Card Game opens with a bit of strange childhood competitive ranting as Freddie’s mom discusses her two sons. This is just before Rose and Anna show up and Freddie lets them in. I can’t help but think as Rose enters of the bloody house we saw in Episode 1.
I’m hoping and guessing we are going to get to see how that body got there. Freddie’s mom seems like a complete trainwreck. There seems to be multiple groups inside the house. Freddie’s mom and her two sons are one group, then we have the group who has a radio and can talk to the plane, and of course Rose and Anna as the third.
The Radio Group says there are crates out there – which I think is why that group ends up in the gunfight. Did I mention I hate the reversal chronology crap? Just let simple folks like me watch it in the order it happened in.
As Anna hits the head, I think we see Spears hiding upstairs? Would he know their voices from across floors? Freddie’s brother wants Rose to go with the crate retrieval group, but Rose basically shuts that down. I completely understand. There is no way I’d leave my kid in the Zombie Apocalypse.
Freddie asks to play the Card Game that Rose and Anna are playing, but he can’t quite get the hang of it, which is when we get to hear his creepy line about Rose smelling good.
I was glad the scene didn’t get rapey.
Shortly after, we see our Crate Retrieval expert race away on his snowmobile, barely dodging the lone Zombie living around the house. Why wouldn’t they just lure it to a door and stab it in the head or shoot it?
As night falls those inside the house get jumpy, resulting in a short standoff.
Freddie’s brother is a paranoid prick. He’s acting erraticaly, convinced that our Crate Retriever’s girl is lying to him. When they hear the plane again overhead he forces the young woman to radio, even though she isn’t supposed to.
When they give up on the radio our lady friend finds her axe is missing. never touch a ladies axe unless she invites you!
Shortly after we see Freddie go out to grab some wood – which is when his brother screws him over, forcing him to stay outside until he brings wood back – which is exactly how Freddie ends up in a tree.
Inside Freddie’s brother is paranoid as ever. He wants to know where the Crate Retriever went as well as where the axe went, all while attacking his brother to their mother, and Freddie’s mom is just a pure sweetheart:
When Freddie’s brother hears the radio he rushes upstairs, convinced the young woman was talking to someone, which gets her shot, which unleashes a Zombie inside the house. This turns into a mad fight as no one seems to have a gun on them. At least until Rose takes care of business, taking out our Zombie, and then the Old Lady who was bitten before she can turn as well. It’s not 100% who did the shooting either. I think Rose took out the first Zombie and then Anna maybe did the second? Unfortunately Freddie’s mom and a-hole brother are still alive at this point.
Rose, ever the good mom, gives Anna the little bit of food they have left. The survivors all look like they are emotionally done, and the only thing that gets Freddie’s brother off the couch is the sound of the radio on the second floor. He rushes upstairs and can hear someone talking, but he trashes the radio when the garbled speaker doesn’t respond to him. I’d say long term planning isn’t his strength.
When Freddie’s brother goes downstairs Rose and Mom are in a fight that quickly turns deadly:
I love how calm and collected Anna is after she’s just murdered someone. Is that strange? I think that to survive in that world you’d need to be prepared to kill in a heartbeat, and kids adapt quicker than adults. I just hope they don’t ruin Anna like the writers did with Carl in TWD.
Upstairs we see Spears, walking slowly, eyes wide, the axe in his hands. He walks down the hall until we Rose and Anna’s lower bodies, sleeping in bed, just before the episode ends.
Card Game Scoring
Card Game is a hard episode to score. On one level I hate that the Zombies didn’t play a more important part. On another I was kinda holding my breath all episode. I guess that says something about how well it was done, which is why Card Game is getting a 91/100, making it Worth Your Time.
| Season | Episode | Episode Name | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Human Flow | 85 |
| 1 | 2 | Drive | 80 |
| 1 | 3 | Summer School | 70 |
| 1 | 4 | Alone | 82 |
| 1 | 5 | Diner | 86 |
| 1 | 6 | Heist | 90 |
| 1 | 7 | The Tunnel | 83 |
| 1 | 8 | The Stadium | 91 |
| 2 | 1 | The Cold | 95 |
| 2 | 2 | Prelude | 80 |
| 2 | 3 | Card Game | 91 |
| 2 | 4 | Cold War | 83 |
| 2 | 5 | White Horse | 88 |
| 2 | 6 | Currency | 69 |
| 2 | 7 | The Lodge | 75 |
| 2 | 8 | The Plane | 99 |
