Notes before I begin
All images taken from Google/Bing.
Any TL;DR posts will be reported and the poster will be hunted down by me with a spoon, talcum powder and many cacti.
Some of you, and by some I mean no one, may be wondering why I?ve not mentioned the graphics or sound design. Well, I?m leaving that for the final episode, so I don?t repeat myself over and over in every review.
Around Every Corner picks up soon after the cliff-hanger ending of Long Road Ahead, with what?s left of the group arriving in Savannah, where they were heading in search of a boat. But, in good old Walking Dead fashion, things aren?t that easy. You soon witness your rag-tag group being besieged by zombies, thanks to someone decided that bell-ringing practice in a zombie apocalypse was a good idea. It also doesn?t help that there?s a man taunting you over a walkie talkie that Clementine has had and been hiding from you. It?s here, at the start of the episode, that things begin to quickly unravel and never really get back on track for the group who, in the midst of Long Road Ahead picked up two new additions, named Omid, who has a bad leg from previous events in Long Road Ahead, and Christa. The entirety of Around Every Corner revolves around Kenny?s plan from a couple of episodes ago; find a boat and see what happens from there. But of course, things are never that simple. We?re also introduced to a new character, name of Molly, who informs us about Crawford, a utopia of sorts that weeds out anyone they deem not useful and guards their borders with giant barriers. Barriers of what, I won?t say, but when I found out, I was pretty disgusted when I finally noticed.
Around Every Corner isn?t as engaging as the previous episodes were from the get go. As the episode progresses, it does get a lot more engaging as it, once again, decides to play with your emotions like a kitten plays with balls of string, but it does feel pretty slow after the shocking speed of the intro wears off. It?s still entertaining and fun to play, don?t get me wrong, but it does begin to drag on the pacing a little bit, something that might have carried over from the end of Long Road Ahead. However, the pacing does resolve itself eventually and you?re soon off, looking for various things you?ll need to actually fix a boat to make it sea worthy. But seeing as this goal takes up the majority of the episode, it rarely feels like you?re making progress towards the greater goal of escaping the zombie apocalypse and finding somewhere safe to go. They do add in another small sub-plot between two of your remaining survivors and a secret under-ground community that loath Crawford and everything they stand for, so you actually have some story to get your teeth into while you?re searching for these boat parts but for the most part, the in group fight is towards the end of the episode and the community is there to pretty much hype up Crawford as being ?evil.?, so they don?t serve too much of a purpose.
[Img_Inline width="325" Caption="Keep calm and oppan Gangnam Style." Align="right"]http://i918.photobucket.com/albums/ad25/Sasquacth99/GARME%20REVIEW%20SCREENS/oie_31171718p5A39jwZ.jpg [/Img_Inline]
However, if you thought that the plot in Around Every Corner would be dull, well maybe the choices you are once again forced to make here are as tough as any other choices you?ve made before, if not even tougher. I?ll be honest, some of the choices I had to make here where amongst the hardest The Walking Dead has thrown at me. It?s also in this episode that the choices you?ve made before have a far greater impact than ever before, so you had better been paying attention to who you sided with, as come the end of the episode, they might just refuse to help you. It?s also in this episode that they bring Lee?s relationship with Clementine back into the spotlight a bit more, as it?s a very important focus of this episode, and indeed sets up the events of the upcoming episode 5. How you?ve handled things with Clementine over the previous episodes and throughout this one suddenly have a lot more impact. Some choices may come back to bite you on the arse, some might not. And there will be one scene where, and I can guarantee this, that will make you feel like a complete and utter prick, no matter how you handle it. There is no way to avoid this scene, as it happens regardless, but it will still hit you in the emotional testicles.
Overall, Around Every Corner is let down a little by pacing issues and a real lack of direction for the first part of the episode. However, this is soon fixed and the pacing issues vanish. That said though, while it is a good episode, it does feel a little bit like filler; nothing really gets resolved in Around Every Corner, creating more questions than it answers. The questions it generates are intriguing ones and help set up the final episode, No Time Left. Around Every Corner may be the weakest episode of The Walking Dead, but this by no means makes it bad. It?s still a very good episode, no doubt about that, it just doesn?t have the drive and direction of the previous episodes.
[small]Despite the caption, no, Gangnam Style doesn?t play in this episode. Nor do the zombies do a ?Thriller?esqe dance. Which makes me sad.[/small]
Films and TV: Hot Fuzz (First and original review) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.163840] - UK Big Brother and Celeb Big Brother [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.167121] - Scrubs (Sassafrass, VaudevillianVeteran and Pimppeter2) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.167644] - Black Sheep [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.174430] - Dave, a TV channel [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.181712] - Twilight: Eclipse [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.213377] - The X-Factor (Sassafrass and VaudevillianVeteran) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.250859] - Predators [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.268805] - Hot Fuzz (Rewrite) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.270265]
Sassafrass to the YT Movies series: SK3: Battle For Redemption [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.375545-Sassafrass-to-the-YT-Movies-Scorpion-King-3-Battle-For-Redemption] - The Last Man On Earth [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.380367-Poll-Sassafrass-to-the-YT-Movies-The-Last-Man-on-Earth-1964] - Kung Fu Hustle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.386443-Poll-Sassafrass-Reviews-Kung-Fu-Hustle-2004]
Games: Final Fantasy X [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.166262] - Borderlands [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.180755] - Colin McRae
iRT 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.187935] - Final Fantasy 13, plus guide review [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.203989] - Viva Pinata [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.234884] - Fallout: New Vegas [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.246820] - Fable III [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.255418-Sassafrass-Reviews-Fable-III] - Final Fantasy X-2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.291553-Sassafrass-Reviews-Final-Fantasy-X-2] - WWE 2011 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.312693.12667178] - Saints Row 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.328405-Sassafrass-Reviews-Saints-Row-2] - Final Fantasy 13-2 Demo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.337944-Sassafrass-Reviews-The-Final-Fantasy-13-2-Demo] - Angry Birds [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.339912-Sassafrass-Reviews-Angry-Birds-Review-Wars-V-entry] - Halo: Reach [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.352160-Sassafrass-Reviews-Halo-Reach] - Battlefield 3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.381973-Sassafrass-Reviews-Battlefield-3-Xbox-360]
Music: Full Fathom Five by Clutch [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.206062] - Press X To Rock: Miracle of Sound [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.316714-Sassafrass-Reviews-Miracle-Of-Sound-Press-X-To-Rock]
Random reviews: Friends list review, no 4. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.170076] Friends list review 1, 2, 3 lost.
Game previews: Final Fantasy 13 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.178502]
Sassafrass to the YT Movies series: SK3: Battle For Redemption [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.375545-Sassafrass-to-the-YT-Movies-Scorpion-King-3-Battle-For-Redemption] - The Last Man On Earth [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.380367-Poll-Sassafrass-to-the-YT-Movies-The-Last-Man-on-Earth-1964] - Kung Fu Hustle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.386443-Poll-Sassafrass-Reviews-Kung-Fu-Hustle-2004]
Games: Final Fantasy X [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.166262] - Borderlands [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.180755] - Colin McRae
iRT 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.187935] - Final Fantasy 13, plus guide review [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.203989] - Viva Pinata [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.234884] - Fallout: New Vegas [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.246820] - Fable III [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.255418-Sassafrass-Reviews-Fable-III] - Final Fantasy X-2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.291553-Sassafrass-Reviews-Final-Fantasy-X-2] - WWE 2011 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.312693.12667178] - Saints Row 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.328405-Sassafrass-Reviews-Saints-Row-2] - Final Fantasy 13-2 Demo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.337944-Sassafrass-Reviews-The-Final-Fantasy-13-2-Demo] - Angry Birds [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.339912-Sassafrass-Reviews-Angry-Birds-Review-Wars-V-entry] - Halo: Reach [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.352160-Sassafrass-Reviews-Halo-Reach] - Battlefield 3 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.381973-Sassafrass-Reviews-Battlefield-3-Xbox-360]
A New Day [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.391898-Sassafrass-Reviews-The-Walking-Dead-A-New-Day-360] - Starved For Help [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.392177-Sassafrass-Reviews-The-Walking-Dead-Episode-2-Starved-for-Help-360] ? Long Road Ahead [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.392466-The-Walking-Dead-Long-Road-Ahead-360] ? Around Every Corner
Music: Full Fathom Five by Clutch [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.206062] - Press X To Rock: Miracle of Sound [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.316714-Sassafrass-Reviews-Miracle-Of-Sound-Press-X-To-Rock]
Random reviews: Friends list review, no 4. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.170076] Friends list review 1, 2, 3 lost.
Game previews: Final Fantasy 13 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/326.178502]
[hr]
[small]For notifications about future reviews, reviews being written, various other things or if you simply wish to fanboy over my work, visit my user group here. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Sassafrass-Reviews]
The Walking Dead: Episode 5 review will be posted pretty soon after its released.[/small]
The Walking Dead: Episode 5 review will be posted pretty soon after its released.[/small]
