Review of The Walking Dead Season 6, Episode 10 - Next World: 3 Key Moments (Spoilers)

The second half of TWD season 6 has hit the run ground running with its two most recent episodes.
This week's installment, The Next World, while light on zombie-hordes gave fans some bittersweet satisfaction.

The story opens with a bit of a time jump from the last episode (a few months may have passed) as we learn that the town of Alexandria has been rebuilt and returned to its 'pseudo-Mayberry' peacefulness. Though I do appreciate the quality kills and mayhem this TV series continues to deliver, it was nice to see Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the gang enjoy near normalcy during the apocalypse for a change. Of course, this can mean only one thing in the world of TWD - the next loss the Alexandrians endure will be that much greater once the sh*t hits the fan again and we know it will.

Here are some of the key moments from The Next World:
1. The introduction of  Jesus/Paul Rovia (Tom Payne). Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus) encounter this weirdly pleasant and somewhat shady survivor while going on a supply run.

How everything unfolds between the three characters will no doubt be one of the few funny moments in this series. While I won't spoil this sequence of events, all I can say is think Tom And Jerry but happening in a post-zombie apocalyptic world.

2. Deanna's fate revealed. While Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Enid (Katelyn Nacon) were out in the woods they discover walker-Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh). Carl leads Deanna back closer to Alexandria. It turns out that Deanna's son, Spencer (Austin Nichols), is also out in those woods and Carl inadvertently leads Deanna to him.  With no other choice, Spencer gives his mother mercy by sticking a knife in the back of her head then buries her while Michonne (Danai Gurira) consoles him.

That evening Carl explains himself to Michonne and says that he intentionally drew walker-Deanna near Alexandria in hopes that she would be killed by someone who loved her. Carl then goes on to say that he would kill Michonne if she were to ever become a walker because he cares about her. Michonne responds in the only possible way by saying, "Me too."

3. Richonne.  Fans of the show have been 'shipping these two about as much as they do  Daryl and Carol and it finally happened in this episode - Rick and Michonne are the new power couple of TWD. There was a telltale sign that things might have turned romantic between them at the beginning of the episode but it was very vague and easily meant to be overlooked by the viewer. At the conclusion of the story, Rick and Michonne are sitting on the couch talking about they're day to each other like an old married couple while watching Judith on the baby monitor. Rick hands over the only item he got from the supply run, a pack of breath mints, to Michonne and their hands slowly become clasped together, followed by this ...

Thankfully the natural chemistry between Lincoln and Gurira made this a believable performance of two people who progressed from friends to lovers. In most of other series with some others actors this would have seemed forced and rushed but that chemistry and their acting made it a pay-off moment for fans.


Bottom Line: I freely admit I was about to write off this show (to be saved for a binge watch) as the last season and the first half of this season seemed to be slow-paced and drawn out. Episode 9 and Epsiode 10 of season 6 definitely lured me back in the for the ride. BRING ON NEGAN!

How about you friends? What do you think of Richonne or any of the other events from this episode or season 6 in general? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Perhaps you may want to converse with other TWD fans outside of your usual means of social media. .As a suggestion, try Alter Ego Geeks social and dating community. Who knows the Ricks out there may find their Michonnes and Michonnes may find their Ricks. Don't forget to enter promo code: comicsxaminer for a FREE one year membership when you click HERE.

Deadpool Movie Review (Spoilers)

The highly-anticipated Deadpool movie opened this past weekend and while I'm not a fan of the character in the comics, the trailers and commercials for this film caught my interest enough to go see it at the theater.

The story centers around Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a mercenary with a 'soft spot' for those in need and who appears to take jobs that are justifiable. Even his buddy, Weasel (T.J. Miller), at one point in the movie says to him, 'You're too warm-blooded for this business.
Along the way he meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin)  who turns out to be the girl of his dreams  - actually she'd be the girl of anyone's dreams. Just when their life together appears to be going great, Wade gets diagnosed with cancer.
In a desperate attempt to save his own life, Wade agrees to be the subject of some experiments by which he is granted amazing healing powers strong enough to keep his cancer at bay, however, they leave him horribly disfigured and after a series of events he's left for dead.
Ever resourceful and purely resilient Wade becomes the masked Deadpool, feeling he is unable to return to his life and his girlfriend until he gets revenge on the man who performed the experiments on him named Ajax (Ed Skrein).

Folks, from what I know of Deadpool and the comic stories featuring him, this movie is possibly the most accurate depiction of any comic character on film since The Watchmen. The jokes are great (Who knew Colossus could be a great comedic character?), the action sequences are well-executed, and Deadpool's trademark breaking-the-fourth-wall (when a fictional character talks to the audience) is not overdone.
Most importantly and the reason I decided to share this review here is that the romance between Wade and Vanessa works with Reynolds and Baccarin having an almost natural chemistry onscreen. Many comic/action movies seemed to fall flat when it comes to romance between their two leads (Dark Knight Rises anyone?) and in Deadpool you actually care if these characters stay together at the film's finale.

Bottom Line: This movie is a must-see and if you've already seen it, see it again - that's how good this movie is. Just a heads up though, even though Deadpool is from the comics and bares the Marvel brand, this movie is not for kids. Deadpool is a definite hard R-rated film.

Find out what others may think about Deadpool and other comic-related stuff at Alter Ego Geeks. Feel free to visit and sign up here.

Tardis Or Tauntaun

This blog is a very personal one. You see a few years ago after my last relationship ended, and when I was ready, I had found myself 'out there' again. At the start of  my quest to find true love once more, I took a friend of mine's advice and really went after what I believe to be the best match for me.

I had decided that it is an imperative that this person is a fellow geek, a female who appreciates the same types of things as much as I do. In the past I've had some bad experiences when introducing a lady that I may have been interested in to my obsessions. For instance, after having a few dates with her,  I invited this woman over to my place, of course it's adorned with comic book posters and action figures, upon entering she looks around and says, 'It looks like Toys "R" Us threw up in here.' This was followed by, 'So you're like the Forty Year Old Virgin huh?' my response was, 'No I'm not like him at all because in that movie his collection was awe-inspiring and mine pales in comparison.' As you, dear reader, can imagine your humble narrator's evening did not go as anticipated.
At another time I was becoming seriously involved with someone and while not interested in any of it, she seemed to regard my hobbies as eccentrically endearing. I asked this woman if she wanted to go with me to one of the biggest comic-cons in the Midwest that year, she agreed, and 15 minutes into it she bolted back towards the main entrance and refused to go back in.
Now I must point out that I do make it a point to at least participate and try to appreciate any my past significant others' interests even if it wasn't not my cup of tea (sitting through a modern-day interpretation of Homer's Odyssey, complete with a jazz-scatting Cyclops for starters) so it'd be nice had any of them humored me.

There are plenty more examples dear reader and the bottom-line on all of them is that my romantic pursuits led to people who wanted to change me and make me into what their idea of an adult is.

Nevertheless, undeterred and ready, I hopped online then made my dating profile and, among other things, proudly proclaimed myself a geek, a man-child, and someone who'd eat ramen noodles for a month if it meant paying the bills but still procuring that must-have pricey collectible. I blatantly asserted my nerd fancy and definitely added to whomever may be interested that if they can understand that, I would be just as passionate about any potential relationship with them as I am with my hobbies.

Shortly after, I got a few messages in my inbox and one in particular caught my interest. This message simply said, 'Take a look at my profile and let me know if you want to talk some more.' I did check out this person's profile and as I read it, I was taken aback by the honesty and above all else these two requirements for any would-be suitor that stated, 'You must have a job and you must have your own mode of transportation, any mode will do be it Tardis or Tauntaun.' I chuckled but her message came across crystal clear and so did her interests in a way that admittedly was better than mine.
We chatted online and then met in person. There was no denying that the sparks were there but also more importantly we discussed just how true it is that only Siths think in absolutes. For the first time in my life I was having the types of conversations with someone who I was romantically interested in that I would usually have with just my friends. There it stuck me, possible romantic partners who also have the potential to be each other's best friends - that's the solid foundation for most long-term relationships. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to have a girlfriend say, 'You better buy that Catwoman figure because you don't want Batman to be lonely, right?' instead of what I was used to hearing in the past, 'You're going to spend your money on more of that crap? Don't you already have a Catwoman figure?' Or how awesome it was to show up at woman's place and see a vintage Star Wars toy collection prominently displayed in the living room.
Needless to say, this romance, this friendship, has turned into a marriage and the most fulfilling experience of my life.

Take from this blog post what you will, reader. Be yourself, more importantly don't be afraid to look for what is best for you in any relationship, don't mistake settling as compromise, and most importantly- get out there because opportunity does not knock on anyone's door.

Please visit Alter Ego Geeks by clicking here because your best friend may be out there waiting for you.

Rick Springfield's Awesome Star Wars Toy Collection!

 Actor/singer Rick Springfield is best known for his "woes about not breaking the bro-code" anthem, Jessie's Girl. However, Springfield's huge collection of vintage and modern Star Wars toys also makes him a legend among geeks.

"I've always been toy freak," Springfield confessed. The hardcore fan has a collection that includes everything from common Luke Skywalker figures to Turkish bootlegs and a "Blue Stars" model so rare that it fetches somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,000.

Check out this video from Rolling Stone where the rock icon gives us a glimpse at his most treasured possessions.

To paraphrase a certain Sith Lord, "Impressive, most impressive." We here at Alter Ego Geeks want to see your Star Wars collection so feel free to post pics of it in the comments section below. 

And don't forget friends, we also have a giveaway for a chance to own a one-of-a-kind Boba Fett rifle replica going on right now which you can find out all the details here.

Recommended Classic Geek 'Date' Movies - A Princess Bride Free List

So my friends, you met that special someone online (hopefully from Alter Ego Geeks) and the both of you have had the prerequisite meet and greet over coffee, already went out on the official first dinner date, you're hitting off and now it's time for the invite over to watch a flick and chill.

While most of you, I'm sure, have a sweet Blu-ray collection it may be hard to pick a movie that caters to both tastes especially if you're just getting to know the other person. With that in mind, here's a list of some safe bets without including the safest one of them all, Princess Bride.

Legend 

This 1985 gem is about a demon (Tim Curry) who's plan is to create eternal night by destroying the last of the unicorns and marrying a fairy princess (Mia Sara) is opposed by the forest boy Jack (Tom Cruise) and his elven allies in this magical fantasy. 

Why it's recommended: This film has it all - fantasy, romance, and Tim Curry may be the best screen version of the Devil to date. A bit of trivia, rumor has it that Legend is the inspiration for Shigeru Miyamoto's classic game series, The Legend of Zelda. You'll definitely earn some geek street cred with that tidbit or at least step up a lively debate. 

Little Shop of Horrors

Another classic. Nerdy flower shop employee, Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis), has a crush on his coworker, Audrey (Ellen Greene), who is involved with a sadistic dentist (Steve Martin). It appears that poor lonely Seymour finally catches a break when a mysterious new plant he found starts to talk and sing then promises him a better life. The plant in actuality is an alien who is bent on taking over the world. It manipulates Seymour into murdering for it in order to quench it's blood lust. Of course, the first victim is Audrey's dentist boyfriend.  Seymour quickly comes to his senses, saves the day, and gets the girl. 

Why it's recommended: Top-notch cast, top-notch writing, and above all else top-notch soundtrack. 

This is a movie that I believe everyone will enjoy and they don't have to be a musical geek. 

Chasing Amy

The story revolves around a comic book artist Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) who instantly falls for another artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) when the two meet at a comic book convention. One major obstacle for Holden's amorous intentions, Alyssa is gay. Despite that fact though, a romance does blossom between them. Everything seems great until Holden discovers that his new girlfriend has a very promiscuous past and his insecurities consume him leading to the breakup of the relationship. 

Why its recommended: Probably one of my favorite Kevin Smith movies but definitely not his best. Still, a lot of elements depicted regarding relationships ring true and it should definitely get you and your date talking about whether or not either of you would have a similar reaction to any given situation in the film. There's also great one-liners from Jason Lee as Holden's best friend, Banky Edwards, who steals almost every scene he's in and perhaps one of the best all time rants regarding Star Wars.

The Fly 

This scifi horror film is about a brilliant scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who woos journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis) with the scoop of the century  - he's on the verge of perfecting teleportation and revolutionizing transportation as we know it. 

The characters' relationship takes a turn for the worst when Seth uses himself as a guinea pig during a teleport test run of a living creature and a house fly enters one of the transmisison pods. The result is the spellbinding metamorphosis of Brundle into Brundlefly.

Why it's recommended: The then real-life couple of Goldblum and Davis have a natural chemistry that translates well onto the screen. Yes, it is a horror movie but at its core its a tragic love story with an ending that will tug on your heartstrings. 

True Romance

Comic book store clerk, Clarence (Christian Slater), thinks he met the girl of his dreams, Alabama (Patricia Arquette), at a movie theater. Clarence finds out during their night of passion, Alabama admits that she is actually a prostitute hired to spend the night with, however, she confesses that she's fallen in love with him. The following morning they get married and what follows is an action-packed crime drama like no other. 

Why it's recommended: The performances by Slater and Arquette keep this movie from going overboard and the sparks between them are undeniable. Another highlight is Gary Oldman as Drexl Spivey, Alabama's pimp, which is one of the most memorable roles of his career. The film also boasts cameos galore by everyone from the late James Gandolfini ((The Sopranos) to Val Kilmer as the ghost of Elvis, and heck even Bronson Pinchot (Balki from Perfect Strangers) shows up as Clarence's actor buddy. All wrapped up in a screenplay brilliantly written by Quentin Tarantino with masterful direction by Tony Scott. I can't recommend this movie enough.

So that's it for my movie recommendations, friends. What are some of yours? We'd love to hear from you. So, please let us know which movies of your make it on your date night list. Thank you for reading. 

Alter Ego Geeks: Geek Dating Advice

We can all use a little bit of advice now and again.  Below is just a brief rundown of some of the tips that we've found useful while pursuing that perfect mate.  Keep in mind, there is no magic incantation, no secret rune that when activated will instantly change the course of your love life, make you irresistible to the opposite sex, or create that perfect mate out of a lifeless mound of earth.  None of these tips is intended to even approximate any of that.  However, we feel that these geek dating tips are beneficial to keep in mind and to implement to the best of your particular abilities.  We hope that, while not all of these may apply to you, you can take away a part, a sentence, or even just an idea that you will find helpful in your journey.

·       Believe You Must

o   Self-confidence is important.  What it takes is practice.  There is no magic incantation or secret set of instructions which, when followed, will instantly endow you with all of the self confidence a mere mortal vessel can contain.  What it takes is practice.  But by practice, we don't mean that you should continually throw yourself into repeated, uncomfortable situations in which you are already NOT confident.  Rather, go with what you are good at.  Recognize your own strengths, those things that you either know well, do well, or places that you feel most comfortable.  Find those and use them.  Whether it is at the restaurant having a friendly banter with a waiter or waitress.  Whether it is at work in the break room discussing last night's episode of Arrow.  Simply focus on how it feels when you are calm and comfortable and simply having an exchange.  Identify what the elements are that put you at ease and make you feel confident.  What subjects do you feel particularly knowledgeable talking about.  Then keep them in mind to translate into situations where you might not normally feel as confident in your social abilities. Slipping analogies of your preferred strength into current conversations can be a good way to keep you confidence up.

·       Curiosity...No, Not The Rover

o   Curiosity, bad for cats but usually pretty good for people and especially for us geeks.  By and large one of our strengths is that we are excellent learners, learners, and overall absorbers of knowledge.  On the flip side we are also usually eager to share our knowledge and experience regarding the things in which we are most passionate about.  This is exactly the reason that we should embrace and expand our curiosity and use it to our advantage when dating or getting to know that future prospect.  Being curious about a person and what that person is most passionate about accomplishes a few things.  Most importantly, it shows that you are interested in them, the person.  It sends the message that you want to know who they are and what they love.  It also serves you the important purpose  of providing valuable information about who they are and how well their interests intersect with your own.  Lastly, you just may learn something that you didn't already know!  And who among us can resist the offer of free knowledge?

·       Take It All In

o   Along the same lines of being curious is being observant.  Being observant is simply a more passive form of being curious.  Take in all of the information that you are being given and use it in your interaction.  Things like how the person is dressed, how their hair is kept, and how the act in public are all things that tell you about the person.  Some things to definitely pay attention to are:

§  Body language - Is the person more interested in their phone then in the conversation or are they looking around the room for someone else to come save them?  Bad sign, they are not interested (and that's OK), you should politely move on.  But if they are leaning in to hear better, making good eye contact then they are engaged and interested. 

§  Voice - It's not always about what is being said, sometimes it's more about how it's being said.  Tone and cadence are important conveyers of information.  When we are under stress (especially in a social or dating situation) we all have a tendency to raise both the pitch and speed with which we talk.  Remember to try to keep a slow even pace when talking.  It's easier to understand and conveys confidence (even if it's really lacking). 

§  Physical contact - This is a 'touchy' subject.  Obviously, physical contact is a positive thing.  If you are the recipient of safe, spontaneous contact it usually means that the other person is interested.  A light touch on the arm or the back during conversation can serve as a gentle indication of genuine affection.  However, there are obvious, though sadly oft time overlooked, limits.  Certainly no one should ever be touched in a private or near private area (neck, chest, stomach, thigh just to name a few).  Also unsolicited touching of someone's costume to "see how it's made" is not a compliment to their craftsmanship, it's a faux pas.

·       We Seek Truth

o   As mentioned above, don't be fake.  We are all tempted to feign enthusiasm in order to maintain the other person's interest.  To some degree that's OK.  However, one should never demonstrate that over-the-top lie "I love that too!" that will inevitably come back to bite them.  Again, it's OK if your passions don't line up 100%, variety is the spice of life after all.  And our differences make us interesting.  But in the beginning it's always best to focus on the common ground.  Along those same lines, be honest about who you are.  There is no need to hide yourself.  Odds are that if you love, odds are that someone else out there loves it too.  And more likely, there are many others.  You need not shout it from the rafters but it's better to know now than to try and hide it only to find out later that it's a deal breaker.

·       He Will Learn Patience

o   Don't try to rush it.  Everything in life takes work and practice.  Finding and establishing relationships is no different.  You can't expect that next interaction or date is going to be the perfect one.  What is important is that from each experience we take away both the things that went well and the things that didn't go well.  Every time you go through it you should do so with the mindset that this is just more practice, another experience to put in the vault and learn from.  If this interaction is extremely positive, great!  You'll have a lot of material to draw from for the next time.  If it went poorly, that OK!  Think about what you could do differently the next time and then move on.  That last part is worth repeating, move on!  Many of us have this tendency to dwell on all of the negative experiences that we have had.  What we have to do is learn to accept the experience, gain insight from it, and move on. 

·       Be YOU

o   Be yourself.  You may or may not have noticed a theme above.  No one here is going to give you a series of check list items to change about yourself to make you more desirable.  You have that ability already.  This also isn't a cliché motivational message.  It is the truth.  There is someone out there that will love you for YOU.  The person that you truly are.  The problem that most of us have with that proposition is showing who we truly are in our best possible way.  Always be you.  If the person that you were talking to an hour ago didn't find that you desirable, that's OK.  Move on.  If the person that you meet tomorrow doesn't like that you, that's OK too.  Contrary to common usage, this is not a trend.  This is a series of undesirable outcomes with absolutely no power to influence future events.  That you WILL be loved.  Just keep putting that you out there so that it...you will have the opportunity when that right person comes along.

·       Sign up for a geek dating account here!