Interview: Melissa McBride Breaks Down That Cliff Scene on The Walking Dead

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier – The Walking Dead _ Season 10, Episode 16 – Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC

The Walking Dead’s 10th season has finally concluded earlier this week. The Whisperer War has taken a toll on each community and now that it is over, what is coming next is bigger than what we seen before. One central character during this arc has had a journey.

That journey started tragic, and ended with a satisfying victory. That character is Carol and Melissa McBride is here to talk all about the season 10 finale!

I first have to bring up that masterful scene at the cliff. When you watched it for yourself, What went through your mind?

MM: “When I watched that scene, I was screaming in my head for Carol to walk back and away from the end of that cliff. I was also thinking that Carol has been through all of the trauma that Alpha put her through. You would have to be in a really dark place in your mind at that moment just like Carol was because she had all of this guilt, anger, and sadness that was building up inside her mind and she really thought the best way to heal from that, is to get away from everyone forever. But I am happy that Lydia saved her because Carol saved Lydia from a similar situation back at the season nine finale. The last thing that was on my mind, is that the post production did an outstanding job with the effects when the walkers were walking off the cliff because I did not see the finale until it aired.”

The moment that really stood out for me is when Lydia saved Carol when she was near the edge. You and Cassidy Mclincy worked together during this season, and it really came full circle during that scene. What can you say about how impactful that moment was with the both of you?

MM: “I love working with Cassady McClincy. The dynamic between us when we are ready to act our scenes out is great. We both knew that it would be an emotional scene when we read it on the script. But acting it out is really different. The part when Lydia threw Alpha’s mask away signifies that the era of The Whisperers is totally over and that we can peacefully move on. So I can say that scene did really impacted us and I believe that there will be a lot of fans that will relate to that scene and hug Lydia and Carol shared.”

Do you feel that Carol is finally relieved that Alpha and The Whisperers are over?

MM: “Oh yes! She is relieved that they are all gone. I feel that Carol was releaved the moment her and Daryl talked about New Mexico. What we seen with Lydia and Carol, was them two grieving and sharing each other’s pain while fully accepting eachother. What we then seen with Carol and Daryl, is a huge healing band-aid that they can both share when they hugged eachother.”

At the end of “A Certain Doom”, we were introduced to The Commonwealth soldiers. How do you think that Carol will fit in The Commonwealth if she goes there?

MM: “I am not sure if she can fit there. But I hope that Carol can. There is a lot about the final season that I cannot say for now, but The Commonwealth is going to be a challenege for most of the characters and you will find out how their lives will change. I do love the way those soldiers look though” (laughs).

The news broke that Daryl and Carol will be getting a spinoff series in 2023. Although it is not named yet, what would you name the show?

MM: “I would name it The Walking Dead: Ride with Daryl and Carol (laughs). But I have a few more names in my head. This spinoff has been in the works for quite a while. You can also see a few hints that the series was happening back in season 9, and early into season 10 of The Walking Dead. This is something we are both looking forward to!”

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The Best and The Not So Good Moments of The Walking Dead Season 10 Finale

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment
The Walking Dead Season 10 Finale Non-Spoiler Preview

The season 10 finale of The Walking Dead just finished airing across the United States. When I watched it a few weeks ago, I was impressed with the episode. “A Certain Doom” will rank as one of the best finales of The Walking Dead since the fifth season.

What made this episode strong, is the wonderful acting especially by Melissa McBride and Cassady McClincy. Their bond together really shined on this episode. The biggest scene on this episode involves the both of them as Lydia saved Carol from falling off the cliff as the walkers were walking off the cliff. What set the motion of the end of The Whisperers, is when Lydia tossed Alpha’s mask off the cliff. That scene is very poetic as Carol’s hatred and revenge towards Alpha has come full circle as this memorable scene gives us the viewer, and the characters relief that it is finally over.

Gabriel’s scenes were great too. Many times during his on screen prescence, we were lead to believe that he would either get his comic book death, or his on screen death by the end of the episode. I based this because there are several times on The Walking Dead where a character gets too much airtime and dialouge and then they wind up dead. That did not happen here as the masked person and Maggie saved his life. Gabriel had a great character development since he became the head of the council back in season 9. I cannot wait to see what he will do in season 11.

The battle scene at night was really good. I liked the idea of those Whisperers using walkers as body shields while the group battled them. The other Whisperers did what they could to bring down the wagon and their plan worked despite them getting killed. Battle scenes have been excellent during this season of The Walking Dead and Walk With Us had the best battle scene this season.

Those Commonwealth soldiers at the final moments of the episode got me excited for the New World Order arc. That will happen at the next season. The detail and the look of those soldiers were comic book acurate and I was amazed on how they pulled that off. Everything from the armor, the guns with the blade attached, and even their stance was really taken from the comic. Huge props to the team for this.

The scene when Carol and Daryl were talking about New Mexico really set the stage of their upcoming spinoff. That spinoff is currently untitled, but it would be quite interesting to see how they will exit the main show.

Now, there are crucial moments from the comic book stories “The Whisperer War” and “A Certain Doom” to note. Those moments such as Gabriel’s brutal death by Beta, the full Negan vs. Beta fight, and Andrea’s walker bite reveal were not adapted on screen. Those four moments were expected to be adapted due to episode 15 being named “The Tower” and the finale being named “A Certain Doom.” But those two names was really a bait and switch tactic and it disappointed me too.

Speaking of Beta vs. Negan, this was the main cover of the Vol-27 story. Everyone could not wait for these two to have their big showdown. But it ended in less than 30 seconds. Huge disappointment! I could not think which was worse. Beta’s death on the show, or on the comic. At least on Beta’s death in the comic, there was an actual fight. And Daryl should have known that Beta had armor because they fought previously. And on their last fight, Beta had armor on.

Walking through that massive horde gave me chills. But at the same time, I think that it is eye opening that only one person of the group was killed in that horde by a Whisperer. I know that the guts trick has been done for years. At this point, I just think of it as an invincibility star from Super Mario. There should have been more of a sense of danger and unpredictability during this long sequence. But it is very cool to see those walkers that upclose next to everyone.

I cannot say much about Maggie since her return is brief. I do believe that her return will be expanded on in tho upcoming six extra episodes. It will also be interesting to see how Maggie and Negan will interract too.

With the major hiccups out of the way, I still think that this is a very strong episode. It wrapped up the feud between the communities and The Whisperers in a great way. What the finale also did, is that we now have something huge to look forward to on the final season!

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New Trailer Gives an In-Depth Look at Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for Nintendo Switch

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Bring the Frenetic Action of Mario Kart to Life in the Real World When Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit Launches for Nintendo Switch on Oct. 16

New Trailer Gives an In-Depth Look at Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for Nintendo Switch

REDMOND, Wash. – 3, 2, 1 … Go! First revealed in the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Nintendo Direct, the Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit game is a new Mario Kart experience for both series veterans and newcomers alike, launching for the Nintendo Switch family of systems on Oct. 16. Created in partnership by Nintendo and Velan Studios, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit uses AR technology to bridge the gap between the virtual world of Mario Kart and the real world of your home, bringing Mushroom Kingdom motorsports to life with a combination of on-screen gameplay and physical kart racing.

To view the newly released trailer for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, visit https://mklive.nintendo.com/#!/trailer/. An additional video with further insight about its development story can be viewed here.

“Get your engines revved up for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, which launches just in time for the holidays,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Whether you’ve always dreamed of turning your living room into Rainbow Road or want to prove once and for all that you’re the fastest racer among your friends and family, we hope this new Mario Kart experience brings smiles to people of all ages.”

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit includes one kart – with either Mario or Luigi in the driving seat, depending on the set you choose – plus four gates, two arrow signboards that can be used to enhance courses and a USB charging cable for the kart. The software comes in the form of a free download from Nintendo eShop, which, once downloaded, syncs up with the physical kart hardware.*

Set up for the game involves placing the four gates around your living space, then driving through each of them in turn to create a course layout. Creativity is key, since many different course shapes can be designed, from simple and classic to more complex layouts, full of twists and turns. An area of roughly 12’ x 10’ is recommended for the best gameplay experience, but beyond that, most living spaces can be transformed into a unique Mario Kart experience, with numerous course combinations possible. Once the course has been set up, it’s time to race!

The main mode of Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is Grand Prix, which lets you face off against the Koopalings across eight Grand Prix cups, featuring 24 different races in total. In every race, familiar Mario Kart elements in the game affect the physical kart itself, bringing the frenetic fun of Mario Kart into a whole new dimension. Grabbing a Mushroom in-game gives the physical kart a speed boost, whereas getting hit by a Red Shell will stop the kart in its tracks. A range of well-known items from the Mario Kart series are present, including slippery Bananas, ink-spilling Bloopers and even Bullet Bills that enable the kart to surge around the course at high speed, steering itself.

Different environmental themes, such as underwater, volcanic and retro, spice things up further by introducing a variety of in-game hazards and features – all of which affect the kart in real life. Collecting coins in-game will also unlock customization options, allowing players to spruce up their on-screen look with different costumes and kart types. Similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there’s also a steering assist option to help the kart stay on the track and allow younger or less experienced players to join in on the fun.

In addition to Grand Prix mode, there are various other ways to play Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit:

  • Custom Race: This mode gives players even more room for creativity, designing not just the physical layout of the course, but also the ability to add hazards, items and more to bring truly unique creations to life.
  • Time Trials: Players create a course and then race to set the fastest time possible – competing either against their own personal best, or handing the controller to another player for an exciting Time Trials head-to-head that requires only one Nintendo Switch system and one Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit game.
  • Mirror Mode: For those who fancy an extra challenge, this mode allows all of the Grand Prix cups to be played in mirror image, with right turns becoming left and the familiar becoming unfamiliar.

With multiple Nintendo Switch systems and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit games, up to four players can race against each other in either Grand Prix or Custom Race modes.** With so many different ways to play, and the ability to use furniture, toys and other household objects to create unique home racecourses every time, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit offers a world of possibilities for imaginative racers of all ages and experience levels.