We've reached the conclusion of the different story lines that have definitely shocked, surprised and saddened the audience, it's the mid season finale. I can definitely say it wasn't as good as "Too Far Gone", the season four mid season finale but it was worth watching just to find the last piece of the puzzle to this half of the season. A very sad episode indeed with the different scenes that occur but watching the group come all this way for this to happen was painful for the audience to witness. The cinematography was clever and unique as a certain technique was used to portray the atmosphere in a certain scene which I will elaborate later in this review. Characters released secrets and the episode went in depth to their journey to Terminus and what happened after the prison which was a great use of past events still effecting them to this day. In this episode, Rick and the rest of the group are heading to Atlanta to save Beth and Carol, but when the other group want to handle things in a more violent manner, it could go from a calm trade to a battle of survivors.
It's obvious which scene concluded the episode and that was the face off between both groups in the hospital. The setting was a perfect place to do the trade due to the echoing of every movement the groups did. Not only did this build up the tension for the climax but it was enclosed, leaving no escape for anyone if things suddenly turned dangerous. The dialogue between Rick and Dawn was fantastic due to them both being involved in the police and using their language, forceful and attentive, to try and set a sense of status in the scene. There were emotional aspects to this scene such as Beth's death which was the explosion of the bomb in this scene, triggering the change of attitude. All of a sudden, two people died at once from a calm scenario. As Beth finally got her freedom and saw everyone again, she got taken away from them. Norman Reedus, the actor who plays Daryl, said "it's as if someone is dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit and just as he grabs it, it slips out of his hands into the mud..." Daryl's calmness and sensitive side to approaching this trade completely disappeared for a split second as he killed Dawn, showing that if anyone hurts the group, these are the consequences. However, his tear filled eyes as he was pointing the gun made me melancholy and emotional as you can see the struggle in the group's eyes to get here, just to find that they've lost someone. A very emotional and surprising scene to sit through.
Paying a tribute to the loss of Beth, she suddenly realised and learnt more about the hospital in this episode and the attitude they have to survival, "this is who you are until the end..." It appeared to me that the hospital was a way of giving something back for all the bad things people have done, but when Beth denies it, she claims that its just a change of situation and nothing to do with personality which is why she stood out to me. She became a sensible adult and a realist in this scene from the teenager she is and felt like she understood everything that is occurring, especially with Dawn, which was proved with her confession to the other policeman. It's almost as if Beth changed her character which the audience tries to fit in with the rest of the season and how she will become, just to see her burned down and killed. I wouldn't have minded seeing some more progression of Beth but her death was very emotional to witness, especially as she is welcomed to supposed adulthood.
The cinematography was the best thing about this episode for me, especially in the trade off scene between the two groups. A clever and common technique was used to portray the scene to the audience. This was a "Dutch shot" which is used to portray tension or psychological uneasiness, and it couldn't have gone any better with the situation that the characters were in. Using different sorts of cinematography shows this episode to be inventive which is the reason I'm so interested in it, due to the attempt of finding new ways of expression. Showing Rick and Dawn's faces with close up shots were very important, acting as the mutual feeling between them both and the seriousness of protection when it comes to their groups. The camera being filmed at an angle with the faces showed them both to have one thought; to get the rest of their group back safe and to get what they want. I loved the use of different cinematography techniques.
The narrative of this mid season has come to and end and has concluded all the different plot lines, especially as everyone came together at the end with Abraham's group returning. It was emotional to witness with Beth and Bob's death and seeing the group handling it is reckoning to the audience's affection of their favourite characters, leaving them keen to see the next half of the season. A beautifully shot and constructed episode, assisted with a "Dutch shot" to show the feeling in the atmosphere in the hallway worked to meet their intentions and the audience's satisfaction along with a "kick in the head" which is the death of Beth. I've loved this season so far, the character progression has evolved gradually but in memorable instalments and the story lines didn't disappoint the audience; the threat of The Hunters, the escape from Terminus and the danger of the big city Atlanta was very attentive the comics in some story lines whilst maintaining the quality in some improvised story lines. I look forward to reviewing the next eight episodes. Brilliantly presented.
It's obvious which scene concluded the episode and that was the face off between both groups in the hospital. The setting was a perfect place to do the trade due to the echoing of every movement the groups did. Not only did this build up the tension for the climax but it was enclosed, leaving no escape for anyone if things suddenly turned dangerous. The dialogue between Rick and Dawn was fantastic due to them both being involved in the police and using their language, forceful and attentive, to try and set a sense of status in the scene. There were emotional aspects to this scene such as Beth's death which was the explosion of the bomb in this scene, triggering the change of attitude. All of a sudden, two people died at once from a calm scenario. As Beth finally got her freedom and saw everyone again, she got taken away from them. Norman Reedus, the actor who plays Daryl, said "it's as if someone is dangling a carrot in front of a rabbit and just as he grabs it, it slips out of his hands into the mud..." Daryl's calmness and sensitive side to approaching this trade completely disappeared for a split second as he killed Dawn, showing that if anyone hurts the group, these are the consequences. However, his tear filled eyes as he was pointing the gun made me melancholy and emotional as you can see the struggle in the group's eyes to get here, just to find that they've lost someone. A very emotional and surprising scene to sit through.
Paying a tribute to the loss of Beth, she suddenly realised and learnt more about the hospital in this episode and the attitude they have to survival, "this is who you are until the end..." It appeared to me that the hospital was a way of giving something back for all the bad things people have done, but when Beth denies it, she claims that its just a change of situation and nothing to do with personality which is why she stood out to me. She became a sensible adult and a realist in this scene from the teenager she is and felt like she understood everything that is occurring, especially with Dawn, which was proved with her confession to the other policeman. It's almost as if Beth changed her character which the audience tries to fit in with the rest of the season and how she will become, just to see her burned down and killed. I wouldn't have minded seeing some more progression of Beth but her death was very emotional to witness, especially as she is welcomed to supposed adulthood.
The cinematography was the best thing about this episode for me, especially in the trade off scene between the two groups. A clever and common technique was used to portray the scene to the audience. This was a "Dutch shot" which is used to portray tension or psychological uneasiness, and it couldn't have gone any better with the situation that the characters were in. Using different sorts of cinematography shows this episode to be inventive which is the reason I'm so interested in it, due to the attempt of finding new ways of expression. Showing Rick and Dawn's faces with close up shots were very important, acting as the mutual feeling between them both and the seriousness of protection when it comes to their groups. The camera being filmed at an angle with the faces showed them both to have one thought; to get the rest of their group back safe and to get what they want. I loved the use of different cinematography techniques.
The narrative of this mid season has come to and end and has concluded all the different plot lines, especially as everyone came together at the end with Abraham's group returning. It was emotional to witness with Beth and Bob's death and seeing the group handling it is reckoning to the audience's affection of their favourite characters, leaving them keen to see the next half of the season. A beautifully shot and constructed episode, assisted with a "Dutch shot" to show the feeling in the atmosphere in the hallway worked to meet their intentions and the audience's satisfaction along with a "kick in the head" which is the death of Beth. I've loved this season so far, the character progression has evolved gradually but in memorable instalments and the story lines didn't disappoint the audience; the threat of The Hunters, the escape from Terminus and the danger of the big city Atlanta was very attentive the comics in some story lines whilst maintaining the quality in some improvised story lines. I look forward to reviewing the next eight episodes. Brilliantly presented.