THE WALKING DEAD “Spend” Review

How will the group cope with their respective jobs? Read on to find out.

The official description from AMC:

While trying to secure their new home, Rick and his group face many challenges, some life threatening. Is this really the utopia it seems to be?

If I could only watch one show, it’d have to be The Walking Dead, as though there’s been huge points throughout the various seasons that have disappointed, my love for the comics and the characters keep me returning for more. It’s this that has made the resurgence in quality all the more impressive, as having been disheartened for a long time, it’s been amazing to see the show return to it’s former glory, living up to it’s true potential.

The neverending battle of survival continues in the latest episode of The Walking Dead, as having settled at Alexandria, the group split into the various factions that keep this community safe. This ultimately leads to some exciting scenes, as though the plot itself is rather mundane, the overall tone and atmosphere more than makes up for this. Contrary to previous outings that see the group split, “Spend” never feels dull, with the transition between the different jobs allowing things to stay fresh. Despite all this, it’s the way that director, Jennifer Lynch, captures the more gruesome parts of this episode that thrilled the most, with the chilling tempo to these shocking moments keeping this viewer hooked. The script of Matthew Negrete also more than impressed, with the closing moments leaving huge speculation as we draw closer to the season finale.

The main thing that grabbed my attention in this episode was the wonderful character interaction, as with familiar characters teaming with the populace of Alexandria on these various jobs, it results in some dramatic moments. This has made it harder to distinguish the standout performers, with most standing equal next to each other. Nevertheless, the acting on display from Michael Cudlitz (Abraham), Josh McDermitt (Eugene), Steven Yeun (Glenn) and Melissa McBride (Carol) impressed a little more than the rest, with the emotional and dramatic depth captivating. There is a red heroin amongst this cast though, and that’s Seth Gilliam (Gabriel). Despite not doing much for the majority of the episode, appearing briefly at the start and end, he contributes to one of the more shocking moments, with his performance selling this shocking twist.

The Walking Dead continues to be an immersive show, as even though the plotline within “Spend” was a little mundane and familiar, the atmosphere and character depth more than impressed. There also proved to be some shocking moments, and as we get closer to the season finale, things definitely are going to get more intense.