reviews
The Walking Dead: Cable’s Most Watched Show Kicks Off Its Sixth Year
Its ratings have grown from an average of 5.24 million viewers to 14.40 million viewers in five seasons, making it the most watched series in cable television history.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
If you haven’t seen The Walking Dead yet, you are clearly living under a rock. Its ratings have grown from an average of 5.24 million viewers to 14.40 million viewers in five seasons, making it the most watched series in cable television history. And with good reason, as it consistently provides top-notch entertainment and has completely reinvigorated the zombie genre. From its captivating performances, sure-handed and cinema-quality direction, increasingly original writing, despite being adapted from the comic book series of the same name, beautifully horrific makeup and effects, to its genuine scare factor, The Walking Dead is a series that succeeds on every level.
In its first five seasons on the air, it has remained less a story about a zombie apocalypse than an intense character study of despair, grief, human connection, and survival. Its character development has been carefully and meticulously planned from Rick’s descent into madness and moral ambiguity, to Carol’s transformation from cowering victim of spousal abuse to fierce warrior, and Daryl and Michonne’s general badassery. Everyone has their favorite characters and least favorite characters (Carl), and they are able to defend their position with all their heart because of how much we have come to know and understand all of the characters in the entire sprawling ensemble.
I’ll only briefly touch on the wonderful performances on display before I dive deep into the sixth season’s premiere from last Sunday. Andrew Lincoln’s Rick has changed so much from the morally upright sheriff of the beginning of the series, and Lincoln has consistently been a commanding presence as he struggles to lead the group as horrible tragedy after horrible tragedy hits him. Rick becomes a fierce defender of the group with ever-decaying morals. Norman Reedus as crossbow wielding Daryl has never really done anything for me aside from leaving me in awe from his aforementioned badassery, although I have enjoyed seeing him in his softer moments with people like Merle, Carol, and Beth. Speaking of Carol, Melissa McBride is fantastic and should really get more widespread credit for her intricate portrait of such a deeply complex woman. Danai Gurira’s katana wielding Michonne is another badass that commands with a steely expression and often says so much with just a silent look. I’ve been in love with her ever since she jumped onto the scene with her katana and armless and jawless zombie pets. In more recent seasons, we’ve seen strong turns from The Wire alum Chad L. Coleman as the soft-spoken yet physically intimidating Tyreese and Sonequa Martin-Green as his sister Sasha, who dealt with a fair amount of tragedy in the fifth season. Finally, Carl sucks! No offense to Chandler Riggs, but Carl is the absolute worst, hence why every season people actually root for Carl to be killed.
Now, let’s get to the season six premiere “First Time Again.”
“First Time Again” is definitely The Walking Dead’s response to Game of Throne’s “Hardhome.” It was an attempt to compete with the HBO series’ epic “zombie” episode, and The Walking Dead team pulled it off completely despite a smaller budget than their competitor. “First Time Again” was a wholly entertaining episode that played to the show’s biggest strengths and was a very much needed boost of energy and action to begin the sixth season. However, I did have some problems with it (I’ll get to that later).
This is a show that has always tackled spectacle with mastery, and even though this is the largest scale that the show has ever attempted, it never felt like a let down. We begin a little while after the events of last year’s shocking and tense finale as Rick and Co. plan to lure thousands of walkers out of a quarry and 20 miles away from Alexandria. The day before they are to go through with their plan, they do a “dress rehearsal” and since nothing can ever go right for this group, the trucks blocking the walkers from escaping the quarry fall away and all hell breaks loose. The terrified Alexandrians flee and Rick is forced to put his plan into action early.
Throughout the episode we are given flashbacks to the events immediately following last year’s finale, in black and white to help differentiate them, serving to remind us where everyone is emotionally: Rick is trying to seem more civilized in front of the Alexandrians and Morgan, Deanna is grieving Reg’s murder, Abraham is drowning his sorrows in alcohol, Sasha is trying to put herself back together, Tara has woken up after being bedridden, and everyone else is trying to keep Alexandria from crumbling from the inside.
Back in the present, despite being a day early, the plan is succeeding, for the most part, as the group is managing to lead the walkers away from Alexandria. That is, until Carter gets himself bitten and distracts the walkers before Rick silences him with a knife to the back of the head. Then, when things seem to be getting back on track despite this loss, a loud horn blares out from Alexandria drawing the walkers back towards it and the group runs back towards Alexandria to find out what’s happening.
Now, onto the problems I had with the episode.
This massive walker threat seems to serve mainly to show how Alexandria has remained intact and just how ill-prepared the Alexandrians are and to show them that they need to get with the program fast. Alexandria will reportedly remain the home-base for the whole season and thus won’t be annihilated this early. This ineptitude is most obviously seen in the character Carter, played in a one-and-done performance by Ethan Embry.
Carter is supposedly a long-time resident of Alexandria, although he wasn’t seen at all last season which annoys me since he is supposed to be a big enough deal to be such a focal point in this episode yet not enough to even be referred to last season. I realize that they are constantly adding new and interesting characters to the mix, but they should at least lay some groundwork beforehand or at least give a reason for them not being present with the rest of the Alexandrians, like Heath who was off on a run, instead of just being “too busy” to be seen. Also, it might have helped if they had made him less whiny and annoying. The entire episode he walks around complaining about Rick and saying that they aren’t ready, and then has the audacity to plan to assassinate Rick and take over. He’s so dumb that his death at the end of the episode made me outright laugh, which is sad considering he gets his face bitten. He then goes on to ruin things even in his dying by screaming loudly and drawing the attention of the walkers on the road, until Rick stabs him in the head to silence him. I found his entire presence annoying.
The whole plan seemed kind of stupid to me. Why couldn’t they just fortify the truck barriers at the quarry, and also take Carter’s advice to fortify the walls of Alexandria, and then just find some way to wipe out the walkers while they’re contained? I feel like they could have gotten some gasoline and flamethrowers or something and had a giant walker bonfire and that would have been a surer way of eliminating them. I think the group should have done some more brainstorming, instead of coming up with a super convoluted plan where there weren’t a lot of things they could easily control.
Other thoughts I had:
- Eugene is the worst gate guard ever! Three people he doesn’t know show up and he lets them in because Corey Hawkins’ Heath has similarly unique hair? Eugene shouldn’t be allowed to do anything with any shred of importance.
- How is Father Gabriel still alive? If I were Rick, I would have killed him right away after finding out that he was trying to turn Deanna against the group. He’s just as awful as Carl and Carter.
- Lennie James is so cool. Ever since we met Morgan in season one, I’ve wanted him to come back for an extended period of time apart from his little glimpses in seasons three and five.
- Does Rick really think that Jessie is still going to be into him after executing her husband in front of everybody and yelling at her son? Foolish.
- When is Danai Gurira going to get some really great stuff? I feel like they are wasting her, using her only as a badass when she can be so much more. Although, I did like her interactions with Morgan over the peanut butter protein bars.
Regardless of any plot holes I saw, “First Time Again” was a thoroughly entertaining and suspenseful episode bolstered by continued fantastic performances from this huge ensemble. I’m excited to see where this season goes and who the hell was blaring that horn.
AuKing Mini Projector Key Details
The Auking is a 1080p Mini Projector with built-in speakers that is compatible with Smartphones and laptops.* (Notice the asterisk) The ports are HDMI, USB, VGA, AV, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s $99.99, but you can usually catch it on sale for cheaper.
This projector is pretty popular online. There are tons of glowing reviews for it on Amazon, but I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you care about what I think. And what I think is that this projector is kinda bad.
Also, keep in mind I believe that this projector is being sold on amazon with different branding and shells, but essentially, they’re all the same projector.
These are just some I’ve found.
ALVAR 8000 Lumens Mini Portable Projector
TMY Projector 7500
Projector with WiFi, 2022 Upgrade 8500L
Mini Projector, Aokang 7500 Lumens HD Portable Projector
These all pretty much the same projector with different housing and branding
It is most certainly not for everyone, and it’s not for everyone who loves projectors. The projector has some issues with only a few positives.
Android smartphones are compatible, but only certain Androids, which they don’t tell you before purchasing.
List of Phones compatible with the projector
I’m guessing it’s “compatible” with all iPhones, but oddly enough, they don’t mention it. But I think it’s a safe bet to say that it is. Because saying the Aukling is compatible with smart devices and mac books is technically true, and it’s somewhat misleading.
It has no built-in features to make it compatible with other devices, just an HDMI input. This, combined with poor image and audio quality, means you’d be better off saving your money and buying something a little more expensive.
AuKing Mini Projector Full Break Down
The Auking has an HDMI port, which means it’s compatible with any device that can output through HDMI. But unfortunately, it doesn’t have any ports or software that would intrinsically allow smartphones to project video.
To get your iPhone or Android phone to connect to the projector, you have to do it through HDMI. So, you’ll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter for android and Mac Book or a lightning port to HDMI if you’re using an iPhone. The instructions also recommend a wireless dongle so you can connect your laptop or smart device via BlueTooth (more on that later)
Now here’s the thing, the projector only comes with a regular HDMI cord, so you would have to buy the other cords separately. They don’t mention that before you buy it, so it feels very misleading. Regarding the wireless adapter they recommend, you must connect to it via Bluetooth. Unfortunately, most streaming services have copyright features that won’t allow you to stream content via BlueTooth.
You could connect a chrome cast, Apple TV, or a Roku and mirror or cast your phone to that, but if you don’t have those devices on hand, you’re out of luck.
This means the easiest way to use this device would be with your windows laptop unless you have one of the cords they recommend.
But how does it perform once you get it set up and running? It’s ok.
We have to set our expectations for this price range. The project shows saturated color palettes well but struggles with darker colors.
Darker scenes come out looking grainy and blurry.
While brighter colors look ok.
But all things considered, the video quality will be worse than whatever you have connected to the HDMI. To its credit, however, the projector is bright enough to watch it outside with minimal light pollution.
The audio can be pretty loud, but loud doesn’t necessarily mean good. It does sound like it comes from out of a tin can, but it’s clear enough to hear what’s going on in a movie, so you don’t have to only rely on headphones.
Despite its small size, the Auking’s fans can be pretty loud when it’s on. (Imagine starting up your first-gen PS4 and trying to play Cyberpunk).
This projector isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend it to most people. However, if you’re a person who wants a bigger screen, you can buy a cheap 22′ monitor and connect you your phone or laptop to it, and the image quality would be better.
Verdict
In most cases, I suggest you save money and get something more expensive, like the ANKER Nebula capsule.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need a projector immediately, this will be ok. For instance, a backyard BBQ where it’s more about the people you’re around than what you’re watching or a party where you want to keep the kids distracted while the adults use the TV (shame on you).
Other than that, it’s worth saving your money.
FAQ
How do I connect my phone to my mini AuKing projector?
Through USB-C to HDMI cord or lighting to HDMI cord
Does AuKing projector support Bluetooth?
Rest in peace, watermelon.
The latest episodes in ‘Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’ were very interesting to watch.
One was definitely a fanservice episode, and heck, even the producers know that! Episode 7’s title contains the phrase ‘The Fanservice Episode, Obviously’, so that cracked me up.
Episode 7 focuses on the elements of anime that will appeal to any nerd out there. By that, of course I mean bathing suits and comic conventions! Cue the beach episode!
Tohru and company decide to go swimming for the day. Kanna’s adorable as always, while Lucoa doesn’t realize just how sexual she is toward a small boy.
Like, really? You think wearing a very sexy swimsuit in front of a lot of kids on a beach is okay? And why do you insist on torturing Shouta with your breasts? It’s obvious that he’s tempted, but stop trying to seduce small children.
Of course, they’re dragons, so hilarious antics ensue. Tohru and Kanna get carried away in a swimming race, making water splash up everywhere. Also, a crab and watermelon are murdered. RIP.
However, one aspect that I thought was a nice touch was the backstory we got for Tohru. It wasn’t much, but Tohru and Kobayashi have a deep and meaningful conversation about their family’s lives, as well as how humans and dragons are different from one another. Fanservice episodes usually focus on that alone, but fortunately that’s not the case here.
The second half of Episode 7 focuses on Comiket. Tohru and Kobayashi help Takiya run a booth, and we learn that Fafnir is also participating by attempting to sell powerful curses. Wow, didn’t see thaaaaat coming at all.
Tohru notices otherworldly creatures in their true forms at Comiket, as they reveal that this is a great way to show their true forms. With Kobayashi’s permission, Tohru exposes her wings and tail, appearing to others as if she’s cosplaying as, well, a dragon maid.
Episode 7 was very nice because there were many heartfelt and adorable moments.
Meanwhile, Episode 8 FINALLY introduced the dragon that I keep on mentioning in my reviews. Her name’s Elma, a dragon who is a rival of Tohru’s. Elma accuses Tohru of disrupting the human’s ways and tries to force her to return to the dragon world. This doesn’t succeed, however, as Tohru sends her to an open field and leaves her there.
Unable to get back home, Elma stays in the human world and begins working at Kobayashi’s company. Kobayashi teaches Elma how to use computers and technology so that she can keep her job. Of course, this prompts Tohru to become jealous, smelling the scent of another dragon off Kobayashi like a dog does with a human. I won’t reveal how the episode ends, but it ends in a positive manner for Tohru.
Overall, I really loved these two episodes because they made me feel warm and fuzzy. They appealed to the emotional senses through a heartfelt conversation between Kobayashi and Tohru. Elma is also an innocent sweetheart who only wants to bring harmony to the human and dragon worlds. And I can’t wait to see more of her in the upcoming episodes.
I feel like in these two episodes alone, we learned so much about Tohru and her feelings for Kobayashi. She really wants to understand the human world and will do anything to stay with Kobayashi.
I’ll up my rating to a 4.7. These episodes were both fun, and we finally got the new dragon! Bless.
Notice: Undefined variable: user_ID in /hermes/bosnacweb04/bosnacweb04au/b1979/dom.bigorangedesign/wp_site_1589834241/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login