"Still" Brings Fire and Focus on "The Walking Dead:" A Television Review

Director: Julius Ramsay.

Writer: Angela Kang.

Cast: Norman Reedus and Emily Kinney.

"The Walking Dead" brought a more character focused story with Epis. 12, "Still." Unlike previous multi-storied episodes, "Still" looked at one pair of characters, in the zombie apocalypse: Beth (Emily Kinney) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). Together, they set out to booze it up, so Beth could come to terms with some losses at the prison. Daryl came across as more of a sidekick as he struggled to even emote or deliver lines. "Still" was one of the better episodes in Seas. 3, because of its simplicity and attention to character details and motivations.

The episode began with a very silent Daryl and Beth looking for cover. A zombie horde is approaching their vehicle hideout, but they survive the assault and the night. Camping in the forest is next on the agenda, until Beth decides to find some much needed booze. A golf clubhouse is their choice of drinking establishments. And, this locale is full of suicide victims and more zombies. Who has time to commit suicide in a zombie apocalypse? Eventually, these two characters find a shack full of moonshine and thoughts return to the attack at the prison. A final blaze symbolizes a funeral pyre, for Beth's fallen father, Herschel (Scott Wilson).

Say something Daryl - anything!

The storyline for this episode was unusually simple. Writer Angela Kang, who has scripted previous episodes for this series ("Say the Word," "I Ain't a Judas"), throws multiple storylines out the window, thankfully. The previous scattershot of four storlines within "Inmates" is replaced by a small outing, involving soul searching, healing and confrontation. Beth is simply on a journey to understand the losses along the way. Several characters have fallen, since Beth entered the picture in Seas. 2. And, Beth is honouring some of their memories with booze, drinking games, memories and tales of the past. Daryl seems to be there, mostly, as an outlet for Beth's anger. All in all, "Still" brought a lot more substance to the series, by keeping storylines narrow.

Daryl seemed lost and mostly mute through much of "Still." Several early scenes were acted out without any dialogue at all, which seemed a little strange. Zombies must have forced dialogue to the side. Eventually, Beth initiates some conversation, involving snake jerky and booze. But, Daryl remains stoic. Though, Daryl does tag along with Beth's journey for inebriants. As well, Daryl turns into a nasty drunk and some miserable stories emerge from his dark past, but Daryl did not come across as a complex character in this episode. He seemed to be more of a sounding board for Beth's laments.

"Still" was more of a Beth focused episode. This character has not been giving this amount of screen time to date and actress Emily Kinney is able to deliver a range of emotions, in several scenes. From sadness in the golf pub to anger during a zombie attack, the character is emoting a lot more, compared to Daryl. As an aside, there are similarities between "Still" and the earlier episode "Claimed." In both episodes, one character is drawing another out. In "Claimed," Michonne (Danai Gurira) reconnected with Carl and got him talking again. In "Still," Beth is tasked with drawing Daryl out of his morose state and Daryl's transition into vulnerability is the climax of the episode. Yet, much of this episode was focused on Beth and her musings and desires.

"Still" was the best episode since the Seas. 4 break. All of the survivors are accounted for now. So, the writers can take a look at individuals more closely. Instead of brief look at too many stories, Kang and Robert Kirkman created a more condensed story, which seemed more important in the context of events. It will be interesting to see if Beth and Daryl can reunite with other survivors, to maintain the cohesion of the series.

Overall: 8.25 out of 10.

More details on the series can be found at the AMC:

"The Walking Dead" at the AMC


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