SQUAWKING DEAD: [Episode 196] Tales of the Walking Dead |Series Premiere| Evie/Joe

↑↑↑Click the above graphic↑↑↑
to listen to this episode
in your favorite Podcasts App

HELLO #TalesOfTheWalkingDead!! We have the honor and privilege of breaking down this series, beginning to end, starting with the Series Premiere/Pilot, "Evie/Joe", which is a great intro into the greater #TWDUniverse, as it deals with subverting expectations and #TheWalkingDead allowing you to become the person you were meant to be.

SO MANY technical difficulties and laughs contained within the Unedited Recording for this Episode! To get access to the extended version of this #podcast, all while supporting the BEST #TWDU creators on the internet, get started, here:

David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

At the top of our show, we get a little sidetracked making references to the final season of Better Call Saul, which we have been covering in its entirety on our YouTube channel, and on our blogs! Check it out! You won't regret it, you may even learn some things!
Welcome to our coverage of the SERIES PREMIERE of Tales of the Walking Dead!
What are your thoughts on this new anthology series set in the world of The Walking Dead?
Will there be something that connects all of these characters we meet in the series later down the line?
Did you enjoy the performances of Terry Crews as Joe and Olivia Munn as Evie?
We can't help but tease you with our opinions on the next episode of Tales of the Walking Dead, due to the fact that AMC+ is releasing their episodes a week in advance for subscribers of their service. Fear not, those opinions won't be spoiled in this blog, stay tuned!
How is Tales of the Walking Dead different from the other shows in the universe: The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and the three other confirmed spin-offs coming down the pipeline?
Sherrandy: Feels this episode did not bring anything new to the world of The Walking Dead.
Did they use this premiere as a way to ease fans into this new anthology series format?
Bridget: Reveals that this was one of the first things Olivia Munn did after giving birth!
There were some rumors floating around that Joe's character had some sort of story relation to the characters from the flagship show, Tyreese Williams & Sasha Williams. Will we ever hear any follow-up on this, or was it just speculation and wishful thinking (on the part of Terry Crews, himself)?
Could we see Tyreese and Sasha at some point in this show?
Could Skipper the lamb and Tabitha the goat (from The Walking Dead), have been raised on the same farm? We know it isn't possible, but it's fun to speculate, right?
Bridget: Based on trailers, and from what we have seen so far in this episode, are the connecting themes of these anthology episodes mental illness and/or unlikely duos forced to work together?
As we speculate on the rest of the season, one of which contains a bruja, we remind the audience of our watch party + Q&A of The Old Ways: with an appearance by lead actress Brigitte Kali Canales (who played Rachel on Fear the Walking Dead) and Director Christopher Alender! The Old Ways is streaming on Netflix!
Are the title sequences to Tales of the Walking Dead an homage to the intros of Fear the Walking Dead seasons 6 and 7, perhaps even seasons 4 & 5?
Would you have rather The Walking Dead keep their prior title sequence over the reimagining in Season 9+? Should TWDU shows change their title sequences to keep things fresh?
These title sequences can act as fun Easter egg hunts when they make slight changes from season to season or even episode to episode.
Do you like THE football? Our hosts get a little carried away laughing at how Evie refers to the sport, Football, as The Football.
Do you wait to binge a show until it finishes, or do you try to catch up so you can watch week to week?
Again our hosts take a break to discuss Better Call Saul: the moral of the story is watch Better Call Saul, then watch our coverage of Better SQUAWK Saul, and let us know what YOU think!
Do you prefer to watch things alone or with another person or pet?
With both of them being doomsday preppers, who's methodology worked out better: Joe's or Sandra's?
Could Sandra have killed her husband (prior to the apocalypse)?
Sherrandy compares Sandra's bunker to Gustavo Fring's meth lab from Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad.
This episode takes place roughly around the time that Rick Grimes and company were about to or in the process of leaving the prison.
Did Joe name his dog Gilligan because they were trapped together on a metaphorical deserted island (for you youngins, a reference to the TV Series, Gilligan's Island)?
Does Gilligan make the conscious choice to sacrifice his ailing body because he knows that Joe needs to move on and meet new people to survive?
Dave & Bridget sort out some confusion about the songs that play during the episode -- the takeaway being, ultimately, that Evie & Joe sing best when they are in sync, as friends.
This episode features new names for walkers: Toe-Tags & Dead-Eyes. Tap the image, below, to discover other names for walkers in TWDU (anything but zombies).
Joe's bike uses solar technology that was invented no later than 2010 which means their stops had to be more frequent so they could charge up (hence the long travel time between Flint & Mt. Pleasant, MI).
Joe and Evie end up forging their trust, fighting amidst a circle of walkers. Circle of Trust just so happens to be the insurance company that Blair Crawford owns and Gina works for in the next episode.
Could the heartless walker Joe remarks on be one way that threads these anthology episodes?
What in the world did Sandra put in the edible she gave Joe & Evie?
Special shoutout to Kersti Bryan for her amazing portrayal of Sandra in this episode!
There are a lot of references to Gilligan's Island in this episode. Joe's dog is named Gilligan, who was the title character of the TV Series. The lamb in the episode is named Skipper, which was named after the co-lead character, Captain Jonas "The Skipper" Grumby.
Why didn't Joe & Evie claim Sandra's bunker as their own?
Being that Joe spent so much of his life preparing for the end, he wanted to start living. Do you think he will he regret not hunkering down in Sandra's bunker, down the line?
Congratulations to Terry Crews for finally being able to join TWDU!
In an interview, Terry Crews recounts telling TWDU Chief Content Officer, Scott Gimple, that he could call him anytime to reprise his role as Joe. He only took Joe's switchblade from set, because he was confident that he would reprise his character.
Bridget read an article that theorized about a possible connection to Fear the Walking Dead: TEOTWAWKI / Broke Jaw Ranch, from Season 3, had lists of preppers networks. Joe and/or Sandra could have been one of those lists.
A final major shoutout to Terry Crews & Olivia Munn for phenomenal performances: here's to hoping we haven't seen the last of them or their characters, Evie & Joe.