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Saturday, April 29, 2023

THE WALKING DEAD's Top 5 WORST Characters

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Originally Recorded 2022.12.05
Including your submissions (which MAJORLY overlapped with many of theirs): Rachael, Sherrandy, and Bridget discuss the TOP 5 WORST Characters of The Walking Dead!
πŸ›‘STOP LISTENING TO THIS PODCAST and stream the UNEDITED version! It contains not only the UNCUT version of this podcast, but also our discussion on the TOP 5 BEST Episodes of #TWD ...as well as a hilarious BONUS video!

Tap the image above to stream the unedited version on Ko-fi or head to our Patreon.

Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

NUMBER 5

  • Bridget: Pope, leader of The Reapers
    • Mostly due to the iffy story arc The Reapers had.
    • Do you think they were mostly introduced to prep fans for The Walking Dead: Dead City?
    • Alternatively, it's possible that producers originally envisioned both a season 11 and 12, so when they received the word-from-on-high, they had to wrap their storyline as quickly and neatly as possible.
    • Showing some Paul Wells & Ira Washington love (Robert Hayes & Ethan McDowell, respectively)

      Images of Washington & Wells courtesy of walkingdead.fandom.com
    • Back to Pope, no shade on Ritchie Coster's phenomal character acting, we just don't understand his character's motivations.
    • To Bridget's point, The Walking Dead has always handled religion and religious characters pretty well, but Pope's zeal didn't hold water.
    • His death was pretty anticlimactic given his and The Reapers' potential.

      But why?
  • Rachael: Dr. Steven Edwards"for trying to kill Carol Peletier in Grady Memorial Hospital."

    "They could've not had him there and it wouldn't have impacted the story at all."
  • Sherrandy: Officer Dawn Lerner.
    • Sherrandy disliked this arc, to begin with, but it's unclear to her what Dawn's motivations are and the kind of community she's attempting to create, "The Commonwealth Lite."
    • More than anything else, for an officer, her poor trigger control lead to Beth Greene's death.
  • Your Number 5 Picks:

NUMBER 4

  • Bridget: Lori Grimes
    • Praise for Sarah Wayne Callies; Panning the way Lori was written (though, some admit that it was intentional).
    • Bridget recommends Sarah's role in Colony and admires that she stood by Frank Darabont.
    • Bridget dislikes Lori less and less the more she rewatches, as opposed to Sherrandy who's dislike has only grown stronger.
    • The icing on the cake was her lack of survivalist acumen, especially behind the wheel...
    • She's often compared to Skyler White from Breaking Bad, only Skyler was technically protecting her family from the true bad guy, Walter White, whereas it's unclear whether Lori was trying to protect her family from Shane Walsh or she was just attempting to bury her shame along with him.
  • Rachael: Spencer Monroe
    • At the time, watching him die was the only thing Rachael liked that Negan ever did.
    • His feats of "manliness" (citing some examples) and hollow platitudes (while keeping secret stashes of food and booze) really caused eye-rolls and disdain.
    • Giving him props for at least putting down his mother, Deanna Monroe, who was bitten and turned during The Wolves and walker infiltration on Alexandria Safe-Zone.
  • Sherrandy: Nicholas
    • Mostly because he was responsible for Noah's demise.
    • His saving grace was a bit hollow, after posthumously/inadvertently saving Glenn Rhee from being devoured by the dead.
    • He got away with not dying in the horrific manner he deserved.
  • Your Number 4 Picks:
    • Brian Castrillo: Jules Butler
    • Thomas O'Mara: Sam Anderson
    • David Strand: Alden
    • Kristy Boykin: Philip "The Governor" Blake
    • A.J. Abbott: Sebastian Milton
    • Matt Murphy: Arat
    • Angelina Silansky: Warrant Officer Anne/Jadis Stokes
    • Mitchell Shoemaker: Spencer
    • Linda Peck Athens: Jared
    • Krystal Jordan: Merle Dixon
    • Takeerah Lawrence: Simon

NUMBER 3

  • Bridget: Sam Anderson, "Poor Sam."
    • Editor's Note: Most of this discussion hilariously revolves around Sam's horrible haircut, given to him by purported "hairstylist" Jessie Anderson.

      Is this more of Jessie's work?
    • ...and playing Tip-toe Through the Tulips by Tiny Tim way too loud is a violation to our survivalist sensibilities: we don't care what Aaron says.
  • Rachael: Nicholas
  • Sherrandy: Henry

    T
    o be clear, Sherrandy is referring to his older, post-time-jump counterpart: Horny Henry.
  • Your Number 3 Picks:
    • Brian Castrillo: Aidan Monroe
    • Thomas O'Mara: Deanna
    • David Strand: Jessie (prompts more horrible haircut jokes)
    • Kristy Boykin: Jared
    • A.J. Abbott: Pamela Milton
    • Matt Murphy: Henry
    • Angelina Silansky: Simon
    • Mitchell Shoemaker: Nicholas
    • Linda Peck Athens: Jessie
    • Krystal Jordan: Gregory
    • Takeerah Lawrence: Gregory

NUMBER 2

  • Bridget: Dr. Pete Anderson
    • No, not because of Jessie's horrible haircuts (which is also a form of abuse): because he was an alcoholic abusive spouse.
    • It almost seemed as though he wanted to be cuckolded by Rick Grimes in order to justify the spousal abuse.
    • Editor's Note: this conversation devolved to abusing Jessie for her abusive haircuts... which further devolved into a hilarious hypothetical how Edward Scissor Hands would've behaved in the zombie apocalypse.
  • Rachael: Lori Grimes
  • Sherrandy: Andrea Harrison, "I'm fascinated by how much I hate this character."
    • Like Lori, Bridget doesn't hate her as much as she did on first watch. Rachael, however, can't fathom why some folks claim they actually like her.
    • We take a moment to appreciate that Dale Horvath wasn't on anyone's list. Though Rachael doesn't care for him, she doesn't hate him.
    • Editor's Note: this conversation ends up focusing more on how much we love Dale and appreciate that Carl Grimes owned up to being responsible for his death. It's also the first time Daryl Dixon steps up to offer mercy to one of the group and do what Rick couldn't... which brings us right back to Andrea and how much we hated her for shooting Daryl.
  • Your Number 2 Picks:
    • Brian Castrillo: Nicholas
    • Thomas O'Mara: Dog Dixon
    • David Strand: Bob Stookey
    • Kristy Boykin: Gage
    • A.J. Abbott: Spencer
    • Matt Murphy: Ron Anderson
    • Angelina Silansky: Spencer
    • Mitchell Shoemaker: Tara Chambler
    • Linda Peck Athens: Sam Anderson
    • Krystal Jordan: Spencer
    • Takeerah Lawrence: Amy Harrison

NUMBER 1

  • Bridget: Nicholas
  • Rachael: Andrea Harrison
  • Sherrandy: Lori Grimes
  • Your Number 1 Picks:
    • Brian Castrillo: Natania
    • Thomas O'Mara: Andrea
    • David Strand: Lori
    • Kristy Boykin: Andrea
    • A.J. Abbott: Sophia
    • Matt Murphy: Sam
    • Angelina Silansky: Gareth
    • Mitchell Shoemaker: Sam
    • Linda Peck Athens: Andrea
    • Krystal Jordan: Zach (Beth's boyfriend)

      We all know the effects of alcohol falling on top of you.
    • Takeerah Lawrence: Andrea
Bonus: Sherrandy drops a shout-out to Watch Mojo's Top 20 Worst The Walking Dead Characters

That being said, what are your Top 5 Worst Characters on The Walking Dead?

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Saturday, April 22, 2023

THE WALKING DEAD's Top 5 BEST Episodes

Why miss out?
Subscribe to our blog via E-Mail!

⬇️Listen Now⬇️

⬆️Tap the above graphic⬆️
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Originally Recorded: 2022.12.05
Including your submissions (which overlapped with many of theirs): Rachael, Sherrandy, and Bridget discuss their TOP 5 favorite episodes of The Walking Dead!
πŸ›‘STOP LISTENING and stream the UNEDITED version! It not only contains the UNCUT version of this podcast recording, but also our upcoming discussion on the TOP 5 WORST Characters on #TWD + a hilarious BONUS video!

Available on both our Ko-fi & Patreon!

Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

NUMBER 5

  • Sherrandy: Honor (8x09)

    Carl Grimes dies and even though Sherrandy knew it was coming (she binge-watched The Walking Dead in order to catch up with us), she still had an emotional breakdown.
  • Rachael: No Way Out (6x09)
    • Alexandria Safe-Zone's walls are breached and whether they were survivors or the original residents, everyone came together to protect their home.
    • Carl's eye is shot out and he and Rick Grimes have a heartfelt conversation about the value of both Alexandria and even its softer original residents.
    • Eugene Porter & Denise Cloyd really step-up.
    • Daryl Dixon blows up The Saviors he, Sasha Williams, and Abraham Ford encounter on the road.
    • Carol Peletier gets into a row with Morgan Jones over refusing to kill one of The Wolves he captures. Bridget notes that although she doesn't agree with Morgan's idea, she really appreciated that it ended up bearing fruit when his captive shows compassion towards Denise.
    • Takeerah, A.J., Mitchell, and Aidan had this episode on their list.
  • Bridget: Morning Star (10x11)
     
    • It was hard for everyone to not choose episodes from the early seasons; however, Bridget chose this episode because of some of the inter-personal struggles between Carol and King Ezekiel Sutton, as well as she and Daryl, along with some of the ratcheted tension and battle tactics/sequences.
    • It also moved the storyline along quite a bit after not enjoying much of The Whisperers story arc.

NUMBER 4

  • Sherrandy: One More (10x18)
    • You don't have to enjoy whiskey to appreciate the calm that is present throughout most of the episode, but combined with the terror and suspense at the end, it makes for a pretty incredible vignette.
    • Even the beautiful cinematography appropriately contributed to the mood it was attempting to establish.
    • The terrifying manner in which Rachael almost loses one of her not-so-favorite characters, Father Gabriel Stokes, even gave her pause.
    • There were even a classic horror twist at the end, discovering Mays' chained-up twin brother.
    • In a single episode, we run the gamut of what The Walking Dead frequently evokes: calm moments, humor, found-family, tension, suspense, and horror.
    • Bridget mentions that this episode brought her right back to Rick's parlay with Philip "The Governor" Blake, sitting across the table drinking whiskey.
    • Even though it was largely a bottle episode, it didn't feel like one and could've easily have been an actual episode of TWD, rather than one of the bonus episodes.
  • Rachael: Consumed (5x06)

    • Beth is kidnapped by the residents at Grady Memorial Hospital and Rachael loves the way Daryl's & Carol's relationship continues to develop, in many ways.
    • Bridget mentions that this episode, as well as the ones prior and post, were strong contenders for her own Top 5 because it's one of her favorite story arcs.
  • Bridget: Claimed (4x11)
    • This episode is where Carl and Michonne's relationship truly blossoms. Rick realizes that he can't be both Carl's dad and best friend, so watching their shenanigans really makes him happy.
    • Michonne's & Carl's goofy conversation about drinking soy milk was the kind of light-hearted moment that we needed, even as it brings them right back to thinking about baby Judith Grimes and her unknown, yet seemingly terminal fate.
    • This episode also gives us more of Michonne's background by way of further conversations between she and Carl, while they're out clearing houses and Rick rests.
    • And speaking of Rick, he doesn't get to rest for very long as we witness an extremely tense, stealthy take down of some of The Claimers.
    • Sherrandy was going to place this on her list because it showed the kind of kid Carl wanted to be and how Michonne could be the kind of person that could help him achieve that desire.

NUMBER 3

  • Sherrandy: Clear (3x12)
    • Mainly chosen to further highlight the sweet dynamic between Michonne & Carl.
    • The gang move back to speaking about the latter half of season 4, recalling other sweet moments between Carl & Michonne.
    • Brian Castrillo & Kristy Boykin also placed this episode in their Top 5.
  • Rachael: Diverged (10x21)
    • Carol is at her wit's end and just needs a win, after The Whisperer war created a rift between she and Daryl (as well as many others, still).
    • Carol and Daryl literally go their separate ways (metaphorically and actually) and it's not 100% clear whether they are OK by the end of the episode.
    • Even though Dog chooses Carol at the beginning of the episode, he runs home to Daryl at the end.
    • Jerry and Carol have the most endearing scene.
    • Rachael really lets us in on how special she believes Daryl's & Carol's relationship really is... romantic or not, they would die for one another.
    • She also reminded us that this was the episode Talking Dead invited her on to, where she got to ask Melissa McBride a question.
  • Bridget: Seed (3x01)
    • Chosen mostly because it was exciting to explore the prison as a viable stronghold.
    • In the same breath, Bridget also mentions a mall is another exciting location to explore; however, Sherrandy mentions that when they did this on Fear The Walking Dead (210 Words Per Minute, 5x10), they noted that there were too many entry/exit points for people to attack.
    • Even tough the gang is a well-oiled machine, out in the wild, they are road-weary and Carl almost resorts to eating dog food.
    • And then there's, of course, Beth & Maggie Greene singing The Parting Glass.
    • This is also the same episode where they meet the inmates, too.

NUMBER 2

  • Sherrandy: Pretty Much Dead Already (2x07)
    • Mostly because Sherrandy believes Shane Walsh was right about opening the barn and taking out all the walkers Hershel Greene had been collecting in there, all this time.
    • Seeing a timid walker Sophia Peletier mirroring the way she was in life really screws with out heads as variants are now a thing and walker senators may or may not contain memories of their formerly living selves.
    • What Sherrandy loved most was how The Walking Dead is not afraid to kill children or even characters we love.
    • Though it is super hard to side with Shane given his lack of tact, it is easy to take Shane's side in the rearview given all that we know, now.
  • Rachael: Bonds (10x06)
    • In a way, Carol and Daryl are at their strongest: Daryl knows Carol is trying to hunt down Alpha, even though she is lying and says she's attempting to track down Negan.
    • Other than seeing Morgan on the toilet in FearTWD's The Code (4x11), Rachael thought it was amusing to hear Carol say she had to take a leak.
    • Of course, the hilarious banter between Negan and Beta is pure gold.
  • Bridget: Days Gone By (1x01, Series Premiere)

    • As much as the knowledge of the origin of Zombies scared Bridget as a child, watching zombie movies was something she loved. She compares Rick waking up in the hospital to one of the best scenes in the movie 28 Days Later.
    • She also watched 28 Days Later in theaters in her early teens while staying with her dad and was terrified during the entire visit! Sherrandy also shares a very similar fear of vampires as a result of watching Salem's Lot.
    • About 10 years after watching 28 Days Later, she was utterly hooked in the same way watching The Walking Dead's pilot episode.
    • In defense of Morgan, he and Duane Jones hold a dear place in her heart as a result of this episode, giving Rick a chance and showing him Mercy. Everyone else chimes in with their love as well, but qualify that they didn't like the changes in Morgan and definitely didn't like him on FearTWD.

NUMBER 1

  • Sherrandy: The Next World (6x10)
    • It's probably one of the funniest episodes in The Walking Dead Universe where some of the sequences could easily be sped up with Benny Hill background music behind it.
    • Simultaneously, Sherrandy loved the touching way Carl led a walker Deanna Monroe to Spencer Monroe in order for son to finally put down and bury mother. Carl's explanation to Michonne on why he did it was icing on the cake and showed the wonderful man he could become.

    • In the pantheon of episodes on The Walking Dead, this one made her laugh and cry the hardest.

    • and, come on, Paul "Jesus" Rovia standing at the end of Rick & Michonne's bed is absolutely gut-busting.
  • Rachael: Tell it to the Frogs (1x03)
    • As much of a dick-bag Merle Dixon is, watching him suffer while chained up on the rooftop got you feeling a little bit for him.
    • Watching Carl's worry over Rick not coming back, after being away from him for so long.
    • Now that Rick is back, there's an enormous amount of tension between Lori Grimes and Shane.
    • Rachael's favorite part is when Shane takes out his frustrations by beating the ever-loving hell out of Ed Peletier.
    • Bridget chimes in about the jokes the ladies were telling as they were doing the laundry, just beforehand.
    • It's also one of the first episodes we really get to see Carol and the origin of her suffering, which eventually turns into her strength.

    • Would Carol have become the same bad-ass person had Sophia lived?
    • And, to top it all off, Glenn Rhee zooming past Rick & Morales in the Dodge Challenger R/T.
  • Bridget: What Happened and What's Going On (5x09)
    • She loved this episode so much that she bought artist Kirk Manley's comic art rendition of it and had it signed (check out our interview with him, too)
    • Shortly after Beth's devastating passing, we witness one of the strongest characters on the show, Tyreese Williams, finally let go after all the suffering he's endured.

    • After Noah is finally free from the clutches of Grady Memorial, he encounters his walker brother in their old neighborhood who happens to be the one to bite Tyreese.
    • We also discover hints of yet another horrible group of people called The Wolves, who happened to be the ones who decimated Noah's hometown.
    • Tyreese's fever dreams reflect all the awful people he's encountered, the spoiled fruits of his mercy, and how upside down this world this world has become even when he's tried so hard to be a beacon for change.
    • ICYMI, the radio announcer voice at the end of the episode as the gang are driving frantically back to save Tyreese's life, is none other than Andrew Lincoln.
    • Bridget attributes Tyreese's passing to a choice - as much as everyone is trying their hardest to save him - especially after his fever dream of watching both people from his present and even notions of what the future might've held, be crushed. To have his delusions say that it's not only OK for him to let go but better for him to is this unexpected kindness that translates, in reality, to him forgiving himself for letting go after holding on so tightly to - not only life, but - humanity, all this time.

    • We're the ones who live: watching Tyreese let go with calm, while everyone around him struggles to carry him is what this show is essentially all about - we go on whilst carrying the memory and meaning of those who are left behind.

YOUR TOP 5 EPISODES

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