By Reid McCarter on Mar 01, 2018 10:30 pm
Two sides of the same story
Alex Garland's Annihilation is a good movie, but anyone expecting a direct adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's book of the same name is likely to be surprised by how many liberties it takes in translating page to screen. Though both versions of the story end up communicating many of the same themes, the way they arrive at establishing them varies wildly. Both are exceptional visions of the human drive for knowledge and the intertwined beauty and horror of our natural world. Looking at how the two versions approach this subject matter shows its complexity--and makes an argument for fans of VanderMeer and Garland's work alike to see the other's take on the same plot. With that in mind, here are 17 of the biggest differences between Annihilation the book and Annihilation the movie. Annihilation spoilers follow!
17. The Expedition Members Get Names In The Movie
VanderMeer's Annihilation doesn't give names to its expedition members. Instead, they're known only by their occupation. The film's Lena is simply the biologist. She's accompanied, too, by women referred to only as the psychologist, anthropologist, and surveyor.
16. They Have Different Jobs Than In The Book
The movie changes the characters' jobs as well. The surveyor, Cass, is also a geologist and the anthropologist is replaced with physicist Josie and paramedic Anya. Dr. Ventress, despite having a new name, is still a psychologist in both versions of the story.
15. The Husband Is Dead In The Book
Natalie Portman's Lena (known only as "the biologist" in the book) comes to the strange world of the Shimmer (the book's Area X) after her husband has already embarked on a disastrous expedition before her. Named Kane and played by Oscar Isaac in the movie, he dies before she sets out in the book, instead of lingering in a coma.
14. Lena Is A Lot More Social Than Her Book Counterpart
Lena doesn't just gain a name in Garland's Annihilation, but a few new character traits besides. In the book, the biologist is deeply antisocial (she's written like a less friendly version of the film's reserved physicist Josie). Having her be more open and willing to talk to the other expedition members makes a lot of sense for the movie, though, as it provides opportunities for exposition that otherwise wouldn't exist.
13. In The Book, The Biologist Goes To The Southern Reach Willingly
The late night abduction that brings Lena to the Southern Reach only happens in the film. In the book, the biologist willingly enlists after her husband's death. She's fascinated by the complexity of different ecosystems, her career that of a field researcher rather than a professor, and has been from an early age. Her decision to explore a strange new environment helps give her character personal motivation beyond a sick husband.
12. Area X Isn't Referred To As "The Shimmer"
The movie's expedition site is called "The Shimmer" rather than simply "Area X" (though this name does appear on a title card). A lot has changed in the Shimmer/Area X's implied size and rate of expansion, too. Though its border is still pushing further out in VanderMeer's version, the Southern Reach scientists aren't worried about it threatening to engulf the surrounding environment any time soon. Instead, it's more quietly disconcerting--an inexplicable phenomenon that sits almost impassively as years and years go by without anyone figuring out what it really is.
11. The First Book Doesn't Explain How Area X Came To Be
Though the movie opens with an unseen object crashing into a lighthouse like a bizarre meteor, Annihilation, the first novel in VanderMeer's trilogy, doesn't provide readers with an explanation for Area X's origins. It's only later, as the story continues, that the source of Area X is give more context (and even then it's far from clear).
10. The Lighthouse Was Combined With The Book's Mysterious "Tower"
The movie's climax, in which Lena follows Dr. Ventress into an ominous lighthouse, borrows from other elements of the book. In VanderMeer's version, the lighthouse and the tunnel burrowing through the ground beneath it are two separate locations. The latter area, cryptically called "the tower" by the biologist despite being a tunnel underground, is near the expedition's base camp, while the lighthouse is further away and serves very different plot functions.
9. The Book Has An Elaborate Hypnosis Subplot
The psychologist clearly knows more than the rest of the expedition in both book and movie. In the film, though, the only sign we have of her exerting direct control over the rest of the group comes from the hours that they can't remember immediately following their entrance into the Shimmer. In the books, we learn that she has actually used hypnotic suggestion to lead the others and calm their nerves in ways that dramatically influence the plot.
8. The Movie Shows The Creature Attacks
The book describes large reptiles and strange sea creatures, but aside from one scene near its end, the reader is never shown the expedition fighting off their attacks. The movie adds a little bit of extra excitement through memorable run-ins with an enormous mutated alligator and probably the most terrifying bear in cinema history.
7. The Inside Of The Tower Is Even More Interesting In The Book
Lena's descent into the lighthouse's tunnel is unnerving, but the book goes even further with its version of the analogous "tower." Inside, the walls also seem to be alive, and they feature living words created by small organisms that spell out a never-ending, vaguely Biblical-sounding run-on scripture that lends the whole situation an air of mysterious, religious fervor.
6. There's No Affair Subplot In The Book
In the movie, Lena is haunted by an affair she had with a university colleague. It colors her relationship with her husband Kane and ties into the movie's themes of unintentional self-destruction and self-sabotage. The book's biologist has a fraught relationship with her husband, too, but it's because of their differences in personality, not an affair.
5. In The Book, Area X Isn't "Defeated"
Following the nightmarish "copycat" sequence that ends the movie, Lena sets a fire that ends up destroying the Shimmer even as its effects live on through her and her husband's changed biology. The first of VanderMeer's books ends with the biologist fundamentally altered by Area X, but without the ecosystem damaged.
4. The Entire Book Is Presented As The Biologist's Journal
One of the most unique aspects of the book is its format, a journal written by the biologist detailing the events of the story. This record ties into the rest of the trilogy going forward, but, understandably, the movie depicts the expedition more directly. The framing interviews with Lena in quarantine function similarly to a past tense journal, but the effect is very different.
3. The Bear Is A Different But Equally Creepy Creature
Anyone who sees Annihilation will have the sight and sound of the movie's horrifying bear burned into their memory. The book doesn't describe the exact same creature, but it does have something that serves a similar purpose: a constantly moaning hybrid of various animals that mindlessly chases the biologist toward the end of the story. Readers don't learn what, exactly, it is until the final part of the trilogy, though its true nature is somewhat similar to the film's bear.
2. Everyone Dies Differently In The Book Than In The Movie
None of the expedition member's deaths are particularly pleasant in either version of Annihilation, but they are different. Rather than get mauled by the bear, turned into a plant, or destroyed by an internal light as in the movie, the book's group is killed, one by one, from an encounter with the creature that lives in the tower, jumping from the lighthouse after becoming "infected" by Area X, and in a paranoid gunfight between two members.
1. There's No Visible Copycat Process In The Book
Lena's encounter with the copycat organism at the end of the movie roughly mirrors a similar, far less describable scene that serves as the climax of the book. No less terrifying, the biologist confronts a creature dubbed "the Crawler" that lives within the tower and is also copied by Area X. The end result is almost the same, but VanderMeer relates the copying process by having the biologist describe the sheer terror in psychological terms while Garland translates this to screen through a physical creature that lets the audience share in Lena's horror.
By Nick Margherita on Mar 01, 2018 09:30 pm
It's A Pirate's Life For Me
We are less than a month away from Rare's latest release of their swashbuckling pirate game, Sea of Thieves. And throughout the past few weeks we've had the opportunity to dive into some of the title's latest improvements during a studio visit and various betas. From pirate legends to skeleton raids to the kraken and beyond, updates on the game's features have been numerous. Even with all the hype surrounding Microsoft's first exclusive title of 2018, here are 10 reasons to be excited for Sea of Thieves. Sea of Thieves releases on March 20 for PC and Xbox One. For those with Xbox Game Pass, the game will be available on day-one as part of the subscription program. That gets you access to both the Xbox One and PC versions, as Sea of Thieves will support cross-play between the two platforms. Special Sea of Thieves-themed Xbox One accessories will also launch alongside the game. We recently played the game, and you can find out what we think in our Sea of Thieves preview. What are you most excited to explore when Sea of Thieves finally releases? Let us know in the comments below.
Sailing The Beautiful High Seas
Based on our experience with the game's alphas and betas, it's clear that Rare's pirate adventure game is absolutely gorgeous. The video game water you sail on is second to none and the picturesque islands feel like unique worlds by their own right. As the sun sets and rises on the sea of thieves, Rare's use of Unreal Engine 4 shines brightly. Aside from the game's graphical quality, its cartoon art style complements the comedic and silly aspects of the game (like firing fellow crewmates out of cannons or playing pirate dress-up with goofy accessories). Sea of Thieves' art style is both beautifully designed and humorously quirky all at the same time.
Thrilling Pirate Voyages
Voyages are Sea of Thieves' version of quests, and there are many different types of adventures pirates can embark on. But before venturing out onto the open ocean, you'll need to visit an outpost to purchase a voyage from one of the game's three factions, also known as Trade Companies. The first trade company is the Gold Hoarders. Those who had the chance to play during the closed beta will have become familiar with these gilded NPCs. The Gold Hoarders challenge you to hunt for treasure via x-marks-the-spot maps and solving riddles. And it is also possible to sell them other rare artifacts discovered around the world. The second company is the Order of Souls. These mysterious NPCs will pay pirates to go on bounty hunts for the most deadly pirate captains; return with their skulls in hand and you'll be handsomely rewarded by the trade company. It's rumored that a future open beta will allow players to try these combat-oriented voyages. The third and final trade company that we know of is the Merchant Alliance. They wish to control trade in the world and will thus pay you to scout for supplies (like pigs, chickens, or gunpowder) across the sea. Only caveat is, you must fulfill your contract on time, so best make good use of your in-game pocket watch. These are the three trade companies that Rare has shared details on, but it's important to note that they plan to add more factions in due time.
Team Up Or Go Alone
It's no secret that Sea of Thieves is a unique type of multiplayer game that operates best when players adventure in groups and communicate properly with one another. The larger galleons sailed by a crew of four are not only better equipped with many cannons and multiple sails but are also more sturdy when it comes to attacks. Yet you might prefer to explore the world alone, and Rare has made this possible with the addition of single-sailed sloops. These small vessels are more nimble than galleons but are far more fragile. Everything necessary to operate the ship (including the sails, wheel, anchor, and map) are within arm's reach, even for solo pirates. Rare has stated that it is far more difficult to play alone, as other crews can easily overwhelm a lone player. But if you sail carefully, you can still venture out on your own solo adventures when your friends are offline.
Guns At The Ready
Although the tranquil waves can be mesmerizing, it's important to survey the seas as danger lurks around every corner. Other crews are constantly trying to sink your ship and steal your treasure, so you'll need to be prepared for battle at a moment's notice. Ship-to-ship combat on the high seas can be chaotic. As the cannon balls whiz by, you'll need to manage the game's warfare mechanics between firing back, repairing holes, and steering your vessel. And although that can be overwhelming at first, boarding, killing, and sinking an opposing ship is quite satisfying. While scouring the various islands on foot, you'll often run into other crews off on their own adventures or skeleton hordes protecting their long-lost treasures. The sword-fights and gunplay that follow can be a little clunky from time-to-time, but you'll be rewarded in gold if you can successfully ambush another crew and return the stolen loot back to an outpost. It's a pirate life for all and you'll need to fight for your precious cargo.
Dress The Part
When you first fire up Sea of Thieves you'll be greeted by what Rare's calling "The Infinite Pirate Generator." You'll be able to circle through eight pre-created pirates coming in different shapes, sizes, genders, and appearances. If none fit your preference, you can regenerate the eight characters over and over again until you find one you'd like to roleplay. Once you've selected your pirate the real fun begins. At outpost shops you can spend your hard-earned gold on a ton of cosmetic items to dress up your buccaneer. From full costumes to peg-legs, how you choose to outfit your character will allow you to further stand out. Rare has confirmed that microtransactions will be in the final game but stated there will not be a loot box system nor will purchases affect gameplay or give unfair advantages. During the first patch update Rare plans to sell virtual pets, so you will know exactly what you are buying.
Game-Changing Treasures
During the closed beta and scale tests, players discovered two uniquely designed treasure chests with some interesting effects. The Chest of a Thousand Grogs will make the carrier drunk immediately, and the Chest of Sorrow will periodically cry and fill your ship with water if you don't bail quickly. These cursed chests will change the way you play the game. For example, some players have reported that playing their concertina and hurdy-gurdy instruments have soothed the Chest of Sorrow's tears. And others have shared that they've used the Chest of a Thousand Grogs to easily ambush drunken foes. Although these chests might seem like an unnecessary challenge, they are worth your trouble as they can be sold to the Gold Hoarders for far more gold than most regular chests. In recent developer updates and concept art, Rare has shown some additional chests that appear out of the ordinary, but we don't know what effects these chests will have on the player or the world around them. We can only speculate and hope that more cursed chests are on the horizon for the game's full release.
Skeleton Forts
Since the first Sea of Thieves marketing materials launched, players have speculated about the skull cloud with glowing green eyes. We now know it is one of the title's emergent gameplay systems. A giant skull cloud will randomly appear above a particular skeleton fort which informs all pirate crews sailing around the map that a raid is going down. As crews converge on the island, they can choose to work together or battle each other through the waves of enemy skeletons. Once you've fought your way through the horde, the captain will appear and challenge players to a battle. When the captain is defeated, the cloud will dissipate and the skeleton will drop a key to the fort's vault. Once the vault is open, other crews are free to sabotage, but Rare has stated that there will be more loot than a single crew can carry. How raids will transpire is up to you: Can crews work together? Will there be an all out war for the vault's contents? Or should you escape with the key and return when the coast is clear? Thanks to data-mining Redditors, diverse classes of skeletons are rumored to be in the final game. Codes for bone, metal, plant, and shadow skeletons have been discovered while data mining the alphas, betas, and scale tests.
Become A Pirate Legend
Turns out the slogan "Become Pirate Legend" was not simply Sea of Thieves marketing material but rather the game's first form of endgame content. As you level up your reputation with the various factions, you'll eventually be approached by a mysterious group of NPCs who you'll want to impress. Although it is unclear what these challenges might entail, we do know that once you've proven your worth, you'll be invited into The Tavern of Legends. This secret lair is hidden somewhere within the sea of thieves and was even in the closed beta (although no players were able to uncover its secrets). Inside the secluded tavern, the ghostly pirate lord will sell you legendary voyages. And although these voyages are by far the most valuable and fruitful in the game, they can still be shared with any other pirates regardless of their rank. Rare expects the first Pirate Legends to arrive in the hideout a couple weeks after launch, and when that happens, you'll begin to see some unique cosmetic items and high-ranking titles sailing throughout the world.
Become A Legendary Captain
For the game's first major update, Rare has promised that you can expect yet another achievement to strive towards: becoming a Legendary Captain. The second tier of endgame content makes the Tavern of Legends your personal hideout, as you'll automatically spawn there when signing on. The ship wading in the background of the cave will also become yours to sail and customize. When other players see the legendary ship sail out from underneath the hideout's waterfall (think the Batmobile bursting out of the Batcave), they'll know a Legendary Captain is on the seas.
Release The Kraken
After much speculation and discussion among the community, we can finally confirm that something wicked lies beneath the ocean's waves. The Kraken is very much real, acting as a force of nature similar to the game's storms that can emerge at any time. The ocean will grow dark with ink and the in-game music will begin to change if the kraken draws near. If you are unable to outrun it, it will wrap its giant tentacles around your ship and any other ships nearby, attempting to crush them beneath its weight. Crew members can be attacked, thrown, and thrashed around if you don't bring the fight to its suction-cupped limbs. And as an emergent gameplay element, the Kraken will act differently depending on the situation. Rare has stated there will be a reward if you and your crew are able to take down the Kraken, but we will have to wait to find out what that might be.
By Paul Lilly on Mar 01, 2018 09:30 pm
Have you ever accidentally deleted a file, or trash binned a document only to later discover that you still need it? Maybe you let someone hop on your PC and they accidentally managed to wipe away an entire folder of precious files. Or perhaps you forgot to backup your data before reformatting. There are all kinds of crummy scenarios that can lead to deleted data that you might wish you could have back. Well, good news--sending a file to the Recycle Bin is far from permanent, even after you've emptied it. When you delete a file in Windows, it doesn't actually get erased--it's not like sending a piece of paper through a file shredder and then setting the scraps ablaze. Instead, Windows keeps an index of where parts of a file reside on your hard drive. When you delete a document or a photo (or any data), Windows marks the sectors of your storage device that it resided on as being available for new chunks of data. Think of it as swapping out the "No Vacancy" sign for one that says "Vacant," without clearing out the space. This also applies to reformatting your drive--the data isn't necessarily gone for good. What this means is that your deleted data is often recoverable, even when all hope seems lost. Unfortunately, the same isn't true for solid state drives that use TRIM, which involves a different method of recording and deleting data. For the purposes of this guide, we're going to focus on how to recover deleted data from a hard disk drive or portable flash drive. Are you ready to get your data back? Then let's get started!
Start with the Recycle Bin
This one is obvious, but for the sake of thoroughness, let's start things off easy. If you've deleted a file and want to get it back, open up the Recycle Bin on your desktop and find the file. It's helpful to sort the contents by the "Date Deleted" if this is a file that was recently trashed, or by "Name" if it's buried in the Recycle Bin and you know the name of the file. How many deleted files reside in the Recycle Bin is depends on how much space Windows has allotted it. You can change this by right-clicking on the Recycle Bin and selecting "Properties." Each drive and partition has its own Recycle Bin. Click on the one you want to change and then enter an amount in the "Custom size" field. Note that this is measured in megabytes, with 1,024 megabytes equivalent to 1 gigabyte. Assuming the file you want to recover is not in the Recycle Bin, you're going to need to dig deeper. To do that, you need a file recovery program. We're going to recommend some, but first, a few tips.
Plan Things Out
There are many data recovery programs available, some of which are free and others that cost money. While results will vary from one program to another, they all take a similar approach, which is to scan sectors of your hard drive that Windows marks as available. Before you install one of these programs, hook up a secondary drive to your PC, if that's an option. Every time Windows writes over a section of your hard drive that might contain previously deleted data, your chances of recovering it lessen. So, it's important to install a data recovery program on a separate drive to prevent that from happening. The same applies to recovering files. If you're able to, recover deleted data to a separate drive rather than the one the data originally resided on, otherwise you risk overwriting other files before you have a chance to recover them as well. Time is of the essence, too. Even though you might not be moving files around and installing more programs, Windows and your other applications might be downloading and installing updates on their own. All of this activity puts your deleted data at further risk of disappearing forever, so don't procrastinate.
Recuva
Recuva is a data recovery program from the makers of CCleaner, a popular utility for managing Windows. There are two versions, a free one and one that costs $20. The latter adds support for virtual drives and automatic updates, and comes with tech support. For most uses, however, the free version is sufficient. One thing we like about Recuva is that it's extremely fast. The total time it takes to run depends on a variety of factors, including the size of your storage device and the number of files you deleted. In our case, it whipped through a lightly used 3TB hard drive and found nearly 99,000 files in under 30 seconds. Recuva does a good job of breaking things down by telling you the state of the deleted file you're trying to recover. If it says "Excellent," there's a good chance Recuva will be able to restore it. Your chances are lower if its says "Poor" or "Very poor," and "Unrecoverable" is self-explanatory. Give this one a whirl first, and use the Deep Scan option if your initial scan doesn't find what you're looking for. Recuva, Free
EaseUS Data Recovery
This is another undelete program that's offered in free and paid trim. The free version limits the amount of data you can recover to 2GB, so it's best for when you just want to recover a smaller file (or set of files) that you accidentally deleted, rather than an entire drive's worth of contents. Otherwise, you have to shell out $70 for the Pro version to recover as much data as you want. EaseUS does a quick scan of your drive, then hops right into a deep scan. It's kind of a weird approach, as the deep scan should be optional, especially since it takes a long time to run. We gave up waiting after it spent a half hour scanning our hard drive with no end in sight. It isn't mandatory that you let it finish a deep scan--just hit the "Back" button and you have the option of stopping the scan and viewing the results. To make things easier, there are several pull-down menus at the top to sort through whatever files it finds by type, such as graphics, audio, documents, and so forth. You can choose specific file extensions within each one. This makes it a cinch to sort through potentially thousands of files for a JPEG, for example. EaseUS Data Recovery, Free
File Scavenger
QueTek does not offer a free version of its File Scavenger program, though you can run a demo to see how many files it's able to dig up before commiting to a purchase. One thing that is neat about File Scavenger is that you don't have to install it. You can download the program to a USB flash drive and run it from there, which makes it a great option for portable rescues. If you a keep a toolkit of programs to work on other people's PCs, this is a great one to have. File Scavenger's isn't quite as user friendly as some of the other options, as the interface is fairly sparse. For example, instead of using pull-down menus or buttons to let you search for a specific file type, you have to type it into the "Look for" field. So for example to instruct File Scavenger to only look for any and all JPEG files, you would type "*.jpg" (without the quotation marks). Or you can leave the default "*" option to search for all file types. File Scavenger, $55
FreeUndelete
As its name implies, FreeUndelete is a no-cost data recovery program, at least for personal use. Businesses are required to purchase a license starting at $69, but the program itself is the same, as opposed to tacking on more bells and whistles for paid customers. Like File Scavenger, it is not the most intuitive program. However, it does a good job of rooting out deleted files. Just select the drive where you lost your file and hit the "Scan" button. If you want, you can filter search results by type, you just have to manually input them into the search field. This is another program that can be run without installing. That means you can stick it on a USB flash drive and not have to worry about overwriting your main drive, which could potentially destroy your chances of recovering a file. To do that, click the "Advanced" option instead of proceeding with a full install. You will then see a "Run without installing…" button. Click on that and off you go. FreeUndelete, Free
Wise Data Recovery
Wise Data Recovery is one of the easiest data recovery programs to use. There is not much to running it, and it doesn't inundate the user with options. Once installed, just select a disk and hit the "Scan" button. The scanning engine is extremely fast. Part of that is because it doesn't offer a deep scanning option like some other programs do. That also means it isn't likely to find as many files as some of the other programs, which was our experience. However, it's a good option for taking a mulligan on emptying the Recycle Bin. We also like that Wise Data Recovery has a preview pane that allows you to view some image files. It was hit or miss in our experience whether it would actually produce a preview, even for images with a high probability for recovery. But when it works, it's a nice amenity. Wise Data Recovery, Free
IObit Undelete
In terms of the user interface, IObit Undelete is the most polished program of the bunch and one of the better options for less experienced users. This comes at the expense of advanced options, but if you're looking for a straightforward solution, this is the one to use. IObit Undelete's main window breaks things down by file type, but not in a confusing manner. It presents users with six options: All Types, Pictures, Music, Documents, Videos, and Other types. By default, all six categories are checked. There's also tab to select where you want to IObit Undelete to scan. While incredibly easy to use, IObit Undelete doesn't let you configure scans for files with a specific file extension. That's a bummer if you all you want to recover are JPEG or PNG photos, rather than all of the various file extensions that apply to pictures. IObit Undelete also lacks a true deep scanning option. IObit Undelete, Free
MiniTool Photo Recovery
Some data recovery programs are purpose built to scan for specific types of files. MiniTool Photo Recovery is one of them, and if you're looking to recovery photos and videos, this one does an excellent job of resurrecting them. Once you start the scan, the main window will be populated with thumbnails of the images and other media files that it was able to find, in real time. This is a huge convenience, as file names are not always preserved when digging them up from the digital grave. Using thumbnail images takes the guesswork out of what you're recovering, and makes quick work of sifting through your photos and selecting only the ones you want to recover. The scanning process is slow, presumably because it's doing a deep dive into your storage device. There is no quick scanning option, so you just have to be patient. If you're working with a large capacity hard drive, you may want to find something else to do while it works its mojo, like catch a movie or take a nap.
TestDisk
We saved this one for last because you'll probably only turn to it when the proverbial poo really hits the fan. Or more specifically, when you've lost a partition and Windows just shrugs as if to say, 'I don't remember there being a D:\ drive, are you sure there ever was one?' Well of course you're sure, but unfortunately yelling obscenities at Windows doesn't help. TestDisk can, however. TestDisk is not meant for recovering individual files, at least not directly. It was designed to recover lost partitions and to make non-booting disks bootable again. And it's good at what it does, though it's not much to look at. Rather than serve up a fancy GUI, TestDisk resides in a command prompt. The creators attempted to take some of the scariness away for less experienced users by breaking things down into menus, which you can navigate with your keyboard's arrow keys (not your mouse). Still, it's a bit intimidating. If it's come to this, your best bet is to follow the developer's step-by-step instructions. They're pretty thorough, and with any luck your drive will back up and running the way it was before things went terribly wrong. TestDisk, Free
By Dan Auty on Mar 01, 2018 02:21 am
The Walking Dead Season 8 spoilers below
The Walking Dead has a long history of foreshadowing its big events. From twists and deaths to symbolism and metaphor, its producers and writers love to hint at what's to come--sometimes subtly, sometimes a lot less so. So how did the show foreshadow Carl's death in Season 8? While viewers had to wait months to find out which major characters were leaving the show at the start of Season 7, Carl's death was played differently. We've known since December that Chandler Riggs has been written out, giving us time to look back over the past eight episodes to see what signs and hints were left about Carl's death. And in true Walking Dead style, there were a few. Let's take a look.
7. Opening walk
Season 8 starts with an exact, almost shot-for-shot recreation of the opening of the very first episode, but this time it's Carl instead of Rick looking for gas in a field of abandoned cars. At the time, this just seemed to be a neat way of showing how the characters have grown and changed over the course of seven years, and that Carl was now Rick's equal as a survivor. But it now carries an extra poignancy, establishing Carl as the character around which the season's biggest moment will later revolve.
6. "My mercy prevails over my wrath"
It was clear from the very start of Season 8 that there was some terrible tragedy awaiting Rick. There are frequent shots of his weepy eyes throughout the entire first half of the season, plus murmured voiceovers about mercy overcoming wrath. While we didn't know what was making Rick so sad or when it would occur, it was clearly a big deal. The Walking Dead frequently kills off major characters without any prolonged build-up, so this event was going to rock the show.
5. The future?
Those sad Rick inserts were usually accompanied by dreamlike visions of what seemed to be a happy future featuring Rick (with a big grey beard), Carl, Judith, and, er, the music of Weird Al Yankovic. But this isn't the first time that we've seen strange fantasies about characters who had met unpleasant endings--Glenn and Abraham also featured in one in Season 7. Of course, we now know that these visions were in fact Carl's, as he imagines a blissful future that will never happen.
4. "Your boy's gonna die!"
Rick is used to threats being thrown at himself, his friends, and his family, so he shrugged off this prediction that Carl will die made by a wounded Savior in Season 8's opening episode. After all, the guy was about to die himself, what else is he gonna say? But of course, this was a classic case of Walking Dead foreshadowing. The Savior checks out a few minutes later, devoured by a walker that Rick cuts loose. But sadly, he was right all along.
3. Once bitten
We see Carl get bitten two episodes before it's fully revealed. In Episode 6, Carl is seen fighting two zombies--there's a fleeting shot where he registers that something bad has happened. He subsequently tells Siddiq that he is OK, but showrunner Scott Gimple later confirmed that this is the exact moment when Carl's fate is determined. "It's on screen," he told AMC's discussion show The Talking Dead. "The aftermath is very much on screen. If you watch [that] episode [you can] see it on Carl's face."
2. Goodbye letters
Before the final reveal at the end of Episode 8, Carl writes a series of letters, one of them addressed to "Dad." While it's always good to stay in touch with your folks, it seems unlikely that you'd waste time in the middle of a zombie apocalypse to sit down and write a letter to your father unless you had something really important to say. And as it turns out, he did.
1. "Kill me"
In Episode 8, Carl pleads with Negan to kill him in order to stop the war. At the time, it seemed that it was purely a selfless, brave decision, as Carl puts his friends and family ahead of himself. But by this point, Carl knows he is going to die anyway, so this decision is also a way to give his death meaning and lasting impact. The sad desperation in his voice is clear on a rewatch, giving the scene real punch. Time is short, and this could've been a way to end the war.
By Chris E. Hayner on Mar 01, 2018 01:49 am
22. GoBots
There's no way around it: GoBots are subpar versions of Transformers. What's strange, though, is that GoBots technically came first. The first GoBots toys were in stores in 1983, a year before Transformers. The GoBots movie even beat the Transformers movie to theaters. (Image: Hanna-Barbera)
21. Mechani-Kong
The 1968 film King Kong Escapes pits the titular ape against his robotic duplicate. It's a fight every monster movie fan should see. Unfortunately, Mechani-Kong wouldn't leave the same impression as Mechagodzilla did a few years later. (Image: Universal Studios)
20. Robo Jason Sudeikis
It's unclear exactly what this robot's name is, but the bot controlled by Jason Sudeikis in Colossal is both terrifying and fascinating. It's impressive to have such great character design in a movie where monsters play second fiddle to a character story happening elsewhere. (Image: Neon)
19. Jet Jaguar
The humongous Jet Jaguar was Godzilla's robot sidekick in the 1973 film Godzilla vs. Megalon. The robot can more than hold its own, though. (Image: Toho)
18. Giant robots from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
These huge mech warriors may not have a name, but thanks to the unique visual style of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, they're unforgettable. (Image: Paramount)
17. Sentinels (The Matrix)
Sentinels are one of the worst things about life in the world of The Matrix, as they hunt down those who have unplugged. It's impressive how quickly they're able to tear apart a hovercraft. (Image: Warner Bros.)
16. Hulkbuster
This massive battle mech is more or less the only thing that can take on the Incredible Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it does so with classic Iron Man style.
15. Mega Maid
Mega Maid from Spaceballs isn't the most dangerous giant robot, nor is it the most intimidating. But how can it be left out of a discussion about cool giant robots? (Image: MGM)
14. Omnidroids
These battle robots specifically target superheroes, which makes them pretty dangerous in The Incredibles. Still, scary as they are, they also look really cool. Here's hoping they appear in Incredibles 2. (Image: Pixar)
13. K-2SO
K-2SO (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) may not be as giant as most robots on this list, but at over seven feet tall, he towers over most humans. While BB-8 has gotten the most attention from the new Star Wars films, K-2's dry personality makes him the most entertaining robot. Plus, he knows how to fight. (Image: Lucasfilm)
12. Gundams
The classic anime series Mobile Suit Gundam is loaded with giant bots, and it's damn near impossible to pick just one. These metal warriors are loaded with weapons and they look super sleek. (Image: Nippon Sunrise)
11. Humongous
You can't enter the Goblin City without crossing paths with Humongous. This huge steampunk robot is exactly the kind of mechanical guard you'd expect from the mind of Jim Henson. It's equal parts exciting and scary, just like the rest of Labyrinth. (Image: TriStar)
10. Atom
This robot is a huge metal boxer piloted by Hugh Jackman. That fact alone is enough to land it a space on the list, but then, all of the robots in Real Steel are impressive. The movie takes the idea of Battle Bots to an entirely new level. (Image: Disney)
9. Titans
Like many robots on this list, the namesakes of Titanfall are complicated exoskeletons piloted by humans. Unarmed versions are used for construction and other peaceful roles. Armed versions, meanwhile, have the firepower of a tank. (Image: Microsoft)
8. Jaegers
The Jaegers in Pacific Rim are wildly effective at protecting the planet from giant monsters. They may require two pilots, but their weaponry and maneuverability are second-to-none. (Image: Warner Bros.)
7. Evas
The Evangelion units of Neon Genesis Evangelion are robots, though they do contain organic parts and have angel blood running through them. They're programmed to protect the world and are psychically controlled by orphans. (Image: Adult Swim)
6. Megazord
The first Power Rangers Megazord is still its best. It combines five mechanical dinosaurs into one humongous fighter -- not unlike Voltron -- to deal with any evil that threatened Earth. It set the template for all the zords to come, whether it was Dragonzord, Ninja Megazord, or even the Tigerzord. (Image: Saban)
5. Sentinels
These mutant-hunting scourges of the X-Men universe are pretty scary. It's hard not to be intimidated by their size. (Image: 20th Century Fox)
4. Mechagodzilla
If anything is scarier than Godzilla, it's surely a metal version of the giant lizard. Mechagodzilla shoots missiles from its fingertips, energy beams from its eyes, and can create a forcefield. Take that, Godzilla. (Image: Toho)
3. Voltron
Most '80s children grew up worshipping at the altar of Voltron: Five massive robot tigers that connect to each other to create an even more powerful giant robot warrior. It's the stuff of dreams. Thankfully, Voltron is alive and well thanks to a new Netflix series. (Image: Netflix)
2. Transformers
These robots that turn into cars are pop culture icons, but more than that, they're cool. It's hard to single out a single Transformer as our favorite, but how can you not love Optimus Prime swinging a giant alien sword while riding on the back of a robot dinosaur? (Image: Paramount)
1. Iron Giant
He's the quintessential giant robot that's also your best friend. The Iron Giant is indestructible, can fly, is loaded with weaponry, and is voiced by Vin Diesel. (Image: Warner Bros.)
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