Episode 118 - And Now We Wait

We finally reconvene to wrap up the rest of the first half of season 7 of AMC's The Walking Dead. We aren't loving these last few episodes, but we get past them as quickly as we can  so we can turn to things that we are loving and anticipating in a much bigger way. Listen in and hear us go on and on about a variety of topics. Let us know what you thought by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 117 - On Easy Street

Due to vacations, jobs, and a myriad range of other obstacles, we have not been able to return to the Z-Realm for a few weeks, but we are back to catch up on things now on a day when the thing we find ourselves MOST thankful for is that Trump is not yet actually in the oval office here in the US.  We had three episodes of AMC's The Walking Dead to talk about this time, and we chew in to them a little, enjoying some of the turns but unfortunately, the 5th episode left us with a bitter taste in our mouths that only an additional slice of pumpkin pie could dislodge. Please let us know what you thought of the show by sending messages to mail@z-realm.com or by posting a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 116 - Heroism Grace and Love

We reconvene this week for a refreshing new episode of AMC's The Walking Dead.  After the bleak, depressing and utterly shocking premiere episode last week, this was a complete, and welcome, change of pace.  We meet King Ezekiel, the audacious leader of the Kingdom, a new stronghold of survivors.  The story centers around Carol and Morgan, who find themselves questioning who they are and which direction they want to go now, after leaving Alexandria last season. It was a great episode, and Ezekiel is a fascinating figure. Listen in to us as we talk about the episode and then veer off into childhood memories and other ephemera.  Let us know what you thought by sending an email to mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 115 - Bring Me My Axe

The Walking Dead has returned to AMC! We look at the season 7 premiere, titled "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", and we finally find out who Negan killed at the end of season 6. We also learn that we do actually care for these characters and that our hearts can feel real pain when one of them is lost.  This was a powerhouse episode, with devastating moments and shocks aplenty.  Listen in to our thoughts on all of this and then hang around to hear us cover other topics that pop into our minds.  Let us know what you thought by writing to mail@z-realm.com or by leaving a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 114 - The Way Things Are Now

After a VERY long break, the Z-Realm returns with an epic episode where we wrap up the second season of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead.  To say that it ended in a better way than we expected would be an understatement of Kaiju-like proportions. For a show that we spent a huge portion of our time speaking very poorly of, it wrapped up in a most satisfying way. It also left enough of a cliff hanger that I can guarantee we will be happy to get back to it when it returns.
...and, speaking of "returns", the 7th season of the Walking Dead will be back on October 23rd, and we are planning to resume more regular shows at that time, if there is any way at all to do so.
Let us know what you thought of how "Fear" wrapped up, and anything else that you want to share...we missed talking to you all and are glad to be back!
Send emails to mail@z-realm.com or post messages to the Facebook page.

Episode 113 - The End Times Made Us Gods

AMC's Fear the Walking Dead has put out two more episodes since the last Z-Realm, so we joined together online to talk a bit about them and on the current direction of the show overall. We find a few things to praise about the episode but we do quickly veer off into other directions and talk about other media that we've seen in the last two weeks. Please let us know what you think about the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or by posting a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 112 - Jeer the Walking Dead

After a VERY long hiatus, the Z-Realm returns to commemorate the return of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead. The episode of the TV show left us wanting and we don't hold  back on those opinions, but with very little to talk about regarding the journey of Nick...it left us a LOT of time to talk about the other media we've consumed in the gap of time since the last Z-Realm podcast.  Please let us know what you thought of the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 111 - Sweet and Sour

We've reached the mid-season final of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, through sheer perseverance alone.  It reaches a bit of a conclusion before vanishing for a few weeks, but HBO's Game of Thrones continues with it's winning ways and we cover the two most recent episodes in fairly nerdy detail. We follow that up with a long and rambling chat about a variety of topics before bidding a fond farwell until the next time.  Please let us know what you thought by writing to mail@z-realm.com or by leaving us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 110 - North and South

No, we aren't rehashing the American civil war on this episode but we do talk at length about two shows that we have strong feelings for. One show continues to head ever-upward while the other keeps hanging out down closer to the bottom. We are certain that the lesser show could do better and we hope desperately that it will. The other show is one of the best of all time and we are confident that it will continue to amaze and impress. We go on and on at length about these two shows and then lapse into rose-colored-reveries and get lost in our past. We hope you enjoy our meandering chat. Write to us and let us know your thoughts at mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 109 - Obligation

We are back, to fulfill our obligation to you, the listener, and to talk about the latest episode of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead.  Titled "Blood in the Streets" it was a solid episode in the brief history of the show.  We continue to learn more about our favorite character, Victor Strand, and we meet a few new people who will play a part in the ongoing storyline.  Quickly though we dispense with the AMC show and move to HBO's Game of Thrones where we use every superlative we can think of to describe the second episode of the 6th season of this incredible program.  We love it, we spoil it, and we openly weep for the wait we must endure before we can see more.
Let us know what you thought of the podcast by writing to mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 108 - Need a Hand?

With so many things to watch, the Z-Realm only glances briefly at the latest episode of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead.  The crew of the Abigail continue their journey, which we find out is to Mexico, and the webisodes titled "Flight 462" is rammed together with the main storyline in this episode...kinda.  After dispensing with the happenings on that show, we turn our attention to the hotly-anticipated return of HBO's Game of Thrones and we spoil it like a warm carton of month-old milk.  Did we like it? Did we love it?  Tune in and find out for yourself.  We also speak briefly about the untimely passing of a true genius, Prince, who left us this week. For someone with such tiny feet, I feel certain that his footsteps will never be filled.

Let us know your thoughts by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 107 - Course Correction

Season 2 of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead continues this week with it's second episode, in which the crew of the Abigail encounter a small group of survivors at a lonely ranger station. The family of the remaining ranger, who are living behind a wall of chain-link fences are happy to find other survivors but something is not quite right. We talk at length about the episode and then ramble for a bit about our own lives until we run of tape on the reel to reels. Let us know what you thought of the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 106 - Mercy Quota

Now that season 6 of The Walking Dead has run its course, it's time for the Z-Realm Podcast to take its usual post-season hiatus. Time to kick back and reflect. Maybe take a relaxing cruise. But wait, what's that emerging from the mist of ham-fisted plot devices? Why, it's the premier of season 2 of Fear the Walking Dead, and it offers us that unheard of opportunity to tour the zombie apocalypse from the comfort of a luxuriously appointed yacht. We've got water desalination capabilities, fishing gear, sonar, auto-pilot and enough fuel for a long voyage. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, right. Two angsty teenagers who will find a way to make the worst of any situation. Send your thoughts to mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 105 - It's All Over

Season 6 of AMC's The Walking Dead has concluded and we gather together to talk about what transpired and about the conspicuous lack of a certain tidbit of information that all the viewers were anticipating but which we were denied.  We finally meet Negan, as portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and he is indeed a presence.  His lengthy introductory monologue sets up his character and the final episode of the season really tells a lot about the capabilities of his people.  Our faithful band of survivors truly do seem to have met their match.  We talk about various other developments in our lives and other media that we've consumed in the past couple of weeks and we look forward to the return of Fear the Walking Dead which starts its second season next week. Please let us know what you thought of the Walking Dead and of the podcast by writing to mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 104 - Careful with that Crotch Eugene

Why does AMC want to hurt us so much?  Why does it do the things it does to the characters we've  come to know over the past months on the Walking Dead? The most  recent episode, titled "Twice as Far", has several vicious blows to the solar-plexus. A very downbeat episode, with many bittersweet moments, this one left  us a little stunned. We continue the conversation with talk of other media, and a bit about new locations. Let us know what you thought of the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 103 - Not The Good Guys

It's another two-fer this time  as we cover the last two episodes of AMC's The  Walking Dead.  Basically covering the initial onslaught in our group's attempt to "deal" with Negan.  The action is spread out over two episodes and focuses heavily on Carol and her current state of mind.  Both are excellent episodes and go deeper than most.  We meet Paula, mostly in the most recent episode, played expertly by Alicia Witt who brings a stunning depth and coldness to her portrayal.  Packed with violence, but not in an empty, gung-ho way.  Each death is significant, and weighty and we watch as our "heroes" begin to make us forget just what that word means.  Let us know what you thought of the episodes of the show and of the podcast by writing to mail@z-realm.com or by posting a message on our Facebook page.
Oh, and we kept calling him "Frederich" but it's really "Gregory"...sorry about that.

Episode 102 - Leverage

This week, on AMC's The Walking Dead, we learn that the people in the Hilltop stronghold are the sort of people who put out a welcome mat, and they expect you to USE it!  Please do not track your muddy footprints all over their clean rugs and floors. Be warned that there is a weird stretch of audio in the podcast that starts about 20 minutes in but it only lasts for about a minute, but it's not your iPod, so do not try to redownload the episode to fix it.  This was another "building" episode, where we meet new characters, see new locations, and set up new conflicts that are now looming on the horizon. Full of small, intimate moments, this was a solid episode.
Next week, the Z-Realm will be on hiatus as we move our New York based offices to their new location, but we will be back in two weeks with a king-sized episode.  Let us know what you thought of the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 101 - Law of Averages

Things take a wide swing on the most recent episode of AMC's the Walking Dead. Titled "The Next  World" it introduces the world to Jesus a.k.a Paul Rovia a.k.a. Paul Monroe.  Played by British actor Tom Payne, fans of the comic book have been looking forward to his introduction and he certainly does make an impression in his debut.  Focusing more on smaller, more intimate moments, this was a very different episode than we've seen for a while on the show. And, speaking of intimate, there is some SERIOUS intimacy between two of our favorite regulars and this will likely have repercussions in the following weeks. We follow up our discussion of the show with talk of other media.  Please let us know what you thought of the show by sending email to mail@z-realm.com or post a message on our Facebook page.

Episode 100 - Bite Chew Swallow Repeat

You thought we were gone, but just like a couple of bad pennies, we are back! It is our landmark 100th episode and, with it, we go back to the fallen city of Alexandria and the desperate escape plan of Rick Grimes and his group of frantic followers.  To say that it was an explosive episode would be an understatement. There are several visually impressive set-pieces that elevate this one above most of the prior ones and some very serious events take place that affect our familiar band of survivors.
We follow up our talk of the Walking Dead with a long, rambling discussion of other media ( turns out a new Star Wars movie came out since we last talked ).  Let us know what you thought of the show by writing to mail@z-realm.com or by leaving a message on our Facebook page.