bare (almost) all for her Annie Leibovitz photo shoot, but that's what Pirelli models usually do, so she did it for the 2016 calendar.

The "Trainwreck" and Comedy Central star is proud of her natural curves, and you may recall seeing them in her controversial "Star Wars" GQ photos and this tweet about her not-quite-model, not-quite-plus-size figure:

That was then, and it's still the case now, as Amy just showed off on Instagram, signalling a major tone shift for Pirelli's new calendar:

Don't miss the caption. Amy seems to be anticipating some negative feedback, but hopefully she gets MUCH more applause. It's refreshing to see more diverse kinds of beauty in a prominent showcase, instead of Pirelli's typical Barbie-esque models on the beach.

According to People, this year's Pirelli calendar honors 13 women "of outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment." Annie Leibovitz photographed the women, including Serena Williams, Patti Smith, and Yoko Ono, and most of the featured subjects kept their clothes on. But Serena also stripped down, to show her athletic body:


Here's a statement from Leibovitz on this year's theme:

"The 2000 Calendar was an exercise in photographing nudes. It was a simple concept. For 2016, we did something completely different, but it is still simple. It is a classic set of black-and-white portraits made in the studio. When Pirelli approached me, they said they wanted to make a departure from the past. They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women. After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward. I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense."


What do you think about this change in direction for Pirelli's "calendar girls"?

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Peter Jackson Teases 'Doctor Who' and 'LOTR' Fans in One Brilliant Video

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While you were busy stuffing your face this Thanksgiving weekend, Peter Jackson was in New Zealand whipping multiple fandoms into frenzies.

On his Facebook page, the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" director posted a very cheeky video, with his daughter reading off his work e-mails while he polished his Oscars. (You know every winner does this every weekend. They must.) She said he got an e-mail from Steven Moffat, asking if he'll direct an episode of "Doctor Who"'; and while PJ was busy insulting Moffat's scripts, in walked another Peter, Peter Capaldi:

"I'm the Doctor."
"Who?"
"Correct."


Home Invasion

This was an interesting weekend...

Posted by Peter Jackson on Sunday, November 29, 2015

Nice. The whole video is pretty clever, and includes a nod to "The Walking Dead" in the end, but what was the objective? Not only does it renew hopes that Peter Jackson, a "Doctor Who" fan, will direct an episode, no one missed that bookmarked copy of "The Silmarillion" on the director's desk:

What does THAT mean?! Most likely ... not much. As The Verge noted, that collection of stories was edited and published by J.R.R. Tolkien's son, Christopher, who is not a fan of the movies, and the rights are still held by the Tolkien family. So, as Peter has noted himself, it's unlikely that a movie will be made from "The Silmarillion" anytime soon.

What do you think this video means -- other than Peter maybe directing a "Doctor Who" episode -- and can you believe his daughter is all grown up now? Where did the time go?

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Will Ferrell Slam Drunks in This Hilarious Exclusive 'Daddy's Home' Clip

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Daddy's Home Exclusive Clip - Basketball Shot
Well, at least he loves his kids...

Will Ferrell plays the stepdad of wife Linda Cardellini's two children in "Daddy's Home," with Mark Wahlberg as the biological father. This forces Ferrell's mild-mannered executive Brad and Wahlberg's badass free spirit Dusty to compete for the affection of the kids, which already sounds like comedy gold. And now you can see some of that gold in action in this exclusive clip from the movie, which comes out on Christmas Day.

In the scene, all five extended family members -- wife Sarah, kids Megan and Dylan, and both dads -- are at a basketball game when Ferrell's Brad gets a chance to shoot from half-court and potentially win a family vacation to Disney World. All he has to do is sink a basket, and even though he slurs "Nothin' but net!" before shooting, you can see that he does hit something other than net. And she's probably not happy about it.

Even before doing ... that ... he says he's going to make it right, so we can expect something else to have gone wrong even before this pretty embarrassing moment. But dang it, he's trying, and he did say he loves the kids, so that's what counts, right?

"Daddy's Home" is in theaters December 25th, 2015.

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What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: November 30-December 6

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A Very Murray ChristmasAt a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

"Imba Means Sing"
This heartwarming documentary follows the journey of 20 Ugandan children in the African Children's Choir who spent 500 days on tour singing their way to better lives. The doc debuts globally On Demand on December 4, with 100 percent of the filmmaker profits going back to the choir.

Here's an exclusive clip of the kids sharing what they want to be when they grow up:Imba Means Sing DVD EXCLUSIVE - When I Grow Up
"Ted 2"
The foul-mouthed teddy bear is back! In this sequel, Ted marries his girlfriend, then they hit a snag with the birth of their child, since the law sees Ted as property, not a person. Cue Amanda Seyfried and Morgan Freeman as attorneys getting all "Legally Blonde" for Ted's cause. Mark Wahlberg returns as John, with Seth directing and voicing Ted. The digital release is this week, with the DVD/Blu-ray to come -- including several bonus features -- on December 15.

"The Transporter Refueled"
The fourth movie in the "Transporter" franchise loses Jason Statham as Frank Martin, but puts Ed Skrein (briefly Daario on "Game of Thrones") in the same role for another nonstop action ride. The critics didn't love this one, but it still has its defenders and you can check it out for yourself with the Digital HD release on December 1, and the Blu-ray/DVD to follow on December 8.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Fear the Walking Dead""The Walking Dead" spinoff that isn't technically a spinoff only had six episodes in its first season, but you can watch them all in a row -- with special features -- when Season 1 hits Blu-ray and DVD on December 1. The two-disc sets include character bios and "A Look at the Series."

"Amy"
The powerful Amy Winehouse documentary arrives on DVD/Blu-ray on December 1, complete with special features and 17 previously unseen scenes from Amy's personal archives.

Here's one:

"Cooties"
Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, and Rainn Wilson star in this horror comedy about killer zombie children at an elementary school and the teachers who must work together to escape. The movie is out on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on December 1 (it's already On Demand), with special features including deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, a gag reel, commentary, and a couple of featurettes.

New on Netflix

"A Very Murray Christmas"
Bill Murray + a dozen A-list stars + Sofia Coppola + Christmas = Must-See TV. Not that it's on TV, it's on Netflix. Either way, this Coppola-directed special is an "homage to the classic variety show" and it arrives December 4. The cast includes George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Paul Shaffer, Amy Poehler, Julie White, Dimitri Dimitrov, Michael Cera, Chris Rock, David Johansen, Maya Rudolph, Jason Schwartzman, Jenny Lewis, Rashida Jones, and more. Set inside New York City's iconic Carlyle hotel, the story opens with Murray preparing to host a live, international holiday broadcast. After a blizzard shuts down the production, he makes the best of the situation by singing and celebrating with friends, hotel employees, and anyone else who drops by. Miley supposedly steals the show, so see it for that, if nothing else.

"Real Rob"
Here's another Netflix Original, starring Rob Schneider in a semi-autobiographical comedy series, kind of like Aziz Ansari's "Master of None." This scripted series is meant to be an exaggerated yet brutally honest depiction of Schneider's real life. Season 1 guest stars include George Lopez, David Spade, and Norm Macdonald. It hits Netflix December 1.

"I'm Brent Morin"
Comedian Brent Morin, of NBC's "Undateable," shot his first-ever one-hour comedy special back in August and it's coming to Netflix on December 1. Here's Netflix's tease: "In a witty solo, Brent Morin serves up infectious laughs on the agony of puberty, hot guy problems, and the time a girl dumped him for a magician."

TV Worth Watching

"America's Next Top Model" (Friday on The CW at 9 p.m.)This is it. The entire "ANTM" series ends with the finale of Cycle 22. Who will win, Nyle, Lacey, Mamé, Mikey, or Dammit It'd Better Be Nyle? We choose that last one.

"The Great Holiday Baking Show" (Monday on ABC at 10 p.m.)
An American version of the warm and delicious U.K. hit "The Great British Bake Off" is coming to ABC, complete with Mary Berry as a judge, and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star Nia Vardalos and her husband Ian Gomez as hosts. The November 30 premiere is focused on Christmas cookies, with "Cake Week" to follow on December 7, and so on.

"Top Chef" (Wednesday on Bravo at 10 p.m.)
Season 13, aka "Top Chef: California," has a two-night premiere December 2-3, with 17 chefs; a bunch of new locations; host Padma Lakshmi; and judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Emeril Lagasse, and Richard Blais. Grayson Schmitz of "Top Chef: Texas" is one of the contestants, so wish her luck on her second course of competition!

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J.J. Abrams Called Daisy Ridley's 'Star Wars' Acting 'Wooden' on Her First Day

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Why is it that an insult tends to have a longer shelf life than a compliment? J.J. Abrams directed "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and he cast mostly unknown actress Daisy Ridley for the star-making lead role of Rey, probably because he saw that she was a great talent with incredible potential. But she remembers a comment he made on her first day of filming that darn near killed her off.

"I was petrified," Daisy told Glamour, in a cover story for the magazine's January 2016 issue. "I thought I was gonna have a panic attack on the first day. J.J. ... he probably doesn't remember telling me that my performance was wooden. This was my first day! And I honestly wanted to die. I thought I was gonna cry, I couldn't breathe."

Maybe that was part of J.J.'s hazing process? Just watching the trailers and clips and TV spots, you can already see a multi-dimensional performance from Daisy, so she can leave that "wooden" comment behind. Not that she has seen her full "Force Awakens" performance. She told Glamour, "I haven't seen the film yet - I kinda want to, and I kinda don't - Steven Spielberg's seen it three times, as he told me when I met him!" But did he say anything about her performance? If he said she was wooden too, she probably would've gone into hiding, so he must've liked what he saw (all three times).

"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" opens December 18th, 2015.

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The 'Civil War' Trailer Is Even Better as a Bromance Set to Adele's 'Hello'

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Just when you think Adele song mashups must be played out by now, another win like this emerges. The "Captain America: Civil War" trailer was just released last week, showcasing the lost love between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). So one fan remixed the entire trailer, setting it to Adele's "Hello" and calling it "Hello - The Civil War Bromance Version."

In the trailer, poster Anthony Meadows notes, "Cap says hello to Tony from the other side." Here's the emotional missed connection:

Hello - The Civil War Bromance Version (Adele) from Anthony Meadows on Vimeo.

Sniff. He's sorry for breaking your heart, man!

Unlike most "mashups" videos, this one doesn't re-edit footage to fit the theme, it just rolls with Marvel's actual trailer. You could probably do the same thing for "Batman v Superman" and a bunch of other superhero and action movies. Maybe that's the next step -- take scenes from multiple superhero bromances and re-edit them into one supercut set to Adele's ... anything.

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J.K. Rowling Gets Dragged Into Harry Potter Fans' Angry Snape Debate

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It started innocently enough with a Twitter question about the name of one of Harry Potter's sons, and spiraled into what J.K. Rowling herself called an "unplanned debate: "Snape: Good, Evil or What?"

Here's the initial question, Patient Zero of this debate, which references the middle name of Harry's second son, Albus Severus Potter:

That fan quickly got some heated responses from Severus Snape defenders, but here's what Rowling herself replied:

And the debate just flew wild like a Snitch from there, with Rowling responding to various arguments and calling for peace on both sides:

Whew! Harry Potter defeated Voldemort a while ago, but the fan wars are still raging on. It's easy to see both sides of "the great Snape debate," and some fans may be salty about Rowling's defense of Snape when she regularly disses Draco Malfoy and chides fans for crushing on him. Either way, it is a darn good thing these Twitter detours keep happening to J.K. Rowling and not "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin or he would NEVER finish Book 6 before "Game of Thrones" ends.

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'Gods of Egypt' Filmmakers 'Sincerely Apologize' for Cast's Lack of Diversity

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Unlike Ridley Scott with "Exodus: Gods and Kings," director Alex Proyas has chosen to issue an apology for casting a bunch of white people from Europe and Australia as Egyptians in "Gods of Egypt." Interestingly enough, studio Lionsgate also offered an apology and a promise to do "better." It's too late to do "better" for this particular film, which comes out February 26, 2016, but cynics could see this as an attempt to avoid the fate of Scott's "Gods and Kings."

"Gods of Egypt" is a fantasy film inspired by the classic mythology of Egypt, starring Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Geoffrey Rush, and Brenton Thwaites. Here's how director Alex Proyas and Lionsgate responded to the calls of whitewashing (via Forbes):

Alex Proyas:

"The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made."


Lionsgate:

"We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.​"


Ridley Scott faced similar whitewashing calls when he cast Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton as Moses and Ramses in "Exodus: Gods and Kings." He took a different approach, though, arguing that he could never get funding for his $140 million epic without a major name in the lead role and there just aren't enough A-listers from the actual place where the story is set. "I can't mount a film of this budget, where I have to rely on tax rebates in Spain, and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such," Scott told Variety. "I'm just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn't even come up."

Variety noted that "The Passion of the Christ," "Noah," "The Ten Commandments," and "virtually any other big-budget Bible movies" also cast white Europeans, Americans, and Australians. But that sounds like less of a valid reason for casting white stars than a valid reason for casting more non-white people in roles that can give them a chance to build A-list level profiles, so the financiers who only care about money become more willing to back big-budget films led by people other colors than spray-tanned white.

Fans had mixed responses to the "Gods of Egypt" apologies, but here's "Selma" director Ava DuVernay to leave things on a mostly positive note:


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8 Rom-Com Couples That Are So Not Still Together

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What happens after the sunset sets, the passionate kiss commences, and the credits roll? Not every romantic comedy couple can live happily ever after -- it's statistically impossible. We're sure there are a handful of cinematic lovebirds that are sure to grow old together, but you have to admit that some pairings are just clearly not meant to be. Here are 8 rom-com couples who are definitely broken up by now.

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'The Walking Dead' Season 6 Midseason Finale Recap: Tiptoe Through the Tulips

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the walking dead, 608, midseason finale, michonne, start to finish I'm pleased to report that the producers of "The Walking Dead" have apparently heard my repeated pleas for someone, anyone, to eat Judith Grimes, and delivered a hilarious fake-out during tonight's midseason finale, in which Rick thought a zombiefied Deanna was about to make a meal out of his daughter. Thankfully for the constable, that didn't happen, but I appreciated the nod to the plausibility of such a scenario, considering how poorly attended that poor toddler has been over the past few seasons. (Not to mention all those Alexandrians with baby flesh lust in their eyes.)

Unfortunately for viewers, that moment was one of the most dramatic things to happen during this ho-hum hour, which didn't address nearly as many of the plotlines I'd hoped it would, and had incredibly low stakes, despite the loss of a (somewhat) major character, and the presence of all those zombies milling around outside – and now inside a few houses, too. It makes sense that the walkers' eradication will be a long, slow process, considering the strength of their ranks, and it also made sense to linger for a bit on our various survivors' reactions to their invasion, since for some (Jessie, Sam, Ron, Deanna), this is a brand new experience. But such a micro focus pulled attention away from other macro problems that I think could have – and should have – been better served. Tonight's episode felt less like a midseason finale, and more like a penultimate episode; the pieces were put in place, but not enough of them moved forward for my taste.

Take the demise of Deanna, for instance, whose death was surprisingly emotional, considering what little time we've spent with this character. I was glad to see her come to terms with her eventual transition into zombiehood, and offer to off herself so that no one else would have to. And she officially made Rick HBIC, telling the constable that everyone in Alexandria was "his people" now. But did we really need two separate scenes of her ruminating about her life, "Start to finish"? (A phrase that also served as the episode's title.) Deanna seemed to be passing her idealism torch to Michonne, and that will no doubt be an important character arc for her moving into the second half of the season; but asking her several times "What do you want?" seemed a bit ill-timed. There's a walker invasion happening right outside – right downstairs, in fact. Surely, planning Alexandria's expansion can wait?

What can't wait is addressing the serious mental health problems of Sam and Ron, who both have separate breakdowns this week. Ron goes off the rails and finally attacks Carl, breaking a window and attracting the walker horde, which eagerly comes to investigate. Rick rushes in to save them, and Carl lies to cover up their argument, though he later confronts Ron, demanding the teen turn over his gun and getting in another good dig at his foe. "Look man, I get it – my dad killed your dad," Carl says of their mutual dislike. "But you need to know something: Your dad was an asshole." Look who's dropping truth bombs. Is Carl kind of awesome now? (I don't know who I am anymore.)

Not so awesome is Sam, who's still refusing to come out of his room, leaving his favorite food, cookies, unattended so long that a colony of ants has set upon a discarded dish in the corner. (The ants streaming in through his window represent the walkers streaming in through Alexandria's crumbled walls, in case that metaphor wasn't heavy-handed enough for you.) Setting aside the fact that his dad is dead and his house was just recently attacked by Wolves, what seems to be consuming Sam the most is his conversation with Carol last season, in which she threatened to lash him to a tree and let the walkers have him if he snitched on her stealing from the armory. Listening to a record playing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" (every 11-year-old owns a portable turntable and a stack of vintage novelty singles, right?), Sam happily sketches himself in that harrowing scenario, as if he's completing an application for Ms. Peletier's Home for Peculiar Children. (Previous enrollees included Lizzie and Mika, and we all know how that worked out.) His mother seems to have completely forgotten that he's even in his room until it's time for them to leave, drenched in zombie guts, at which point she pleads with him to "just pretend you're brave." Way to shade your own kid, lady.

Turns out she had reason to worry about Sam's stiff upper lip, though, since he immediately starts freaking out as the group gingerly steps off the front steps and attempts to make its way through the walker horde undetected. Judith, a literal baby, isn't crying, but the tween can't stop whining for his mommy. What would Carol say?

Our resident badass was busy continuing her tradition of delivering tough love, confronting Morgan in an attempt to finally force his hand over his pacifist attitude. She fakes a concussion to seek out and slay the Wolf Morgan has hidden away, and finds the prisoner with Denise, who had been inspecting his nasty wound. (And also trying to talk him down from his monstrous machinations. Bless your heart, Denise, but your wide-eyed innocence here is concerning.) Carol and Morgan have a circuitous conversation in which they each argue their point (Morgan: "We can be better than them." Carol: "We are better than them." Morgan: "Not if we kill." Carol: "They made us kill."), before Carol lays down the (clumsily-worded) law. "I will kill you to kill him, because I don't want anyone else to die," she says, thrusting her knife at Mogan. Morgan snaps, batting the weapon away and wrestling with Carol before body-slamming her to the floor. The Wolf, sensing his moment, pounces on Morgan, taking him down and pulling a knife on Denise, who he then takes hostage as a horrified Tara, Rosita, and Eugene look on (after giving him all their weapons. Because that's not a stupid idea at all).

Sadly, Denise's potential death doesn't really hold any importance, no matter how much I like her as a character. Her presence on the show is still purely peripheral, and randomly entangling her in the Wolves' storyline doesn't suddenly change that. Instead of finding out if Glenn and Maggie ever reunite, or if Maggie survives her trip atop that wobbly platform, or whether or not Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha ever make it back from their mission, we're left with a lot of loose ends in desperate need of tying. Not everything can be solved in an hour, of course, and the whole point of a midseason finale is to build tension and anticipation for the next batch of episodes. Alas, the show's approach this time around has only made me shrug. I can certainly wait 10 weeks to find out how the storylines addressed this week shake out; the point is that I shouldn't be able to. The show would do well to remember that sense of urgency.

Other thoughts:

- Daryl, Abe, and Sasha did make an appearance, however, in what was dubbed a "prologue" for the midseason premiere, which aired during "Into the Badlands." (AMC is trying everything in its power to get people to watch that series, it seems, even delaying the massively popular "Talking Dead" for its sake.) The short clip featured the trio coming across a group of bikers – no doubt the same ones who gunned them down in episode 6 – who demand they turn over all their gear. "Everything belongs to Negan now," the lead baddie says, the first time the villain's name has been uttered on the series so far. Negan is a major antagonist from the comics (more background on him can be found here, though major SPOILERS abound), and now it seems his introduction is imminent. He and his group are particularly evil, and should make some big waves as season six continues.

- Eugene seems to be the one that Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham heard calling out for help on the walkie talkie.

- Maggie's harrowing escape from the walkers and climb onto the watch tower was almost an exact mirror of Glenn's scene on top of the dumpster, down to the overhead view of her perched above the frothing horde below. It should also be noted that there have been several similar shots this season of bodies splayed out like Maggie's (scenes involving Ron and Daryl come to mind), and I'm wondering if that's a significant, specific choice signaling a grim end for any or all of those characters.

- As they watch the wall crumble, Glenn and Enid have another conversation about how Enid shouldn't give up on the world. I just couldn't bring myself to care.

- Kudos to the makeup people for making that Wolf look as gross and clammy as you'd expect a murderous psycho with a gaping, infected wound to look.

- Deanna explains to Michonne the meaning of the Latin phrase, "Dolor hic tibi proderit olim," that she scrawled on her map of Alexandria. Sometimes I forget that they don't have Google in the zombie apocalypse.

- Jessie's penchant for creating elaborate metal sculptures comes back to bite her: The walkers knock it over, and the sound attracts more to her house. The unexpected melodrama caused by her craftiness tickled me.

- Loved the shot of Eugene reading a World History textbook by lighter light. Deanna would be proud that he made education a priority.

- Father Gabriel is supremely grossed out by the drenching-ourselves-in-zombie-guts plan, but later assures Rick that he will not bail on them. If you have to make that promise out loud, it's probably not one you're going to keep, dude. Way to continue to be a waste of time and space on this show.

- The shot of everyone standing shoulder-to-shoulder on Jessie's porch, wearing their walker innard ponchos, struck me as a family portrait of sorts – albeit an extremely strange, strained, and smelly one.

- The return of that device, by the way, once again begs the question: If this is such a surefire method of getting zombies to leave you alone, why on earth have they only deployed it a handful of times throughout the series's run? It seems that Rick and co. should keep a pile of zombies on hand at all times just for such occasions, right? Then again, that solution would just be too logical for this show.

And with that, we're wrapped until February 14. See you for the midseason premiere, everyone.

Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC

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