The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 5 Review: The Good Place – Forbes

Josh Hamilton as Lance Hornsby in The Walking Dead Season 11

Theres a scene in The Walking Deads latest episode, Out of the Ashes, that really got me thinking about a different show.

Eugene and his compatriots have finally been allowed to enter the Commonwealth and go through a brief orientation process where they watch the guy in the picture aboveLance Hornsbytalk about the wonders of this newfound Utopia.

After orientation, the group splits up. Eugene is walking with his new love interest, Stephanie, who actually does appear interested in him rather than just a honeypot designed to lure in strangers. Theyre walking along the clean, perfect streets of the town eating ice cream cones. It makes me think of The Good Place, a comedy about several not-so-good people who find themselves in The Good Placea paradise with a dark underbelly theyre yet to discover (I highly recommend the show, especially its first season).

This is, I suspect, not so different from the Commonwealth, which appears to be rather perfect at first blush, but which we know has its own darkness lurking underneath. Yumiko finds her brother and while he insists its not too good to be true, he does add a qualifier: So long as you follow the rules.

Our heroes muck it all up, of course. Instead of taking their time to get settled and build up trust, they immediately hatch a (very poorly conceived) plan to radio back to Alexandria. Princess tries to distract Mercer which probably makes matters worse, and before you know it everyone except for Yumiko (who was processed separately and is having a nice conversation with her brother) is under arrest and facing exile.

Curiously, Hornsby steps in and argues for their release, Stephanie at his side. Shes being charged as a citizen while the others are refugees, but it does appear at least like she was genuinely helping them. Then again, it could all be part of a larger ruse on the Commonwealths part to lull our heroes into a false sense of security.

Stephanie only helped so that they could all get arrested. Hornsbys intervention is just part of the con. Once he has their trust, they spill the beans on their compatriots and the Commonwealth moves into actionthough what action and why remains to be seen.

Cailey Fleming as Judith, Anabelle Holloway as Gracie, Kien Michael Spiller as Hershel, Antony Azor ... [+] as RJ - The Walking Dead _ Season 11, Episode 5 - Photo Credit: Josh Stringer/AMC

This is just one of four stories that comprise Season 11, Episode 5 of The Walking Dead. The others involve:

Something is off about this season. A lot can happen in an episode and it can still feel weirdly boring and slow. Its like, if you could pluck just the good bits from each episode you could sew them back together into a couple very good episodes.

Instead, we get lots of filler and awkward moments like when Jerry recognizes one of the Hilltop zombies and is like Thats Tony! like were supposed to know who Tony is let alone care.

Maybe it wasnt even Tony, maybe he said some other random bit characters name like it means something. Please, writers of The Walking Dead, in order to get us to care when somebody dies you must spend time establishing who they are first.

This applies to all of Maggies poor, unfortunate souls as well. Oh know, not Agatha, I friggin loved Agatha she was the best. I am so sad that she is gone. Woe is me.

As for Judiths teens, I like to imagine that at this point most kids and teens would be pretty hardcore, raised in a dangerous and deadly and traumatizing world. Theyd be a little screwed up, sure, but theyd be tough like Judith. Why is she so tough but these other kids who grew up in the same circumstances are playing zombie bite dodge and being clowns?

Also, Im getting Lost extra vibes at Alexandria where we constantly encounter new people we dont recognize and who dont matter and who simply serve to prove that if we dont know this many characters in a zombie apocalypse show, maybe its time to slim the cast down a bit.

The whole thing is just a little dull when you come right down to it. A little dull, a little uneven, and shockingly slow-paced for the final season of The Walking Dead.

Then, too, I have questions about the Commonwealth. Those ice cream cones Eugene and Stephanie were eatingthe creature comforts as he calls them. What kind of manufacturing and agriculture do these people have? Its not easy to produce all the components necessary to make these. Sugar alone would be a pretty big undertaking, let alone the dairy and so on and so forth. Is that really where the Commonwealth is diverting its resources? Hmmmm.

Am I wrong? Did I miss something brilliant about this episode that someone else noticed? Let me know!

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The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 5 Review: The Good Place - Forbes