When The Walking Dead started in 2010, it quickly became a favorite show on TV. The reason for its popularity was not just the zombies, but the strong human characters.
Rick (Andrew Lincoln) was the leader, but the team of characters kept viewers engaged for eleven sometimes slow seasons.
This group included Glenn (Steven Yeun), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and the close friends, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride).
Daryl and Carol are back together, ready for action once again. While the show has its usual flaws, having Daryl and Carol at the center makes it entertaining.
Laurent is smart and kind, treated like a savior by a group called the Union, led by a man named Losang (Joel de la Fuente).
Daryl must also face a woman named Marion Genet (Anne Charrier), who leads a military group creating powerful walkers.
The Book of Carol begins with Daryl hiding with the Union in their island stronghold. Meanwhile, Carol is in America at the Commonwealth. Acting on “a hunch,” as she puts it, Carol goes searching for Daryl.
She learns that Daryl has been taken on a ship to France. In the last season, Daryl wanted to return home, and now Carol is determined to help him.
The challenge is that she needs a way to cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach France. Just as Carol and the audience realize this, she sees a small plane flying overhead.
She tracks it down to a man named Ash (Manish Dayal), a lonely man living on land where he keeps walkers away. Ash and Carol share a similar tragic past, and Carol knows she must use this to convince Ash to fly her to France to find her friend.
‘The Book of Carol’ Has the Same Flaws As Other ‘Walking Dead’ Shows
After the first few excellent seasons of The Walking Dead, the series fell into a pattern that caused ratings to drop each season. The formula is well-known: the heroes walk and talk, fight walkers, talk more, meet villains, get captured, battle the bad guys, and win, then repeat.
Yes, Carol finds someone with a plane quickly and easily, but that has to happen for the story. Yes, it seems unrealistic that a small plane could fly from America to France, but it’s necessary for the adventure to happen.
The weakest part of The Book of Carol, as often seen in The Walking Dead, is its villains. In the original series, each season introduced new villains, but outside of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and The Governor (David Morrissey), most did not feel like significant threats.
Marion, with her weapons and followers, is also a threat. We see more of her plan to create powerful walkers, along with her tragic backstory, where she was just a worker at the Louvre when the outbreak began.
The Book of Carol adds tension by presenting two groups of villains against each other, with Daryl, Carol, Isabelle, Laurent, and their allies caught in the middle. However, viewers know Daryl and Carol will be safe, which reduces some suspense.
Still from The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol (Credit: AMC+)
There are many scenes where bad guys are left alive to return later, or where our favorite characters are captured, only for someone to save them at the last moment. This predictability takes away some tension because the resolution feels obvious.
Daryl and Carol Are Paired With Two Great Supporting Characters
Like the rest of The Walking Dead, repetitive plots and weak villains are balanced by strong lead characters. Ash is a good man we can trust, and we hope he will move past his pain and show with Carol. We also have reasons to question Carol, who lies and manipulates people with good intentions to get what she wants.
This complexity makes Carol more interesting, as she is not just a typical good character. Carol and Ash have great chemistry, but once they reach France, they get separated for several episodes. Just as we start to understand Ash, he disappears, making him feel like just a plot device.
This is disappointing for a well-written character, but thankfully, it gets resolved later with a development that deepens their relationship with Carol. We also have reasons to question Carol, who lies and manipulates people with good intentions to get what she wants.
This complexity makes Carol more interesting, as she is not just a typical good character. Carol and Ash have great chemistry, but once they reach France, they get separated for several episodes. Just as we start to understand Ash, he disappears, making him feel like just a plot device. T
Laurent remains intriguing as well. A child written to be a Savior could have been annoying, but Laurent is shown as a kind soul who believes in others without feeling special himself.
He just wants to be a child and sees Daryl as a father figure. Watching the tough Daryl grow closer to Isabelle and bond with Laurent is enjoyable, even though we know Daryl may not earn happiness.
Now, let’s talk about what you really want: the reunion of Daryl and Carol. It takes some time, but when it happens, it brings chills and maybe even tears. The writer wanted a more emotional reunion, but instead, they quickly fall back into their old friendship, as if Daryl expected Carol to show up.
They are as close as ever, and there is no risk of a romantic relationship ruining their bond. The two friends get back to their usual action, trying to defeat Marion, save Laurent, and return to America all at once.
Still from The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol (Credit: AMC+)
Although their journey has the familiar frustrations of The Walking Dead, it involves our favorite characters, so we can overlook these issues. Furthermore, the finale includes a twist that sets up another season with Daryl and Carol together. What more could fans wish for?
Fans have been thrilled to see the return of Survivor, CBS’s famous reality show that has amazed viewers for over twenty years.
The show brings together random people to compete for a grand prize of $1,000,000. Created by Charlie Parsons, Survivor has just launched its historic 47th season.
This season promises all the excitement the show is known for, and the premiere surprised everyone with its humor.
Many factors contribute to this; perhaps it is the contestants’ eagerness to “play the game” that leads them to make big mistakes right from the start.
Or it might be the nervousness of a castaway that results in one of the most shocking confessions the show has ever had.
Survivor 47 has already provided numerous moments for fans to laugh, some of which are slightly embarrassing.
However, the funniest moment occurred at the end of the episode when viewers witnessed the player who had been advertised as this season’s standout.
He broke all the pre-season rules and received special privileges but was surprisingly sent home first. While every episode is important for telling the season’s story, the premiere often sets the mood for what’s to come.
With Jon Lovett, the show’s “Golden Contestant,” getting voted out first, this premiere may have hinted at one of the most ironic and humorous seasons ever.
Survivor’s #1 Rule: Keep Things Hush Hush
Survivor has introduced many twists over the years to keep viewers entertained. One classic approach is stunt casting, which involves choosing a contestant who already has some level of fame outside the show
. The series has used this tactic many times over its 47 seasons, bringing in both beloved celebrities and controversial figures.
This approach aims to complicate the game and attract fans who want to see how a celebrity handles the challenging environment.
The success of this strategy varies. For every fan-favourite like Mike White, there is a bitter contestant like John Rocker, who is remembered more for his poor behaviour than for his gameplay.
The “new era” of Survivor (seasons 41-47) has shifted away from stunt casting, featuring mostly ordinary people with only an occasional Olympian or indie musician.
However, this season made an effort to include known personalities to excite fans, with the standout being podcast host Jon Lovett.
Lovett fits the type of niche celebrity that Survivor wants to cast. He is known for his work as a speechwriter and for hosting the successful podcast “Pod Save America.”
The show seemed excited to have him on, as they broke many rules that contestants must follow.
Still from Survivor 47 (Credit: Paramount+)
They allowed him to do something that players are not supposed to do: talk about being on the show before it airs. Contestants risk serious consequences, including legal action and losing any prize money, if they reveal their casting too soon.
However, Jon has been very open about his participation this season. He has appeared on talk shows to share his excitement about the experience and has even had Jeff Probst, the host, praise him as a great player.
This situation demonstrates a clear favoritism, allowing Jon to discuss his role in ways that would usually get other contestants into trouble. Ironically, this made it even funnier when he was the first contestant voted out.
Winning Survivor Requires Some Luck
While Survivor is challenging for all players, this first episode was particularly hard for Jon Lovett. He was placed on the Gata tribe, and although the anxious Andy Rueda immediately singled him out as a friend, Jon struggled to connect with younger teammates who were not familiar with his work.
His situation worsened when, after two days of feeling out of place, Andy expressed his feelings about being at the bottom after their tribe lost an immunity challenge. His emotional confession became even more shocking when he revealed that he was considering betraying Jon to save himself.
Despite this, Jon realized that Andy was his only ally and tried to create a plan to keep them both safe. Unfortunately, it was too late.
The other four tribe members decided to vote Jon out, recognizing that his lack of physical skills and strategy could be a problem later on. Worse still, Andy, who Jon had tried to forgive, went against their plan and also voted to eliminate him, resulting in a 5-1 vote against Jon.
And so, Jon Lovett became the first contestant eliminated from Survivor 47. This shocking outcome not only removed the most famous player from the game but also left viewers laughing at the ironic situation. The show had made exceptions for Jon that it never had for contestants in its 24 years.
Still from Survivor 47 (Credit: Paramount+)
He was promoted as an excellent narrator for the season, and many fans worried that the editing would focus too much on his experience.
However, viewers quickly learned that the one being sold as the “next big player” was just another name on a long list of contestants whose time on the show ended too soon.
This made both Jon and the viewers laugh. In his farewell message, Jon welcomed the jokes and memes that he knew were coming, as he was a superfan of the show himself.
Jon’s journey raises questions about fairness among contestants and whether stunt casting is still effective, but one thing is clear: his elimination was very funny.
Jon Lovett Made Survivor History
Although it may seem unfair that Survivor treated Jon so leniently before the season began, it makes sense why the show would do this.
The show has featured celebrities before, but few have been as connected to their audience as Jon Lovett, who has access to some of the biggest platforms to promote the season.
From a marketing perspective, it would have been a mistake not to let him promote the show. While this strategy is valid, it also makes Jon’s status as the first eliminated contestant even funnier.
It adds a sarcastic tone to all the media coverage about him, leading audiences to chuckle at how Jon and Probst spoke about his significant influence on the season.
Jon was a decent player, and his elimination was largely due to bad luck. Still, he can feel proud that his time on Survivor provided the show with its funniest and most ironic first elimination ever. Survivor is available to watch on Paramount Plus in the U.S.
Survivor 47 has kicked off with unexpected humour and irony, featuring Jon Lovett as the first contestant eliminated in a shocking twist.
The historic reality series, known for its intense competition, surprised fans by showcasing Lovett, a popular podcast host, who broke the show’s rules by openly discussing his participation before the season aired.
Still from Survivor 47 (Credit: Paramount+)
Despite his excitement and the producers’ favouritism, Lovett struggled to connect with his younger tribe members in the Gata tribe.
The episode highlighted the intense pressure to play the game, leading to emotional confessions and unexpected betrayals. In a surprising turn of events, Lovett was voted out first, leaving viewers laughing at the irony of his situation.
This elimination not only marks a humorous beginning to the season but also raises questions about contestant fairness and the effectiveness of stunt casting in today’s Survivor scene. The season promises to be one of the funniest yet.
