The Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 12 Review: Not Tomorrow Yet

The war has started, and two characters are on a knife-edge...

Anybody doubting The Walking Dead's ability to produce a sustained run of excellent television will need a rethink after an outstanding third quarter of Season 6. It's not a perfect show, but Episode 12 was yet another impressive outing for the apocalyptic thriller, and proved that the series is capable of pulling out back-to-back installments of genuine quality as the group began the hunt for Negan and the Saviours. The pacing of entire seasons has been repeatedly called into question, but as a single entity, 'Not Tomorrow Yet' had a perfect flow. It was important to see Alexandria and some of the characters who didn't travel to the Hilltop, before the show quickened its step towards a full-blown firefight in a brand new location. We saw plenty of potential goodbye scenes as the group departed, while Carol was the star of the show throughout as the 'kill or not to kill' theme was heavily embedded into the storyline. It was fascinating to see each character's reaction to taking a life, and really adds weight to the idea that many characters aren't just eliminating people without a conscience. It also feels like the tone of the show is shifting to a more outrageous style, and that's a great thing. Rick selecting a head to use in place of Gregory's was dripping with dark humour, and along with the occasional 'Abrahamisms', the last few episodes have provided some twisted laughs despite the bleak setting. But when the final 20 minutes rolled around, all jokes were slammed to one side for the thrilling raid on the Saviours' base, with some great action moments and a genuine sense of unpredictability. The Walking Dead is treading new ground, and it's doing a fantastic job of keeping the colossal fanbase on red alert. Episode 12 concluded with the potentially explosive news that Maggie and Carol have been captured, and while that's sure to spark an electric Episode 13, it also highlights one of The Walking Dead's longest-running flaws. Its characters do moronic things, at moronic times, and nobody learns their lesson. Maggie is a thoroughly reasonable person who has been written to do a completely unreasonable thing in following the group to the Saviours' base while pregnant. She simply didn't need to be there. But despite the question of logic still lingering on, the show is red hot right now, and if the remaining four episodes of Season 6 can match what we've already seen, it could mark one of the greatest spells in the The Walking Dead's rollercoaster history. For a closer look at what lies ahead for Rick and the group, here are 10 Questions We€™re Asking After €˜Not Tomorrow Yet'. Episode Rating: A-

The Walking Dead, Mondays at 9pm on FOX (UK).

Contributor
Contributor

What Culture contributor. NCTJ accredited Sports Journalist. Regret-filled Sunderland AFC season ticket holder. Optimism-filled NFL fan. Lover of all things Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Walking Dead & more.