The theme of this episode was breaking out. Both sides of our story are feeling the pinch. Flint, Silver, and that crew are captured on the island with seemingly no way out. Silver tries to work on the daughter of the leader, but Mom is as hard as they come. The crew is thinning out and they don’t have much time left.

Back on Nassau, control has basically been lost. The deal that went down at the end of the last episode proved to be too much and everyone is against Vane and he’s got to get off the island as England’s grip starts to strengthen. This band is breaking up (for now at least).

This show pulls off another major set piece with dazzling special effects. The plot to break through England’s barricade is cool enough, but watching it unfold is something else. Some really great CG work and practical effects involving crazy amounts of fire. Kudos to compositing all of that together believably. These are some ambitious scripts and they somehow manage to keep knocking it out of the park.

NSFW

Half way through the season!

Another solid episode that had more heartbreak than you can shake a stick at.

Lip. Wake up, dummy. It’s over and there is nothing you can do about it. It was a fling that was never going to turn into anything no matter how much you wished it to be otherwise.

Debbie. Her story had some ups and downs and as usual, her family bounces because whatever is going on in their life is more important than hers. Not sure if she’s going to be able to stick around with her “new family.” The best and worst was Frank in full con mode trying to convince Debbie to seduce Erika (they did name Tyler’s wife) instead of Tyler. An in is an in to Frank Gallagher.

Ian. The progress I thought was going to happen is in motion. So far so good.

Chuckie. The poor kid (literally and figuratively). Grandma to the rescue and who’s there to meet his old fling? Frank. The opportunities this guy gets are unreal.

Fiona. One more nab at the house and Gus gives her the big boot! Hard to watch, but I do side with Gus. Not sure if I would have done the same thing, but I understand it. Chalk that one up to a life lesson Fiona. She went through with the abortion which I wasn’t sure was going to happen. Now there is some complication foreshadowing which might lead to her not being able to have children when she chooses to. Hmmm.

Carl. His face when he’s standing outside the house when they arresting Nick! This was brutal for me. I really liked the Carl and Nick dynamic and seeing it explode like this is so sad. Brings Carl back into the fold after coming in from seeing Gus and he throws his cash down for her. I wanted him to say “It’s time we bring everyone back together,” but watching him walk out without letting her protest was powerful too. I assume this is the end of his corn rows, but I don’t know what he’s going to do now.

As much as people complain about “slow” Walking Dead episodes, they’re done for a good reason. Half the show is build up and that takes people down roads they would never go down themselves. The urge to go pedal to the metal in a zombie show never lets up. Walking Dead ended episode 8 in the jowls of the dad to take off for more than two months. So that brings us to this week where everyone is ready for their Walker fix and the show has to basically come back with a second season premiere. Everything paid off on Sunday.

I think every plotline they built out in the first half came to fruition in this one episode and it was insane. I mean this thing kicked off on a nail-biter into a fist pumping triumph that cartwheeled into the opening credits. Then it came back to Alexandria with the simmer that was left from the previous episode only to boil over for the next 45 minutes. People got munched, people got hurt and the band is back together.

Awesome pacing, awesome payoffs and some deaths that were pretty surprising (and much needed). I can sing the praises of this episode looking like a full cinematic experience, but I’ll lay it out like this: No Way Out was a major turning point for the show. All that set up for Morgan (and Carol) is through the net now and fascinating. Traumatic experiences that changes everyone in the group. Growth from those that would not leave their shells. I’m really interested in where Carl goes from this. The introduction and pushback of that Saviors group promises to bring horror that only the living know how to do. A major battle was one surviving the herd, but the spring has been set for the next big thing and we’re going to get it by the end of the season. No one is ever safe on this show, but everyone watching is on pins and needles now. I think this is the most exciting time for The Walking Dead.