Look at the Flowers

Last updated

"Look at the Flowers"
The Walking Dead episode
Episode no.Season 10
Episode 14
Directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Written byChanning Powell
Featured music"The Turtle and the Monkey" by Ryan Hurst
"I Went to the Well" by Ryan Hurst
Original air dateMarch 29, 2020 (2020-03-29)
Running time50 minutes
Guest appearances
  • Paola Lázaro as Juanita "Princess" Sanchez
  • Kerry Cahill as Dianne
  • Nadine Marissa as Nabila
  • Mark Sivertsen as Rufus
  • Alex Livinalli as Shotgun Whisperer
Episode chronology
← Previous
"What We Become"		Next →
"The Tower"
The Walking Dead season 10
List of episodes

"Look at the Flowers" is the fourteenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on March 29, 2020. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer.

Contents

After the death of Alpha (Samantha Morton), heroes and villains reckon with the aftermath of the Hilltop fire. Meanwhile, Eugene (Josh McDermitt) takes a group on a journey to meet Stephanie, with the hopes of befriending another civilization.

This episode marks the final appearance of Samantha Morton as Alpha and the first appearance of Paola Lázaro as Juanita "Princess" Sanchez, a character adapted from the comics. The episode received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

In a flashback, Carol gives the imprisoned Negan the offer to bring her Alpha's head in exchange for clearing his name. In the present, Carol places Alpha's disembodied but still moving head atop a pike. Negan then demands Carol to hold up her end of the deal, but Carol criticizes how long it took him to complete his mission and tells him he can wait until she's ready or face the community, whom he fears.

Elsewhere, the survivors of the Hilltop gather to make sure the children are safe. Rosita encourages Eugene to tell the group about his radio contact and planned meeting with Stephanie. While there are concerns about being led into another trap, they agree Eugene should keep the meeting; Eugene, Ezekiel, and Yumiko set off to a downtown area.

Meanwhile, Beta and two Whisperers find Alpha's head. Enraged, Beta forces one of the Whisperers to get bitten by the head after he unwisely identifies Beta as the "new Alpha"; the other Whisperer flees. He then takes the head and travels to his former home in a nearby town. In a fit of rage, he destroys much of his former home.

Beforehand, Negan goes to free Lydia, but is instead greeted by a punch and interrogated by Daryl. The former explains Alpha's fate at his hands, but Daryl doesn't believe him. Meanwhile Carol goes off on her own and starts to have visions of Alpha, taunting Carol and comparing her to herself, with no solace in isolation.

That night, at the pike where Alpha's head is missing, Negan and Daryl find themselves surrounded by three Whisperers, having learned of Alpha's fate and treating Negan as the "new Alpha". Negan, pretending to go along with the Whisperers to get them off guard, uses the opportunity to kill the Whisperers to prove his loyalty to Alexandria, freeing Daryl in the process. Meanwhile at the nearby town, Beta has been listening to his own music, as it is revealed he was a former country music singer named "Half Moon". He then turns on his music loudly as to attract a huge horde of walkers.

The next morning, when Carol gets briefly trapped in the rubble of a collapsing ceiling with a walker approaching, the vision of Alpha suggests to Carol that she "look at the flowers" [lower-alpha 1] and accept death, but Carol breaks free in time to put down the walker; the vision of Alpha disperses.

Within the city, after discovering a tableau of walkers arranged in humorous situations, Ezekiel, Eugene, and Yumiko encounter a young woman excited to see them. Meanwhile Beta, having achieved catharsis, thanks Alpha, puts the head down, and uses part of her skin to repair his mask. Beta then starts to lead the massive horde toward a new destination.

Production

Appearing as a vision in Carol's (Melissa McBride) hallucinations, Samantha Morton makes her final appearance as Alpha. Samantha Morton Edinburgh International Film Festival.png
Appearing as a vision in Carol's (Melissa McBride) hallucinations, Samantha Morton makes her final appearance as Alpha.

As of this episode, Danai Gurira is removed from the opening credits. This is the first time in the series since season two that her name does not appear. [2] After her character is killed in "Walk with Us", Samantha Morton returns as Alpha in Carol's (Melissa McBride) hallucinations while the episode also marks the departure of Morton, who first appeared in the season nine mid-season premiere episode "Adaptation". [3]

The episode's title derives from a line Carol speaks to Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) before Carol is forced to kill her from the season four episode "The Grove". According to showrunner Angela Kang, the idea of the episode came mostly from its writer Channing Powell in how Carol would react once Alpha was dead and her revenge was complete, reflecting on how the character had to do a number of dark actions herself, such as killing Lizzie, in her past. [4] [5]

The episode introduces Juanita "Princess" Sanchez (Paola Lázaro), a character adapted from the comic book series. Whereas in the comics, the group meets her in Pittsburgh rather than Virginia. She is shown to still be a survivor that has been in complete isolation and developed quirky ways to deal with her isolation. [4] Within the comics, Princess' introduction begins the final major arc of the comics: The introduction of The Commonwealth—a group and network of communities that the combined Alexandria Safe-Zone residents eventually join which only creates additional tensions. It was first introduced in "Volume 29", "Issue #173" of Robert Kirkman's original comic book series. [6]

The identity of Beta (Ryan Hurst) as famed country music singer "Half Moon" was a device that was unique to the television series. Within the comics, Beta was a former basketball player, but Hurst did not have that appearance. While the writers considered other sports, Hurst suggested the idea of a country singer like Garth Brooks, who has a one-off alter ego—Chris Gaines. The writers used this idea to consider that the former singer had a darker side that came out in the zombie apocalypse. They planted this idea earlier in the season with a song, titled "The Turtle and the Monkey", that Magna (Nadia Hilker) listens to on a phonograph, which was written by Emily Kinney (who had played Beth Greene in the series) and sung by Hurst in episode five. [7] [8] The second song heard in this episode is titled "I Went to the Well", which was released in its entirety by AMC on April 1, 2020. [9] A record cover of "Half Moon" with Hurst's face had also been shown in the fifth season of Fear the Walking Dead . [4] [10]

Reception

Critical reception

Melissa McBride 2019.jpg
Jeffrey Dean Morgan by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg
Ryan Hurst in 2017.jpg
The development of Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Ryan Hurst's characters were praised by critics.

"Look at the Flowers" received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 88% with an average score of 6.80 out of 10, based on 17 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "'Look at the Flowers' dives back into the conflict between the Hilltop crew and the Whisperers with a richly introspective episode that explores the far-reaching impact of Alpha's demise." [11]

Ron Hogan of Den of Geek praised the character development of Negan, writing: "Negan, despite everything, is still funny. Eugene has never not been funny, particularly when Josh McDermitt starts motoring his mouth around that very thick dialogue provided by Channing Powell's excellent script." [12] Noetta Harjo of Geek Girl Authority praised the episode, writing: "Sooo, Carol wrote a letter to Maggie about Alpha. I'm really hoping Maggie shows up in the next episode. That was interesting to watch Alpha tell Carol her thoughts." [13]

Writing for The A.V. Club , Alex McLevy gave the episode a B− and wrote: "A good portion of it worked at least reasonably well. This is partially thanks to a script that only overcooks half of the dialogue scenes." [1] Writing for TV Fanatic, Paul Dailly praised the episode and wrote: "'Look at the Flowers' was mostly an episode to set up the coming events, and boy, we're in for a wild ride to the finish line." [14] Writing for We Live Entertainment, Aaron Neuwirth praised Jeffrey Dean Morgan's performance and wrote: "Allowing Jeffrey Dean Morgan the chance to play up multiple sides of Negan is effective." [15]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a 7 out of 10, writing: "Though some of Carol's meandering, and Ezekiel's trek, felt trite, "Look at the Flowers" was still busy enough overall to plant seeds for more interesting things to come... It was a cool-down chapter, but an effective one." [16] Erik Kain of Forbes praised the character development of Beta, writing: "This was mostly a very good episode. Beta is a very scary guy, and the end suggests that the full force of his wrath and vengeance is about to be unleashed on our heroes." [17]

Ratings

"Look at the Flowers" received 3.26 million viewers and was the highest-rated cable program of the night. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ A reference to Carol's line before she was forced to kill Lizzie in "The Grove" [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosita Espinosa</span> Fictional character

Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Washington, D.C. In the comic book series, she joins Rick Grimes' group after they leave the prison and go to DC. Eventually Eugene is revealed to have lied but they continue on to Washington anyway, since he was still convinced the city would offer greater chance of survival, and they eventually find the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

Aaron (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Aaron is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and television series of the same name. He is portrayed by Ross Marquand in the television series.

Alpha (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Character appearing in The Walking Dead media franchise

Alpha is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she was portrayed by Samantha Morton. In both universes, Alpha is the leader of a group of survivors called the Whisperers, a mysterious group that wears the skins of walkers (zombies) to mask their presence. In the television series, she first appeared in the ninth mid-season premiere.

Beta (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Beta is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Ryan Hurst. In both universes, Beta is the second-in-command of the Whisperers, a group of survivors who wear walker (zombie) skin to hide their presence from actual walkers. He serves as Alpha's right-hand man and after her death, becomes de facto leader of the Whisperers.

Lydia (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Lydia is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Cassady McClincy.

"Guardians" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 3, 2019.

"The Storm" is the sixteenth and final episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 31, 2019.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 6, 2019, and concluded on April 4, 2021, consisting of 22 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang as showrunner for the second consecutive season. The tenth season received generally positive reviews. It was nominated for multiple awards, including a fifth consecutive nomination for Best Horror Television Series, at the 46th Saturn Awards.

"Bonds" is the sixth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 10, 2019. The episode was written by Kevin Deiboldt and directed by Dan Liu.

"Squeeze" is the ninth episode and second-part premiere of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 23, 2020. The episode was written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

"Stalker" is the tenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 1, 2020. The episode was written by Jim Barnes and directed by Bronwen Hughes.

"Morning Star" is the eleventh episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 8, 2020. The episode was written by Vivian Tse and Julia Ruchman, and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

"Walk with Us" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 15, 2020. The episode was written by Nicole Mirante-Matthews and Eli Jorne, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

"The Tower" is the fifteenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on April 5, 2020. The episode was written by Kevin Deiboldt and Julia Ruchman, and directed by Laura Belsey.

"A Certain Doom" is the sixteenth episode and second-part finale of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 4, 2020. The episode's teleplay was written by Corey Reed, from a story by Jim Barnes, Eli Jorné and Reed, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on August 22, 2021, and concluded on November 20, 2022, consisting of 24 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Joseph Incaprera, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang as showrunner for her third and final season. The eleventh season has received positive reviews by critics.

"Home Sweet Home" is the seventeenth episode and third-part premiere of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The 148th episode overall, the episode was directed by David Boyd, and written by Kevin Deiboldt and Corey Reed. "Home Sweet Home" was released on the streaming platform AMC+ on February 21, 2021, and aired on television on AMC one week later, on February 28, 2021.

Mercer is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Michael James Shaw.

"Acheron: Part I" is the first episode of the eleventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The first of a two-part season premiere, the episode was written by Jim Barnes and showrunner Angela Kang, and directed by Kevin Dowling. "Acheron: Part I" was released on the streaming platform AMC+ on August 15, 2021, before airing on AMC on August 22, 2021. The second part aired on AMC one week later.

"Acheron: Part II" is the second episode of the eleventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The second of a two-part season premiere, the episode was written by showrunner Angela Kang and Jim Barnes, and directed by Kevin Dowling. "Acheron: Part II" was released on the streaming platform AMC+ on August 22, 2021, before airing on AMC on August 29, 2021. The first part aired on AMC one week earlier.

References

  1. 1 2 McLevy, Alex (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead sends everyone to reflect on a post-Alpha world". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ "As of Episode 1014, Danai Gurira's name has been removed from the opening credits of #TheWalkingDead. Her title card has been left blank, marking the significance of her exit. This is the 1st time in the series since Season 2 that her name does not appear in the opening credits". The Walking Dead World. Twitter. March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ Wigler, Josh (February 10, 2019). "'Walking Dead' Just Introduced Season 9's Big Bad". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Ross, Dalton (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead showrunner on the introduction of Princess". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  5. ↑ Bonomolo, Cameron (February 14, 2020). "The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode Title Has Fans Fearing Carol Might Die". Comic Book. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  6. ↑ Prudom, Laura (April 3, 2020). "The Walking Dead Season 10 Finale Preview: How Princess Could Lead to the Commonwealth". IGN . Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ Bonomolo, Cameron (April 4, 2019). "The Walking Dead Reveals Mind-Blowing Easter Egg in Season 10 Episode 5". Comic Book. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  8. ↑ Dwilson, Stephanie Dube (March 29, 2020). "Beta's Half Moon Song on 'The Walking Dead': Full Video & Lyrics". Heavy.com . Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  9. ↑ Bonomolo, Cameron (April 2, 2020). "The Walking Dead Releases Full Song From Beta's "Half Moon" Album". Comic Book. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  10. ↑ Tassi, Paul (September 17, 2019). "'Fear The Walking Dead' May Have Just Dropped A Reference To Beta's True Identity". Forbes . Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Look at the Flowers". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hogan, Ron (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Review: Look at the Flowers". Den of Geek . Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  13. ↑ Harjo, Noetta (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead Recap: (S10E14) Look at the Flowers". Geek Girl Authority. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  14. ↑ Dailly, Paul (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14 Review: Look at the Flowers". TV Fanatic. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  15. ↑ Neuwirth, Aaron (March 29, 2020). "Review: The Walking Dead 10x14, "Look at the Flowers"". We Live Entertainment. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  16. ↑ Fowler, Matt (March 29, 2020). "The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 14: "Look at the Flowers" Review". IGN . Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  17. ↑ Kain, Erik (March 29, 2020). "'The Walking Dead' Season 10, Episode 14 Recap And Review: Half Moon, Full Negan". Forbes . Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  18. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (March 31, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 3.29.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.