Had heard nothing but great things about 'The Walking Dead' from friends and IMDb reviewers. It took a while to get round to watching, both from being busy and also not being sure whether it would be my cup of tea. Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, having had a very long to watch and review list, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be, have found it extremely addictive.
"Cherokee Rose" is a slight disappointment, being the weakest of Season 2 up to this point and the weakest of the overall show up to this early stage. That it is still a very good episode says a lot of 'The Walking Dead's' high quality in its prime. It is still a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It may lack a few of the things that made the previous episodes so great but there is plenty of what is particularly good about the show.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
Not a perfect episode. "Cherokee Rose" would have benefitted from a tighter pace for an episode that is dialogue-heavy and more intricate. It does lack the previous episodes' tension, guts, tautness with the emotion not always as strong.
Occasionally it's a bit too talky, although the quality of the dialogue is actually very good, which can bog things down a little in terms of momentum. Also am yet to be completely sold by Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori, she does give her best performances of the show up to this point but she still doesn't have the presence or nuances of much of the rest of the cast.
Like all the episodes of the show, "Cherokee Rose" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the walker even more creepy. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing generally is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and continues to show signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The highlights here are the hilarious yet grotesque water well sequence, the tense conclusion and the Maggie and Glenn and Daryl and Carol interactions. Am liking that Daryl shows signs of being made into a gradually lighter character.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, which the episode has a bigger emphasis on.
The world building is still stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead, with an even better performance from Norman Reedus giving Daryl intensity and pathos.
In conclusion, a little disappointing but still very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
"Cherokee Rose" is a slight disappointment, being the weakest of Season 2 up to this point and the weakest of the overall show up to this early stage. That it is still a very good episode says a lot of 'The Walking Dead's' high quality in its prime. It is still a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It may lack a few of the things that made the previous episodes so great but there is plenty of what is particularly good about the show.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
Not a perfect episode. "Cherokee Rose" would have benefitted from a tighter pace for an episode that is dialogue-heavy and more intricate. It does lack the previous episodes' tension, guts, tautness with the emotion not always as strong.
Occasionally it's a bit too talky, although the quality of the dialogue is actually very good, which can bog things down a little in terms of momentum. Also am yet to be completely sold by Sarah Wayne Callies as Lori, she does give her best performances of the show up to this point but she still doesn't have the presence or nuances of much of the rest of the cast.
Like all the episodes of the show, "Cherokee Rose" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the walker even more creepy. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing generally is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and continues to show signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The highlights here are the hilarious yet grotesque water well sequence, the tense conclusion and the Maggie and Glenn and Daryl and Carol interactions. Am liking that Daryl shows signs of being made into a gradually lighter character.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, which the episode has a bigger emphasis on.
The world building is still stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead, with an even better performance from Norman Reedus giving Daryl intensity and pathos.
In conclusion, a little disappointing but still very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox