Zombies, family, and a commanding female lead » The extended season 10 premiere of ‘The Walking Dead’ offers a captivating character study Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist keen ust when you thought it ended, AMC’s The Walking Dead (TWD) graces our TV screens again with six brand new episodes for an extended season 10. The show premiered February 28, and it presents an in-depth character study of Lauren Cohan’s Maggie, one of the series’ most prominent female leads. Maggie, like many of TWD’s female characters, continues to be a truly riveting mainstay whose story evokes an emotionally rich pathos throughout the show. The premiere sets up her new journey and explores themes about family, motherhood, and her growth into a leader. The first episode takes place during the aftermath of our heroes’ war with zombie mask-wearing villains the Whisperers. We follow Maggie as she leads a group of new and familiar characters to Alexandria—one of the last human communities after the finale’s climactic battle. They must now contend with not only zombies, but also mysterious antagonists called Reapers. As usual, Cohan’s performance as Maggie gives the premiere a gravitating tone. She plays her as a determined leader and hardened survivor of the zombie apocalypse. What shapes Maggie into such a complex character is that her compassion and understanding for others are undercut by the pain she still feels from personal losses and past tragedies. Her struggle to heal or find closure amid these hurts make this lead so genuinely human. Cohan also has perfect chemistry with Melissa McBride as Carol and Cailey Fleming as Judith Grimes that develop her character dynamics. Her scenes with them, although quite short, reflect the emotional depth of the bonds between these heroes. The premiere thrives most when it dives into its enormous sense of family. The story gets incredibly heartwarming through Maggie's brief scenes with her son Hershel. However, Maggie also copes with her worries as a mother when the show unpacks the character’s uncertainties about her child’s future. This subject conveys the hardships faced by parents when balancing their adult responsibilities with the well- being of their children. During action scenes, we also see Maggie working with other characters in killing zombies that aids in tension- building. At the same time, the premiere unravels how her group learns about each Promotional image for 'The Walking Dead' other—and that brings them closer as a people. Moments like these provide a comforting warmth to viewers, while also delivering fans some classic zombie-killing fun. We are reassured by Maggie and her battle-weary company as they fight and endure together against the undead. Overall, the extended tenth season of The Walking Dead begins with a satisfying character study at the core of its premiere. Relatable and moving, Lauren Cohan digs deeper into Maggie's life, the personal challenges she goes through, and her humanizing role as a mother and survivor. » Emmylou Harris: my introduction to country music Teppei Contributor still remember quite clearly the day I listened to Emmylou Harris’ voice for the first time. In early 2005, my favorite band Bright Eyes had recently released a new album entitled I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. My friend and bandmate had been kind enough to download the albums or songs that I would request weekly and hand me a burnt cd after band rehearsal. 1 was completely unaware of the sudden turn my musical journey was about to take thanks to Harris’ background vocals on three of the album’s songs. Despite music being yet another male dominated industry, I was not completely unfamiliar with female singers. My parents would play ABBA, Tina Turner, Photo by CaptainVolkan via Wikimedia Commons Whitney Houston, Tracy Chapman, Louise Tucker, amongst others while I was growing up. Nevertheless, none of those artist’s voices had ever strummed a chord as deep as Harris’ did. The song “Land Locked Blues,” starts with a very bare, stripped sound consisting of just an acoustic guitar and Conor Oberst’s (Bright Eyes’ lead singer) voice for the first two verses. Harris’ crystal-like timbre and perfectly crafted and polished harmonies link with Oberst’s raw singing style on the third verse, accompanying him until the end. Listening to Oberst’s usual crude lyrics, sugar-coated by Emmylou’s voice completely rattled me and redefined the way I perceived music. It was as if ] had boarded a train that night to her home state of Alabama. I immediately felt that I needed to listen to more of her music, so I looked up on Soulseek (an old P2P file-sharing software) and left my computer on all night downloading two of her albums: Elite Hotel and Luxury Liner. As soon as I woke up the morning after, I ran to my computer and found those new mp3 files. The first song I listened to was “Amarillo,” the first song off her album released in 1975. Instantly, this false nostalgia permeated my insides. As cheesy as it may sound, I swear I could even smell the fresh coffee and wood mixed with the stench of manure of a country morning all from within my room in a four-million-person metropolis. From that moment on, my never-ending journey through country music started, reshaping pretty much all that I am. You know that saying “You are what you eat”? Well, I believe you are what you listen to. For over a decade, I have been listening to Emmylou Harris at least once a day (even on statutory holidays and weekends). I will be forever thankful to Harris for igniting this unceasing pursuit of the female voices that country music has to offer. T have fallen in love with many other country singers, with voices equally as beautiful and powerful, such as Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, to mention a few, but Harris will always have that special place in my heart for being my first country love.