Had heard nothing but great things about 'The Walking Dead' from friends and IMDb reviewers. It took a while to get round to watching, both from being busy and also not being sure whether it would be my cup of tea. Finally getting round to it a few years ago and slowly working my way through it, having had a very long to watch and review list, 'The Walking Dead' turned out to be very much my cup of tea and as good as the hype made it out to be, have found it extremely addictive.
"Bloodletting" is a terrific second episode to Season 2, after a hugely promising season opener. And a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It is as emotional, complex and as tense as one would expect , at the same time it has adrenaline and guts.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
My only complaint of "Bloodletting" is that at times it is a little too heavy on the talk and it's a little rambling. Didn't mind that it was relatively light on the zombie action, it's hardly the first or last episode to be that and a fair number of those types of episodes have executed it well.
Like all the episodes of the show, "Bloodletting" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the zombies even more terrifying. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing generally is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and already showing signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The more eventful scenes at the end, where the action kicks in, are thrilling and terrifying as well as uncompromising.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, which the episode has a bigger emphasis on, and that the pace is never dull or rushed and the cliff-hanger is surprising.
Despite the more deliberate and calmer tone, that doesn't things from being tautly paced without rushing through the more important parts. The world building is already stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead and Jon Bernthal also offers fine work.
Overall, terrific. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Bloodletting" is a terrific second episode to Season 2, after a hugely promising season opener. And a strong reminder of how Seasons 1-5 of 'The Walking Dead' to me were absolutely brilliant and seeing the show in its full glory days (Season 6 was uneven, Season 7 was a huge disappointment and am still debating whether to watch Season 8). It is as emotional, complex and as tense as one would expect , at the same time it has adrenaline and guts.
It still shocks me at how an intelligent, well-made (so much so that it is easy to mistake it for a film) show about zombies could be made when so many films have tried and failed abysmally to do so.
My only complaint of "Bloodletting" is that at times it is a little too heavy on the talk and it's a little rambling. Didn't mind that it was relatively light on the zombie action, it's hardly the first or last episode to be that and a fair number of those types of episodes have executed it well.
Like all the episodes of the show, "Bloodletting" is incredibly well made in the production values, with gritty and audacious production design, photography of almost cinematic quality, effects that look good, have soul and are not overused or abused and pretty frightening make-up that make the zombies even more terrifying. The music is haunting and affecting, having presence but never being too intrusive.
The writing generally is intelligent and thought-provoking, with lots of tension and emotional resonance and already showing signs of character complexity and multiple layer storytelling. The more eventful scenes at the end, where the action kicks in, are thrilling and terrifying as well as uncompromising.
Appreciated the ever strong and still progressing story and character building, which the episode has a bigger emphasis on, and that the pace is never dull or rushed and the cliff-hanger is surprising.
Despite the more deliberate and calmer tone, that doesn't things from being tautly paced without rushing through the more important parts. The world building is already stunningly immersive and effective. Direction is smart and atmospheric while the show throughout has been strongly acted. Andrew Lincoln is an excellent lead and Jon Bernthal also offers fine work.
Overall, terrific. 9/10 Bethany Cox