Can understand totally why people would love "Say Yes", as such a great job is done with Rick and Michonne as characters and also with their relationship. Also have never minded it when 'The Walking Dead' doesn't go down full pull no punches territory, and some episodes that have been dismissed as filler have not been that bad. Can also totally understand why others would dislike "Say Yes", as it could have been a lot better as an episode and no the criticisms that have been cited are not innocuous.
"Say Yes" is to me one of the middling episodes of Season 7. It does have good things and starts off very well. It also has too many of the things that made the season generally underwhelming and has a lot of flaws, with the second half not living up to the promise that the first showed. "Say Yes" is not a terrible episode, it is also not a particularly good one either. More an uneven, disjointed sort of episode that starts off excellently but falls apart midway through and becomes frustrating.
As said, there are good things here in "Say Yes". It is shot and lit with great atmospheric style and the grit is authentic without being overdone or gimmicky. The episode is hauntingly scored and the intimacy in the direction in the first half was appreciated. It has some thoughtful scripting in the first half with some genuinely amusing and gentle laughs along the way. Did appreciate the development too to Tara.
Where "Say Yes" particularly shines is the characterisation and relationship between Rick and Michonne that dominates the intriguing and charming first half. Both are written beautifully written and at their most interesting, investable and well developed all season. Especially Michonne. The relationship between the two is fun and heartfelt and Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira play their parts beautifully. Michonne's genuinely anguished reaction at what is thought to have happened to Rick at one crucial point is some of the best individual acting of the season and a shining moment for Gurira. The acting actually is good on the whole, apart from Rosita.
It is a shame however that the second half isn't anywhere near as strong, to me actually it was a mess. Where the episode did start falling apart was in the walker attack, which started off very tense and exciting but let down badly by the truly ridiculous aftermath reveal. Absolutely agree with the criticism with the deer and it is not an innocuous criticism, for one thing it looks distractingly awful to the point that it sticks out like the sorest of thumbs and then we have it adding absolutely nothing to what goes on other than setting one up for the walker attack.
Furthermore, the second half has some bizarre writing, too much silliness (i.e. The aftermath reveal), vague and senseless motivations (especially Rosita) and the writing becomes awkward. It also lags a lot in the pace. Absolutely hated the way Rosita is written and acts here, she is very annoying, overacted and her behaviour is beyond perplexing. Can understand why people would consider it filler, it doesn't add very much at all to what had happened previously in the season and doesn't further anything plot-wise (character-wise yes, plot no). The closest it gets to that is the ending, which felt contrived and tacked on.
All in all, first half good, second half pretty bad. 5/10.
"Say Yes" is to me one of the middling episodes of Season 7. It does have good things and starts off very well. It also has too many of the things that made the season generally underwhelming and has a lot of flaws, with the second half not living up to the promise that the first showed. "Say Yes" is not a terrible episode, it is also not a particularly good one either. More an uneven, disjointed sort of episode that starts off excellently but falls apart midway through and becomes frustrating.
As said, there are good things here in "Say Yes". It is shot and lit with great atmospheric style and the grit is authentic without being overdone or gimmicky. The episode is hauntingly scored and the intimacy in the direction in the first half was appreciated. It has some thoughtful scripting in the first half with some genuinely amusing and gentle laughs along the way. Did appreciate the development too to Tara.
Where "Say Yes" particularly shines is the characterisation and relationship between Rick and Michonne that dominates the intriguing and charming first half. Both are written beautifully written and at their most interesting, investable and well developed all season. Especially Michonne. The relationship between the two is fun and heartfelt and Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira play their parts beautifully. Michonne's genuinely anguished reaction at what is thought to have happened to Rick at one crucial point is some of the best individual acting of the season and a shining moment for Gurira. The acting actually is good on the whole, apart from Rosita.
It is a shame however that the second half isn't anywhere near as strong, to me actually it was a mess. Where the episode did start falling apart was in the walker attack, which started off very tense and exciting but let down badly by the truly ridiculous aftermath reveal. Absolutely agree with the criticism with the deer and it is not an innocuous criticism, for one thing it looks distractingly awful to the point that it sticks out like the sorest of thumbs and then we have it adding absolutely nothing to what goes on other than setting one up for the walker attack.
Furthermore, the second half has some bizarre writing, too much silliness (i.e. The aftermath reveal), vague and senseless motivations (especially Rosita) and the writing becomes awkward. It also lags a lot in the pace. Absolutely hated the way Rosita is written and acts here, she is very annoying, overacted and her behaviour is beyond perplexing. Can understand why people would consider it filler, it doesn't add very much at all to what had happened previously in the season and doesn't further anything plot-wise (character-wise yes, plot no). The closest it gets to that is the ending, which felt contrived and tacked on.
All in all, first half good, second half pretty bad. 5/10.