This is my cry for help, I’ve been dealing with this for 3 months, and I just need to know if there’s someone else out there dealing with a similar situation, I just need help, considering it’s gotten to the point where I feel I’m alone in this and feel like my own family has given up and turned their backs on me, I know i shouldn’t feel this way, but it truly feels like their care has disappeared, I’d say their support and care last 3 and a half weeks after release from the hospital, now all that I hear is “your fine” “it’s all in your head” “you have a virus we already know what’s going on” I feel like I’m in a damn bad dream. Here what happened. February around the 9th I came down with a fever not rather high not rather small around the middle, assuming at the time was the flu, it last 5 days a fever that couldn’t for some reason get rid of I began to come down with a rather stronger dizziness but not like a dizziness I’ve ever felt before, but still didn’t think much of it, day 4 of that fever I began to come down with a pain in my abdomen and my lymph node on the right side of my neck swelled and the occipital node on the back of my neck swelled, day 5 and the pain in my abdomen got worse and I went to a walk in to my pcp who said if it doesn’t go away in 2 days go to the er because she wanted to assume it was my lung but did mention it could be my gall bladder which I assumed was, the pain got worse and I didn’t make it 2 hours I went to the er they said it was my gall bladder but after an mri and blood work a day later I was transferred to a hospital being monitored for liver failure, the doctors in this case misdiagnosed the reasoning and made what I felt to be an uneducated assumption. And handled it in a way that one of my neurologist said was mal practice. They said it was my meds which I felt was wrong they stripped me of my meds basically cold turkey and put me on keppra which I’ve been on before and was terrible. I was released 3 days after that, and at first felt fine but I knew something was off and I felt something was missed, I began to research so much I discovered and basically diagnosed myself that it was ebv and mono, I brought it up to pcp, but 2 days before I did I went to my neurologist who changed my meds again so that a 3 medicine switch in the span of days, I was already trembling and having a massive anxiety attack in the office and then those anxiety attacks would linger strongly through the next couple of weeks. I felt this was all bad and that these calls were being made incorrectly, my pcp tested me and it came back positive for ebv and mono. Everything was for nothing and I was correct in my own diagnosis. My liver enzymes reached 600 before coming down and right after I found out I went back to my old medication (depakote) because the withdrawals felt like they were killing me. And behold my enzymes remained normal to this day. But the physical and mental toll from this virus lingers still, now on three months, not as bad as before considering the anxiety attacks which I’ve never had before aren’t as strong, but some do still occur. I lost 9 pounds in a week since I was in straight bed for a couple days not eating or anything, dealing with whatever was destroying me inside psychologically and physically, to today I’ve lost 23 pounds, and this coming after my appetite came back and I continue to not be able to gain the weight back, my heart rate elevation has been an issue considering it steady in 110 to 120 when I stand up and walk around, I went from 167 true weight, to 144, I’m 23 years old and 5’8. I continue to have on and off chest pain I get weird inner vibrations and when I lay down I feel like my right arm and leg gets have and a little tense, my right arm feels fuzzy when laying in my back. I have dizziness and I just feel hopeless, sleeping problems. the common way used to feel about the attack was like I feel like a seizure was about to happen but nothing happens. I have trouble sleeping. One lymph node never completely went away. I’ve been to the er twice since being out the hospital but they didn’t do anything the ekg they said came back normal, which I feel I should get another one done soon since the pain is starting up. I’ve stressed a neurological problem, I’ve had some sensations that I can’t even describe but I’ve mentioned concerns of my brain but no one has said anything about getting an mri even though I think I need one done or even potentially my spine considering I’ve had passed damage to my spine, life feels weird right now, I’m beginning to see no end to this problem, I feel like damage is being done to my nerves or brain and no one’s listening. But it all comes back to did this virus trigger something else. I’m sorry it’s a lot to read but I feel like I have no one else to talk to, that will listen. Plz if anyone else has been in a similar situation having epilepsy and complications with this virus plz talk to me. I’m praying one day this will all be done with and I’ll wake up as normal as I used to be. Every symptom I can describe: 1. Anxiety attacks or something 2. Tremors in hands when I with them inwards 3 chest pains 4 elevated heart rated 5 weird sensation in right arm and leg when laying down 6 inner vibrations when laying down 7 left eye twitches recently started 8 weight loss 9 sleep disturbances 10 weird muscle twitches random times of the day random muscles subtle not strong. 11. Fatigue 12 dizziness/vertigo 13 depression 14. Hate to say but I potential altered mental status.

As Reddit doesn't allow posts to exceed 40,000 characters, Eastwood's edition had to be split into two parts because his whole career cannot be ignored. The second part will be posted tomorrow.

Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Clint Eastwood's turn.
Eastwood was a troublemaker at school, and he had a bunch of odd jobs such as lifeguard, paper carrier, grocery clerk, forest firefighter, and golf caddy. In 1951, he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War and was discharged two years later. Through this, he got into contact with a Hollywood representative, who got him into acting classes and started his acting career. He got his start by starring in the hit show Rawhide, but he said he was exhausted by the experience. This caught the attention of some film producers and he decided to act in films directed by the then-unknown Sergio Leone. His career was on the rise, and then he got the chance to make his directorial debut.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It should be noted that as he started his career in the 1970s, some of the domestic grosses here will be adjusted by inflation. The table with his highest grossing films, however, will be left in its unadjusted form, as the worldwide grosses are more difficult to adjust.

Play Misty for Me (1971)

"The scream you hear may be your own!"
His directorial debut. It stars Eastwood, Jessica Walter and Donna Mills, and follows a radio disc jockey being stalked by an obsessed female fan.
Before his colleague Irving Leonard died, he and Eastwood had discussed the idea of producing a film that was to give Eastwood the artistic control he desired, and his debut as a director. Eastwood said he was ready, "I stored away all the mistakes I made and saved up all the good things I learned, and now I know enough to control my own projects and get what I want out of actors."
The film was a huge success for Eastwood, and it also received positive reviews. So far, his directorial career was off to a great start.

• Budget: $950,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $10,600,000. ($81.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $10,600,000.
  

High Plains Drifter (1973)

"They'd never forget the day he drifted into town."
His second film. The film stars Eastwood, Verna Bloom and Mariana Hill, and follows a mysterious stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town.
Eastwood reportedly liked the offbeat quality of the film's original nine-page proposal and approached Universal with the idea of directing it, which would make it his first directed Western. The screenplay was inspired by the real-life murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens in 1964, which eyewitnesses reportedly stood by and watched. Holes in the plot were filled in with black humor and allegory, influenced by Sergio Leone.
It was well received, and the film even surpassed Play Misty for Me at the box office. Eastwood was just going up.

• Budget: $5,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $15,700,000. ($110.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $15,700,000.
  

Breezy (1973)

"Her name is Breezy."
His third film. It stars William Holden and Kay Lenz, and follows the relationship between a middle-aged real estate agent and a young hitchhiker.
This was his first directed film without starring on it. And his lack of presence certainly hurt the film; it received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $750,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $200,000. ($1.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $217,753.
  

The Eiger Sanction (1975)

"His lifeline, held by the assassin he hunted."
His fourth film. Based on the novel by Trevanian, the film stars Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee, and Jack Cassidy. It follows Jonathan Hemlock, an art history professor, mountain climber, and former assassin once employed by a secret government agency, who is blackmailed into returning to his deadly profession for one last mission.
The film received mixed reactions for its writing, and it wasn't a box office success either.

• Budget: $9,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,200,000. ($82.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,200,000.
  

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

"An army of one."
His fifth film. Based on the novel Gone to Texas by Forrest Carter, it stars Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney and John Vernon. The film tells the story of Josey Wales, a Missouri farmer whose family is murdered by Union militia during the Civil War. Driven to revenge, Wales joins a Confederate guerrilla band and makes a name for himself as a feared gunfighter. After the war, all the fighters in Wales' group except for him surrender to Union soldiers, but the Confederates end up being massacred. Wales becomes an outlaw and is pursued by bounty hunters and Union soldiers as he tries to make a new life for himself.
Eastwood was fascinated by the novel and he bought the film rights, hoping to star on the film. He got Philip Kaufman involved as screenwriter and possible director, but left after disagreeing with Eastwood in the material adapted to the screen. Kaufman insisted on filming with a meticulous attention to detail, which caused disagreements with Eastwood, not to mention the attraction the two shared towards Locke and apparent jealousy on Kaufman's part in regard to their emerging relationship. This caused Eastwood to take over as the director. Kaufman's firing angered the DGA, as he did most of the pre-production, and sanctioning a $60,000 fine. This resulted in the Director's Guild passing a new rule, known as "the Eastwood Rule", which prohibits an actor or producer from firing the director and then personally taking on the director's role.
The film received critical acclaim, and in subsequent years, is ranked among Eastwood's greatest films. It was also a huge success at the box office, doubling his previous highest grossing film. It was also one of the few Western films to receive critical and commercial success in the 1970s at a time when the Western was thought to be dying as a major genre in Hollywood.

• Budget: $3,700,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $31,800,000. ($174.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $31,800,000.
  

The Gauntlet (1977)

"The man in the middle of..."
His sixth film. It stars Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney, and Mara Corday. It follows a down-and-out cop who falls in love with a prostitute, to whom he is assigned to escort from Las Vegas to Phoenix for her to testify against the mob.
While it received mixed reviews, it became another box office success for Eastwood, becoming his now highest grossing film.

• Budget: $5,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $35,400,000. ($182.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $35,400,000.
  

Bronco Billy (1980)

"The most outrageous of 'em all."
His seventh film. The film stars Eastwood and Sondra Locke, and focuses on the financially-struggling owner of a traditional Wild West show and his new assistant.
It became another critical and commercial success for Eastwood, who referred to the film as one of his most affable shoots of his career.

• Budget: $6,500,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $24,265,659. ($91.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $24,265,659.
  

Firefox (1982)

"The most devastating killing machine ever built... his job... steal it!"
His eighth film. Based on the novel by Craig Thomas, it stars Eastwood, Freddie Jones and David Huffman. The Soviets have developed a revolutionary new jet fighter, called "Firefox". Naturally, the British are worried that the jet will be used as a first-strike weapon, as rumors say that the jet is undetectable on radar. They send ex-Vietnam War pilot Mitchell Gant on a covert mission into the Soviet Union to steal the Firefox.
The film received mixed reviews, but it earned almost $47 million, becoming Eastwood's highest grossing title as director.

• Budget: $21,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $46,708,276. ($151.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $46,708,276.
  

Honkytonk Man (1982)

"The boy is on his way to becoming a man. The man is on his way to becoming a legend."
His ninth film. It's based on the novel by Clancy Carlile, and it stars Eastwood and his son Kyle. It follows Red Stovall, a country music singer and composer. With his nephew Whit by his side, he travels to Nashville to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in the backdrop of the Great Depression.
While the film received acclaim, it earned just $4.4 million, becoming his second worst performer.

• Budget: $2,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $4,484,991. ($14.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $4,484,991.
  

Sudden Impact (1983)

"Dirty Harry is at it again."
His tenth film. The fourth installment in the Dirty Harry series, directed, it stars Eastwood and Sondra Locke. The film tells the story of a gang rape victim who decides to seek revenge on her rapists 10 years after the attack by killing them one by one. Inspector Harry Callahan, famous for his unconventional and often brutal crime-fighting tactics, is tasked with tracking down the serial killer.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, but it earned over $150 million worldwide, Eastwood's first film to pass that milestone. It's also very popular for including the iconic catchphrase, "Go ahead, make my day."

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $67,642,693. ($212.1 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $150,642,693.
  

Pale Rider (1985)

"...And Hell followed with him."
His 11th film. It stars Eastwood, Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress. A couple and their daughter, along with a few others, are driven out of Lahood, California, by goons working for a mining baron. However, a stranger enters their life to assist them in their fight.
There was no stopping Eastwood: another critical and commercial success.

• Budget: $6,900,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $41,410,568. ($120.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $41,410,568.
  

Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

"The scars run deep."
His 12th film. It stars Eastwood, Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, and Mario Van Peebles. The story centers on a U.S. Marine nearing retirement who gets a platoon of undisciplined Marines into shape and leads them during the American invasion of Grenada in 1983.
The film was inspired by an account of American paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division using a pay telephone and a credit card to call in fire support during the invasion of Grenada, and fashioned a script of a Korean War veteran career Army non-commissioned officer passing on his values to a new generation of soldiers. Eastwood was interested in the script and asked his producer, Fritz Manes, to contact the US Army with a view of filming the movie at Fort Bragg. However, the Army read the script and refused to participate, due to Highway being portrayed as a hard drinker, divorced from his wife, and using unapproved motivational methods to his troops, an image the Army did not want.
It received mixed reviews, with some deeming the film as "imperialist propaganda". But it was still another box office success.

• Budget: $15,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $42,724,017. ($121.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $121,700,000.
  

Bird (1988)

"There are no second acts in American lives."
His 13th film. The film stars Forest Whitaker and Diane Venora. It is constructed as a montage of scenes from saxophonist Charlie Parker's life, from his childhood in Kansas City, through his early death at the age of 34.
Eastwood, a lifelong fan of jazz, had been fascinated by Parker ever since seeing him perform live in Oakland in 1946. He approached Chan Parker, Bird's common-law wife on whose memoirs the script was based, for input, and she lent Eastwood and arranger Lennie Niehaus a collection of recordings from her private collection Before Eastwood was involved, Richard Pryor was originally cast as Parker.
Despitive positive reviews, it performed poorly, earning just $2.2 million in North America.

• Budget: $14,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $2,181,286. ($5.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,181,286.
  

White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

"An adventure in obsession."
His 14th film. Based on the novel by Peter Viertel, it stars Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, Alun Armstrong and Marisa Berenson. It follows a famous movie director, John Wilson, who goes to Africa to make his next movie. He is an obstinate, contrary director who'd rather hunt elephants than take care of his crew or movie. He has become obsessed with one particular elephant and cares for nothing else.
Despite positive reviews, it made just $2.3 million domestically, not even 10% of the budget.

• Budget: $24,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $2,319,124. ($5.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $2,319,124.
  

The Rookie (1990)

His 15th film. The film stars Eastwood, Charlie Sheen, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Tom Skerritt. It follows a veteran police officer teamed up with a younger detective, whose intent is to take down a German crime lord in downtown Los Angeles, following months of investigation into an exotic car theft ring.
It received negative reviews for its acting and story, and it became another flop for Eastwood. That's three bombs in a row. Ouch.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,633,874. ($51.6 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,633,874.
  

Unforgiven (1992)

"Some legends will never be forgotten. Some wrongs can never be forgiven."
His 16th film. It stars Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris and Morgan Freeman. It follows William Munny, a widower with two young kids, who was once a very vicious gunfighter who gave up everything after marriage. Now, a man named Schofield Kid brings him an offer that he cannot refuse, forcing him to come out of retirement for one last job.
David Webb Peoples wrote the script all the way back to 1976, and it was optioned by Francis Ford Coppola, but he lacked the funds needed to helm it. By Eastwood's own recollection, he was given the script in the "early 80s" although he did not immediately pursue it, because, according to him, "I thought I should do some other things first". Eastwood has long asserted that the film would be his last traditional Western, concerned that any future projects would simply rehash previous plotlines or imitate someone else's work. He dedicated the film to his close friends and mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. Hackman initially refused to participate as his daughters were upset that he was starring in too many violent films, but he became fascinated by the script that he agreed.
It opened with $15 million and it legged all the way to $100 million after playing for almost one year, closing with $159 million worldwide, his now highest grossing film. The film received Eastwood's best reviews of his career, with many considering the film as his magnum opus as director. It received 9 Oscar nominations, and won four: Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood, Best Supporting Actor for Hackman, and Best Film Editing. So Eastwood, on top of being a reliable box office draw, was now a 2-time Oscar winner.

• Budget: $14,400,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $101,167,799. ($225.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $159,167,799.
  

A Perfect World (1993)

His 17th film. Kevin Costner, Eastwood and Laura Dern, and follows an escaped convict who takes a young boy hostage and attempts to escape on the road with the child, while being pursued by a Texas Ranger.
The film received critical acclaim, and has appeared as one of Eastwood's best films. The film disappointed in North America, but it earned up to $100 million overseas (Eastwood's first film to gross that much) and ended with $135 million worldwide.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $31,130,999. ($67.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $135,130,999.
  

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

"The human heart has a way of making itself large again even after it's been broken into a million pieces."
His 18th film. Based on the novel by Robert James Waller, it stars Eastwood and Meryl Streep. The film is set in 1965, following a war bride, Francesca Johnson, who lives with her husband and two children on their Iowa farm. That year she meets National Geographic photojournalist, Robert Kincaid, who comes to Madison County, Iowa to photograph its historic covered bridges. With Francesca's family away for a short trip, the couple have an intense, four-day love affair.
It received more critical acclaim, and made over $180 million worldwide, becoming his highest grossing film. For her performance, Streep was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $71,516,617. ($146.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $182,016,617.
  

Absolute Power (1997)

His 19th film. Based on the novel by David Baldacci, it stars Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, and Richard Jenkins. It follows a master jewel thief who witnesses the killing of a woman by Secret Service agents.
It received mixed reviews, and disappointed at the box office.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $50,068,310. ($97.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $92,768,310.
  

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

"Welcome to Savannah, Georgia. A Ccty of hot nights and cold blooded murder."
His 20th film. Based on the book by John Berendt, it stars John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. It follows the story of antiques dealer Jim Williams, on trial for the killing of a male prostitute who was his lover. The multiple trials depicted in Berendt's book are combined into one trial for the film.
It received mediocre reviews, and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $30,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,105,255. ($48.8 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $25,105,255.
  

True Crime (1999)

His 21st film. Based on the novel by Andrew Klavan, it stars Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, Denis Leary, LisaGay Hamilton and James Woods. It follows a journalist covering the execution of a death row inmate, only to discover that the convict may actually be innocent.
This was another project that received mediocre reviews and flopped at the box office.

• Budget: $55,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $16,649,768. ($31.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $16,649,768.
  

Space Cowboys (2000)

"Boys will be boys."
His 22nd film. It stars Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four aging former test pilots who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite.
It received very positive reviews, and earned over $128 million worldwide.

• Budget: $60,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $90,464,773. ($164 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $128,884,132.
  

Blood Work (2002)

"He's a heartbeat away from catching the killer."
His 23rd film. Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, it stars Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Wanda De Jesús, and Anjelica Huston. It follows a retired FBI agent who recently had a heart transplant but still takes up the job to nab a killer.
It was another film with mediocre reviews and flop status.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $26,235,081. ($45.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $31,794,718.
  

Mystic River (2003)

"We bury our sins, we wash them clean."
His 24th film. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, it stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laura Linney. It follows three childhood friends who are reunited 25 years later when one of them suffers a family tragedy.
Michael Keaton was originally cast in the role of Det. Sean Devine, and did several script readings with the cast, as well as his own research into the practices of the Massachusetts Police Department. However, creative differences between Keaton and Eastwood led to Keaton leaving the production. He was replaced by Kevin Bacon. This was the first film in which Eastwood would be credited as composer.
The film had a slow roll-out, but it was aided by strong word of mouth, closing with a wonderful $156 million worldwide. It also received acclaim, and was named as one of Eastwood's greatest films. Sean Penn received universal acclaim for his performance, with some naming it among the best acting of the century, particularly for one scene (if you watched it, you definitely know which scene). It received 6 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood. It won two: Best Actor for Penn and Best Supporting Actor for Robbins.

• Budget: $25,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $90,135,191. ($153 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $156,595,191.
  

Come back tomorrow for Part 2

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.

The End of the Old Testament

Beginning in 606 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon launched the first of three successive attacks upon the city of Jerusalem and the people of Judah. During the second attack (597 BC), Ezekiel, Daniel, and about 10,000 other inhabitants of Jerusalem were carried into captivity. During the third attack (587-586 BC) Jerusalem was completely destroyed. Her walls were broken down. The gates were burned. The temple was destroyed. The city was left desolate in shambles.
While in captivity, Daniel foretold that the Babylonian Empire would be overtaken by the Medes and the Persians, the Medes and the Persians would be conquered by the Greeks, the Greeks would be conquered by the Maccabeans (Hasmoneans), and the Hasmoneans would be conquered by the Romans. The Romans later installed the Herodians as vassal (or "client") kings of Rome over Judea. Daniel further foretold that the establishment of the kingdom of God would take place during the days of the this mixed empire (Dan. 2:41-44); this empire began near the end of the "intertestamental period," spilling over into the times of the New Testament.

The Intertestamental Period

The time between the last writings of the Old Testament and the appearance of Christ is known as the “intertestamental” (or “between the testaments”) period. It lasted from the prophet Malachi’s time (about 400 BC) to the preaching of John the Baptist (about AD 25). The political, religious, and social atmosphere of Israel changed significantly during this period. Again, much of what happened was predicted by the prophet Daniel. (See Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 and compare to historical events.)
Israel was under the control of the Persian Empire about 539–332 BC. The Persians allowed the Jews to practice their religion with little interference. They were even allowed to rebuild and worship at the temple (2 Chron. 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-4). This span of time included the last 100 years of the Old Testament period and about the first 100 years of the intertestamental period. This time of relative peace and contentment was just the calm before the storm.
During the intertestamental period, Alexander the Great defeated Darius of Persia, bringing Greek rule to the world. Alexander was a student of Aristotle and was well-educated in Greek philosophy and politics. Alexander required that Greek culture be promoted in every land that he conquered. As a result, the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, becoming the translation known as the Septuagint. Most of the New Testament references to Old Testament Scripture use the Septuagint phrasing. Alexander did allow religious freedom for the Jews, though he still strongly promoted Greek lifestyles. This was not a good turn of events for Israel, since the Greek culture was very worldly, humanistic, and ungodly. As a result, many in the Jewish population would begin to adopt increasingly Hellenistic views and ways of thinking about God and the Scriptures.
After Alexander died, Judea was ruled by a series of successors, culminating in the Selucid king Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus did far more than refuse religious freedom to the Jews. Around 167 BC, he overthrew the rightful line of the priesthood and desecrated the temple, defiling it with unclean animals and a pagan altar (see Mark 13:14 for a similar event to take place in the then future). Antiochus’ act was the religious equivalent of rape. Eventually, Jewish resistance to Antiochus, led by Judas Maccabeus and the Hasmoneans, restored Jewish priests and rescued the temple. The period of the Maccabean Revolt was one of war, violence, and infighting.
Around 63 BC, Pompey of Rome conquered Israel, putting all of Judea under control of the Caesars. This eventually led to Herod being made the vassal (or "client") king of Judea by the Roman emperor and senate. This is the nation that taxed and controlled the Jews and eventually executed the Messiah on a Roman cross. Roman, Greek, and Hebrew cultures were now mixed together in Judea.
The years of Herod’s rule were a time of turmoil for the Jewish people. He was an Idumean. His ancestors had been forced to convert to Judaism, but the Jews never accepted Herod. In fact, they resented him. He was the representative of a foreign power. Scheming, jealous, and cruel, he killed two of his own wives and at least three of his own sons. Just five days before his own death, Herod had his oldest son, Antipater, put to death. Augustus once said that it was better to be Herod’s pig than his son (a wordplay, since the Greek words for pig, hus, and for son, huios, sound very much alike). His relations with Rome were sometimes troubled due to the unsettled conditions in the empire. Herod was a strong supporter of Antony, though he could not tolerate Cleopatra with whom Antony had become enamored. When Antony was defeated by Octavian (31 BC), Herod pledged his full support to Octavian.
Herod proved himself an efficient administrator on behalf of Rome. He kept the peace among a people who were hard to rule. He was a cruel and merciless man. Yet, during a time of great famine, he used his own funds to feed the people. Among his many building projects in Jerusalem, his greatest contribution to the Jews was the beautification of the Temple in Jerusalem. This beautification seems to have largely been an attempt to conciliate his subjects. The Temple, decorated with white marble, gold, and jewels, became proverbial for its splendor: “Whoever has not seen the temple of Herod has seen nothing beautiful.”
It was during the reign of Herod that Jesus was born (Matt. 2:1-18, Luke 1:5). Herod was the king who ordered the execution of the male babies in Bethlehem, for fear of being usurped by the prophesied Messiah (Matt. 2:16-18).

Major Political Events of the New Testament

At his death (4 BC), Herod left his kingdom to three of his sons. Antipas became tetrarch (“ruler of a fourth”) of Galilee and Perea (4 BC–AD 39). Philip became tetrarch of the Gentile regions to the northeast of the Sea of Galilee (4 BC—AD 34). Archelaus was to be king of Judea and Samaria, but Rome refused to give him the title of king. He was ethnarch (“ruler of the people”) of these two territories. He proved to be a poor ruler and was deposed (6 AD). His territories were placed under the direct rule of Roman procurators under the control of the governor of Syria.
John the Baptist rebuked Antipas for divorcing his wife in order to marry Herodias, the wife of Philip, his half brother. In retaliation, Herodias induced her dancing daughter to demand the head of John the Baptist. Antipas yielded to the grisly request (Mark 6:17-29, Matt. 14:3-12). Jesus once referred to Antipas as “that fox” (Luke 13:32). Later Jesus stood trial before him (Luke 23:7-12).
Except for brief periods, Roman governors ruled Archelaus’s former territory. The fifth procurator appointed to rule over Judea was Pontius Pilate, before whom Jesus stood trial prior to his crucifixion. Interestingly, three times Pilate pronounced Jesus innocent, yet he lacked the courage to set him free for fear of the angry mob whipped up by the enemies of Christ (John 18).
Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, executed James, the apostle and son of Zebedee, and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12:1-5). He was smitten of God when he accepted the praise of the people, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” Luke tells us that because “he gave not God the glory,” “the angel of the Lord smote him" and "he was eaten of worms," and died (Acts 12:21-23).
The governor Felix heard the apostle Paul preach the gospel and trembled at the word, yet postponed obeying the gospel (Acts 24–25). He hoped that Paul would bribe him with money, but Paul never did and remained a prisoner for two years under the governor Felix.
Festus, who took the place of Felix, also heard Paul’s case (Acts 25). Willing to do the Jews a favor, Festus suggested that Paul return to Jerusalem to stand trial. Being a Roman citizen, and knowing that the Jews intended to kill him, Paul appealed his case to Caesar.
This presented a problem for Festus. He had no choice but to send Paul to Rome. The problem was that he did not have any charges to write in the papers to accompany Paul to Rome. Thus, he asked Herod Agrippa II, great-grandson of Herod the Great, to listen to Paul’s self-defense and see if he could determine what charges should be written against Paul before sending his case to Rome. Agrippa heard Paul’s self-defense and was “almost” persuaded to become a Christian himself (Acts 26:28).
Upon the death of Festus, Albinis and then Florus were appointed governors of Judea. It was during Florus' reign that the Jewish revolt of AD 66-70 took place, which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70.

Groups, Peoples, and Philosophies of the Day

During the span of the Greek and Roman occupations, some important political/religious groups emerged in Israel. In a study of the New Testament, it is important to consider the historical background and significance of some of the Jewish groups in Palestine at the time, whose names are familiar as participants in the drama of early Christianity. These were the groups with whom Christ Jesus had to deal as he observed and often challenged their views. Entrenched in positions of authority and leadership through anciently established hierarchy, tradition, or inheritance, their resistance to change was almost inevitable.
Most familiar of the New Testament parties and groups in political and religious life were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the scribes. The nationalistic and revolutionary Zealots are also mentioned. The Herodians were exclusively a political party, members and supporters of the family of the Herods, whose titular authority was permitted by Rome. Finally, there's the Galileeans and the Samaritans, who weren't necessarily attached to any of the aformentioned ideologies, but were citizens of their respective states.
Jews and Samaritans were to have no dealings with each other, so Samaritans technically had no dog in this fight between the Jews' themselves and their own ideologies, but it's important to mention them because they contribute to the narrative of the New Testament through Jesus' dealings with them, and his famous parable of "the Good Samaritan."
THE SADDUCEES
The Sadducees constituted a conservative priestly party among the Jews. Their name probably derived from Zadok, the high priest who anointed Solomon as king (1 Kings 1:39). Comprised of high-priestly families from the Jewish aristocracy, who had come into power largely during the Maccabean War, they were educated and wealthy men, fairly few but wielding great power. No man who was unable to trace his descent from a priestly family could offer sacrifice in the Temple. The Sadducees represented the aristocrats and the wealthy. The Sadducees, who wielded power through the Sanhedrin, rejected all but the Mosaic books of the Old Testament. They refused to believe in resurrection and were generally shadows of the Greeks, whom they greatly admired.
While upholding the spread of Greek culture, the Sadducees stressed the letter of the Mosaic Law, or Torah. They denied the authority even of ancient tradition, and rejected the current concepts of angels, immortality, resurrection, and final judgment (Mark 12:18‐27, Acts 4:1-2; 23:8). They jealously guarded Temple worship and sacrificial rites, objecting to Jesus' cleansing of the Temple, which infringed their religious authority. After the destruction of the Second (or Herod's) Temple in 70 AD, when the Jewish state came to an end, their sway virtually ceased. In the absence of the Temple, the office of priest became obsolete, to be succeeded by that of the rabbi in the synagogue.
THE PHARISEES
It was when the people were in exile, Solomon's Temple having been destroyed, that the need arose for local gathering places, which became the forerunners of the synagogue. Even after some of the exiles returned to Palestine, and the Second (or Zerubbabel's) Temple was built, the continued dispersion of many Jews and the demand for Scriptural knowledge that came with the religious reformation of Ezra and Nehemiah made the synagogue and its school increasingly necessary. In New Testament times they prevailed in all cities and towns where Jewish people resided.
The beginnings of Pharisaism go back to the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, who lived about 450 years before the New Testament era. Ezra did much to bring stability to his nation in a period of downfall and discouragement. He upheld two main concepts, which formed, as it were, the heart of Pharisaism. First, he erected a distinct barrier between Jew and Gentile. The Jews he regarded as God's holy people. Intermarriage between them and others of mixed ancestry', such as the Samaritans, was not to be tolerated. Also, he made the Law of Moses the central point of Jewish religion, virtually establishing it as the constitution of the Jewish people.
In their objection to the Hellenizing of Judaism, after the rise of Alexander the Great, many Jews became even more strict in their desire to maintain the purity of their law and tradition. Thus it is easy to see how they came to be called Pharisees (Hebrew Perushim), meaning literally "separatists." These were the ones who adopted, or popularized, a prescriptive method of interpreting the Law of Moses, as opposed to the "descriptive wisdom" methodology of Jesus as seen in the New Testament.
Contributing a democratic influence in Judaism, Pharisees were basically laymen, coming from all walks of life, often including scribes and priests. Like the Sadducees, they sought to uphold the Mosaic Law, but their concern was to adapt its teachings to current situations, and their influence was primarily in the synagogue.
Much of the strength of Pharisaism came from the adaptability of this movement to changing conditions, a tendency which helped in preparing for Christianity. It was the Pharisees who were largely responsible for taking the Messianic idea and keeping it alive in the hopes of the people. Also, it was they who upheld the belief in immortality and the resurrection, to which the Sadducees took great exception. Unlike the Zealots, they generally rejected violence as a means to national liberation.
While modern research is providing justification for more favorable opinions concerning the Pharisees' role in history, there was ample room for Jesus' repeated denunciations of the abuses and inconsistencies he observed. The Pharisees added to the Law of Moses through oral tradition and eventually considered their own laws more important than God’s (Mark 7:1-23). While Christ’s teachings often agreed with the Pharisees, he railed against their hollow legalism and lack of compassion. Nevertheless, Pharisees such as Nicodemus (John 3:1; 19:39), Gamaliel (Acts 5:34) and his famous pupil, Saul of Tarsus (Acts 22:3) certainly represented the highest thought in Judaism.
THE SCRIBES
The powerful seventy-one-member Sanhedrin or Council, the highest Jewish court, was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, with the high priest as president.
The scribes, strictly speaking, formed a legal profession rather than a party. They—and a nearly identical group, the lawyers—were usually Pharisees, though occasionally there were Sadducean scribes as well. They were professional teachers who were interpreters and transcribers of the Law at a time when hand-copying was the only method of preserving any document.
So insistent were the Jews upon maintaining the absolute accuracy of their sacred Scriptures that the work of the scribes demanded exceptional skill and mastery of the text. The Jews considered the Law of Moses to be the infallible standard, God's own law. It was their national, civil, moral, and religious law in one.
The scribes not only transmitted but contributed to "the tradition of the elders"—an ever-increasing body of legalistic detail, which, when committed to writing, formed the Talmud.
It was usual for the scribes to have another occupation to supplement their unpaid teaching and writing work. Their work combined the many functions of judge, lawyer, preacher, teacher, and scholar. The office of the scribe gradually merged into that of the rabbi, for when the canon of the Old Testament was finally settled in 90 AD—largely the result of the Pharisees' work—the need for the scribes as interpreters of the Law diminished.
There are many references to scribes in the Old Testament, but clearly "Ezra the scribe" (Neh. 8:1; 12:26) was the true antecedent of those referred to in the New.
THE ZEALOTS
The Zealots were members of a first-century political movement among Judean Jews who sought to overthrow the occupying Roman government. The word zealot derives from the Greek zelotes, meaning “emulator or (zealous) follower.”
According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the Zealots “agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord" (Antiquities 18.1.6).
Hezekiah, under whose leadership the Zealots arose, was martyred by Herod. Their appearance on the political horizon of Palestine came early in the Roman occupation. According to Josephus, they "were particularly active in AD 6 during the revolt of Judas of Gamala, in Galilee, who maintained that compliance with the Roman demand for a census would constitute an act of enslavement 'among Palestinians." Josephus was apparently unaware of the role played by Hezekiah in the rise of the Zealots. This appears from his reference to Judas as their author.
They "were most influential in Galilee and later in Jerusalem, especially from the time of Herod (37 BC –AD 4) until the fall of Jerusalem (AD 70)."
"They refused to pay taxes and considered it a sin to acknowledge loyalty to Ceasar." They "harassed the Roman administration with every means at their disposal." They "relentlessly opposed the Roman attempt to bring Judea under her idolatrous rule."
It was from among the Zealots that the extreme Sicarri arose. The Sicarii were famous for hiding their daggers in their cloaks and using them to secretly target their enemies during the festivals (Antiquities 20.8.10). Some sources make a sharp distinction between the Zealots and the Sicarii, while others do not. It seems fair to say that the Sicarii were part of the Zealot movement, but not all Zealots were Sicarii. Thus, “Zealot” was an umbrella term for the revolutionaries who rebelled against Rome.
Some sources say that those who belonged to the family dynasty of Hezekiah were all Sicarii. Wikipedia designates the Sicarii as “a splinter group of the Jewish Zealots.” The Sicarii are mentioned in Acts 21:38, where Paul was asked if he was the Egyptian who had led 4000 assassins (or “dagger-bearers”) into the wilderness.
Of importance in New Testament history, the Zealots led a rebellion when Rome introduced imperial cult worship. The Great Jewish Revolt began in AD 66. The Zealots successfully overtook Jerusalem, but their revolt was ultimately unsuccessful. In AD 70, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. A remnant of the Zealots then took refuge in Masada.
Josephus records many of the atrocities committed by the Zealots when they possessed Jerusalem, blaming them for being the ones truly responsible for its destruction, as the city was left quite desolate and chaotic by the time the Roman general Titus even came to finish it off.
It is my belief that there are, in fact, 5 kingdoms which precede the kingdom of God in Daniel chapter 2, and not 4, as commonly taught. It is also my belief that the fourth kingdom was the Hasmonean (Maccabean) Dynasty, and that the fifth kingdom (thus, the "Beast" of Revelation; see Daniel 7) wasn't Rome, but apostate Israel instead. It is my belief that the Beast represents apostate Israel as a whole, the culmination of which was the Zealots. This explains how it had authority over every nation (the Jewish Diaspora) and how it conquered the saints (same). The Zealots were just a symptom of the disease, but John’s vision focuses on them more because they were the ones who brought about the eschatological war.
THE HERODIANS
The Herodians held political power, and most scholars believe that they were a political party that supported King Herod Antipas, the Roman Empire’s ruler over much of the land of the Jews from 4 BC to AD 39. The Herodians favored submitting to the Herods, and therefore to Rome, for political expediency. This support of Herod compromised Jewish independence in the minds of the Pharisees, making it difficult for the Herodians and Pharisees to unite and agree on anything. But one thing did unite them—opposing Jesus. Herod himself wanted Jesus dead (Luke 13:31), and the Pharisees had already hatched plots against him (John 11:53), so they joined efforts to achieve their common goal.
The first appearance of the Herodians in Scripture is Mark 3:6, "And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him." Jesus had been doing miracles, which caused some of the people to believe in him for salvation, and that threatened the power and position of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. The Herodians again joined with the Pharisees to challenge Jesus, to see if they could trap Jesus in his words by a trick question, to either discredit him or to get him to stop preaching (Matt. 22:15-22).
Jesus regarded the two groups as in unity against him and warned his followers against them: "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." (Mark 8:15b). Yeast in this context is false teaching, the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, and hypocrisy. Many scholars believe that the Herodians looked to Herod as a messiah, a savior of sorts who would put the Jewish land in favor with the Roman Empire and bring blessings to them. Jesus’ presentation of himself as the Messiah was a threat to the Herodians' attempt to make Herod the influential political power in the land.
In the then future (now past; we're Preterists), the Bible tells us that many would be deceived by an Antichrist figure and would view this Antichrist as a "messiah." He would be a political leader as well as a false religious leader, and he would promise peace and prosperity through policy. The Herodians at the time of Jesus were also focused on political goals rather than the eternal goals that Jesus proclaimed. They thought Herod might bring peace politically. But Jesus came to bring us salvation from our sins. The lesson we learn from the error of the Herodians is that we are not to trust in man's devices or politicians, as they trusted in Herod (Psa. 118:8). We are to put our trust in the Lord.
THE GALILEEANS
A Galilean was an inhabitant of the area in Israel near the Sea of Galilee. In the time of Christ, Galilee was the northernmost of the three provinces of Israel, above Samaria in the middle and Judea in the south. Approximately 700 years before Christ, Galilee’s Israelite inhabitants were conquered by Assyria. Most of the Jews living there were relocated to Assyria, while non-Jewish immigrants moved into Galilee (2 Kin. 15:29–17:24). This is why the Bible sometimes refers to the area as “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isa. 9:1, Matt. 4:13-16).
Judeans tended to look down on Galileans, viewing them as uneducated and of questionable ancestry (John 1:46; 7:52). Galileans also had a reputation of being rabble-rousers, as they often took part in protests and uprisings against the Roman occupiers. It is significant that Jesus grew up in Galilee (Matt. 2:19‐23) and in Galilee recruited most of his disciples, started his ministry, and performed his first miracles (Matt. 4:17-23, John 2:11). Being Galilean, Jesus “was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3).
We see glimpses in Scripture of how Galilee may have been a trouble spot for Roman rule. Gamaliel mentioned a failed revolt led by “Judas the Galilean” in Acts 5:37. In Luke 13:1-3, some people told Jesus about an incident involving Galileans: “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” (vs. 1). Neither Scripture nor secular history gives any more details regarding this massacre, but it is likely that the Galileans, visiting Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, had been caught up in a nationalistic fervor and started a commotion on the temple mount. The Roman governor Pilate quickly and violently quelled the disturbance, killing the Galileans along with their sacrificial animals, perhaps as a public demonstration of how violators must “atone” for their “sins” against Rome.
Jesus responded to hearing about the massacre of the Galileans with a warning: “Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2b-3). Instead of conjecturing on the Galileans’ sin, Jesus said to his audience that they needed take care of their own sin. They all needed to repent.
Peter, being a Galilean, spoke in a northern Aramaic dialect, and his accent and vocabulary gave him away when he was trying to remain anonymous on the night of Jesus’ arrest. As Peter was sitting in a courtyard during one of Jesus’ trials, a servant girl came up to him and said, “Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee” (Matt. 26:69c). Later, another servant girl said, “This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth” (vs. 71). A short time later, others said to Peter, “Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee” (vs. 73). Galileans naturally stood out to the people of Jerusalem.
The fact that Jesus lived and ministered in Galilee is yet another example of his identification with those the world rejects. He came to seek and to save the lost. Those who follow his example will likewise proclaim his message and live out his teachings among culture’s outcasts and minister to “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40).
THE SAMARITANS
A Samaritan was a person from Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans, viewing them as a mixed race who practiced an impure, half-pagan religion.
Samaritans, as a people distinct from the Jews, are first mentioned in the Bible during the time of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 4:17, Neh. 2:10). Both Ezra chapter 4 and a fifth-century BC Aramaic set of documents called the Elephantine Papyri point to a schism between the Jews and Samaritans during this Persian period.
The Samaritans saw themselves as the keepers of the Torah and the true descendants of Israel, from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. They had their own unique copy of the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses, and believed they alone preserved the original Mosaic religion. Samaritans also had a unique religious system and established their primary worship site on Mount Gerizim. They considered the Jerusalem temple and the Levitical priesthood illegitimate.
The historian Josephus and Jewish tradition trace the origin of the Samaritans to the captivity of the northern kingdom under Assyria in 721 BC. Jews of the northern kingdom intermarried with Assyrians after the captivity and produced the half-Jewish, half-Gentile Samaritan race. When the Jews accused Jesus of being a “Samaritan” in John 8:48, they were rudely suggesting that he was a half-breed, born of an unfaithful mother.
In New Testament times, the Jews despised Samaritans and would have nothing to do with them. The Samaritans were still living primarily around Mount Gerizim (John 4:1-42), but also kept to their own villages (Matt. 10:5, Luke 9:52). Scripture mentions encounters with Samaritans in towns bordering Samaria (Luke 17:11-19) and on roads between Jerusalem and Jericho (Luke 10:29-37).
Jesus met with difficulty when ministering to people in Samaritan villages (Luke 9:52-53) and at one point told his disciples not to enter them (Matt. 10:5-6). Nonetheless, Christ shared the good news with Samaritans, ministering to a Samaritan woman (John 4:4-26) and healing a Samaritan leper (Luke 17:11-19).
The most recognized Samaritan in the Bible is the one in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). A Jewish legal expert had put Jesus to the test, asking him to explain the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself”; specifically, he asked Jesus to define the word neighbor.
That’s when Jesus told his parable of a man in need, portraying the Samaritan as the hero in the story. In the lawyer’s eyes, the Samaritan was the least likely candidate to act lovingly and compassionately to his neighbor. As intended, the story shocked Christ’s audience of prejudiced Jews. Jesus showed that authentic love must transcend all human boundaries of race, religion, nationality, economic class, and educational status.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told his disciples that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they would be his witnesses in Samaria. In Acts chapter 8 the prophecy was fulfilled, and Samaria became an early mission field for the spreading of the Church.

The Shammaite and Hillelite Interpretations of Mosaic Law

Shammai and Hillel were two influential Jewish rabbis whose commentaries on the Torah shaped Jewish theology and philosophy for hundreds of years. The Shammaite and Hillelite schools were the two dominant approaches to Jewish Law during the years of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Unfortunately, the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD resulted in the loss of most records relating to the debates between these two groups. The Hillelite school quickly gained dominance after the Temple was razed, so much of what we know about first-century Hillelite and Shammaite law comes exclusively from later Hillelite writers. These writers portray the Shammaite-Hillelite divide in a manner similar to modern two-party politics, with each side seemingly bound and determined to contradict the other on everything.
According to tradition, Shammai was a Pharisee who taught in the years just prior to Jesus’ birth. In his commentary on the Law, he emphasized the need for Temple rituals, and his interpretation is characterized as strict, literalist, and Israel-centric. The school that followed those interpretations is referred to as the Shammaite interpretation of Jewish Law.
Rabbi Hillel, a contemporary of Shammai, was less concerned with temple worship. His commentary is seen as being more liberal, tolerant, and accepting of Gentiles. Hillel was also known for codifying traditional patterns for exegesis into seven individual rules. His Hillelite school was a rival to the Shammaite approach. After the destruction of the Temple, the influence of the Shammaite school faded, and Hillel’s philosophy became the dominant approach to Jewish Law for more than 400 years.
Scholars are unsure how many of the differences between the Shammaite and Hillelite schools are factual and how many are the products of revisionist history. While Jewish scholars prior to 70 AD make frequent reference to the disagreements between these two groups, the vast majority of surviving records are from Hillelite writers. It’s possible that the Hillelites exaggerated some of the differences between Shammai and Hillel in order to portray Hillel in a more heroic light.
Even with such open questions, it’s clear that the interplay between Shammai and Hillel influenced Judaism during the early Christian era. The rivalry between the two schools greatly contributed to Judaism’s growing belief that the oral law—such as promoted in the Shammaite or Hillelite schools—was as authoritative as the written Torah.
Some scholars debate which school, Shammaite or Hillelite, had a greater influence on the theology of the New Testament. Jesus’ restrictive rules on divorce echo those of Shammai, while Hillel allowed for a wider range of acceptable reasons to end a marriage. Jesus also phrased the “Golden Rule” using a more challenging, positive expression, in contrast to Hillel’s lighter, negative expression of the same basic idea. At the same time, Jesus was welcoming of non-Jewish people and often castigated the Pharisees for their excessive legalism. The fact is that Jesus presented the truth, and his agreement with either Shammai or Hillel was secondary and coincidental. Jesus spoke the Father’s Word, and his teaching cannot be seen as a defense of any rabbi (John 12:49).
There is also an academic debate over the influence of Shammai and Hillel on the theology of the apostle Paul. On one hand, Paul was a student of Gamaliel, who came from the Hillelite school and might have even been Hillel’s grandson. But, prior to his conversion, Paul (Saul) was hardly a tolerant, Gentile-friendly Pharisee. Rather, in opposition to Gamaliel’s teaching, Paul took a severe stance. And in his letters Paul expresses an Israel-centric, all-or-nothing obedience to the Law (Rom. 3:19-28; cp. James 2:10), which many scholars would identify more with Shammai. Of course, as he was writing inspired Scripture, Paul was not concerned with what rabbi might have had a past influence upon him; he was “moved by the Holy Ghost” and wrote what the Spirit wanted (2 Pet. 1:21).

The Ediomite Lineage of Christ's Enemies

Around 63 BC, the Roman Triumvirate Pompey brought Judea under Roman Rule. He pushed all the Jews into the areas of Gallilee, Jericho and Jersalem. Then he settled Greeks and Syrians in the rest of the land of Palestine. Originally, Galilee was settled by the tribe of Benjamin who always followed the tribe of Judah.
A few years earlier, Hyrcanus, a descendant of the Maccabees, conquered the land of Idumea. Idumea was the home land of the Edomites. He forced all the Edomites to be circumcised and follow the Jewish laws.
The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1903 edition, says under the heading Edom:

"They were then incorporated with the Jewish nation, and their country was called by the Greeks and Romans “Idumea” . . . From this time the Idumeans ceased to be a separate nation, though the name “Idumea” still existed (in) the time of Jerome."

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau. Esau married into the families of the Canaanites. The Canaanites were the people that God told Moses and the Israelites to kill and drive out of the land of Canaan. They were warned never to mix or marry with the Canaanites. God gave Edom the land south of Judea. They were driven westward by the Natabeans to the area that became Idumea. Their border was only 19 miles from Jerusalem.
Flavus Josephus who lived from 37 AD to 100 AD confirms Edomite occupation in southern Judea:

“That country is also called Judea, and the people Jews; and this name is given also to as many as embrace their religion (Judaism), though of other nations. But then upon what foundation so good a governor as Hyrcanus (grandson of Mattathias patriarch of the Maccabees, a family of Judahite patriots of 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.) took upon himself to compel these Idumeans (Edomites) either to become Jews or to leave their country, deserves great consideration. I suppose it was because they had long ago been driven out of the land of Edom, and had SEIZED ON AND POSSESSED THE TRIBE OF SIMEON (their land not the people), AND ALL THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, WHICH WAS THE PECULIAR INHERITANCE OF THE WORSHIPERS OF THE TRUE GOD WITHOUT IDOLATRY…”

The word “Jews” in Scripture often refers to the inhabitants of the land of Judea. But it can also mean the tribe of Judah in some cases, or those who simply follow the Jewish religion (Judaism). The name for the land of Palestine was called Judea because they combined the name Judah and Idumea.
Now at the time of the Messiah, the Sadducees were in control of the Temple. Pharisees were the synagogue leaders. According to the Ency. Britannica and Philo, there were 6,000 Pharisees during the time of the Messiah.
Some had to be non-Jews and Edomites. When Herod came to power, he solidified his position by bringing in relatives from Idumea and appointing many non-Jews to important positions. And he killed the entire Sanhedrin except Hillel and Shammai. Herod was practicing Judaism, as many Edomites and Nabateans had been commingled with the Jews and adopted their customs.
The Edomites were called the Herodians in Scripture, and were politically aligned with Herod. As shown earlier, they plotted with the Pharisees to kill the Messiah.
The Bible also shows that some of the Pharisees were Edomites. Notice the verse below:

"They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?"-John 8:33

The Pharisees told the Messiah that they had never gone into bondage. This could only apply to the Edomites because the tribe of Judah was taken into captivity in around 586 BC by Babylon. They would have never told the Messiah that they never went into captivity. This verse proves that the Edomites were mixed among the Pharisees.
In the time of Christ, there were two Sanhedrins operating in Jerusalem, the first of which was a 23-member court run by the Sadducees that handled local affairs. Its larger counterpart, the Great Sanhedrin, was comprised of 70 elders with a president, who in the time of Jesus was Gamaliel. Acts 5:25 shows this group and the Great Sanhedrin coming together to discuss the problem of the Christians. The Great Sanhedrin functioned much like a combination of the Senate and Supreme Court, and most of its members at the time of the crucifixion were Pharisees from the school of Shammai.
You will note in the Book of Acts that Gamaliel, the president of the Great Sanhedrin, encouraged tolerance of the Christians. But because he and his followers were outnumbered by the aristocratic Sadducees and the Shammai-oriented Pharisees, the Great Sanhedrin ultimately elected to persecute the Christians. At the trial of Jesus before the elders of Israel, Gamaliel may not have been present. If he had, the circumstances may have turned out quite differently. The trial held to try Jesus was hurriedly assembled and included almost across the board members who were either Sadducees, or else Pharisees from the school of Shammai. It is possible that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimithea represented the school of Hillel.

Conclusion

It's important to keep in mind when studying all this that Jesus came to establish the New Covenant, which is about a heavenly Jerusalem, not an earthly one like the Zealots and Pharisees of Jesus' day thought or like how Zionists today think: "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus even said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36b).

Introduction

One of the biggest issues brought up with the Bible is the Mosaic Law, within the Old Testament.
Why would God command certain forms of capital punishment for minor offenses?:

"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death."-Exodus 35:2
"For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him."-Leviticus 20:9

Why does the Law contain odd commands that rarely apply?:

"When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her."-Deuteronomy 25:11-12
"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small."-Deuteronomy 25:13

Does this reflect God's moral character, and reveal His insecurity?
Well, the problem is we're trying to understand the Mosaic Law with our cultural context in mind. The Torah was not assembled in our modern western culture, but with the cultural mindset of the ancient Near East, and therefore, God's intentions and the Torah must be understood with that cultural world in mind.

Legal Collections

The first thing we must note is when we read through the Torah and the Pentateuch, we assume we're reading a Law code, which is why we refer to it as the Mosaic Law. But scholars routinely note we're not really sure if this is the case. In fact, many scholars believe this was not the purpose of the Torah.
Christine Hayes summarizes the issue:
"We would do better to under understand these materials as legal collections and not codes. I know the word 'code' gets thrown around a lot. 'Code of Hammurabi' and so on. But they really aren't codes. Codes are generally systematic and exhaustive and they tend to be used by courts. We have no evidence about how these texts were used. In fact, we think it's not likely that they were really used by courts, but they were part of a learned tradition, and scribes copied them over and over and so on. They are also certainly not systematic and exhaustive. So for example, in the code of Hammurabi, we don't even have a case of intentional homicide. We only have a case of accidental homicide, so we really don't even know what the law would be in a case of intentional homicide. We can't really make that comparison with the Biblical law." (Professor at Yale University)
Similarly, John Walton refers to ancient Near Eastern legal collections as "treatises on judicial wisdom" (The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority, pg. 218). What we have here is not an attempt to necessarily lay down universal moral laws to follow, or national legislation, but to teach one how to understand justice and to reason through judicial wisdom.
Essentially, when we look at ancient Near Eastern legal collections like the Mosaic collection, we find that they are more didactic (as opposed to prescriptive), meaning they are trying to teach judicial lessons and expressing the importance of order and justice. There is no indication ancient Near Eastern legal collections were prescriptive or understood as national legislation.
Delbert Hiller says:
"There is no evidence that any collection of Near Eastern laws function as a written code that was applied by a strict method of exegesis to individual cases. As far as we can tell, these bodies of laws served educational purposes and gave expression to what was regarded as just in typical cases, but they left considerable latitude to local courts for determining the right in individual suits. They aided local courts without controlling them." (Covenant: The History of a Biblical Idea, pg. 88)

The Code of Hammurabi

Let's spend some time taking a look at how other ancient Near Eastern legal collections functioned. Because our culture is so far removed from the ancient world, it will take some time to fully understand what is going on with these legal collections, like the Torah.
Jean Bottéro has studied the code of Hammurabi extensively, an old Babylonian law code that predates Moses. However, it is erroneous to even call it a law code. The king did not set laws, he gave decrees. Bottéro notes:
"It was the Greeks who have taken us further, to the universal concepts, the absolute formulations, that allow us the clear perception and the distinct expression of the principles and the laws in all their abstraction." (Mesopotamia, pg. 178)
But prior to this in the ancient Near East, they didn't really have the concept of universal legislation:
"...a fundamental distinction can be discerned between essentially legislative (e.g. classical Athens) and essentially non-legislative (e.g. the cuneiform writings) law writings." (Collections, Codes, and Torah: The Re-characterization of Israel's Written Law, pg. 22-30)
Michael LeFebvre refers to the cultures of the ancient Near East as non-legislative societies. So the code of Hammurabi is not prescribing laws, and a word for 'law' doesn't even exist in their language, so no one read this inscription and assumed it was an attempt to enact universal legislation for all people who lived under Hammurabi. This is not to say there were no laws as we understand them, but Botérro notes they were "unformulated," just like they had a folk understanding of the "principles of science," even though they "remained unformulated" and unspoken (Mesopotamia, pg. 181). What mattered and what everything centered around was order, and the king's job was to establish and maintain order. How ever the king could establish and maintain order through his decrees is what his subjects had to follow.
So the concept of justice was a means to an end. They didn't care about justice for justice's sake or ethics for the sake of doing good. They cared about establishing and maintaining order. All else was a means to that end. For example, in today's world, we would rather forsake order for equality under the law if the president was guilty of murder. We would rather him go on trial and suffer the consequences of the law. Such a process would create disorder as the nation would go into turmoil. In the ancient Near East, order was the highest good. They would consider such a modern process a disaster because of the disorder it created. It would be better for the leader of the nation to get away with a crime than to go to prison because of the disorder it would cause. Again, there was no sense of justice for ethical means. Justice was a way to promote and keep order. It was more of a sin for a prostitute to leave the brothel and find honest work because that disrupted the order of things and her place in society, whereas today we would consider this a good thing, even if it disrupted societal order. This is why the Babylonians use two words to express justice (kittu u mêšaru), which combined would most likely mean "to establish firmly, to be in order."
The king made decrees to keep order because the gods demanded it, and so ancient Near Eastern legal collections are not really prescribing legislation for the people to follow. Botérro says "the 'Code' of Hammurabi is essentially a self-glorification of the king" (Mesopotamia, pg. 178-183). His subjects would have read it as descriptive, not prescriptive. It was meant to display his wisdom by explaining what justice looked like through what are most likely hypothetical cases or "models" to be considered in the spirit of analogy.
Some scholars have suggested the laws came from actual cases and actual decisions that were made instead of merely being hypothetical cases. This is plausible, but this also doesn't mean they establish universal laws for future cases, but merely served as models for future judges to learn from. Walton says:
"[Legal treatises] serve as manuals that are compiled to teach principles to practitioners through paradigms. They instruct by circumscribing the field of knowledge with examples." (Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, pg. 271)
It might best be explained by comparing it to elementary school math questions. When we were children and learned math, it would be taught to us through hypothetical cases like, "If Jim has 12 apples and sells 4 to Sally and 5 to Jake, how many does he have left?" Such a question in a math textbook is not trying to teach you economics, or prescribing actions. It is not even a story about a real event. It is teaching and describing mathematics through hypothetical cases.
Another and more similar example to ancient legal collections would be a collection of modern wisdom sayings, like:

• "Do not count your chickens before they hatch"
  
• "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
  
• "Do not keep all your eggs in one basket"
  

If these things were collected and put into a book, we would not look at them as prescriptions or laws to follow. They are wisdom sayings to get you to think. If you saw a person with all their eggs in one basket instead of separated into two baskets, we would not think they broke a modern law or committed an ethical violation. This saying is not meant to prescribe an action, even if it's formatted like one. It is meant to teach one how to be wise. The code of Hammurabi functions more like this and not like modern legislation. It was meant to inspire someone on how to think about justice and what justice looked like.
Botérro says:
"A law applies to details; a model inspires— which is entirely different. In conclusion, we have here not a law code, nor a charter of a legal reform, but above all in its own way a treatise, with examples, on the exercise of judicial powers."(Mesopotamia, pg. 167)

The Torah

When it comes to the Torah, it most likely functioned in a similar way. We translate 'Torah' as law, but this is not what Torah means. It refers to 'instruction' or 'teaching.'
Walter Kaiser says:
"...[Torah] is much more than mere law. Even the word itself does not indicate static requirements that govern the whole of human experience. The meaning of [Torah] then is directional teaching or guidance for walking on the path of life." (Five Views on Law and Gospel, pg. 192-193)
So it's more about guidance given to Israel on how to be holy and orderly, not prescribing actions or consequences. John and J. Harvey Walton argue it is better to understand the Torah like we understand the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is not necessarily prescribing actions, it's teaching us how to be wise and how to think about morality. One of the most famous proverbs is in chapter 26:4-5:

"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him." (vs. 4)
"Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." (vs. 5)

These two sayings are obviously contradictory, but neither is a prescription on how to deal with a fool. This saying is teaching about the nature of a fool, and a wise man will know you cannot win with a foolish person. A person who is truly wise will know what to do in circumstances where one has to deal with a fool.
Proverbs 13 is also a place where people assume prescriptions are in play but this is not necessarily the case. Verse 22 reads:

"A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just."

This does not mean you have failed if you cannot leave an inheritance for your grandchildren. For some parents, it might be better to will their inheritances to charities, especially if their children are corrupt or better off than they were. It is merely a wisdom saying that cannot apply to all real-life cases, nor is it prescribed to all people. Likewise, a few verses later it reads:

"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." (vs. 24)

This is not prescribing that you beat your son with a rod. It is metaphorically teaching that if you're wise, you will discipline your children in the proper way. The surrounding context should show this, as it contains numerous verses that are metaphorical. The very next verse is:

"The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want." (vs. 25)

This is not teaching that sinful people are always hungry, but metaphorically teaching it is better to be content with what you have than to be greedy and constantly chasing after the next best thing.
So Proverbs is not necessarily prescribing actions. Instead, Proverbs is teaching one how to think and how to understand morality and wisdom. We are meant to understand Proverbs holistically. You cannot take select sayings out of Proverbs and only apply those. You are meant to apply the whole book to understand how to be wise. Circumstances will always factor as you apply the wisdom of Proverbs to your life. Likewise, given the ancient Near Eastern cultural context, the Torah is teaching what justice looks like, not prescribing actions. It is a description of what justice and order looks like for Israel in their cultural context, and like Proverbs, it's also supposed to be understood holistically, meaning the author did not intend for you to pick certain sections out. You cannot understand the sections on slavery without reading them in the light of loving the stranger and caring for the poor and underprivileged. Israel was meant to understand the Torah in whole, not as individual sections.
Skeptics will often note there are sayings in the Torah that contradict, but this is not an issue if the stipulations are not prescriptive but didactic. For example, Leviticus 23:22 says that when you harvest a field to not harvest it all, but leave the edges for the poor and the foreigner to harvest. But in Deuteronomy 24:19, it implies you should harvest your whole field and leave some of the collected bundles for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, but it doesn't mention the poor. However, neither of these are really prescriptions on how to harvest, so they don't contradict. Both verses are just trying to teach a general way to live, namely to find ways to make sure the less fortunate are fed.
This is the mentality you should have when reading the Torah, not looking for specific laws on what Israelites were to do in specific circumstances. Just like Jean Bottéro notes the code of Hammurabi was didactic, the Torah was also most likely understood as didactic, meaning the sayings within it expressed the moral importance of something (Mesopotamia, pg. 177). These sayings were not necessarily prescriptive in how to act when a certain incident mentioned in the Torah arose. Walton concurs:
"...One can propose that these are not laws (i.e., legislation) but selected samples that can serve the intended didactic function. It is in this sense that they offer model justice ... They offer sample wisdom; they do not prescribe laws." (Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible, pg. 273)
So for example, Exodus 35:2 is not necessarily prescribing the death penalty for anyone who works on the Sabbath. It lists the maximal punishment that could be applied and it also is expressing the importance of the Sabbath to God and what justice would look like if Israel were to break it, but it is descriptive of justice. It describes how the Sabbath should be treated to Israelites in covenant with God. It does not intend to mean Sabbath breakers are to be killed left and right. It intends to describe how important the Sabbath should be treated by the Israelites. Remember, as Hillers notes, these legal collections gave "considerable latitude to local courts for determining the right in individual suits. They aided local courts without controlling them" (Covenant: The History of a Biblical Idea, pg. 88).

The Word 'Obey'

This is all supported by a Hebrew word we have often mistranslated.

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:"-Exodus 19:5

The word 'obey' is used in our english translations, but the Hebrew word more likely refers to 'hear' and "take heed." The one being instructed is repeatedly enjoined to heed the wisdom that is being conveyed. Much like Proverbs gives guidance on how to live a moral life, Torah is also laying down guidance, not laws. In other words, "in order to live in covenant with God, take heed this wisdom and ignore it at your own peril." The expected response to the Torah is far different from a response to legislation. Legislation carries a sense of "you ought," instruction carries a sense of "you will know."
Now, this does not mean one was never supposed to feel as though the Torah never prescribed rules of conduct, or punishments were never applied. That would be taking things too far in the opposite direction and imposing a simplistic view in that setting.
One could obtain prescriptions for proper conduct from Proverbs, but once you understand the whole wisdom of Proverbs, you know how and when to apply it properly. Likewise, one should apply the wisdom of the Torah and know how to act properly in each circumstance, especially if certain commands were to contradict.
One could see the law as setting an ideal standard, but that comes with the understanding that the ideal can hardly ever be realized. For example, the Bible notes God was slow to anger instead of enacting punishment on Israel immediately, as He would have had the right to do (Exo. 34:6, Neh. 9:17, Nah. 1:3). Allowing a period for Israel to repent suggests that it was possible that the punishments were not always carried out when they could have been. So in other words, Exodus 35:2 as part of the Torah is trying to say, "take heed and listen, the Sabbath is so important that to break it is worthy of death." But that doesn't carry the prescription to always kill Sabbath-breakers, even though the maximal punishment listed could be applied if the judge felt it necessary for those specific circumstances. Instead, it mostly expresses the moral importance, so Israel would understand how important it was to God within their covenant with Him, but that ideal did not always play out in reality.

Later Interpretations

We can also see this reasoning in action in a later narrative. In 2nd Samuel 12, when king David commits adultery with Bathsheba and has Uriah killed, he isn't prescribed the death penalty, even though the authors demonstrate knowledge of the Torah and that is what is taught in the Torah as the proper punishment for murder and adultery:

"And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."-2 Samuel 12:6
"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."-Exodus 22:1

So it doesn't appear later Israelites understood the punishments of the Torah as universal laws or necessarily prescriptive.
This understanding of the Torah is also supported by the teachings of Jesus. He also appears to have understood that, at times, the laws could not always have applied because of circumstances. It was the Pharisees of his day that interpreted the Torah as unbreakable legislation, but Jesus understood that at some times certain aspects were more important than others.
In Matthew 12, Jesus allows his disciples to go through grain fields to gather food on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, believing Jesus has broken an unbendable law, state, "Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day" (vs. 2). But jesus replies by quoting narrative passages outside of the Pentateuch on how early Israelites understood the teachings about the Sabbath. He said to them:

"Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (vss. 3b-8)

There are two important points we can see here from Christ's teaching.
The first is that he didn't understand the Torah as prescribing unbreakable laws regarding the Sabbath that always required capital punishment. He seems to have understood it as providing wisdom or guidance which was meant to point to something more important, like living properly with God. It was about drawing the proper principles from the Torah, not laws. As J. Daniel Hays remarked, "In essence, the Pharisees criticized [h]im with the details of the Law, but Jesus answered them with principles drawn from narrative" (Applying the Old Testament Law Today, Bibliotheca Sacra, 158). Craig Keener adds:
"Jesus appeals instead to inspired narrative to show how god expected the legal statements to be qualified in practice, 'a precedent for allowing hunger to override the law' (Sanders 1990:20)... Jesus challenges not merely their interpretation of the Sabbath but their entire method of legal interpretation." (The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, pg. 355)
Second, Jesus reminds the Pharisees the need to remember mercy when applying the Torah. The torah was merely descriptive of what justice and holiness looked like, but justice was not always supposed to be applied. God reminds us that we ought to apply mercy whenever able, not assume that Torah demanded endless justice through unbreakable laws. Keener says:
"Not merely human life but human need in general takes precedent over regulations. Kindness towards others genuine need — for example, that of hungry disciples — precedes rules whose purpose was to please the God who values such kindness more highly (12:7; 9:13; cf. 4:2)." (The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, pg. 357)
Israel was meant to read the wisdom of the Torah to understand what justice and holiness look like, but Jesus reminds us God desired Israel to apply mercy and understanding when able to, and not assume the Torah demanded endless punishments to be doled out. Again, the Torah expressed the moral importance of something so Israel would understand how important it was to God within their covenant with Him.

The Suzerain Treaty

The key to understanding the Torah is to understand it was about being in covenant with God. What we read are covenant stipulations, not the establishment of a moral code for all people in all times and all places. It contains things we can say are moral, but they are only there to aid Israel in holding to the covenant between them and God.
Unlike other ancient Near Eastern legal collections, the Torah is part of what we would call a "Suzerain Treaty." Delbert Hillers notes that in the Pentateuch, it teaches that Israel had become the vassal of God (Covenant: The History of a Biblical Idea, pg. 46-71). A Suzerain Treaty is where a king would take on another nation as a vassal. The Suzerain or Lord would establish what the vassal would now need to do to please their new overlord in the form of stipulations; which would then be followed by the sections where the stipulations were met, what blessings they would receive, and what repercussions would ensue if they did not keep the stipulations.
However, like with wisdom literature, treaty stipulations do not legislate. They provide instructions in the wisdom on how to be a loyal vassal. Suzerains took on vassals to glorify themselves and to make their name great. Vassals were seen as extensions of him, and what they did reflected the character of the Suzerain. When the Suzerain imposed his stipulations, he was not asserting law. He was extending his identity and realm through the vassal, and so the stipulations were instructions in how to reflect his character. The stipulations were not extensive and exhaustive in order to cover all aspects of life. They were designed to get the new subjects to understand how to be loyal vassals in all ways by giving certain examples. But a vassal's loyalty was meant to extend beyond what was stated.
It is like if i'm going to teach you martial arts, I would teach you how to properly kick, punch and block. But i'm not attempting to teach you specific motions or only things you can do if you're attacked, and i'm also not teaching you that you have to go out and start fighting. I would be trying to teach you how to think about fighting if a potential fight arose.I would want as your instructor for you to know how to act, whether to defend or call the authorities. I would not be prescribing fighting, but teaching you how to think about fighting.
Likewise, to be a loyal vassal extended beyond the stipulations. It was about teaching one how to think and how to understand what it meant to be loyal. The Torah was mostly trying to describe and teach skills, namely the skills on how to be a holy people, and how to properly represent the Lord before the nations of the ancient Near East. God expected them to do certain things, but also have the knowledge on how to properly apply these skills. And by becoming a vassal, Israel became an extension of God and they were meant to enhance and make the name of the Lord great to the surrounding nations. And the Torah was the instructions on how to exemplify the character of the Lord to those surrounding nations of that time period. It's not a moral code for all times and all people. It was not given as an ideal system. It is a culturally situated system. It was meant to bring enhancement to the reputation of the Lord among the nations of the ancient Near East.
In other words, the Torah was meant to teach Israel how to enhance the character of the Lord within the cultural world of their day, not our modern culture; what could they do so the other nations would see how great the Lord was. The Torah doesn't address issues like if slavery is wrong because it's not attempting to create the perfect moral code, and it was not written to our modern sensibilities. Issues like this were not being addressed in the world yet.
Remember, to the world outside of Israel in that time period, order, not ethical laws, were what the ancient culture is focused on. So the Torah is how to be a light to those nations of that time period, about what would get their attention so God could eventually bring them back into the kingdom. In other words, it is working within the culture to enhance the name of the Lord. It is not trying to set up an ideal system for all people at all times in all places.
So essentially that means Torah is how Israel is to order itself so they can live in God's presence in the land of Canaan. It provides hypothetical cases which describe, not prescribe, what an orderly and holy way of living would look like for Israel as God's vassal (Lev. 20:26).
"If the Torah gives illustrations of ways that order can be maintained in the society of ancient Israel—covenant order defined by preserving the sanctity of sacred space as God's—it is all culturally relative."(The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context, John H. Walton, pg. 100)

The Imperfect Mosaic Law

If you read through the Torah, you will find some verses that appear pretty awful. Israelites are allowed to keep slaves and women are not on an equal level with men. Skeptics often bring up these verses to show there are horrible things permitted in the Bible, so the word of God contains some pretty immoral ideas. Most believers will retort that these passages can simply be explained by looking at the cultural context or what the original Hebrew meant, but then skeptics often reply that it is the believer who is misunderstanding what the passages are saying. So as a believer myself I propose a compromise: let's just say the skeptics are right. The Torah does contain numerous passages that contain immoral ideas, but also God admits the Torah was never meant to be the ideal.
As now revealed, the Torah was not a prescriptive law code or legislation. It was more akin to didactic wisdom literature and was set up as a Suzerain Treaty. But why would God still allow the Torah to contain verses that appear to be okay with slavery, or treating women as second-class citizens? Well we need to remember the Bible implies in many places that the Torah was not a perfect moral code from God. It contained concessions for stiff necked Israel, and the Bible even admits this.
First, in Matthew 19, the Pharisees come and attempt to trick Jesus by asking him a question about the law of divorce. They ask why moses allowed them to give a certificate of divorce and send their wives away (vs 7). But Jesus replies:

"Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." (vs. 8b)

This is a very important point made by Jesus. The law of divorce only existed because the hearts of the ancient Israelites were hard. God only allowed this for the time being because Israel was not at a point yet where they could be given more ethical marriage guidelines. Considering scholars note the Torah was to be understood holistically and not as individual sections, this implies some of what is in the Torah was included due to a compromise between God and Israel, and this can be seen in other places as well.
In 1st Samuel 8, the people approach Samuel and demand that Israel be allowed to have a king instead of being led by God directly. God warns that this is a bad idea but allows it anyway, and gives Israel a king besides God Himself. Again, remember that the Torah functions as stipulations of a Suzerain Treaty where God was seen as their king and ruler. By allowing an earthly king to mediate between Him and Israel, God allowed the covenant to be modified between Israel and Himself, but based on input from Israel. So although God was in charge, the stipulations of the covenant were not entirely from God. If He approved, He allowed the people of Israel to modify the covenant, even if God preferred another way (vs. 9).
Likewise, in Numbers 27 we see members of Israel offering changes to the Torah and getting them approved. The daughters of Zelophehad point out their father had no male heir and do not want the inheritance taken away from them and given to one of his brothers. They bring this issue to Moses and God allows this teaching to go into the Torah. So not everything we see in the Torah was directly given by God. He allowed Israel to include teachings they saw fit, with His permission. Additionally, God implicitly admits the failure of the existing law among the Israelites. It was not providing justice for these daughters, so God suggests the need for the rules and the wisdom of the Torah to be updated when justice was not being obtained for the people of Israel (vs. 7). This is the most explicit passage when it comes to an example of updating the Torah but we can see it in other places.
For example, Richard Averbeck draws attention to Deuteronomy 15:12-18 which updates and revises stipulations found in Exodus 21:2-11 concerning the treatment of slaves. He says:
"It simply adds a feature to the law that is in keeping with the theology of Deuteronomy. Yes, there is revision here, but not subversion." (Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch, pg. 40)
So the evidence suggests the stipulations of the Torah could be revised and expanded upon when justice was not being achieved. So from these passages, we get the implication the Torah was not a perfect moral law given by God. It was put together as a compromise with a stubborn people. It could be modified in ways that God did not initially want, or could be modified for just reasons. And some of the passages come from requests by israelites.
Now, because Israel was a high-context society, it is not always stated if God approved of each passage or if He was allowing something to be included to compromise with Israel; but the passages I highlighted imply the Torah as a whole contained concessions for Israel, included things God didn't want, and was put together with input from Israel, which essentially means the Biblical texts admit the Torah was never meant to establish God's ideal moral system. The Torah was a temporary guardian meant to provide wisdom from God on how to properly live and represent God to the cultural world of the ancient Near East. It was supposed to teach Israel to trust and depend on the Lord, what it would look like to be a holy people within their cultural background, and some things that would be pleasing to a holy God. It was not laying down a universal moral code. Humanity was not ready for such a revelation yet, so God established the Torah to be our guardian for the time and to point to a need for something greater to come.
Notice, we're not saying that because the Torah was not a perfect moral code that it was necessarily bad. We are simply noting that Torah was not meant to be universal moral legislation, and it was cultural wisdom for that time and place. In other words, it was 'perfect' for where the people were spiritually in that time and place within that culture (Psa. 119:7), but not meant to be moral wisdom or rules for all people or all cultures.

"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."-Galatians 3:23-25

Now the question might arise as to why God couldn't just make Israel better by giving them an ideal moral code right away. Well, probably for the same reason we wouldn't expect a sociopath to be able to run an orphanage unless we somehow removed his free will. People and societies need time to progress towards a more virtuous way of thinking. If you expect too much at first from a morally depraved mind, you're actually more likely to hinder them instead of helping them progress to a better place. The implication in the Bible is the cultures of the ancient Near East had become so corrupt that comprehending an ideal moral code would have been practically impossible. Israel was selected to be a light to these nations to hopefully help in bringing them a step closer to God. Israel herself also is not ready to fully represent the ideal life God desired, however God could offer a culturally situated system to be the first stepping stone in bringing humanity back towards Him.
This would be analogous to a parent working with their young child. You may want your kid to eat all their vegetables and watch less tv, but as a parent you might understand kids just aren't mature enough for this yet. So we compromise, let them have something they like in exchange for their cooperation in eating something good for them. Attempting to force too many strict rules and high expectations will only result in utter misery and little to no results. In fact, often when parents are too strict and demanding, it can often make their kids worse off instead of helping them. Likewise, Israel and most of humanity was simply not ready for a perfect moral law from God. So God used the Torah as a stepping stone in revealing Himself to humanity without removing significant human freedom. So we don't need to defend the Torah as if God intended for it to be an ideal moral system.
Jesus was constantly trying to explain how the Pharisees had misunderstood the purpose of the Torah. It was not meant to be prescriptive law or the rules for God's ideal system. It was meant to demonstrate how sinful humanity was, and to point to the need for something greater to come. As Jesus said in John 5:39:

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out righteousness goes beyond just keeping certain laws but having your heart in the right place (Matt. 5). Jesus demonstrates how just following the prescriptions of the Torah fall from the righteousness that God actually demands. So for Christians, the Torah was meant to be fulfilled in something greater, not be an ideal moral system.
So the Torah was not prescriptive law for Christians. Paul and Jesus point out what Christians were commanded to do is to believe in Jesus (John 14:1 ), love God (Luke 10:27), and love others (John 15:12). The New Testament teaches that Torah served the purpose of preparing humanity for the new covenant established by Christ. It does not teach the Torah was God's ideal moral system but merely a stepping stone pointing to something better to come, demonstrating the moral depravity humanity had fallen into. Paul even says the purpose of the Torah was to increase sin (Rom. 5:20).
The point was to teach us that we needed to be saved from our sins through the grace of God. The Torah demonstrated humanity cannot be holy through our actions and ways of thinking, and in trying to properly live the life Torah laid out, we would fail and sin even more. God provided a covenant which was a compromise and Israel could not even properly live by it. Instead, the Torah demonstrated how sinful humanity was and how incapable we are living in a way that would have pleased God.
So the Torah served its purpose in showing that Israel could not live in accordance with it, in the need for a better covenant based on grace to take its place. The Torah was merely our guardian, laying the groundwork for something better, not an ideal system that got established. So we don't need to pretend everything in the Torah is necessarily morally good. The Biblical texts do not state this, and instead teach that it was culturally situated and would be fulfilled one day. So when confronted by verses in the Torah that seem unethical, there is no need to try to rationalize them to make them sound better. Instead, it should simply be pointed out what the Torah was and that God never intended for it to be an ideal moral code

Conclusion

So the Torah itself is culturally dependent and descriptive wisdom on how to live as God's vassal. We should not wonder why it doesn't address certain moral questions that we have today. That was never its intent, as its intent was to teach Israel how to properly represent the Lord before the ancient nations of the Near East who were not asking the same moral questions we are asking today. It was not intended to be prescriptive, but more akin to Proverbs in teaching them how to act and think of justice, and how they can maintain order in God's presence. And most importantly, it's not a law code or legislation. What we have here is a treatise on judicial wisdom for Israel's ancient cultural context. It taught them what it meant to be God's representative to the ancient Near East and what an orderly and holy people looked like.
So once we understand the main purpose of the Torah, we can better grasp how it fits in the overall Biblical narrative. It was never an ideal moral code or intended for all people of all times. It was culturally situated and must be read with that context in mind.

Salam Aleykom everyone.
I have recently seen many Sunni brothers having a hard time understanding tawassul and they think its a Shia thing only. so I thought I share some information concerning this with reference from hadiths from nobel figures in Alhul-sunnah like Umar ibn al-khatab, Imam Malek, Abu-Hanifa, etc here, insha-allah this comes handy for everyone when researching and debating:
This is a two part thing, the first one I use a question asked form a sunni brother and the answer from a sunni scholar, then after that I provided the different hadiths about tawassul and how the nobel figures of ahulyl-sunnah did tawasul/narrated about it from sahih hadiths, I added the link to the actual page for each of these parts:
Part 1:
What is the Aqeedah of Ahle Sunnah Wal Jummah regarding Tawasul. It is our belief that prophet (S.A.W.) is alive in his grave, but should/can we take his name while asking Allah (S.W.T), Can he do any help or interced for us in this world?
Answer
Tawassul and Waseelah literally means to make a request or supplicate through a means. It is permissible for one to request Allah Ta’ala to accept his du’aa through the medium of some deeds or the rank of certain individuals as this may be closer to acceptance.
There are various forms of Tawassul and Waseela:

The only type of Tawassul that is disputed is number3, where one makes Tawassul through individuals that are alive or deceased by saying, ‘O Allah, I besech you to accept my Du’aa due to the status that Rasulullah [Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam] (or some other pious person) hold in Your eyes.’ The first opposition against this form of Tawassul was in the 7th century of Islam. (shifaa-u-siqaam)
There are numerous proofs that support the permissibility of Tawassul through individuals. The following are some substantiations:

Hereunder follows a list of some of the many illustrious Ulama of the past who had practised upon Tawassul through the rank of the pious, deceased or alive:

These are ten Different types of Ulama (i.e. some are Fuqahaa, some Muhadditheen and some are Qurraa). All have either practised on Tawassul or at least permitted it. And the list could go on….(refer to Maqaalatul Kawthari pg.378-397). After contemplating on all that was mentioned above, any person with sound intelligence would believe without a shadow of doubt in the permissibility of this form of Tawassul.
More so when one realizes that this remained the practise of the Ummah for centuries. Allamah Taqee-ud-Deen Al-Subki(RA) and other Muhadditheen have stated that Haafiz Ibn-Taimiyyah(RA) – who passed away in the year 728 Hijri – was the first to refute the permissibility of this form of Tawassul (Shifaa-us-Siqaam pg.293) In fact, Abu-Abdillah Al-Tilmisani Al-Maaliki(RA) (a renown scholar of the 7th century) has written a book concerning how this remained the practise of the entire Ummah since its existence. (Refer Maqaalatul Kawthari pg.397)
Lastly, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that the above permissibility is in regard to one who asks Allah Ta’ala for a particular need and in doing so, he uses some honourable personality as his Waseela (means) without thinking or believing that the person is being supplicated to or that he will fulfil his need. Yes, if one asks directly from the deceased and he believes that the Anbiyaa [alayhimus salaam] and the pious [rahimahumullah] independently possess the power to provide, then this would be Shirk (polytheism) because he is now ascribing partners to Allah in the quality of ‘Providing’.
Many contemporaries have mixed both these forms up; a) asking directly from the deceased and, b) asking Allah Alone, through the medium of some deceased) and have passed one ruling of Shirk for both forms. This is clearly a gross oversight on their path.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Ml. Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abasoomar FACULTY OF SPECIALTY IN HADITH SCIENCES
CHECKED & APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Fatwa Dept.)
link ref: https://islamqa.org/hanafi/askimam/16516/1-what-is-the-aqeedah-of-ahle-sunnah-wal-jummah-regarding-tawasul/
PART 2:
And here is the second round of hadiths (sahih) and sunnah concerning this from alshafi, abu hanifa, imam malik, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal concerning their tawassul and how they did ziarah to prophets saww grave e.g. and more etc :
Uthman ibn Hunaif, one of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), reported: A blind man came to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) and said:
"O beloved Prophet, pray to Allah to heal me." He said: "If you want, I will pray for you, but if you are patient, it is better for you. (for this is Allah's test for you)" He said: "Ya Rasulallah I am blind; I cannot wear it please pray for me." The Prophet ordered him to perform a good ablution, this is to clean himself thoroughly and then ask Allah in his prayer with the following words: "Ya Allah, I ask you and I turn me with your Prophet Muhammad as mediator [Wasila], the Prophet of Mercy. Ya Muhammad! I have turned to my Lord through you so that he can fulfill what I need. O Allah, make him my intercessor." And when he said these prayers, immediately his eyes were healed."
[Ibn Majah, Ikamat:189, No. 1385, 1/441, Tirmidhi, Daawat:119, No. 3578, 5/569, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad: 17240-41, 6/106, Tabarani, Mujamul Kabir, No. 8311, 9/30, al-Hakim, Mustadrak:1180, 1/458, No.1909, 1 /700; Nasā'ī, 'Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah No. 658-9, p. 417; Ibn Khuzaymah, as-Sahīh, No.1219, 2/225-6; Bayhaqī, Dalā'il-un-nubuwwah, 6/166; Subkī, Shifā'-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām, p. 123; Nawawī, al-Adhkār p. 83; Ibn-ul-Athīr, Asad-ul-ghābah, 3/571; Yūsuf Mizzī, Tuhfat-ul-ashrāf bi-ma'rifat-il-atrāf, No. 9760, 7/236; Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah, 4/558; Ibn Hajar Haythamī, al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam, p. 61; Shawkānī in Tuhfat-udh-dhākirīn, pp. 194-5; Suyūtī, al-Khasā'is-ul-kubrā, 2/201; Qastalānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah 4/594; Zurqānī, Explanation, 12/221-2; Buhari, at-Tārīkh-ul-kabīr, 6/209-10; Ibn-us-Sunnī, 'Amal-ul-yawm wal-laylah, p. 202, no. 622; Mundhirī, at-Targhīb wat-tarhīb, 1/473-4]
“And We have not sent a Messenger unless he was obeyed by Allah's permission. And if they had come to you after they had committed an offense against themselves, and if they had prayed to Allah for forgiveness, and if the Messenger had asked for forgiveness on their behalf, they would have found Allah Most Forgiving and Merciful." (Sura 4:64 )
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا
. Wa law annahum idh dhalamû anfusahum jâûka fastagfarûllâha wastagfara lahumur rasûlu la wajadûllâha tawwâben rahîmâ(rahîman).
Ibn Kathir says the following about this ayat in his Tafseer:
{يُرْشِدُ تَعَالَى الْعُصَاةَ وَالْمُذْنِبِينَ إِذَا وَقَعَ مِنْهُمُ الْخَطَأُ وَالْعِصْيَانُ أَنْ يَأْتُوا إِلَى الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَيَسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ، وَيَسْأَلُوهُ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ إِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَرَحِمَهُمْ وَغَفَرَ لَهُمْ، وَلِهَذَا قَالَ: {لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا
"Allah admonishes (in this verse) the sinners and wrongdoers on the right path , that if they commit sins and mistakes , then he should go to the Messenger of Allah and seek forgiveness from Allah, and his Messenger will grant forgiveness to him ask. If they do this, Allahu Ta'ala will accept their repentance and have mercy on them and forgive them. That's why he says: "If they had found Allah Most Forgiving and Merciful"
[Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīrul Qur`ān al 'Aẓīm, Volume 1, page 347]
وقد ذكر جماعة منهم الشيخ أبو منصور الصباغ في كتابه الشامل الحكاية المشهورة عن العتبي قال : كنت جالسا عند قبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فجاء أعرابي فقال : السلام عليك يا رسول الله سمعت الله يقول “ ولو أنهم إذ ظلموا أنفسهم جاءوك فاستغفروا الله واستغفر لهم الرسول لوجدوا الله توابا رحيما “ وقد جئتك مستغفرا لذنبي مستشفعا بك إلى ربي ثم أنشأ يقول : يا خير من دفنت بالقاع أعظمه فطاب من طيبهن القاع والأكم نفسي الفداء لقبر أنت ساكنه فيه العفاف وفيه الجود والكرم ثم انصرف الأعرابي فغلبتني عيني فرأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في النوم فقال : يا عتبي الحق الأعرابي فبشره أن الله قد غفر له
A group of ulama have named this famous story. One of them is Abū Mansūr as-Sabbagh, who writes about 'Utbi in his book " ash-Shamil al-Hikayat al-Mashhurah " .
Utbi (Rahimahullah) narrates the following: Once when I was next to the grave of
Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) a Bedouin came in and said: "As Salāmu 'alaika ya Rasūlullāh ". I heard that Allahu Ta'ala says: And if they came to you and asked Allah for forgiveness after they had turned against themselves (4:64) I have come to you to ask for forgiveness for my sins and to accept you as an intermediary before myLord , I have come to you with this intention." Then he recited the following lines of poetry, "O you most honored among the buried, who improved the value of the plains and hills, may I sacrifice my life for this grave which has been illuminated by you! of the one who is an embodiment of mercy and forgiveness." Then the Bedouin went away and I fell asleep in the dream I saw the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) saying: "O Utbi! Go to the Bedouin and give him good news that Allah has forgiven him of his sins.”
[ Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīrul Qur`ān al 'Aẓīm, Volume 4, page 140, under verse 4:64 regarding the ayat; Imam Nawawi, Adhkar, pp. 253-254; Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, al Jawhar al-munazzam; Imam Qurtubi, Ahkamul al-Quran regarding Ayat; Samhudi, Khulasat al-Wafa p. 121; Imam Nawawi, Khulasat al-Kalam 2:247; Ibn Kathir al-Bidāyah wan-nihāyah 1:180; Abu Muhammad ibn Qudama, al-Mughni 3:556; Abu al-Fajar ibn Qudama, al-Sharh al Kabir 3:495; Al-Bahūtī al Hanbali, Kashshaf al-qina 5:30; Taqiuddin Subki, Shifa al-siqam p. 52; Ibn al-Jawzi, Muthir al-gharam al-sakin ila ashraf al amakin; Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-iman No. 4169]
I heard Al-Shafi'i say:
“I swear that I will seek the blessings of Abu Hanifa (inni la'atabarraku bi-Abi Hanifa) and go to his grave every day (as a visitor). Whenever I need a certain help, I pray 2 rak'ah, go to his grave and ask Allah, the Most High, about my request at his grave and only a little time passes until my request is fulfilled."

[Al-Khatib, Tarikh Baghdad, 1/123; Ibn Abi al-Wafa', Tabaqat al-Hanafiyya, p. 519; Imam al-Haytami, Al-Khayrat al-Hisan, Chapter 34; Al-Kawthari, Maqalat p. 453]
Imam Malik accompanied the Khalif Mansur on the pilgrimage. When they visited the Prophet's grave together, the Khalif asked:
"O father of 'Abdullah, should I face the Qibla and make supplication or should I turn towards the Prophet?" Imam Malik said: "Do not turn your face away from the Prophet, for he is your Wasila and your intercessor Father Adam 'alayhissalam to Allah. But turn to the Prophet and seek intercession from him and Allah will grant him intercession.", and then recited the following ayat: "And if they had come to you after they had committed an offense against themselves , and if they had prayed to Allah for forgiveness, and if the Messenger had asked for forgiveness on their behalf, they would certainly have found Allah Most Forgiving, Merciful."

[Qādī 'Iyād, ash-Shifā, 2/596 with a Sahih chain of narration. Subkī, Shifā'-us-siqām fī ziyārat khayr-il-anām; Samhūdī, Khulāsat-ul-wafā; Qastallānī, al-Mawāhib-ul-laduniyyah 8/313; Ibn Jamā'ah, Hidāyat-us-sālik; Ibn Hajar al-Haythamī, al-Jawhar-ul-munazzam]
The Hanafi Imam, whom some have called a mujtahid, Imam Ibn Hummam, mentioned by Imam Abu Hanifa in his Fath al-Qadir (Sharh al-Hidaya) that he said :
أن زيارة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قريبة من الوجوب ولما زار الإمام أبو حنيفة المدينة المنورة وقف أمام قبره الشريف وقال يا أكرم الثقلين يا كنز الورى *** جد لي بجودك وأرضني برضاك أنا طامع في الجود منك ولم يكن *** لأبي حنيفة في الأنام سواك
When Imam Abu Hanifa visited Madina, he stood before the honored grave [of the Prophet] and said: O most honorable of the two weighty ones! [Humans and Jinn] O treasure of humanity! Pour your generosity on me and satisfy me with your satisfaction! I long for your generosity and there is no one in the world for Abu Hanifa but you!"
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal: (المرداوي في الإنصاف ( 2:456 “… يجوز التوسل بالرجل الصالح على الصحيح من المذهب، وقيل: يُستحب. قال الإمام أحمد للمروذي : يتوسل بالنبي صلى اله عليه وسلم في دعائه وجزم به في المستوعب وغيره..” Imam al-Mardawi says :
“The correct view of the Hanbali Madhab is that it is permissible in the Du'a to take a pious one (saalih) as an intermediary [wasila], and it has been said that this is desirable [mustahab]. Imam Ahmad said to Abu Bakr al-Marwazi: "Let him use the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam as an intermediary [wasila] in his du'as to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala."
[Al-Insaf 2:456) Also quoted by Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmu' Al-Fatawa 1:140]
The Imam Qurtubi (on whom the misguided groups rely) and the Imam Nasa'i narrate the following story in their tafsirs: It is narrated by Abu Sadiq (Radiyallahu Anh) that the Imam Ali (Karamallahu Wajahu) “Three days after we buried Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam), an Arab came to us and threw himself on the grave of Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) and threw the dust on his hair and said: “Ya Rasulallah! You have spoken and we have heard, you have memorized from Allah and we from you. Between what Allah has revealed to you there is the following ayat: “And if they came to you and asked Allah for forgiveness, after they have sinned against themselves, and if the Messenger asked for forgiveness on their behalf, then they would find Allah Forgiving and Merciful. "It is I who have sinned against themselves, and I have come that you may ask for forgiveness." Thereupon came an exclamation from the grave: "Without a doubt, you have been forgiven"
[Qurtubi Tafsir, 5/172; Nasa'i, 2/108]
Umar ibn al-Khattab, according to his tradition, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said the following:
“When Adam (Alayhissalam) committed his mistake and said “Ya Rabb! I want you to forgive me for the respect you hold of Muhammad! Allah asked him: “O Adam! How do you know him, even though I haven't created him yet? Then Adam Alayhissalam said, “Ya Rabb! When you created me with your power and breathed your Ruh (soul) into me, I raised my head and saw written on the supports of the Arsh "la ilahe illa'llah, muhammadur rasûlullah" and I knew that you only the name the one you love the most sits next to you. Then Allah said: “O Adam! No doubt you have spoken the truth, he is truly the one I love most among my servants. Pray to me with his respect, without a doubt I have forgiven you. If it weren't for Muhammad, I wouldn't have created you either.
[Imam Ahmad, Musnad Hâkim, al-Mustadrak, No. 4228, 2/672; Bayhaqî, Dalâilü'n-nubuwwa: 5/489; Imam Suyûtî, ad-Durru'l-mansûr: 1/142; İbn Asâkir, T arikh Madinat Dimashq : 7/437; Tabarânî al-Mu'jamu's-saghir, No. 994, p. 412]
Abdullah ibn Masud (Radiyallahu Anh) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:
"If anyone's animal flees from you in the desert, let him say: 'O servants of Allah! Capture him! O servants of Allah, stop him!' For on earth there are servants of Allah who stand ready and will catch him."
[Abu Ya'la, Musnad, No. 5269, 9/177, Ibn Hajar, Al-Matâlibu'l Aliya, No. 3375, 3/ 239, Tabarani, al-Mujamul Kâbir, No. 10518, 10/217, Daylami, Musnadi Firdauws, No. 1311, 1/330; Haytami, Majma'-uz-zawa'id 10/132]
Sheikhul Islam Imam an-Nawawi (Rahimahullah) said: "Some of our great ones, who have great share of knowledge, have narrated to us that when one of them the animal got away , they acted according to this hadith and demanded help from the servants of Allah, and at that moment they found their animals. Once in a community where I was also, the animal started running away when the people could not stop him This Isti'ana (request for help) was exclaimed while no other visible reason could be seen from me other than these words, the animal stopped at that moment."
[Ibn Allan, Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya, 5/150-151]
One day one of the Shafi Ijtihad scholars Allam Shihab al-Ramli (Rahimahullah) was asked:
"According to Islam, is it right that some people, when they get into trouble, demand help from the Prophets, Awliyah, Salihs and scholars with words like: 'Ya Rasulallah!, Ya following Sheikh'? Do these people even have such help after their death a way to help?" He replied: "The Rasuls, the Nabis and Walis, still have the opportunity to help after their demise. Because the miracles of the Prophets and the Karamat of the Walis do not stop after their death. Anyway, many solid hadiths tell us that the Prophets live in their graves, perform their prayers, go to Hajj and their help is also counted among their miracles. This is also how the Shahids live, it has often been seen with the naked eye in broad daylight that they openly fought against the Kuffars . The help of the Walis is with their Karamats."
[Fatawa Ramli, fi Hamishil al-Fatawa al-Kubra, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, 4/382, al-Fatawa'' Hayriyya, fi Hamishil Ukudid Durriyye fi Tanhikil Hamidiyye, 2/279280. Tahanawi, Ahkamul Kuran, 3/67, Nabhani, Shawahidul Hakk, p. 141]
The great Muhaddith, Abdulhaq al-Dâhlawi mentions the legitimacy of mediation through the graves: 1- The person who makes dua asks Allah swt. alone for help with his problems. The one who has sunk into problems uses the grave as a means of communication with Allah swt. because of its high rank and importance. One says: "O Allah! For the pleasure of this person or the respect of this person on whom you have showered your mercy, ease my distress for you are the only one who is all-forgiving and all-giving.
2- The person who is from one If a person is hit by a visitation, he can also call a Wali (holy man) directly and ask him for help so that he can make dua to Allah and ease his problems. In both forms of Tawassul (mediation), one does not place hope in the pious, but in Allah , since He is the center of hope and the one who will solve the problems, help in times of need and has the authority to change, the Creator of everything."
[Asat al-Lumat sharh Mishqat 3:401, Fatawa Aziziyah 2:108]
Abdurrahman ibn Sad (Radiyallahu Anh) narrates the following:
"One day Abdullah Ibn Umar's foot fell asleep and they said to him: "Name the name of the one you love most." He then said: "Ya Muhammad" and his foot was healed.

[Sahih Buhari, Adab'ul mufrad: 437, No. 964; Imam Nawawi, Kitab al-Adhkar, No. 387; Ibn as-Sunni, Amal al-Yawm wal-Laylah, 1/319 (167), 1/321 (169); Shawkani] [Ibn Taymiyya, Al-Kalim al-Tayyib "The Beautiful Words" in Khadirat Rijluhu]
“Tasawwuf includes realities and states of experience that they speak about in their teaching. Some of these are that the Sufi is the one who purifies himself from everything that distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who is so filled with the knowledge of the heart and the knowledge of the mind that the value of gold and stones is the same to him appears. And Tasawwuf preserves the precious meanings and leaves the call to fame and self-importance to reach the stage of truthfulness, because the best people after the Prophets are those whom Allah also mentions in the verse:
فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاء وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقًا
“(He who obeys Allah and the Messenger) shall be among those to whom Allah has bestowed His bounty, namely the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous; and these are the best companions." (Surah 4:69) "
...some people criticized Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said that they are innovators outside the Sunnah, but the truth is that they are striving in obedience to Allah [mujtahidin fi ta 'at-illahi], just as others of Allah's people exerted themselves in Allah's obedience. Therefore, because of their efforts, you will find them among the foremost of those who strive for closeness [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the people of the right hand [Ahl al-Yameen are mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress…. And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after this origin, it was spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main lines and its branches.
[Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya al-Kubra: Volume 11, Book of Tasawwuf, page 497]
“The miracles of the saints are absolutely true and correct through the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has indicated this in various places, and the Hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has mentioned it, and whoever denies the supernatural powers of the saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al -Fatawa, page 603]

Ibn Taymiyya says, “What is considered a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint hears something that others do not hear, and they see something that others do not see, not during a sleeping state but in a waking state of seeing. And he can know what others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration."
[Majmu'a Fatawi Ibn Taymiyya: Volume 11, page 314]
Allah says in the Quran (Surat 5:35) : Yâ ayyuhâlladhîna âmanûttaqûllâha wabtagû ilayhil wasîlata wa jâhidû fî sabîlihi la'allakum tuflihûn(tuflihûna).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَابْتَغُواْ إِلَيهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَجَاهِدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a mediator [Wasila] who will bring you closer to Allah. And do jihad in the way of Allah, that you may succeed.
Yakup (alayhi salam's) sons and their Tawassul (Surah 12:97-98) : They said: «O our Father, ask for forgiveness for our sins; for we have indeed been guilty." He said: "I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord. Verily He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."
Imam Suyuti said about this about Tawassul:
Find a mediator [wasila] that will bring you closer to Allah.
[ad-Dûrr'ul-Mansûr, volume.2, p. 280]
According to Hanafites and Malikites, it is more Khayr to visit a grave on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. For the Shafiites from Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning. And among Hanbalites there are no specific times for visiting. Even if there is more Khayr on Friday, it is not wrong (bad) to visit the other days too.
[Abdurrahman al-Jaziri, al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-Arba'ah, Volume 1, p.540]

Is the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ to be sought Shirk!?
Imām Shams ud-Dīn Abū Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Uthmān adh-Dhahabī ad-Dimashqī ad-Diyārbakrī at-Turkmānī [rahimahullāh (died February 3, 1348, Damascus, Syria)] narrates about Bahā ud-Dīn al-Madiqs ī the following from Imam ibn Shātīl:

وابن شاتيل ، وكان لَهُ ابنٌ شيخٌ إذا جَلَسنا تبيَّنَ كأنَّه الأبُ ، وعَمِيَ على كِبَرٍ ، وبقيَ سبعين يومًا أعمى ، ثمّ برئَ وعادَ بصرُهُ يعني الابن فسألنا الشيخَ عن السبب فذكر لنا أنَّه ذهب به إلى قبر الإِمام أحمد وأنّه دَعا وابتهلَ ، وقلتُ : يا إمام أحمد أسألُكَ إلّا شفعت فيه إلى ربِّك ، يا ربِّ شَفِّعه في وَلَدي ، وولدي يُؤمِّن ، ثمّ مضينا فلمّا كَانَ اللّيلُ استيقظ ، وَقَد أبْصَر

“And ibn Shātīl, and he had an old son, when we sat with him it looked as if he was the father. He became blind with age and remained blind for 70 days, after which he was healed again, thus the son. I asked the Shaykh the reason and he told us that he had taken him to the grave of Imam Ahmad and made supplications [to Allah] there. He [the Shaykh] said: “O Imām Ahmad, I beseech you, intercede with your Lord [so that he may be healed]. O my Lord, please let him intercede for my son, and my son said Amin. We then left and when night came he woke up and had his sight back.”

[Dhahabī, Tārīkh al-Islām, No. 7975]

If this act is supposed to be idolatry, then the question arises: why did Imām Dhahabī narrate something like that without pointing out the shirk? Then there are still the ultra-philosophers who then come and say: “How do you know whether Imām Dhahabī did not still see the perpetrator as a mushrik? Just because he reports it doesn’t mean that the perpetrator wasn’t still an idol worshiper.”

If it were so, then Imām Dhahabī would be the apologizer of an idol worshiper and therefore also an idol worshiper because he excuses the idol worshiper.
Then they reply again: “Yes, but it is not clear from this that Imām Dhahabī sees the perpetrator as a Muslim.”

But praise be to Allah, the Lord of ink, who made ink subservient to man, so that guidance comes through ink.
The same Imām Dhahabī [rahimahullāh] writes in his famous “Siyar a'lām an-Nubalā” in the biography of the “perpetrator” Imām Shātīl [rahimahullāh]:

.الشَّيْخُ الْجَلِيلُ ، الْمُسْنِدُ ، الْمُعَمَّرُ أَبُو الْفَتْحِ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ نَجَا بْنِ شَاتِيلَ ، الْبَغْدَادِيُّ ، الدَّبَّاسُ

“The noble Shaykh [!!!], al-Musnid, al-Mu'ammar, Abū al-Fath Ubaydullāh ibn Abdillah ibn Muhammad ibn Najā ibn Shātīl, al-Baghdādī, ad-Dabās…”

[Dhahabī, Siyār a'lām an-Nubalā]
reference link : https://www.ahlul-sunnah.de/tasawwuf-sufis/tawassul/
Thats it, hope it comes handy for everyone especially our sunni brothers that are researching or having questions about shia.
May allah swt guide us All to the right path.

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.

15-minute read.

Armenian defense ministry's mobile medical battalion took part in exercises by the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine

The exercises, participated by 32 countries and civilian organizations, will last until May 10. The participants will be evaluated under NATO standards.
source,

Armenian army leadership discussed cooperation with NATO

A delegation led by the newly appointed Deputy CoGS Arthur Yeroyan, who oversaw the recent reforms at Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy, visited the NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss topics under NATO's Defence Education Enhancement Programme for Armenia (DEEP).
The parties discussed the results of assistance provided to the military education institutions and training centers of Armenia under DEEP, and outlined the new domains of cooperation.
Yeroyan met the Director of the Cooperative Security Division of the NATO International Military Staff to discuss the current AM-NATO programs and the chances of their expansion.
source, source,

Azerbaijan and Turkey comment on the AM-AZ peace process

ILHAM ALIYEV: Azerbaijan and Armenia are conducting delimitation and demarcation of borders. We have reached this agreement without mediators. This once again proves that we don't need mediators that are driven by their own political and economic interests in our region. We won't allow them to pour fuel on fire, we won't allow a new conflict in the South Caucasus. After 30 years of conflict, Azerbaijan and Armenia clearly understand that they want peace in the South Caucasus, which can only be achieved with the normalization of AZ-AM relations.
ERDOGAN'S PARTY: We are closely monitoring the border delimitation process. The installation of a border marker is a symbolic thing but it's still extremely important. Turkey welcomes Armenia's messages about promoting peace and rejecting aggression against Azerbaijan.
source, source,

US foreign minister Blinken is personally deeply engaged in AM-AZ peace process: State Department

REPORTER: Blinken spoke with both leaders over the weekend. Any reason to why he called this – any, like, intel or any concern did he want to convey?
SPOKESMAN: It should come to no surprise to you that this is an area of the world that the Secretary himself is personally deeply engaged on. And over the course of his time as Secretary, he has had regular engagements at regular intervals with both of these countries. And our engagements with both of them are ongoing, and we continue to believe that a peace is possible here. And that’s something that we’re going to continue to work towards.
source, source,

interview with PM Pashinyan about the border delimitation in Tavush and the entire border, threat control, geopolitics

REPORTER: In response to the government's statement that the AM-AZ borders are being reproduced on the ground instead of being drawn anew, the parliamentary opposition claims Armenia does not possess the 1988 documents by the council of ministers of Soviet republics. Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan made inquiries to the border commission and cadastre committee and he said he was told there was no such document. Therefore, what document is being used for demarcation?
PASHINYAN: Prior to this MP's inquiry, the same party's leader had also made an inquiry to the cadastre committee and received a response that this document was classified, so he was invited to read the document in person. That happened in 2022 I believe. Later, when the delimitation talks began to activate, the cadastre committee transferred those documents - now with a higher classification level - to the defense ministry. So when this MP recently requested the documents from the cadastre committee, they told him they don't have it under their possession (anymore). Armenia has all those documents. Multiple departments are using them for the delimitation process.
Today, critics focus on the delimitation of specific areas of the border, but let me remind you that our goal was to reach a formula that could be used for demarcating the entire AM-AZ border [referring to the April 19 agreement]. You can have separate documents regarding each section of the border, so it was important to reach an agreement around the principles on how to choose and use them. From the multiple stacks of documents, we take the ones that have a de jure connection with one other so we can reproduce the entire border based on legitimate facts. This is why it's premature to pinpoint a specific tree in one area and say this is ours or theirs because each tree has a de jure connection with trees in other regions; we view each tree as part of a larger chain of trees located in other parts of the border. The end goal is to have one legitimate chain of trees so we can reproduce Armenia's legitimate borders.
REPORTER: The opposition complains that this is a partial delimitation, focused on one specific area only.
PASHINYAN: There is no button you can press to delimit the entire border at once. You have to start somewhere. Today we are forming the package that's a prerequisite for the reproduction of the entire border, and this package is based on 1991 Almaty. If you recall, the April 19 agreement states the parties agree to use 1991 Almaty as the basis for the demarcation. You have to start this demarcation somewhere. It starts from Tavush and it must continue and cover the entire border. The April 19 agreement describes the Tavush process as a preliminary process. This will allow us to work together, gain experience, formulate the "best practice" for the process, bring the best practice to parliament for approval, and then use that mandate to continue the demarcation on the entire border.
Armenia and Georgia have been demarcating their border for 20+ years. I've spoken with Georgian PMs and we all agree that this process must be expedited. In the case of Azerbaijan, it's even more important to expedite the demarcation to control possible threats. We are launching it in an area with the highest potential for destabilization. Azerbaijan was demanding the return of 4 villages. In reality, we are not "surrendering 4 villages", we are taking away 4 villages as a card in the hands of Azerbaijan to launch a war. You rightfully criticized me for not doing enough to prevent the 2020 war, so today I'm taking steps to avoid another major war.
In 2020 we could have avoided the war by surrendering 7 regions [adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh], abolishing the governing system in Nagorno-Karabakh, allowing ethnic Azeris to return to Nagorno-Karabakh, and agreeing for Nagorno-Karabakh to be jointly controlled by Armenians and Azeris. When I revealed those conditions after the war, I was criticized for not disclosing them before the war and for not taking the responsibility to make concessions. I responded to those in detail during the War Commission interviews. Today I'm informing you that the ongoing process is a cornerstone to defend Armenia's independence, sovereignty, future development, and the long-term survival of the Republic of Armenia. I informed you in 2021 and 2022 that the "following few years" will be decisive for the Republic of Armenia, and that if we manage to defend our sovereignty and independence now, we will be able to guarantee its long-term existence. That is what's happening in front of your eyes today.
REPORTER: Is there a guarantee Azerbaijan won't end the demarcation process in Tavush and refuse to move further?
PASHINYAN: I can guarantee you that Azerbaijan will not agree to demarcate the entire border if we do not demarcate the areas of 4 Soviet-era Azerbaijani villages. This demarcation provides an opportunity to move forward. We have agreed to use 1991 Almaty as the basis for the demarcation of the AM-AZ border after emphasizing its importance during negotiations in Western (Prague, Brussels) and Russian (Sochi) platforms. In Prague and Brussels, we declared that the 1991 Almaty should be the political basis of the demarcation process. Recently Blinken spoke with Aliyev during which the latter reaffirmed his commitment to 1991 Almaty. On April 19 the border commissions adopted a joint document stating that Almaty is the basis/principle for the demarcation, and as the basis, it will be reflected in the Regulation that's to be adopted by the border commissions. Tens of countries have welcomed the agreement to proceed with Almaty, giving it an international diplomatic context.
REPORTER: What comes after the demarcation of these small sections of Tavush?
PASHINYAN: (1) Deploy border guards in the newly delimited areas. (2) Border commissions adopt the Regulation by July 1. The ongoing preliminary delimitation process will serve as a guide and its experience will be used to form the Regulation. (3) The Regulation will be legally approved by the state. (4) The border commissions meet and agree on the sequence of delimitation and the areas to delimit next. (5) Proceed with new delimitation.
Azerbaijan has been using Armenia's control of these [Soviet-era Azeri] 4 villages on international platforms against us. It's one thing when it's a village and another thing when it's land adjacent to a village; that is a very important nuance. Obviously, we continue to raise the issue of vitally important lands belonging to 31 Armenian villages, plus Artsvashen, which will be part of the delimitation process. When you accept 1991 Almaty as the basis for delimitation, it applies to all territories belonging to Armenia.
REPORTER: The April 19 agreement says you could revoke the 1991 Almaty declaration.
PASHINYAN: That is not what it says. It says if in the future the [larger] AM-AZ peace agreement mentions a new principle, the border commissions' Regulation will be adapted to that. As you know, the April 19 agreement was reached between border commissions, and such commissions do not have the legal mandate to negotiate the peace agreement, which is legally above the border commissions. It basically says that the document (April 19) with a lower status must be brought in line with a document (peace agreement) with a higher status, and not the other way around. The (larger) peace agreement is being negotiated by Armenia, which has already agreed with Azerbaijan in Brussels and Prague and elsewhere to use 1991 Almaty as the basis.
Several border markers have already been installed in Tavush. We were able to identify where to place the markers on the map approximately. But when they use the geolocation devices on the ground to locate the coordinates, there is always some deviation. Maps show borders drawn in a thin line but depending on the map's scale, that thin line has a width on the ground. The line could be several tens of meters wide.
As for the areas that become demarcated, the armed forces [on both sides] will be replaced by border guards. There aren't going to be "army positions".
REPORTER: The critics of the delimitation process say that the school that's being built in Kirants will be too close to the border, it will be visible and unsafe.
PASHINYAN: It's already under the scope and vulnerable today. Some villagers claim Kirants's school isn't currently under scope, but the army says otherwise. The demarcation [and conversion of line of contact into a stable border] will reduce the likelihood of shots being fired at the school. That's the difference.
REPORTER: There is a psychological factor when you can visually see the opponent's soldier.
PASHINYAN: Work has not been done on the ground in this region yet so there are still many unanswered questions until the work begins. As I've said, we have the map but when you try to reproduce it on the ground it deviates a bit [meaning it's still unclear how close the border will be to school]. The experience near Voskepar and Berkaber shows that when you take the map and visit the terrain, it turns out your understanding of the terrain slightly deviates. No matter how accurate your map and the satellite images are, to this day not one instance has been an exact match. This opens up opportunities and risks. If your concern is with visually seeing Azeri soldiers, we can build a wall or trees. Did you feel safe hundreds of kilometers away in Yerevan during the 2020-2022 wars? A stable demarcated border is more important than the visible distance.
REPORTER: Some villagers were in the past given property ownership documents [for lands in Soviet-era Azerbaijan]. What will be their fate?
PASHINYAN: We discuss it every day and it needs a solution. As I've told the villagers, we don't know yet the exact line when you factor in the deviations on the ground after using the devices and the maps. We are talking about "meters", not "kilometers". So theoretically, if in the event issues arise with certain properties, the government will address those issues. The border on the map passes literally next to the village and each meter must be checked.
REPORTER: What activities are planned near Kirants in the coming days?
PASHINYAN: I believe we have 11 points that must be delimited near Kirants. The vast majority of that area isn't even disputed by the residents of Kirants. In the coming days, we will launch the delimitation from those non-problematic areas. As for the remaining 3 points, we will seek solutions, defend our residents' rights, or provide compensation when necessary. We aren't demarcating Kirants, we are demarcating the Republic of Armenia border, so in Kirants we must use a formula that doesn't question the legitimacy of Armenia's border in other parts of the AM-AZ border because this is part of a wider demarcation effort.
REPORTER: Is there a geopolitical context to this border delimitation process?
PASHINYAN: Yes.
REPORTER: Why isn't Russia happy about this process?
PASHINYAN: As I've said in Parliament, when it comes to defending ourselves, we must rely only on ourselves. This is the geopolitical context. In broad daylight, on multiple occasions, the countries and organizations [Russia and CSTO] with defense obligations failed to support Armenia. That is the reality. My administration has adopted a formula for Armenia to defend itself, and that formula is the adoption of a stance that's legitimate under international law. Our expectations and demands must have legitimacy.
To achieve security, Armenia must find a formula to be able to survive in the region without external sponsorship. Journalists never ask me to expand on what I mean by that. They'd rather ask headline-generating questions. That's what it means. I've been talking about the need to prevent Armenia from being a "fortpost" of a foreign state. But did you know that this fortpost-ization can happen not only from external but also internal forces? When I analyze our past, I see how often it's Armenians themselves who willingly positioned themselves as a fortpost, and that includes me. Throughout my whole prior career, I never asked myself how exactly we plan to live in this region if things continue to escalate with our neighbors. How do you plan to live in this region? Under the mentality of escalation and fortpost, you can only survive with a foreign sponsorship.
REPORTER: The church and the opposition say Armenia ends where Armenian soldier stands.
PASHINYAN: Does that mean Artsvashen isn't ours? This is unfair to our army and soldiers. That mentality places all the burden, political and economic burden, on the soldier. The army must be the last line of defense, not the first.
REPORTER: They say it's better to be a fortpost of a foreign state because Azerbaijan wants to destroy you and they'll only demand more. It's treason not to be a fortpost.
PASHINYAN: Let's continue to escalate things while bribing army officials to exempt soldiers from service whenever possible. Let's place all the burden on the poor remaining soldiers. We can't allow this level of disproportionate load on the army. The fortpost mentality places a disproportionate level of burden on the soldier. Now, you could argue that that's not a big deal because our soldier "will be aided by the sponsor state" when the time comes, [wink wink, hints at bad experience with Russia]. Our army should not spend most of its time on the frontline. They must have the opportunity to pull back to permanent bases and be given time to exercise and be professional, but the whole system was built against this logic.
Armenia must control the threats in the region and the desires to destroy us. The way you control it is by adopting a legitimate stance from the perspective of international law and international relations. The army must be the last line of defense.
REPORTER: If you're a fortpost, you have an external guarantor, while the legitimacy is not a guarantor.
PASHINYAN: It turned out the fortpost did not have a functional guarantor. Legitimacy is a MUCH more powerful guarantor than a bad external guarantor. I can guarantee you that the formula of using legitimacy to normalize relations with neighbors is more potent than a bad external guarantor. Legitimacy is even better than a "good" external guarantor because the former allows you to maintain your sovereignty and status as an independent subject, while the latter deprives you of your independence. We have gone through this.
The world is changing, and so are the decisions initially adopted by us [to be Russian fortpost]. We must adapt to global changes. Armenia must choose, but this isn't really a choice because our former choice [Russia] has proven to be unreliable. We made a bad choice that came to bite us. Now we must choose a more impeccable international law and order. This won't be overnight and won't be done by a single move, but this is the strategy we, and our people, have chosen. I made that choice as the representative of the people.
When you hear someone say "we can either be a fortpost or we'll be destroyed", it shows the range of that person's mentality which was influenced by those who wanted you to think that way. I want you to leave that formula behind.
REPORTER: The church is actively involved and is calling for the removal of your government.
PASHINYAN: ...
REPORTER: Your comment.
PASHINYAN: What should I even comment? The Bible says all power comes from God.
REPORTER: Do you not see a problem with the church making such a statement?
PASHINYAN: No. What problem should I see?
REPORTER: That it's a religious institution making political statements.
PASHINYAN: My skin has gotten thicker because I've seen many protests by members of the church.
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ex-Mayor of Yerevan Hayk Marutyan inaugurates the launch of his new political party Nor Uzh (New Force), vows to oust Pashinyan administration

The new party's goal is to be "inclusive and involve all segments of society in the development of the state" and to have free courts.
On foreign policy, Marutyan's party is in favor of a balance between West and Russia. They support Western values and strong ties with the EU but want to "maintain friendly relations with Russia". Marutyan did not reveal how he plans to balance it but said he has "experts" on his team.
In August Marutyan will organize street protests against the new public transport pricing system.
Marutyan refused to give an opinion regarding the ongoing border delimitation in Tavush but said the #1 priority right now should be the removal of the Pashinyan administration.
Marutyan believes Kocharyan and Serj should leave politics, but he doesn't see a problem with cooperating with other members of Kocharyan/Serj parties "as long as they want to help develop Armenia."
MARUTYAN: We have no road to pass with individuals with a record of enriching themselves and their friends.
REPORTER: In other words, you don't plan to cooperate with the former forces?
MARUTYAN: Let's separate leaders from parties. For example, when I became the mayor of Yerevan, everyone else [his subordinates] was an employee of the former regime. I urged them to leave corruption behind and move forward together. I proved with my experience that it's possible, that you must focus on removing the leaders only. Pashinyan's QP, on the other hand, was trying to fire "old regime" employees without a reason. That led to my first confrontation with QP. [Does this explain Pashinyan's complaints about "internal sabotage from the system"?]
REPORTER: Would you cooperate with [Serj's] HHK today?
MARUTYAN: HHK used to have thousands of party members. Today many of them have quit. Do you believe they [those who quit] think the same way as they did before? It is possible to bring them to a new field. Everyone needs to work so we can build the country together. I invite them to join us, even if not our party, to work together.
source, source, source,

update: Robert Kocharyan's MP son's bodyguard is arrested after reportedly punching a journalist in the face in the backyard of the parliament building

Context in Tuesday news digest.
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reforms have made it easier for businesses to import civilian items marked under "dual use": VIDEO

Auto shops have long had difficulty importing vehicle parts because some of them are marked as "dual use", meaning the parts could possibly be used for civilian or military purposes. Many ordinary components, such as car thermometers, were caught in the broad net. This field has been refined to minimize unintended impacts on civilian industries.
In the past, companies had to obtain permission from a specialist before importing these parts, and it had to be done for each import even if it was the same product imported from different sellers.
To obtain the specialist's opinion quickly, companies had to pay ֏60,000 ($155). Importers grew to hate the customs agency for this. To address the issue, the authorities created a database of dual-use items to avoid surprises, but that didn't solve the problem.
The customs agency then decided to make more radical changes and established a new department that uses software to monitor businesses' requests in real-time to check if the item falls under dual use, and whether there is a need for a specialist assessment. The obviously civilian items, like music players, are cleared instantly.
The new system went into effect in April. Around 75% of the submissions have been cleared instantly without a need for a time-consuming intervention by a specialist.
video,

the number of registered workers in Armenia (as of February of each year)

2018: 523K
2019: 569K
2020: 625K
2021: 622K
2022: 660K
2023: 699K
2024: 734K
Largest sectors by the number of employees:
Trade and auto repair: 126K
Education: 124K
Manufacturing 87K
Top private sectors with the highest wages:
IT: ֏1.1M ($2,800)
Finance & insurance: ֏854K ($2,200)

... the average monthly nominal salary in thousand drams (as of February)

2018: 167
2019: 177
2020: 192
2021: 198
2022: 227
2023: 284
2024: 307
source, source,

Armenians of Aleppo are studying Eastern Armenian: VIDEO in Western Armenian

The school libraries are full of books in Eastern Armenian, making it easier for students to understand and speak in both.
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Armenia and Iran discuss more direct flights to develop tourism and exchange of experience

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a new era begins

Yerevan Zoo officially marks the opening season on May 1. A bus will take you from the Yeritasardakan subway to the Zoo for free. Bring your kids to watch lions, snakes, traditional dances, and grown-ups wearing bootleg Mickey Mouse costumes. IT WILL BE FUN.
video, video,

22-minute read to cover the latest developments in Armenia beyond headlines.

Azeri public continues to discuss the possible return or exchange of Armenian exclave Artsvashen currently under Azerbaijani control

Context in Monday news digest. A ranking member of Azerbaijani parliament suggested returning Artsvashen to Armenia in exchange for the Azeri exclaves, or swapping them so each side can keep what it currently controls. An Azeri analyst called it dangerous to allow Armenians to return to Artsvashen because he believes it would make the entire territory of Azerbaijan "up to Ganja" vulnerable.
AZERI JOURNALIST (Fatima Movlamli): There are currently [Azeri] military positions near the entrance of the village [Artsvashen]. Although the local population is not strictly checked upon entry and exit, some control appears to be in place. The army checks "strangers". The village is also observed from far away. All the houses are empty; they are crumbling. There is no one around. The only people you see are nearby villagers who take their cattle to [Artsvashen's] pasture.
NEARBY AZERI VILLAGER: I visit the [Armenian] village to feed my cattle and my family. If they give it to Armenians, it will be my end. This is our source of bread, and these areas will no longer be safe for us. Many of us rely on these territories for a living. There is total unemployment and none of us have other jobs. We will have to emigrate if they give this village.
NATIN JAFARLI (ReAl party): There are two reasons why the village was not populated [by Azeris, after the capture in 1992]. The first is for legal reasons because Armenia could claim it's their land and demand compensation. There are also socio-economic components that have forced the population to migrate to Baku over the past 30 years. If there was a normal socio-economic policy, there would be no migration. It's not easy to create social infrastructure in Bashkend [Artsvashen] for natural reasons. If we decide to swap the enclaves, then referendums must be held in both countries. Can you imagine the Armenian police or army marching 30 kilometers deep into Azerbaijan? It doesn't sound realistic. The same about Azeris entering the exclaves inside Armenia. How will you guarantee the population's food, banking, communication, gas, etc.? It doesn't seem realistic.
ELKHAN SHAHINOGLU (Atlas research center): Even if Armenians return our 4 villages [presumably within Azeri exclaves], it will be difficult for Azeris to live in them because we will be forced to reach the villages through Armenia. The same is true if we transfer [Artsvashen] to Armenia. Therefore, I believe this issue can be resolved if the lands are exchanged.
AZERI RESIDENT: I used to work as a nurse in [Artsvashen]. I remember how I attempted to save the lives of the soldiers who captured it. I don't want it to be returned to Armenia because I'm concerned that the same events will repeat. Nothing good will happen if Armenians return here. This place connects Shinikhi to the entire Ganja region. Should we allow Armenians to stand between the two? I'm 65 so the future generations will have to live here but no one will dare to come if they hear about the presence of Armenians.
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Azerbaijan is still reluctant to include the Almaty Declaration in the final peace agreement despite the April 19 separate agreement to use it for border demarcation

FM MIRZOYAN: Recently we agreed that the demarcation should take place on the basis of the Almaty Declaration and the Regulations of the border commissions should also refer to the Almaty. This is one of the principles, and if we manage to include Almaty in the peace agreement, then we will get very close to a final resolution. Our neighbor is still reluctant to make a clear reference to the Almaty Declaration in the peace treaty, which is a more comprehensive document.
The second issue is with the unblocking of communication routes. Armenia is ready to become a part of the international transit route. The Crossroads of Peace will benefit Armenia and the entire region. Turkey and Azerbaijan would also benefit by connecting East and West. If this is implemented, it will be another interesting way to connect the Persian Gulf countries with the Black Sea economic region.
QUESTION: You froze your participation in CSTO. Do you plan to join NATO?
MIRZOYAN: We do not want to be part of a dysfunctional mechanism [CSTO]. But we are still a CSTO member so it's necessary to take steps to make it function; we are discussing the issues on the AM-RU agenda. Simultaneously we have launched a process to strengthen AM-West relations and to diversify Armenia's economy.
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interview with Azeri opposition activist-in-exile Arif Yunusov

REPORTER: Azerbaijan had long refused to use 1991 Almaty for delimitation but on April 19 they agreed to launch the process based on Almaty. Why did they change their position?
YUNUSOV: Because of the problems Aliyev developed with the West. When Blinken makes a phone call, that means extensive work was done prior to the call. The issue of sanctions raised earlier this year was also raised after months of work. The collective West is pressuring Azerbaijan. We have entered the decisive phase of the West-Russia confrontation. The physical fights are taking place in Ukraine, while diplomatic wars rage in the South Caucasus.
Russia attempted on several occasions to destabilize Armenia's internal stability by using Azerbaijan but their efforts have failed and there hasn't been any serious escalation on the AM-AZ border. Pashinyan was not exaggerating the possibility of a war in Tavush a few months ago; there was indeed a real threat. However, the likelihood is much lower now and Azerbaijan has given its approval to launch the delimitation process. The ongoing delimitation process is part of the effort to regulate AM-AZ relations and push Russia out of the region.
REPORTER: Blinken spoke on Sunday with Aliyev and Pashinyan. I'm under the impression that this AM-AZ delimitation, despite being called "bilateral", is actually being moderated by the US.
YUNUSOV: Absolutely agree. Aliyev has a lengthy history of rejecting many Western efforts and being close with Putin, so the fact that he didn't reject it this time indicates serious pressure from the West. By the way, Aliyev became president in February but Biden hasn't congratulated him yet. For Aliyev, it's very important to receive a congratulation personally from Biden.
The US is moderating this process step-by-step. This process began in 2022 when Pashinyan recognized Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan; that was part of the US plan to normalize AM-AZ relations. Under this plan, Azerbaijan announced the formation of a commission to "integrate" Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Obviously, it all changed later and the US officials began to raise the issue of Aliyev being too close to Russia and about a need to pull him away from Putin. It appears the US is gradually getting what it wants because the US's role in this demarcation process is huge.
REPORTER: Is this also why Azerbaijan asked Russia to withdraw its military base from Nagorno-Karabakh? Was it under the US pressure?
YUNUSOV: I'm not entirely sure about the full details behind their withdrawal. I don't even know if they are truly being withdrawn because there is a motive to calm the Azerbaijani public that's anti-Russian.
There is also the fact that Russia was unable to deploy those peacekeepers on the AM-AZ border and push out the EU border monitoring mission from Armenia. Russia attempted to achieve this in December 2023 during a meeting in St. Petersburg but Pashinyan rejected Putin's efforts. Moreover, Pashinyan said that Armenia is no longer interested in the fate of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh and that this topic must be resolved between Russia and Azerbaijan. This was followed by Pashinyan's order to remove Russian agents from Yerevan's airport by August 2024. So Russia's effort to pressure Armenia with the hands of Azerbaijan has totally failed.
It's a strange situation, the withdrawal of peacekeepers. We don't know how many were removed and how many remain. I do not have information that the US pressured Azerbaijan to remove the Russian peacekeepers. [audio cuts off] The US is only strong when there is Armenia, during meetings, and we tend to receive information whenever Armenia is part of a negotiation process, whereas Azerbaijan-Russia talks are more secretive.
It appears Russia is withdrawing the equipment first because they need it ahead of the May offensive in Ukraine, before possibly a wider withdrawal by September.
Regarding the demarcation of the AM-AZ border, Russia understands that if the parties reach an agreement, that could mean the end of Russian presence in the South Caucasus. The AM-AZ border is a geopolitical issue. Russia will publicly formally welcome the delimitation efforts but it's not in their interest.
REPORTER: Why is France silent about the April 19 delimitation agreement?
YUNUSOV: France has adopted the correct position. First of all, Western states coordinate their policies [including on delimitation], but in each region, each Western state takes up a different position. For example, on the Ukraine issue, France provides support to Ukraine but the main locomotive is the US. In the South Caucasus, it's the opposite: the US provides the moderation efforts while the main locomotive - in this case, support for Armenia - is France. There is a crisis in FR-AZ relations. So France doesn't want to hinder the delimitation effort by intervening; they let the US handle it. There is currently an anti-French hysteria in Azerbaijan. The French endorsement of the AM-AZ delimitation agreement would be a big blow to the process.
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ruling party rejects opposition's motion to conduct the AM-AZ border delimitation based on 1993 "de facto" borders instead of 1991 Almaty borders

Context and debates in April 23 news digest. The opposition is against delimiting borders with the 1991 Almaty maps.
The opposition accuses the ruling party of serving Turkey's interests while the ruling party accuses the opposition of attempting to derail the 1991 delimitation process so they can drag Armenia into a new conflict before bringing the Russian "empire" as a savior to establish their rule in Armenia.
One thing that struck the ruling party's nerves was the opposition's narrative that "Armenia ends where the Armenian soldier stands". The ruling party believes that this principle is both dangerously expansionist [in the case of 2.5 Azeri villages] and would also endanger the fate of occupied Armenian lands. "We have a clear border with Azerbaijan, and it must be reproduced on the ground," said a ranking ruling party MP. Yesterday the government said over 50% of the task was done on a section of the Tavush-Gazakh border.
In response to the opposition's accusations that the ruling party serving the interests of Azerbaijan by "surrendering lands", a ruling MP accused the opposition of pressuring the government to surrender a corridor to Russia and Azerbaijan.
RULING MP: Mr. Sharmazanov [ex-president Serj's party] routinely says the quiet part out loud. At first, he spoke about the need to give a corridor [to Azerbaijan and Russia, via Syunik], and more recently he made another fantastic statement. Sharmazanov said "a homeland is eternal while a state is variable. The state's borders can expand or shrink." This stems from their mentality that today they are MPs of the Armenian parliament but tomorrow they could just as easily be Russian Duma MPs, representing the Armyanski Oblast. This is the clash of values: a stable state with borders vs. a "homeland" with variable borders. For us, the Republic of Armenia is irreplaceable and the independence of Armenia is non-negotiable. //
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the independent TV & radio regulator was summoned to parliament to report the 2023 activities

REGULATOR: Last year the broadcasters under our watch operated freely, without government intervention. The TV outlets stated that they were not pressured or obstructed by any branch of the government to limit their freedom of expression.
The issue persists with misinformation and hate speech, but our 3-year-long monitoring reveals that this negative content has been significantly reduced in public multiplex. This positive trend has multiple reasons, including our Committee's fight against the abuse of "freedom of speech". This type of negative content has, by in large, moved from television to the internet and social media.
We are strongly against the government's electoral code amendment that required private media outlets to allocate a limited number of free hours to candidates during electoral campaigns. How is this different from requiring gas stations to provide free gas to candidates? The media outlets are deprived of hours that they could use to generate income.
We've been calling for reforms in the law regulating the media. The 2020 law on liberalizing media regulations is a welcoming change. The field is free, with minimal intervention from the Committee (regulator) or the government.
However, this liberalization also endangers Armenia's media security. For example, foreign channels broadcasted over Armenia's public multiplex and cable often spread content illegal under Armenian law and against the Republic of Armenia's interests. The law does not grant the Committee enough powers to curtail this. At the moment, the Committee has jurisdiction over public multiplex TV and licensed radio channels only. This creates an uneven competition field with channels broadcasted over the net, which do not have to follow the same rules. Under European directives, a minimal level of regulation of internet content has become a requirement for European countries. We advise the government to follow European practices.
The public often wonders what share of cable TV content is in Armenian or made in Armenia. Our research reveals the content based on the country of origin: Armenian 71 (vs 68 last year), Russian 174 (vs 167), European 75, American 38, Other 15. As you can see, relevant parties should take steps to increase the share of Armenian content.
We have very important progress in another metric: Armenian-language programs aired over Armenian channels, nationwide or in Yerevan. The Armenian-language programs accounted for 95% of the air. This includes foreign content translated into Armenian or with Armenian subtitles.
2018: <60%
2020: 79%
2021: 81%
2023: 95%
We have progress in another important area. Over the last 3-4 years, on the public multiplex, the share of partisan ideological content has been gradually replaced by content more beneficial to the general public. For example, (1) we now have a sports program that promotes the development of local sports and provides coverage of local events. (2) We have a family channel called Noor available in Yerevan. Despite some challenges and flaws, they are doing their best to establish themselves as a family channel. (3) We have an educational channel Bun. (4) We have a music channel Dar21.
By in large, the public multiplex still falls short of delivering what we envisage. We believe the time has come to adopt a new state strategy on media to prevent a crisis. We could have a crisis because the state has too many regulations and not enough incentives to allow channels to use their slots to generate income and produce quality content.
We fear that during the next auction for slots in 2027, several slots could be left uncontested, which could pave the way for the entry of propagandistic channels or clearly weak channels unable to deliver quality content. If the channels fail to generate income, they could also be sold to foreign buyers. Therefore, some channels could begin to serve the interests of foreign states and serve foreign propaganda to Armenian citizens.
We advise the government to...
(1) reduce the number of channels on public multiplex. It's an unreasonably high number for a country size of Armenia. Fewer public multiplex channels means each channel would receive more ad dollars, which would raise the quality of content.
(2) establish a media assistance fund to incentivize quality content over the public multiplex.
How do we monitor media channels for compliance? The monitoring phase lasts 2 months per year. In Lithuania and Georgia, it's 1 month. The rest of the time the monitoring is done by NGOs, the public, and other institutions.
We penalized 34 companies for broadcasting pirated content. This is a shamefully high number. There are unfortunately companies that do not respect intellectual property. The only option left is to ramp up the enforcement. The atmosphere of impunity among channels is driven by the fact that the size of the penalty is only $130, which is a lot less than what they'd spend on obtaining the rights to the content.
We've been enforcing rules more vigorously, and in 2023 alone there were 64 administrative proceedings. In comparison, between 2011-2018 there were a total of 17 such proceedings.
2011-2018: 17
2021: 84
2023: 64
Reasons for administrative proceedings: copyright violation, illegal ads, content harmful to children, gore & violence, cussing on air, failure to meet the minimum threshold of 20% for certain types of content, etc.
In December we made a decision to suspend the re-broadcasting of [Russian] Sputnik Radio for a month. We were accused of violating their free speech [by Armenia's opposition factions], however, the radio's leadership visited Armenia, apologized for their content, and agreed to exclude the violating show [Kremlin propagandist Tigran Keosayan] from their programming aired in Armenia. We lifted the suspension.
Once again, the Committee reminds that it will suspend any foreign outlet that broadcasts content that spreads hatred towards the Republic of Armenia or its people, interferes with Armenia's internal affairs, questions Armenia's sovereignty, or engages in provocative actions.
Along with increased enforcement, we also have more complaints filed against our decisions in courts, which shows that the enforcement & appeals process is functioning freely. Sometimes we lose these trials. We learn and gain experience.
We recently signed the first-ever agreement with a country outside Eurasia. The agreement with friendly Argentina's state media agency will allow Armenia's public channel to film a big սերիալ.
The Committee is cooperating with the high-tech ministry to use AI in our work to save resources and raise efficiency.
ASSYRIAN-ARMENIAN MP: The law requires television to provide content in the Assyrian language. Similar programs exist for Yezidis but not Assyrians.
REGULATOR: The law requires the content to be either in Assyrian language or about Assyrian culture. The latter requirement was met.
ASSYRIAN-ARMENIAN MP: But we would like to hear content, speech, in Assyrian language.
REGULATOR: We want to do that by requiring local television channels [presumably where Assyrians mostly live] to provide content in Assyrian language, rather than requiring the public channel to broadcast that content nationwide, because the vast majority of nationwide consumers would not be able to consume content in a language they do not speak. It should be more targeted. Assyrian subtitles on public nationwide channels are also an option so submit your suggestion and we'll negotiate with H1.
RULING MP: I welcome your decision to take action against [Kremlin's] Solovyov and Keosayan for their anti-Armenian and anti-Armenian Republic content, but people wonder why you don't take similar measures against others, like [Kremlin's] Kisilyov. What have you done in this regard and what suggestions have you sent to the high-tech ministry?
REGULATOR: Our Committee has the authority to suspend re-broadcasted radio channels, as in the case of Sputnik, but we cannot suspend television channels. We can only send complaints to the high-tech ministry so they can take action against TV channels based on the AM-RU interstate agreement. We have been frequently sending reports to our high-tech ministry, and after 3 years of inaction, they finally decided to take steps recently. You already know about their actions against Solovyov's content. The ministry is working with Russia to replace the [empty] Solovyov timeslot with other cultural or entertainment content. You can forget about Solovyov. As a reminder, this program was banned in Armenia not for being "anti-Armenian", which is a vague term, but for violating specific laws of Armenia. They often call for violence, incite steps to launch a war, etc. Even Armenian channels are not allowed to broadcast such content. We need to revise the AM-RU interstate agreement to grant the Committee more powers to regulate foreign channels as well. In the future, we should entirely ban all foreign channels on Armenia's public multiplex.
RULING MP: What is Shoghakat TV, who owns it, and does its content meet the requirements? [It's the channel operated by the church]
REGULATOR: Shoghakat was formerly called a religious-cultural channel. Under the new law, it must broadcast cultural-educational content; its genre legally is not religious-cultural. A recent study shows that the share of religious content is too high and it must be reduced by raising the share of cultural-educational programs to meet the requirements. The channel is receiving funds from the state and must therefore meet the cultural-educational programming requirements.
RULING MP: In other words, Shoghakat is a public channel, at least in part financed by the taxpayers, and does not provide the content it is legally required to? Religious content is not a bad thing but we must be mindful of the state resources.
REGULATOR: It's co-financed by the church and state. Shoghakat is also operating from a building owned by the church, and not the public TV.
OPPO MP: Isn't it time to also regulate the TV channels' social media accounts on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok? They get more views than the content aired over the public multiplex. Children consume dangerous content on YouTube and TikTok. There are countries that are attempting to regulate it. Can Armenia do this? There are also unlicensed channels on the internet that spread whatever they want. How do we regulate all of this?
REGULATOR: This morning the EU's Ursula von der Leyen announced the possibility of banning TikTok in the EU. The same about the US. Even the most democratic states restrict platforms that pose a danger to their societies. It will be expensive to technologically restrict these platforms in Armenia but we must consider any measure that would protect the Armenian society. Armenia is falling behind the EU directives in terms of content restrictions.
OPPO MP: Today a 9-year-old boy sees as many naked girls in one day as the world's richest sultan throughout his whole life. This is going to have a negative impact on children. The same about narcotics. When are we going to amend the law to regulate this?
REGULATOR: In the case of the 9 y/o boy, the most important institutions are the school, parents, and the surrounding environment. As for regulating the media field, I've been saying this for 4 years and this appears to be a bipartisan issue so let's get together and decide how to regulate it.
RULING MP: Under the existing media regulation law, foreign companies are not allowed to operate a cable service in Armenia. Why is Rostelecom able to operate? Should we lift the ban on all foreign firms or should we ban Rostelecom?
REGULATOR: I believe they meet the requirement by not owning over 49% of the company shares. I believe 51% of their shares belong to an Armenian resident company. In their defense, Rostelecom has voluntarily banned Solovyov's show in Armenia.
full report, source,

անախորժ միջադեպ պառլամենտի բակում

The bodyguard of Armenia/ARF MP Levon Kocharyan, the son of ex-president Robert Kocharyan, is accused of punching and knocking down a journalist in the backyard of the parliament building after the outlet's criticism of opposition churchman and his portrayal as a corrupt agent of Russia.
REPORTER (Davit Levonyan, civic.am, affiliated with ruling party): After finishing an interview with a ruling party MP, I noticed that Levon Kocharyan's assistant/bodyguard Arthur Sukoyan was waiting nearby. He approached me and asked to speak for 2 minutes. I asked my operator to stand a bit further from us so we could talk. The bodyguard attempted to provoke a fight. He was unhappy about my opinion about churchman Bagrat [the co-organizer of the opposition's road closures in Tavush] and he said my actions were blasphemy. I said dear Arthur I have the right to free speech and I don't force my opinion on others, and that he can express his own opinion and that I don't really care about his opinion. He went on to escalate it into a physical fight in a way to present it as "two boys fighting" rather than hooliganism. He began to cuss at me. I said, "If you think I'm that type of person then I can say the same about you". I never punched him, knowing well that it was a provocation. He punched me and knocked me to the ground. I got up and cussed at him but chose not to fight. I told him that "you and the likes of you will answer for this". I wanted to verify whose assistant he was so he said Kocharyan's, and he invited me to his office to "settle the dispute". I told him to get the hell out of here and that he will answer later pa lyubomu.
QUESTION: Were there witnesses and is there a video recording?
REPORTER: My operator witnessed it and it was in front of the parliament building's security cameras. //
The alleged suspect, Arthur Sukoyan, is the son of Judge Alexei Sukoyan whose duties as a judge were terminated by SJC last year for "severe violations".
OPPO MP (Mher Sahakyan): That guy has no right to be called a journalist because I've seen his video [about the opposition churchman] and as a Christian Armenian, it's prosto unacceptable for me. Are you telling me you can describe a representative of a church any way you like and not answer for it? //
MP Mher Sahakyan himself was arrested last year after punching a ruling party MP and forcing him to get stitches.
What was the outlet's report that angered Kocharyan's bodyguard? The outlet accused the churchman of serving Russian interests and owning a meat production business in Tavush. A fact-checker has found that the churchman is indeed reported as a 25% shareholder of the company but the company says the churchman hasn't received profits. The ruling faction accuses the church of unethically using the church's media resources to advertise the "churchman's meat business".
source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source,

PM Pashinyan hosted the European Commission's Director-General of EU Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations

Pashinyan considered the AM-EU-US high-level meeting held in Brussels on April 5 as key and emphasized the need for effective implementation of the agreements reached.
Koopman noted that the European Commission is ready to contribute to the implementation of the priorities of the Armenian government to strengthen the resilience of Armenia and its economic growth.
Koopman expressed confidence that Armenia-EU relations will continue to develop and expand dynamically. The interlocutors discussed a wide range of issues related to Armenia-EU cooperation.

... On Tuesday Armenia, the EU, and Germany signed an agreement to reduce the Armenian rural population's reliance on imported Russian gas

They want to help low-income villagers and municipal buildings of Tavush, Shirak, Gegharkunik, and Syunik provinces to switch to solar energy. It will include solar water heaters, etc.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION rep.: The EU-Armenia relations are stronger than ever and the EU's dedication to Armenia is reflected in the agreements reached on April 5 in Brussels. This is a 3-year program worth €12.5 million.
GERMAN EMBASSY: Why not use the sun's energy for daily activities? Yesterday we noticed on our faces and skins how powerful the Armenian sun is. [please SPF 100 yourselves]
source, source,

World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $116 million program for Armenia to enable reforms aimed at promoting green, resilient and inclusive development

It includes a $100 million loan from IBRD and a $16 million grant. This budget support will help the Government of Armenia to build climate resilience and reduce vulnerabilities to future shocks, as part of the 2021-2026 plan.

It includes actions that will fortify anti-corruption measures by implementing a robust framework with a whistleblowing system and gift monitoring mechanism for public servants. Further, it is aligned with the Paris Agreement.

source,

Azerbaijani regime arrested another pro-democracy activist as part of a crackdown on an independent outlet

Mammadli, the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, had his home raided by the police and was detained on Monday on charges of smuggling.
EUROPEAN UNION: This detention is the latest in a series of arrests of independent journalists & activists, and a matter of concern for the EU. All those imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights should be released.
UNITED STATES: We are deeply concerned about the ongoing arrests of representatives of the Azerbaijani political society, in particular, Anar Mammadli. We call on the government of Azerbaijan to immediately release all those unjustly arrested. We continue to call on the government of Azerbaijan to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.
source, source,

Armenia's Ambassador to the US Lilith Makunts met the experts of the US-based analytical center RAND that recently advised the West to provide defense assistance to Armenia and not to pressure Armenia to cut all ties with Russia prematurely

Ambassador Makunts presented the latest developments in the AM-AZ peace process and the Crossroads of Peace logistics process.
source, source,

Hungary is blocking the €10 million military assistance to Armenia

Context in April 17 news digest. Hungary is so far preventing the transfer of European Peace Facility resources to provide Armenia with a mobile field camp capability for a battalion-size unit, including a medical treatment facility as well as relevant services and facilities
Armenia submitted the application for funding in 2023. Georgia had earlier received €30 million in assistance as part of the same fund. They received equipment for controlling artillery divisions and engineering equipment.
Hungary, led by Turkish-Azeri-Russian ally Orban, demands that Azerbaijan receive assistance with demining activities in exchange for authorizing the transfer to Armenia. However, since Azerbaijan has not formally requested assistance with demining, it's possible the process could reach a dead end. The internal negotiations continue.
source,

Armenia's Defense Minister discussed AM-FR defence cooperation and army reforms with a French Senator

MOD Papikyan hosted Ronan Le Gloyot from the French Senate Committees on Foreign Relations, Defense, Armed Forces and European Affairs. The parties discussed AM-FR defense ties, the AM-EU ties, the Armenian army reforms, etc.
source,

Armenia and France discussed cooperation in military industry and aerospace (🤔)

High-Tech Minister Mkhitar Hayrapetyan hosted the French Senate delegation led by Ronan Le Gloyot. They discussed cybersecurity, digitization, the establishment and operation of French high-tech firms in Armenia, defense, military industry, and aerospace cooperation.
source,

France donates 4 diesel power generators with 100 kW to city halls and hospitals in Syunik

source, source,

Saudi Arabia's ethnic Armenian Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud will visit Armenia

The agreement was reached during the recent visit by Armenia's Labor Minister to SA. The Prince and the Minister also agreed to establish cooperation between the Prince's AGFUND and Armenia's labor ministry.
source,

Armenia's Central Bank continues to cut the refinancing rate

2020: 4.25%
2022: 10.75%
2023: 9.25%
Jan 2024: 8.75%
Mar 2024: 8.50%
Apr 2024 8.25%
source, source,

Armenian migrant workers are sending fewer remittances from Russia and could find working in Armenia more beneficial

The net inflow of individuals' remittances from Russia in Q1 2024 amounted to $656.6 million compared to $1.1 billion in Q1 2023.
CENTRAL BANK: There is a decline this year due to economic and geopolitical issues, the exchange rate, and the ratio of salaries. It is necessary to have an understanding of whether Armenian migrant workers plan to continue working in Russia. Some prefer to return to Armenia and work here, as the difference in salaries now is much smaller than, for example, 10 years ago.
source, full,

agreement is signed to build a World Trade Center in Yerevan

Details in September 7 news digest.
Construction company RenShin presented the $212 million project to the government for approval. It's expected to create 10,000 jobs. There will be 4- and 5-star hotels as well.
PASHINYAN: It will be in place of the HayPost [post office] building on 22 Saryan St. Modern construction standards will be introduced in Armenia. Since our independence, there has never been a complex of this scale. It will help Armenia raise the "we are open for business" flag.
MHER GRIGORYAN: Armenia is the only country in the region without a World Trade Center. Being the last means we can have the best quality and newest technology. //
Armenia-based Renshen will invite the international architectural giant Norman Foster, known for developing the Apple Park in California, Germany's Reichstag Building, New York skyscraper Hearst Tower, the City Hall of Southwark (London), Millennium Bridge in London, Bilbao Metro, and more.
Who will own the complex? 50% investors, 30% HayPost, 20% Government. The company will buy HayPost's shares within the next 5 years. The revenue will help develop HayPost. It will have a new modern sorting facility to handle more parcels.
source,

16-year-old boy survives a fall from Kievian Bridge

source,

Yerevan's Yeritasardakan subway station has new lighting: VIDEO

It's the first of several to come.
video,

A couple weeks before the draft I posted a nfl post, that attempted to predict the draft and the price a team may have to pay to move up in a trade. The 28 trades in the 2024 NFL draft were a fairly low amount, so there wasn't as much interest in trades, nor as many suitors available to play off each other to bump up the premiums being asked.
None-the-less, using the draft trade value chart used in the previous post, we can estimate the value each team received in each of the 28 trades, calculate the premium paid, and then equate that to a pick in the draft.
With a pivot table, we can also sum up the net points gained or lost through the negotiations and see which GM or Front Office gained picks, and which lost picks in the draft through sheer negotiating prowess. If a team did not engage in any trades, they do not appear in the chart or list.
The TLDR charts are below, and a review of every draft day trade follows. If you would like to read the full article, you can do so here: https://nfllines.com/negotiating-the-draft-2024-nfl-draft-day-trades/

The Draft Trade Value Chart

AVG 3xHill-Johnson Trade Value Chart
Using the chart above for the pick values, here is every draft day trade with the following information included:

• PICK - The pick that is being traded for.
• VALUE - The chart value of the pick being traded for.
• TRADED UP - The Team Trading Up.
• POINTS RECEIVED - Total draft pick point value received.
• NET POINTS - Draft points gained or lost in trade.
• TRADED DOWN - The team that traded out of the slot.
• POINTED RECEIVED - Total draft pick point value received.
• NET POINTS - Draft points gained or lost in trade.
• PREMIUM - The % premium paid to move up(This can be negative in a "poorly negotiated" trade).
• PREMIUM VALUE - The draft pick value of the premium paid(This can be negative, in which case the pick is in bold). NOTE: The average is in bold because the average row itself is in bold. The premium paid on an average trade is 28 points, equivalent to the 163rd pick in the draft.

The 2024 NFL Draft Day Trades Chart

The 2024 NFL Draft Day Trades Chart

• The average premium paid among the 28 trades was 9.21%.
• The average amount of draft capital paid in premium was 28 points. This is equivalent to the 163rd pick in the draft.
• The highest premium paid in points was 173.2 points by the Rams to the Panthers to move up to pick #39. The premium cost was equivalent to the 82nd pick.
• The highest premium paid in %, was 124.72% paid for the 126th pick by the Lions to the Jets. This involved paying for the pick by trading a future pick that is one round earlier. The Eagles charged the Dolphins 93.66% to do the same deal on pick #120.
• The "best deal" in points savings was the Packers saving 8.3 point less than fair for pick #111 from the Jets. The pick was worth 78 points yet the Packers only paid 69.7 points in value.
• The "best deal" in terms of % savings was the last trade in the draft. The Lions saved almost 25% off fair value in trading for pick #189 from the Texans.

2024 NFL Draft Negotiated Points Chart

Here are the net points gained and lost by each team through negotiating trades. The net gain or loss is translated into the pick gained or lost through negotiating trades.
2024 NFL Draft Negotiated Points Chart

• The Panthers gained 173 points in the trade with the Rams(their only move), and lost 29 points in all other trades.
• The Cowboys gained all 104 points in one trade with the Lions.
• The Eagles won the draft. They paid and charged premiums multiple times and still came out significantly ahead. The Jets, Commanders, Bills & Colts all excelled on draft day.
• The Lions paid dearly but they are in win now mode. The Rams pissed away all 173 points in one bold FU draft value move. The Dolphins got fleeced by the Eagles. But the big loser has to be Atlanta who screwed up pick #8 AND made a poor trade with the Cardinals for pick #35. I am not even sure they picked the best DL at #35 given who was available.
• Teams should NEVER deal a future pick that is one round earlier than the pick they want in the current draft. These trades are the most costly and probably have the least chance of success compared to the premium required(many times close to 100%).
• Teams should almost never trade for any picks beyond round 3, and definitely avoid trading for any 5th through 7th round picks. The premiums paid on all these late round moves are significant. They may not amount to many points, but they require significantly high premiums on hit or miss kind of prospects.

First-round trades

For each trade you will see the picks each team received, the value of the picks, and the premium paid if any. The players selected with the main picks are posted. If the trade was worthy of comment, one was attempted. The value of the pick being traded for is in (parenthesis) in the title.
​

Minnesota Trades Up From #11 to #10 (1203.5)

Vikings Receive: #10 (1203.5) + #203 (11.1) = 1214.6
Jets Receive: #11 (1162) + #129 (48.5) + #157 (30.8) = 1241.3
Premium paid = 26.7pts (2.22%)
With the No. 10 pick, Minnesota selected Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy.
With the No. 11 pick, the Jets took OT Olu Fashanu from Penn State.
​

Minnesota Trades Up From #23 to #17 (919.0)

Vikings Receive: #17 (919) = 919.0
Jaguars Receive: #23 (747.5) + #167 (48.5) + 2025 3rd (119.1) + 2025 4th (49.7) = 964.8
Premium paid = 45.8pts (4.98%)
​
With the No. 17 pick, Minnesota selects LB Dallas Turner.
With the No. 23 pick, Jacksonville selected WR Brian Thomas Jr.
​

Detroit Trades Up From #29 to #24 (725.5)

Lions Receive: #24 (725.5) + 2025 7th (3.0) = 728.5
Cowboys Receive: #29 (623) + #73 (210) = 833
Premium paid = 104.5pts (14.4%)
​
With the No. 24 pick, Detroit selects CB Terrion Arnold.
This was the most costly 1st round move, but Arnorld could be worth it if he is a lock-down corner as advertised.
​
With the No. 29 pick, Dallas selected OT Tyler Guyton.
Good negotiating by Dallas. This always pays off somewhere down the line with a pick that never should have been ending up being a pro bowler.
​

Kansas City Trades Up From #32 to #28 (643.5)

Chiefs Receive: #28 (643.5) + #133 (45.3) + #233 (3.5)= 692.3
Bills Receive: #32 (571) + #95 (120) + #248 (2.0) = 693
Premium paid = 0.7pts (0.1%)
​
With the No. 28 pick, Kansas City selects WR Xavier Worthy.
If KC called Buffalo and said they were going to take a guy with 4.2 speed for Mahomes....and Buffalo said, "We like what we are hearing, tell us more"....then this is borderline RICO case material.
​
Buffalo trades #32 to Carolina. Not sure why Buffalo made such a fair trade with the team they have to beat.....a fine tip of the cap to them for "fairness" I guess.
​

Carolina Trades Up From #33 to #32 (571.0)

Panthers Receive: #32 (571) + #200 (13.2)= 584.2
Bills Receive: #33 (560) + #141 (38.8) = 598.8
Premium paid = 14.6pts (2.56%)
​
With the No. 32 pick, Carolina selects WR Xavier Legette.
​
With the No. 33 pick, Buffalo selected WR Keon Coleman. And then they charge the 2-15 NFC Panthers a premium.....
​

DRAFT DAY 2 TRADES

LA Chargers Move Up From #37 to #34 (542.5)

Chargers Receive: #34 (542.5) + #157 (30.8)= 573.3
Patriots Receive: #37 (508) + #110 (80.5) = 588.5
Premium paid = 15.2pts (2.80%)
​
With the No. 34 pick, LA Chargers select WR Ladd McConkey.
​
With the No. 37 pick, New England selected WR Ja'Lynn Polk.
​

Atlanta Trades Up From #43 to #35 (530.0)

Falcons Receive: #35 (530.0) + #186 (17.5)= 547.5
Cardinals Receive: #43 (442) + #79 (183) = 625
Premium paid = 77.5pts (14.62%)
​
With the No. 35 pick, Atlanta selects DE Ruke Orhorhoro. This was pricey considering who was still on the board.
​
With the No. 43 pick, Arizona selected DB Max Melton.
​

LA Rams Trade Up From #52 to #39 (484.5)

Rams Receive: #39 (484.5) = 484.5
Panthers Receive: #52 (353.5) + #155 (31.2) + 2025 2nd (273.0) = 657.7
Premium paid = 173.2pts (35.75%)
​
With the No. 39 pick, LA Rams selects DT Braden Fiske and continues to give the virtual middle finger to draft capital.
​
Carolina traded the No. 52 pick to Indianapolis.
​

Philadelphia Trades Up From #50 to #40 (473.5)

Eagles Receive: #40 (473.5) + #78 (188.5) + #152 (31.6)= 693.6
Commanders Receive: #50 (372.5) + #53 (344) + #161 (28.5)= 745
Premium paid = 51.4pts (10.86%)
​
With the No. 40 pick, Philadelphia selects DB Cooper DeJean
With the No. 50 pick, Washington selected CB Mike Sainristil. Commanders get Roseman to pay a 11% premium.
​
Something is terribly wrong. Check Howie. Check the Earth's orbit. Get gravity remeasured ASAP.
Some one will pay for this.
Make that someones...
​

New Orleans Trades Up From #45 to #41 (464.0)

Saints Receive: #41 (464) = 464.0
Packers Receive: #45 (421.5) + #168 (25.6) + #190 (16.7)= 463.8
Premium paid = -0.2pts (-0.04%)
​
With the No. 41 pick, New Orleans selects DB Kool-Aid McKinstry.
​
With the No. 45 pick, Green Bay selected LB Edgerrin Cooper.
NOTE - The Packers later traded pick #168 to Buffalo & pick #190 to the Eagles.
​

Carolina Trades Up From #52 to #46 (412.0)

Panthers Receive: #46 (412.0) = 412.0
Colts Receive: #52 (353.5) + #142 (38.5) + #155 (31.2)= 423.2
Premium paid = 11.2pts (2.72%)
​
With the No. 46 pick, Carolina selects RB Jonathon Brooks.
This move cost the Panthers nothing due to the trade with the Rams being so profitable.
​
With the No. 52 pick, Indianapolis selected WR Adonai Mitchell.
​

Kansas City Trades Up From #64 to #63 (261.0)

Chiefs Receive: #63 (261.0) + #211 (9.5) = 270.5
49ers Receive: #64 (255.0) + #173 (24.6) = 279.6
Premium paid = 9.1pts (3.47%)
​
With the No. 63 pick, Kansas City selects OT Kingsley Suamataia.
​
With the No. 64 pick, San Francisco selected DB Renardo Green.
​

NY Jets Trade Up From #72 to #65 (249.5)

Jets Receive: #65 (249.5) = 249.5
Panthers Receive: #72 (215.5) + #157 (30.8) = 246.3
Premium paid = -3.2pts (-1.28%)
​
With the No. 65 pick, NY Jets selects WR Malachi Corley.
​
With the No. 72 pick, Carolina selected LB Trevin Wallace and felt good about helping the Jets via the Rams' generosity.
​

Houston Trades Up From #86 to #78 (188.5)

Texans Receive: #78 (188.5) = 188.5
Eagles Receive: #86 (153.5) + #123 (56) = 209.5
Premium paid = 21pts (11.14%)
​
With the No. 78 pick, Houston selects DB Calen Bullock.
​
Philadelphia traded the No. 86 to San Francisco.
The old "Howie hit his hit in the shower scheme" is showing cracks....
​

Indianapolis Trades Up From #82 to #79 (183.0)

Colts Receive: #79 (183.0) = 183.0
Cardinals Receive: #82 (171.0) + #191 (16.5) = 187.5
Premium paid = 4.5pts (2.46%)
​
With the No. 79 pick, Indianapolis selects OT Matt Goncalves
​
With the No. 82 pick, Arizona selected TE Tip Reiman
​

San Francisco Trades Up From #94 to #86 (153.5)

49ers Receive: #86 (153.5) = 153.5
Eagles Receive: #94 (123.5) + #132 (45.5) = 169
Premium paid = 15.5pts (10.1%)
​
With the No. 86 pick, San Francisco selects G Dominick Puni.
​
With the No. 94 pick, Philadelphia selected DE Jalyx Hunt.
Good to have you back Mr Roseman. Was worried there for a minute.
​

DRAFT DAY 3 TRADES

​

Denver Trades Up From #121 to #102 (97.0)

Broncos Receive: #102 (97.0) + #235 (3.5) = 100.5
Seahawks Receive: #121 (60.5) + #136 (43.0) + #207 (10.3) = 113.8
Premium paid = 13.3pts (13.71%)
​
With the No. 102 pick, Denver selects WR Troy Franklin
​
With the No. 121 pick, Seattle selected TE A.J. Barner
​

Green Bay Trades Up From #126 to #111 (78.0)

Packers Receive: #111 (78.0) = 78.0
Jets Receive: #126 (53.0) + #190 (16.7) = 69.7
Premium paid = -8.3 pts (-10.64%)
​
With the No. 111 pick, Green Bay selects DB Evan Williams
​
NY Jets traded the No. 126 to Detroit & gets new batteries for their calculator.
​

Miami Trades a 2025 3rd Round Pick for Pick #120 (61.5)

Dolphins Receive: #120 (61.5) = 61.5
Eagles Receive: 2025 3rd (119.1) = 119.1
Premium paid = 57.6 pts (93.66%)
​
With the No. 120 pick, Miami selects RB Jaylen Wright.
​
The Earth is back in orbit, and gravity is a very comfortable 9.8 m/s2.
Philadelphia gleefully ducks backs into it's sinister dark corner.
​

Houston Trades Up From #127 to #123 (56.0)

Texans Receive: #123 (56.0) = 56.0
Eagles Receive: #127 (51.0) + 2025 5th (22.9) = 73.9
Premium paid = 17.9 pts (31.96%)
​
With the No. 123 pick, Houston selects TE Cade Stover & an officially licensed Eagles Single Slice Toaster.
​
With the No. 123 pick, Philadelphia selects RB Will Shipley.
Philadelphia is having a huge 32% interest sale so please form an orderly line to the left.
​

Detroit Trades a 2025 3rd Round Pick for Pick #126 (53.0)

Lions Receive: #126 (53.0) = 53.0
Jets Receive: 2025 3rd (119.1) = 119.1
Premium paid = 66.1 pts (124.72%)
​
With the No. 126 pick, Detroit selects OT Giovanni Manu.
​
The Jets resubscribe to the Howie Roseman's Draft Almanac for 99 more years for a discount of 3%.
​

San Francisco Trades Up From #173 to #129 (48.5)

49ers Receive: #129 (48.5) = 48.5
Jets Receive: #173 (24.6) + #176 (22.7) = 47.3
Premium paid = -1.2 pts (-2.47%)
​
With the No. 129 pick, San Francisco selects RB Isaac Guerendo & a free NY Jets Singl Slice Toaster.
​
With the No. 173 pick, NY Jets selected RB Isaish Davis & someone is fired for giving away a free toaster.
​
The Jets subscription to Howie Roseman's Draft Almanac is immediately canceled with no explanation. An angry letter accompanies the letter indicating that no refund will be provided due to damage to the Howie brand via potential or perceived altruism.
​

Detroit Trades Up From #164 to #132 (45.5)

Lions Receive: #132 (45.5) + #210 (9.7) = 55.3
Eagles Receive: #164 (27.9) + #201 (13.0) + 2025 4th (49.7) = 90.6
Premium paid = 35.3 pts (77.58%)
​
With the No. 132 pick, Detroit selects DB Sione Vaki
​
Philadelphia traded the No. 164 & No. 201 picks to the Colts. They also put in an order to restock the Eye of Newt used in the cauldron.
​

Chicago Trades a 2025 4th Round Pick For Pick #144 (36.5)

Bears Receive: #144 (36.5) = 36.5
Bills Receive: 2025 4th (49.7) = 49.7
Premium paid = 13.2 pts (36.16%)
​
With the No. 144 pick, Chicago selects DE Austin Booker.
​
A free promotional copy of Howie Roseman's Draft Almanac is sighted in the executive washroom in the Buffalo war room.
​

Philadelphia Trades Up From #164 To #155 (31.2)

Eagles Receive: #155 (31.2) = 31.2
Colts Receive: #164 (27.9) + #201 (13.0) = 40.6
Premium paid = 9.4 pts (30.12%)
​
With the No. 155 pick, Philadelphia selects LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr.(Probably the #1 jersey in PHI now).
​
The Colts stay very quiet as they remind Howie he just got Trotter (& a 2025 4th rounder (49.7)) in exchange for the #132 (45.5) & #210 (9.7) picks.
Roseman thinks very hard about paying the 9 points in premium, then with the slightest flick of his pinky, he allows the Colts to scurry away with a tale of immense bravery and bravado.
The Colts later select DB Jaylin Simpon at #164 and CB Micah Abraham at #201.
​

Green Bay Trades Up From #168 to #163 (28.1)

Packers Receive: #163 (28.1) = 28.1
Bills Receive: #168 (25.6) + #219 (6.4) = 32.0
Premium paid = 3.9 pts (13.88%)
​
With the No. 163 pick, Green Bay selects C Jacob Monk
​
With the No. 168 pick, Buffalo selected DE Javon Solomon.
The Bills received a bill 3 days later for the 1 year subscription to the Howie Roseman's Draft Almanac that automatically self billed following one 10%+ draft capitial gain(see small print).

NY Jets Trade Up From #185 to #171 (25.0)

Jets Receive: #171 (25.0) = 25.0
Eagles Receive: #185 (19.2) + #190 (16.7) = 35.7
Premium paid = 10.7 pts (42.80%)
​
With the No. 171 pick, Green Bay selects QB Jordan Travis
​
With the No. 185 pick Philadelphia selected WR Johnny Wilson & with #190 C Dylan McMahon. Thirty seconds later the Eagles war room was cleaned by Winston Wolfe, and all evidence of their participation in any draft, held anywhere that day, was removed from the solar system.
Officially they just sat in, ordered Chinese, and watched Uncle Buck.
​

Detroit Trades Up From #205 to #189 (16.9)

Lions Receive: #189 (16.9) = 16.9
Texans Receive: #205 (10.7) + #249 (2.0) = 12.7
Premium paid = -4.2 pts (-24.85%)
With the No. 189 pick, Detroit selects DT Mekhi Wingo
​
With the No. 205 pick Houston selected RB Lawhar Jordan & with #249 G LaDarius Henderson.
​
Three days later the Texans got an angry letter from HRDA Legal LLC warning them never to try to to subscribe to the Howie Roseman's Draft Almanac and that their first year's auto subscription would not be returned.
​

PREDICTIONS GONE RIGHT & HORRIBLY WRONG

2024 NFL Trade Trades For Every Team
Here were the projected slots for the best player at each position from the previous article:

• QB – #1
• WR – #4
• OT – #5
• Edge/OLB – #8
• TE – #10
• DT – #13
• CB – #15
• C/G – #26
• ILB, Safety & RB – Round 2

Here is where the best player from each position was actually drafted:

• QB – #1
• WR – #4
• OT – #5
• Edge/OLB – #15
• TE – #13
• DT – #16
• CB – #22
• C/G – #26 (The Steelers are moving pick #20 inside from OT. I think this is true of the Packers selection at #25 as well)
• ILB, Safety & RB – Round 2

​
Mock 7 was the correct order by position for the 2024 draft. It was projected as a 15% chance of happening.
2024 Mock NFL Drafts By Position Order

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.

Less than 3 weeks until the big day (or week should I say)! We are getting closer and closer to Eurovision 2024, and on this list we are getting closer and closer to the top countries! Today, I wanted to talk about SEVEN countries instead of the usual five, just to speed things up a little. After this, we will be inside the top 20! How exciting is that?

The Countries

Placement	Country	Score
21	Iceland	107179.671
22	Portugal	106523.009
23	Cyprus	105419.358
24	Azerbaijan	105202.941
25	Estonia	102815.336
26	Moldova	88264.205
27	Australia	87362.167

We are now getting to more and more countries that debuted before the 1990's! At #27 is the youngest and latest country to participate in ESC with Australia. With only 8 entries (about to be 9), they are close to the top half of the board, which is incredibly impressive in its own right! Just above them is Moldova, a slightly older participant than Australia (10 years), who have really come into their own the last 8 ish years, which have skyrocketed them up into 26th place! Entering into the 6 digit club is Estonia, the first in a long chain of first time winners in the 2000's. For me personally, they have surprised me with their early consistency in the contest, which is a lot of the reason they are up so high. Getting inside the top 25 now is Azerbaijan, the third youngest* country to participate at ESC, who like Estonia burst onto the scene (in slightly more controversial ways), which included a win in 2011. Shining above them is Cyprus, probably the most "fire" country here (ignoring Azerbaijan), even if they only have one singular highlight at this contest since the turn of the millennium. At #22 is Portugal, a country who were stubbornly steadfast in their ways, which somehow worked off for them (eventually)! And at the top of this batch is our first Scandinavian country in Iceland, who unfortunately are seen as the younger sibling in the Nordic family, both literally and metaphorically. But that doesn't mean they didn't shine on their own!

• The second youngest contestant would be San Marino

Some Notable Artists: 2XL (Estonia), Advahov Brothers (Moldova), Alika (Estonia), Lisa Andreas (Cyprus), Arash (Azerbaijan), Aysel (Azerbaijan), Natalia Barbu (Moldova) , Dave Benton (Estonia), Camille (Estonia), Chingiz (Azerbaijan), José Cid (Portugal), DoReDoS (Moldova), Ell (Azerbaijan), Eleni Foureira (Cyprus), Daði og Gagnamagnið (Iceland), Hatari (Iceland), Dami Im (Australia), Ines (Estonia), Isaiah (Australia), Hara and Andreas Konstantinou (Cyprus), Farid Mammadov (Azerbaijan), Maro (Portugal), Kate Miller-Heidke (Australia), Lúcia Moniz (Portugal), Nikki (Azerbaijan), Tanel Padar (Estonia), Alexandros Panayi (Cyprus), Safura (Azerbaijan), Sahlene (Estonia), Evelin Samuel (Estonia), Guy Sebastian (Australia), Selma (Iceland), Salvador Sobral (Portugal), Stjórnin (Iceland), SunStroke Project (Moldova), The Black Mamba (Portugal), Anna Vissi (Cyprus), Voyager (Australia), Yohanna (Iceland), Zdob și Zdub (Moldova)

The Worst Years

Portugal 1997 Célia Lawson - Antes do adeus

Contest Ranking: 24th (0 pts) My Ranking: 24th (-2.4)
Portugal occupy this weird place in ESC lore. They don't have the most last places finishes (that would go to Norway), the most nil points, they just... float around in the ESC underbelly, sometimes coming into the spotlight, but for the most part are just content to come to the stage, sing their native song, and then go off into the sunset, until the next year. That is what this song feels like for me, and that's perfectly ok. They did their thing, and they went off into the sunset, never to be seen again, until next year.

Iceland 1989 Daníel - Það sem enginn sér

Contest Ranking: 22nd (0 pts) My Ranking: 22nd (-2.1)
Iceland were consistent in their early years at ESC. Like their Scandinavian siblings in prior years, they had trouble finding their way past the language barrier, and like their siblings, they seemed stuck in mediocrity (16th place) until a flash of brilliance sparked them for decades to come! In this case, that spark would happen next year, but for this song, it got the country out of 16th place! It was into last and it did place them into the **nil points* club, but that's something at least! As for the song, well there is a reason I'm not talking about it much, but there's not much of a song to talk about.

Azerbaijan 2023 TuralTuranX - Tell Me More

Contest Ranking: DNQ (14th 1st Semifinal) My Ranking: 35th (0.455)
So after Azerbaijan's meteoric rise, which included 6 top 10 finishes, 5 top five placements, three podium finishes and one victory, you would be pretty shocked to know that the success they had would not be repeated, as they have had one (1) top TEN finish since then. This song would only be the second entry from this country to not make it to the GF, but I mean I can see why. For all of Azerbaijan's... issues inside and outside this competition, they sure did know how to make some bangers (It's unfortunate that I might say that sentence again for another couple countries). This entry is not one of those bangers, it's just dull, and unmemorable. Heck, I don't even know how the song goes, and I JUST listened to it.

Estonia 2008 Kreisiraadio - Leto svet

Contest Ranking: DNQ (18th 1st Semifinal) My Ranking: 41st (0.669)
After coming second in 2002, right after winning in 2001, Estonia must have felt that they were on top of the world. Then they finished 21st. And after that they would kick off a five year NQ streak in 2004, with this entry being at the tailend. In a year full of joke entries, this one stands out for being the most... colorful. This one was conducted by 3 well known Estonian comedians Hannes Võrno, Peeter Oja and Tarmo Leinatamm, who combined to form Kreisiraadio, who would produce this colorful monstrosity of a song, talking about... checks notes nonsense, complete and utter nonsense. Yeah you already know this didn't qualify. A rainbow mark on such a weird year for Eurovision.

Moldova 2014 Cristina Scarlat - Wild Soul

Contest Ranking: DNQ (16th 1st Semifinal) My Ranking: 36th (1.015)
I'm glad that Moldova found out what they were good at after this, because man this was hard to watch. Cristina Scarlat would have the honor of continuing a solid and steady streak for Moldova. It was all going well too, until they brought out the dubstep... why did they bring out the dubstep? This song would have been fine without it. Would they have qualified? Probably not, but they wouldn't have finished last, which this song fell to.

Australia 2021 Montaigne - Technicolour

Contest Ranking: DNQ (14th 1st Semifinal) My Ranking: 34th (1.519)
We have our first COVID participant! Montaigne, who was a singer on the rise in Australia, had the chance to represent her country at ESC in 2020... but then that didn't happen. But Australia were one of many countries that allowed their 2020 artists to go again, so here we have Monatiagne's second attempt at an ESC song. And to be honest, it's not as good as her 2020 song. There was just something missing for this one, and the people agreed, as this is to this day Australia's only NQ, which is obviously why this is one this list.

Cyprus 1999 Marlain - Tha'ne erotas (Θα'ναι έρωτας)

Contest Ranking: 22nd (2 pts) My Ranking: 22nd (0.924)
Cyprus has had maybe two entries in the past 30 odd years that are still talked about to this day. They came out strong in the early 80's, but have slowly faded away to being part of the ethnic flavor of the competition. This song may be part of the reason why. Before this entry, Cyprus had finished in the top 11 for five years straight, looking to gain some momentum for the new millennium. But this confusing ballad/eurodance song halted all of that progress, sending any hope of Cyprus success away, and ensuring that all of their fans/citizens hop on the Greece Train, which was about to rapidly take off.

The Best Years

Iceland 2009 Yohanna - Is It True?

Contest Ranking: 2nd (218 pts) My Ranking: 2nd (413.374*)
Iceland have finished 2nd twice in their history. Both times were in years ending in 9, both times featured a female led vocal with background singers to their left, and both would finish second to their better well known Scandinavian sibling entries, which is very tragic, considering the quality of both of these songs. 2009 takes the cake for being the best of the rest, considering the massive gap between this one, and Norway's entry that year. Anyway,Iceland have finished 2nd twice in their history. Both times were in years ending in 9, both times featured a female led vocal with background singers to their left, and both would finish second to their better well known Scandinavian sibling entries, which is very tragic, considering the quality of both of these songs. 2009 takes the cake for being the best of the rest, considering the massive gap between this one, and Norway's entry that year. Anyway, here is Yohanna, or should I say Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir, who is actually not from Iceland, but rather from Denmark. She began performing at the age of nine, covering famous songs in Icelandic. She would step away from music for about six years, and when she came back she entered into Iceland's national final with her song, which would eventually win the contest and earn the right to go to Moscow for ESC '09, which ended up being one of the great contests in the 21st century.
This song has a particular aura around it, it's just so beautiful. And it's not just the song, it's her voice, it's the staging, it's just the presence of the song combined with the passion thrown in which makes it really stand out. This for me is when the ballad became modernized for Eurovision, as many other ballads in the 2000's kind of just blend together, just sort of bland all together. But this song changes all of that. It's the way she tells the story throughout the song, and the stunning realization that her love cheated on her! That part really surprised me, and it at the same time really ties the message of the song together. It feels so innocent but then the song gets kind of dark at the end and you don't expect it, even though it is an ESC love song, which generally have a formula to them. The way she says "Is it True?" at the end gives me chills, and it is somehow always heartbreaking every time I hear it, which not many songs do to me. it feels kind of unfair that this song had to compete this year, as this edition of ESC was STACKED, which makes it more impressive that it finished runners up competing with Turkey, Azerbaijan, and well... Norway. Iceland feels like a country that should have won ESC with that one particular song that has its space in ESC lore, kinda like Belgium with their win in 1986. Unfortunately, that is not how this works, but for this masterpiece to be at the top for a country that has carved out their own identity in the years since, is really, really cool.

• This entry is ranked 62nd of all ESC songs since 1975 ** According to my rankings, Iceland 2019 is in their top 5, so make it 3 times that Iceland have done well in years ending in 9!

Azerbaijan 2013 Farid Mammadov - Hold Me

Contest Ranking: 2nd (234 pts) My Ranking: 2nd (418.843*)
Were you expecting this song to take the top spot? I would have thought 2011, 2009 or even 2019 to take the mantle but this one surprised me! Like I said earlier, Azerbaijan's run when they first entered the contest was the stuff of legend, never finishing outside the top 10 with each of their first six entries. This was #6/6 of those entries, and this song is probably the most controversial entry of the bunch, which is surprising considering that 2011 exists. But let’s move on to the singer, whose name is Farid Mammadov, who for the longest time was interested in soul and jazz, citing Stevie Wonder as one of his inspirations growing up. Farid became the first solo male representative for the country in 2013 after winning his country’s national final, but I bet you already know that.
Now I was out of the loop regarding any scandals that might have happened this year, and it wasn’t until researching this song that I saw the controversy surrounding this entry (On a side note, I was confused that the official ESC youtube page turned off comments, which prompted my investigation). It is very tragic that from many sources, Azerbaijan tried to bribe the delegations from several countries in order to get a higher score, in which they succeeded, for the most part. This song didn’t win, it was about 50 points off from Denmark’s entry that year, who was the eventual winner, but it makes me think, where would this entry place if not for the attempted rigging? This song is not that bad, it has a nice tune, but again it’s not that memorable, and it feels a bit basic. Maybe Azerbaijan’s top 10 streak should have ended this year, and now that I know about the scandal, it puts into question the other entries that they have sent prior to this one, because a country doesn’t just randomly decide that this year would be the year to start tampering with the votes. Especially since they have placed so high many times already. Dang I already was lukewarm at best about 2011, but now…. Anyway, even though this song is nothing special, and it all likelihood it looks like their other results were marred as well… actually I don’t have much to say for that part. 2009 still slaps though.

• This song is ranked 60th of all ESC songs since 1975

Estonia 2001 Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL - Everybody

Contest Ranking: 1st (198 pts) My Ranking: 1st (439.5**)
I don't even know where to begin with this one. I said in an earlier post that there was one winning song in the 2000’s that didn’t deserve their win. For me, this is that song. Estonia’s only victory at this contest came in 2001, when Tandel Padar, an Estonian singer that was coming on to the scene, combined with Dave Benton, an Aruban singer who was 50 at the time he performed, and 2XL, another Estonian act who would become Soul Militia” and competed in 2007, to form one of the party songs of all time, called “Everybody”. When I heard this song for the first time, I was baffled. THIS song won Eurovision? Over Denmark? Over Greece? Over France? I don’t get it. Maybe it was the fact that it was televote only, meaning that the audience was susceptible to joyful happy party songs that just so happened to be at the end of the running order meaning that it would be fresh in your mind (To be fair, the rest of the top 3 performed after this one). It’s so *simple, like a song you expect to finish middle of the pack, but after 10/23 votes, it was second only to Denmark (as seen by this crowd reaction. And then the 12’s kept pouring in… I was just stunned the rest of that voting sequence. I do got to hand it to them though, they were consistently doing better than second place Denmark for a majority of the votes, so what do I know about how much a song is liked? Now there have been strange acts that have won ESC before, like… um… wait… oh wow I just had a revelation. This song might have ushered in a new era of Eurovision. With this song and Latvia’s winning entry a year later, Eurovision was heading into unknown waters, as each year would usher in a first time winner, all the way until 2009. This was also a victory for Eastern Europe, as other countries in that region would follow suit in the years to come. It was also a victory for Black contestants, as Dave Benton become the first black ESC contestant to win the competition (it should have happened 10 years earlier, but I digress). That wouldn’t have happened if Denmark would have, nor would have been the increase of new countries winning right after this entry. So maybe I am being too harsh on this entry, but to this day I still wonder what went through the collective European mind that May day in 2001.
** THIS ENTRY is ranked in the Top 50 of all ESC songs since 1975.

Cyprus 2018 Eleni Foureira - Fuego

Contest Ranking: 2nd (436 pts) My Ranking: 2nd (471.523**)
For a country that doesn't have many highlights at this competition, THIS is the way to make one, wow! Let’s talk about Eleni Foureira, aka Entela Fureraj, a Greek-Albanian singer who gained prominence as part of a girl group in the late 2000’s. She then went off on her own in 2009, releasing several albums that were well received in both Greece and Cyprus, which set her up well for her to one day compete in the ESC… for Greece. She tried several times to compete for Greece but came up short each time, which eventually led her to try again, but this time for Cyprus, in which she succeeded, and was one of three ethnically Albanian singers to sing that year in Portugal. Cyprus has been a country that has been overshadowed mightily in this contest. As a side effect of having such a strong bond with Greece, if your country was not doing well, everyone would just hop ship to their neighbor, which was exactly the case for Cyprus around the start of the 21st century, when Greece went into overdrive and eventually secured their first ESC win in 2005. Cyprus could revel in this achievement, since they and Greece are such best friends, but eventually you would want something for yourself no? This entry is the perfect metaphor for this, as even their own artist tried several times to be a part of the Greece train, and eventually trudged over to the less glamorous Cyprus hole (metaphorically, of course). But this entry roared Cyprus into life, really lighting up all of the competition. The song is “Fuego” and the performance is fire! To quote a “friend” of mine, “"Fuego" took the Eurovision stage by storm with its infectious beat, sultry choreography, and Foureira's magnetic charisma. The song's catchy hooks and memorable chorus made it an instant hit, not only during the competition but also in the broader music scene. Its success can be attributed to its ability to blend contemporary pop sensibilities with ethnic flair, appealing to a wide audience.” It was just such a vibe, such a bop, so infectious, it would almost be insulting if it didn’t finish top 3. Now, I cannot off the top of my head name Cypriot entries that would come close to this one, and if I tried I would accidentally name a Greek song instead. Even though it didn’t result in a win, it has resulted in one of the most recognizable ESC songs in the last decade, which I think Cyprus would take as well.
** This entry is ranked in the Top 50 of all ESC songs since 1975.

Moldova 2022 Zdob și Zdub and Advahov Brothers - Trenulețul

Contest Ranking: 7th (253 pts) My Ranking: 4th (481.542**)
What sweet redemption for the man who started it all for Moldova! Zdob și Zdub was the band that started it all for the country in 2005, with their song “Boonika bate doba”, which finished 6th that year. The band would come back 6 years later with the song “So Lucky” , which got a respectable 12th. The third time they came to this competition would be better than the last, and points wise would be the best they ever did. Here is the song, "Trenulețul", accompanied by the Advahov Brothers, another Moldovan based band. This song is quite simply infectious. Whether it is talking about a happy train ride from Chișinău to Bucharest, or a union between Romania and Moldova, I don’t care that much about. What I do care about is how upbeat and joyful it sounds! For a year that had a lot of slow, methodical, and emotionally charged songs, this one stands out for the energy it brought to the stage, especially in the form of one of the members dressing up in a red sweatshirt and backwards cap, dishing out lyrics like it was pizza! There actually isn’t much else I wanted to add to this, except for the fact that outside of Ukraine, it was the highest among televoters, which is why it shot up the list despite the fact it finished 7th. It’s just so much fun to see the band do so well in multiple contests in different decades, and for them to have as much fun as they did as well.
** This entry is ranked in the Top 50 of all ESC songs since 1975.

Australia 2016 Dami Im - Sound of Silence

Contest Ranking: 2nd (511 pts) My Ranking: 3rd (569.814**)
Australia 2015 (74th) Australia 2016 (Top 50)! What a strong start for Australia! (I find myself saying this for many countries, perhaps there is a correlation between the two) But yes, Australia proved why they weren’t just a special guest, they have been watching this competition for decades before joining, so of course they wanted to put their best foot forward. Their 2015 entry was very nice, but this one really puts into perspective how serious the country was taking this contest, with the song “Sound of Silence”, performed by Dami Im, who emigrated to Australia from South Korea when she was only nine. She apparently learned English from various Kylie Minogue songs, which sparked her quite frankly incredible career (so far). She came to prominence by winning Australia’s X Factor, which led to her releasing a number one album. In fact, she was the first person to have a number one single followed by a number one album, which is incredibly impressive. She came to international recognition, performing in multiple countries and on multiple TV shows, before being called up by SBS to represent Australia at Eurovision in 2016. In an interview before ESC, the head of the Australian delegation was asked about Im’s potential at this contest. He replied by saying that she is able to “feel an audience” and become a conductor of them, all intuitively. “She’s a lightning rod of emotion when she performs”, is part of what he said, and I cannot agree more! From the beginning, Im leads us on a musical journey (which is about love, of course), about how she is basically ghosted by her lover, and how she now has to awake to the “sound of silence” with them not being there for her. The build up in this song is fantastique, and the payoff of it is just magical! The way she sings the chorus, it’s just a rush of energy that goes through you everytime you hear it. She really commands a performance with her emotions, but she doesn’t let her emotions overtake the moment of the song, but rather her strong presence throughout the song. It’s quite breathtaking, and I do not know if I have heard a song like this before or since at this contest, it is quite remarkable. This song is jury bait, but they did take it, which ended up with her being at the top of the jury rankings. It was just the audience that didn’t connect with it quite as much as Ukraine or Russia, which is quite a shame, because it would have been cool for Australia to win on their 2nd try, something that was coincidentally done by Ukraine in 2004. Even though this song did not win, it really has established itself into the ESC lore for a country that still has so much left to write.
** This entry is ranked in the Top 50 of all ESC songs since 1975. *** And yes, Australia 2015 is ranked 74th of all ESC songs since 1975.

Portugal 2017 Salvador Sobral - Amar pelos dois

Contest Ranking: 1st (758 pts) My Ranking: 1st (838.952**)
Wow, what a way to end (what was at the time) the longest drought for a first time winner. Like I said before, Portugal have really just been meandering at this contest, insistent on establishing their own brand instead of following what was cool and trendy at the time. This explains the fact that before this year, Portugal had NEVER finished in the top 5, despite 53(!) years at this competition, let alone win it. But as they say, if you remain steadfast in your ways, eventually you’ll strike gold, and boy did they strike gold! Salvador Vilar Braamcamp Sobral, or quite simply Salvador Sobral, who represents a sort of old school vibe with his music, which is quite fitting, since he has a degree in music from a music school in Barcelona. He really didn’t come to prominence until 2016, when he released his first single called “Excuse Me” from his first album. Just one year later, he was competing at the Festival da Canção, a contest in which he would win, with a song called “Amar pelos dios”, which was written and composed by his sister, Luisa Sobral. This song broke many trends at this contest, with the most important belonging to Portugal, as they had the longest winless drought by a country before 2017. Another important trend that was bucked by this song is with language, as this was the song to break English’s stronghold at this contest, with 18 of the last 19 winning songs being performed in that language. But really, this song broke the trend of what could win at ESC, not just with language, It features a backing orchestra, which no other winning song since 1997 had, primarily due to the orchestras being disbanded after ‘97. It’s probably the slowest winning song since the earlier chanson days, but that is exactly why it won. With such slow songs like this one, you really have to make the audience pay attention to it, otherwise you run the risk of boring them, which would tank your score. But instead, this song is such a vibe, I can’t really put my finger on what makes it work so well. On the outside, it really is just more of the same for Portugal, with them singing a cultural Portuguese songs in Portuguese, but it’s the feel of the song, I think, that makes it special. No other song that year or really no other song in a long time really makes you feel like this one does. It’s such a unique tone, even if the message is one we have heard before (love). But really, it’s the way the song is delivered, in such a manner only Portugal can replicate, that makes it so special. That’s why we are seeing such a language boom in this contest, because the Sabrals and Portugal showed the rest of Europe the power of embracing your own culture to showcase something incredibly unique and prominent, which other countries have picked up on in recent years. In many ways, “Amar pelos dios” is Eurovision in a nutshell, or should I say, what Eurovision could be, which is a platform to demonstrate one’s talent and one’s country’s unique culture, even if it can be weird at some points. Wow, I did not think I had that much to say about this song, and that’s without saying that this is the first and only song in the post 2016 voting era to be first with BOTH the juries and televote, demonstrating the sheer power of regionality (or something like that). In other words, what a way to receive your first win, in the most Portugal way possible.
** This entry is ranked in the Top 50 of all ESC songs since 1975. *** This goes without saying, but this song received the most points of any song ever at ESC (of course points inflation has a lot to do with it)

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.

The Collect
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 105:1–22
Exodus 24
Gospel: Matthew 4:12–17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Commentary:
Matthew tends to put more emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry, and perhaps this emphasis was what led Matthew to place the Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of his Gospel; indeed, the verses selected for our study today form a sort of introduction to this teaching ministry. Chapter 4 prepares us to hear the Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing that Christ has brought us into the light (4:16), by calling us to repentance (4:17), by telling us about the call of the first disciples (4:18-22), and by giving Jesus’ teaching ministry precedence over his preaching and healing ministries (4:23).
“Several passages in the other gospels, especially in that of St. John, are supposed, in the order of the story of Christ's life, to intervene between his temptation and his preaching in Galilee. His first appearance after his temptation, was when John Baptist pointed to him, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, Joh_1:29. After that, he went up to Jerusalem, to the passover (Jn. 2), discoursed with Nicodemus (Jn. 3), with the woman of Samaria (Jn. 4), and then returned into Galilee, and preached there. But Matthew, having had his residence in Galilee, begins his story of Christ's public ministry with his preaching there, which here we have an account of.” (Henry)
“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;” (v. 12) Matthew has chosen to connect the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with the arrest of John the Baptist; and a careless reading of verse 12 robs the reader of important nuance.
“Now when Jesus had heard” serves to distance Jesus from John. He has been made aware of John’s situation from afar, Jesus not being a disciple or close associate or follower of John. In like manner John was not a disciple of Jesus either; John’s mission was to “Make ready the way of the Lord” and to “Make his paths straight” (3:3) and to baptize Jesus (3:13-17). John is a pivotal figure, the last of the old and the one chosen to introduce the new.
As you will recall, John the Baptist was seized and imprisoned by Herod Antipas—the puppet king installed by the Romans after his father’s death—because John had publicly called Herod to repentance for his many, many dalliances; particularly the one in which he divorced his wife, broke up the marriage of his own brother, so that he could marry his sister-in-law.
“he departed into Galilee” Again a careless reading of this verse might leave one with the idea that Jesus fled into Galilee so as to avoid Herod Antipas, but that would be an incorrect assumption as Herod also ruled over Galilee at the time, therefore Jesus would not have avoided arrest there. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus goes to Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 14).
Galilee is small (approximately 25 x 50 miles or 40 x 80 km) but has a large population (204 towns with populations of 15,000 or more people according to Josephus), so it provides opportunity for many people to hear Jesus’ message.
“Most of Jesus’ ministry will take place in Galilee. He returned from his baptism in the Judean wilderness at 4:12, and will remain in Galilee until he sets out for Judea at 19:1. He will work his first miracle at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). Almost all of his teaching and healing ministries will take place in Galilee. Peter will acknowledge him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in Galilee (Matthew 16:16). Jesus will go to Judea to die, but will return to Galilee after his resurrection (Matthew 26:32), and will deliver his Great Commission in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).” (Donovan)
“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (vs. 13-16)
Capernaum is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Nazareth, and is located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We are not told why Jesus moves to Capernaum. Perhaps it is because Peter’s home is there (8:14). Perhaps it is because Capernaum is larger than Nazareth and is located on a major trade route. Perhaps it is because Capernaum is located just across the Jordan River from the Decapolis, a Gentile region, and therefore has a large Gentile population. Jesus will do a good deal of ministry in Capernaum (8:5-15; 9:9; 13:2; Mark 1:21; 2:1-12; John 4:46-54), and Capernaum will be known as “his own city” (9:1). Nevertheless, he will pronounce judgment on it (11:23-24).
Yet “leaving Nazareth”, Jesus did not go to live and make His home in Jerusalem or Judea. Going to Jerusalem would seem to be smarter career planning for the Messiah, but Jesus dwelt in Capernaum. “This migration to Capernaum is not formally noted in the other Gospels, but Capernaum appears in all the synoptists as the main centre of Christ’s Galilean ministry.” (Bruce)
Matthew is concerned to show that Jesus fulfills prophecy. “This is the fifth of ten fulfillment quotations used by Matthew” (Hagner).
“ The prophecy that was fulfilled is this, v. 14-16. It is quoted from Isa. 9:1, 2, but with some variation. The prophet in that place is foretelling a greater darkness of affliction to befal the contemners of Immanuel, than befel the countries there mentioned, either in their first captivity under Benhadad, which was but light (1 Ki. 15:20), or in their second captivity under the Assyrian, which was much heavier, 2 Ki. 15:29. The punishment of the Jewish nation for rejecting the gospel should be sorer than either (see Isa. 8:21, 22); for those captivated places had some reviving in their bondage, and saw a great light again, ch. 9:2. This is Isaiah's sense; but the Scripture has many fulfillings; and the evangelist here takes only the latter clause, which speaks of the return of the light of liberty and prosperity to those countries that had been in the darkness of captivity, and applies it to the appearing of the gospel among them.” (Henry)
Zebulun and Naphtali are northern provinces (Capernaum is in Naphtali and Nazareth is in Zebulun), which fell to Tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.C., a full decade before the fall of the other provinces.
“Isaiah had prophesied, “There shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1; see also verses 2-7). Now that prophecy is fulfilled.” (Donovan)
“ by the way of the sea (Greek: hodon thalasses—literally “road to the sea”), beyond Jordan” (v. 15b). This “road to the sea” is a Roman road connecting Damascus (northeast of Capernaum) with Caesarea (southwest of Capernaum on the Mediterranean Sea), and is therefore a major trade route (Hagner).
“Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c). “When the Israelites first settled in Canaan, God said, “When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their figured stones, destroy all their cast images, and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:51-52). However, Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun (three of the five tribes that settled Galilee) failed to drive out the Gentiles, but instead dwelled in their midst (Judges 1:30-33). In addition, Galilee was surrounded on three sides by Gentiles—Phoenicians on the west along the Mediterranean coast, Aram/Syria to the north and northeast, and Bashan to the southeast. Major trade routes passed through Galilee, and it was often invaded. Galileans, therefore, had more dealings with Gentiles and were more open to new ideas than Judeans (Barclay, 66-67). This resulted in a certain amount of assimilation, which caused the scrupulous people of Judea to hold Galileans in disdain. ” (Donovan)
“Galilee of the Gentiles” Was now an even more appropriate description than in Isaiah’s day, as successive movements of population had given it a predominately Gentile population until a deliberate Judaizing policy was adopted by the Hasmonaean rulers, resulting in a thoroughly mixed population.” (France)
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (v. 16). This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:2. The people to whom Jesus brings his ministry have been sitting in darkness, but Jesus’ coming brings them great light.
“Matthew is saying that God has chosen “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c) to be the place where light will shine–rather than Judea, the home of the temple and the place where darkness will prevail at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:45).” (Donovan)
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 17) Jesus uses exactly the same words as John the Baptist (3:2). The core of Jesus’ preaching is congruent with the core of John’s preaching. It focuses on the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent” (v. 17b). “Repentance means a change of mind—turning and facing in a new direction—preparation for kingdom life. Scholars disagree with regard to the emotion behind it. Boring says that it does not involve sorrow or remorse (Boring, 167), but Johnson notes that “in the LXX (the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures) it often stands for a Hebrew word meaning ‘to grieve for one’s sins'” (Johnson, 7). Perhaps the two ideas are not so far apart. We do not easily change the direction of our lives unless we are dissatisfied with life as it is and hopeful about life as it might be. Sorrow for sin provides the dissatisfaction that sparks change.” (Donovan)
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand; for it was not reckoned to be fully come, till that pouring out of the Spirit after Christ's ascension. John had preached the kingdom of heaven at hand above a year before this; but now it was so much the stronger; now is the salvation nearer, Rom. 13:11. We should be so much the more quickened to our duty, as we see the day approaching, Heb. 10:25.” (Henry)
Jesus tells us that this kingdom has come near. We catch glimpses of it in the lives of saintly people for whom the kingdom has truly come. We see their quiet strength and feel their gentle touch. In telling us that the kingdom has come near, Jesus is telling us that we can dwell in this kingdom. We have only to repent—to turn away from the idols that crowd our lives—to let God reign.
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.
Mike Rowe

The Collect
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 105:1–22
Exodus 24
Gospel: Matthew 4:12–17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Commentary:
Matthew tends to put more emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry, and perhaps this emphasis was what led Matthew to place the Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of his Gospel; indeed, the verses selected for our study today form a sort of introduction to this teaching ministry. Chapter 4 prepares us to hear the Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing that Christ has brought us into the light (4:16), by calling us to repentance (4:17), by telling us about the call of the first disciples (4:18-22), and by giving Jesus’ teaching ministry precedence over his preaching and healing ministries (4:23).
“Several passages in the other gospels, especially in that of St. John, are supposed, in the order of the story of Christ's life, to intervene between his temptation and his preaching in Galilee. His first appearance after his temptation, was when John Baptist pointed to him, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, Joh_1:29. After that, he went up to Jerusalem, to the passover (Jn. 2), discoursed with Nicodemus (Jn. 3), with the woman of Samaria (Jn. 4), and then returned into Galilee, and preached there. But Matthew, having had his residence in Galilee, begins his story of Christ's public ministry with his preaching there, which here we have an account of.” (Henry)
“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;” (v. 12) Matthew has chosen to connect the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with the arrest of John the Baptist; and a careless reading of verse 12 robs the reader of important nuance.
“Now when Jesus had heard” serves to distance Jesus from John. He has been made aware of John’s situation from afar, Jesus not being a disciple or close associate or follower of John. In like manner John was not a disciple of Jesus either; John’s mission was to “Make ready the way of the Lord” and to “Make his paths straight” (3:3) and to baptize Jesus (3:13-17). John is a pivotal figure, the last of the old and the one chosen to introduce the new.
As you will recall, John the Baptist was seized and imprisoned by Herod Antipas—the puppet king installed by the Romans after his father’s death—because John had publicly called Herod to repentance for his many, many dalliances; particularly the one in which he divorced his wife, broke up the marriage of his own brother, so that he could marry his sister-in-law.
“he departed into Galilee” Again a careless reading of this verse might leave one with the idea that Jesus fled into Galilee so as to avoid Herod Antipas, but that would be an incorrect assumption as Herod also ruled over Galilee at the time, therefore Jesus would not have avoided arrest there. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus goes to Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 14).
Galilee is small (approximately 25 x 50 miles or 40 x 80 km) but has a large population (204 towns with populations of 15,000 or more people according to Josephus), so it provides opportunity for many people to hear Jesus’ message.
“Most of Jesus’ ministry will take place in Galilee. He returned from his baptism in the Judean wilderness at 4:12, and will remain in Galilee until he sets out for Judea at 19:1. He will work his first miracle at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). Almost all of his teaching and healing ministries will take place in Galilee. Peter will acknowledge him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in Galilee (Matthew 16:16). Jesus will go to Judea to die, but will return to Galilee after his resurrection (Matthew 26:32), and will deliver his Great Commission in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).” (Donovan)
“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (vs. 13-16)
Capernaum is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Nazareth, and is located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We are not told why Jesus moves to Capernaum. Perhaps it is because Peter’s home is there (8:14). Perhaps it is because Capernaum is larger than Nazareth and is located on a major trade route. Perhaps it is because Capernaum is located just across the Jordan River from the Decapolis, a Gentile region, and therefore has a large Gentile population. Jesus will do a good deal of ministry in Capernaum (8:5-15; 9:9; 13:2; Mark 1:21; 2:1-12; John 4:46-54), and Capernaum will be known as “his own city” (9:1). Nevertheless, he will pronounce judgment on it (11:23-24).
Yet “leaving Nazareth”, Jesus did not go to live and make His home in Jerusalem or Judea. Going to Jerusalem would seem to be smarter career planning for the Messiah, but Jesus dwelt in Capernaum. “This migration to Capernaum is not formally noted in the other Gospels, but Capernaum appears in all the synoptists as the main centre of Christ’s Galilean ministry.” (Bruce)
Matthew is concerned to show that Jesus fulfills prophecy. “This is the fifth of ten fulfillment quotations used by Matthew” (Hagner).
“ The prophecy that was fulfilled is this, v. 14-16. It is quoted from Isa. 9:1, 2, but with some variation. The prophet in that place is foretelling a greater darkness of affliction to befal the contemners of Immanuel, than befel the countries there mentioned, either in their first captivity under Benhadad, which was but light (1 Ki. 15:20), or in their second captivity under the Assyrian, which was much heavier, 2 Ki. 15:29. The punishment of the Jewish nation for rejecting the gospel should be sorer than either (see Isa. 8:21, 22); for those captivated places had some reviving in their bondage, and saw a great light again, ch. 9:2. This is Isaiah's sense; but the Scripture has many fulfillings; and the evangelist here takes only the latter clause, which speaks of the return of the light of liberty and prosperity to those countries that had been in the darkness of captivity, and applies it to the appearing of the gospel among them.” (Henry)
Zebulun and Naphtali are northern provinces (Capernaum is in Naphtali and Nazareth is in Zebulun), which fell to Tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.C., a full decade before the fall of the other provinces.
“Isaiah had prophesied, “There shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1; see also verses 2-7). Now that prophecy is fulfilled.” (Donovan)
“ by the way of the sea (Greek: hodon thalasses—literally “road to the sea”), beyond Jordan” (v. 15b). This “road to the sea” is a Roman road connecting Damascus (northeast of Capernaum) with Caesarea (southwest of Capernaum on the Mediterranean Sea), and is therefore a major trade route (Hagner).
“Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c). “When the Israelites first settled in Canaan, God said, “When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their figured stones, destroy all their cast images, and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:51-52). However, Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun (three of the five tribes that settled Galilee) failed to drive out the Gentiles, but instead dwelled in their midst (Judges 1:30-33). In addition, Galilee was surrounded on three sides by Gentiles—Phoenicians on the west along the Mediterranean coast, Aram/Syria to the north and northeast, and Bashan to the southeast. Major trade routes passed through Galilee, and it was often invaded. Galileans, therefore, had more dealings with Gentiles and were more open to new ideas than Judeans (Barclay, 66-67). This resulted in a certain amount of assimilation, which caused the scrupulous people of Judea to hold Galileans in disdain. ” (Donovan)
“Galilee of the Gentiles” Was now an even more appropriate description than in Isaiah’s day, as successive movements of population had given it a predominately Gentile population until a deliberate Judaizing policy was adopted by the Hasmonaean rulers, resulting in a thoroughly mixed population.” (France)
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (v. 16). This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:2. The people to whom Jesus brings his ministry have been sitting in darkness, but Jesus’ coming brings them great light.
“Matthew is saying that God has chosen “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c) to be the place where light will shine–rather than Judea, the home of the temple and the place where darkness will prevail at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:45).” (Donovan)
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 17) Jesus uses exactly the same words as John the Baptist (3:2). The core of Jesus’ preaching is congruent with the core of John’s preaching. It focuses on the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent” (v. 17b). “Repentance means a change of mind—turning and facing in a new direction—preparation for kingdom life. Scholars disagree with regard to the emotion behind it. Boring says that it does not involve sorrow or remorse (Boring, 167), but Johnson notes that “in the LXX (the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures) it often stands for a Hebrew word meaning ‘to grieve for one’s sins'” (Johnson, 7). Perhaps the two ideas are not so far apart. We do not easily change the direction of our lives unless we are dissatisfied with life as it is and hopeful about life as it might be. Sorrow for sin provides the dissatisfaction that sparks change.” (Donovan)
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand; for it was not reckoned to be fully come, till that pouring out of the Spirit after Christ's ascension. John had preached the kingdom of heaven at hand above a year before this; but now it was so much the stronger; now is the salvation nearer, Rom. 13:11. We should be so much the more quickened to our duty, as we see the day approaching, Heb. 10:25.” (Henry)
Jesus tells us that this kingdom has come near. We catch glimpses of it in the lives of saintly people for whom the kingdom has truly come. We see their quiet strength and feel their gentle touch. In telling us that the kingdom has come near, Jesus is telling us that we can dwell in this kingdom. We have only to repent—to turn away from the idols that crowd our lives—to let God reign.
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.
Mike Rowe

The Collect
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 105:1–22
Exodus 24
Gospel: Matthew 4:12–17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Commentary:
Matthew tends to put more emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry, and perhaps this emphasis was what led Matthew to place the Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of his Gospel; indeed, the verses selected for our study today form a sort of introduction to this teaching ministry. Chapter 4 prepares us to hear the Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing that Christ has brought us into the light (4:16), by calling us to repentance (4:17), by telling us about the call of the first disciples (4:18-22), and by giving Jesus’ teaching ministry precedence over his preaching and healing ministries (4:23).
“Several passages in the other gospels, especially in that of St. John, are supposed, in the order of the story of Christ's life, to intervene between his temptation and his preaching in Galilee. His first appearance after his temptation, was when John Baptist pointed to him, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, Joh_1:29. After that, he went up to Jerusalem, to the passover (Jn. 2), discoursed with Nicodemus (Jn. 3), with the woman of Samaria (Jn. 4), and then returned into Galilee, and preached there. But Matthew, having had his residence in Galilee, begins his story of Christ's public ministry with his preaching there, which here we have an account of.” (Henry)
“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;” (v. 12) Matthew has chosen to connect the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with the arrest of John the Baptist; and a careless reading of verse 12 robs the reader of important nuance.
“Now when Jesus had heard” serves to distance Jesus from John. He has been made aware of John’s situation from afar, Jesus not being a disciple or close associate or follower of John. In like manner John was not a disciple of Jesus either; John’s mission was to “Make ready the way of the Lord” and to “Make his paths straight” (3:3) and to baptize Jesus (3:13-17). John is a pivotal figure, the last of the old and the one chosen to introduce the new.
As you will recall, John the Baptist was seized and imprisoned by Herod Antipas—the puppet king installed by the Romans after his father’s death—because John had publicly called Herod to repentance for his many, many dalliances; particularly the one in which he divorced his wife, broke up the marriage of his own brother, so that he could marry his sister-in-law.
“he departed into Galilee” Again a careless reading of this verse might leave one with the idea that Jesus fled into Galilee so as to avoid Herod Antipas, but that would be an incorrect assumption as Herod also ruled over Galilee at the time, therefore Jesus would not have avoided arrest there. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus goes to Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 14).
Galilee is small (approximately 25 x 50 miles or 40 x 80 km) but has a large population (204 towns with populations of 15,000 or more people according to Josephus), so it provides opportunity for many people to hear Jesus’ message.
“Most of Jesus’ ministry will take place in Galilee. He returned from his baptism in the Judean wilderness at 4:12, and will remain in Galilee until he sets out for Judea at 19:1. He will work his first miracle at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). Almost all of his teaching and healing ministries will take place in Galilee. Peter will acknowledge him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in Galilee (Matthew 16:16). Jesus will go to Judea to die, but will return to Galilee after his resurrection (Matthew 26:32), and will deliver his Great Commission in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).” (Donovan)
“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (vs. 13-16)
Capernaum is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Nazareth, and is located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We are not told why Jesus moves to Capernaum. Perhaps it is because Peter’s home is there (8:14). Perhaps it is because Capernaum is larger than Nazareth and is located on a major trade route. Perhaps it is because Capernaum is located just across the Jordan River from the Decapolis, a Gentile region, and therefore has a large Gentile population. Jesus will do a good deal of ministry in Capernaum (8:5-15; 9:9; 13:2; Mark 1:21; 2:1-12; John 4:46-54), and Capernaum will be known as “his own city” (9:1). Nevertheless, he will pronounce judgment on it (11:23-24).
Yet “leaving Nazareth”, Jesus did not go to live and make His home in Jerusalem or Judea. Going to Jerusalem would seem to be smarter career planning for the Messiah, but Jesus dwelt in Capernaum. “This migration to Capernaum is not formally noted in the other Gospels, but Capernaum appears in all the synoptists as the main centre of Christ’s Galilean ministry.” (Bruce)
Matthew is concerned to show that Jesus fulfills prophecy. “This is the fifth of ten fulfillment quotations used by Matthew” (Hagner).
“ The prophecy that was fulfilled is this, v. 14-16. It is quoted from Isa. 9:1, 2, but with some variation. The prophet in that place is foretelling a greater darkness of affliction to befal the contemners of Immanuel, than befel the countries there mentioned, either in their first captivity under Benhadad, which was but light (1 Ki. 15:20), or in their second captivity under the Assyrian, which was much heavier, 2 Ki. 15:29. The punishment of the Jewish nation for rejecting the gospel should be sorer than either (see Isa. 8:21, 22); for those captivated places had some reviving in their bondage, and saw a great light again, ch. 9:2. This is Isaiah's sense; but the Scripture has many fulfillings; and the evangelist here takes only the latter clause, which speaks of the return of the light of liberty and prosperity to those countries that had been in the darkness of captivity, and applies it to the appearing of the gospel among them.” (Henry)
Zebulun and Naphtali are northern provinces (Capernaum is in Naphtali and Nazareth is in Zebulun), which fell to Tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.C., a full decade before the fall of the other provinces.
“Isaiah had prophesied, “There shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1; see also verses 2-7). Now that prophecy is fulfilled.” (Donovan)
“ by the way of the sea (Greek: hodon thalasses—literally “road to the sea”), beyond Jordan” (v. 15b). This “road to the sea” is a Roman road connecting Damascus (northeast of Capernaum) with Caesarea (southwest of Capernaum on the Mediterranean Sea), and is therefore a major trade route (Hagner).
“Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c). “When the Israelites first settled in Canaan, God said, “When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their figured stones, destroy all their cast images, and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:51-52). However, Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun (three of the five tribes that settled Galilee) failed to drive out the Gentiles, but instead dwelled in their midst (Judges 1:30-33). In addition, Galilee was surrounded on three sides by Gentiles—Phoenicians on the west along the Mediterranean coast, Aram/Syria to the north and northeast, and Bashan to the southeast. Major trade routes passed through Galilee, and it was often invaded. Galileans, therefore, had more dealings with Gentiles and were more open to new ideas than Judeans (Barclay, 66-67). This resulted in a certain amount of assimilation, which caused the scrupulous people of Judea to hold Galileans in disdain. ” (Donovan)
“Galilee of the Gentiles” Was now an even more appropriate description than in Isaiah’s day, as successive movements of population had given it a predominately Gentile population until a deliberate Judaizing policy was adopted by the Hasmonaean rulers, resulting in a thoroughly mixed population.” (France)
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (v. 16). This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:2. The people to whom Jesus brings his ministry have been sitting in darkness, but Jesus’ coming brings them great light.
“Matthew is saying that God has chosen “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c) to be the place where light will shine–rather than Judea, the home of the temple and the place where darkness will prevail at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:45).” (Donovan)
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 17) Jesus uses exactly the same words as John the Baptist (3:2). The core of Jesus’ preaching is congruent with the core of John’s preaching. It focuses on the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent” (v. 17b). “Repentance means a change of mind—turning and facing in a new direction—preparation for kingdom life. Scholars disagree with regard to the emotion behind it. Boring says that it does not involve sorrow or remorse (Boring, 167), but Johnson notes that “in the LXX (the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures) it often stands for a Hebrew word meaning ‘to grieve for one’s sins'” (Johnson, 7). Perhaps the two ideas are not so far apart. We do not easily change the direction of our lives unless we are dissatisfied with life as it is and hopeful about life as it might be. Sorrow for sin provides the dissatisfaction that sparks change.” (Donovan)
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand; for it was not reckoned to be fully come, till that pouring out of the Spirit after Christ's ascension. John had preached the kingdom of heaven at hand above a year before this; but now it was so much the stronger; now is the salvation nearer, Rom. 13:11. We should be so much the more quickened to our duty, as we see the day approaching, Heb. 10:25.” (Henry)
Jesus tells us that this kingdom has come near. We catch glimpses of it in the lives of saintly people for whom the kingdom has truly come. We see their quiet strength and feel their gentle touch. In telling us that the kingdom has come near, Jesus is telling us that we can dwell in this kingdom. We have only to repent—to turn away from the idols that crowd our lives—to let God reign.
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.
Mike Rowe

The Collect
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 105:1–22
Exodus 24
Gospel: Matthew 4:12–17
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Commentary:
Matthew tends to put more emphasis on Jesus’ teaching ministry, and perhaps this emphasis was what led Matthew to place the Sermon on the Mount near the beginning of his Gospel; indeed, the verses selected for our study today form a sort of introduction to this teaching ministry. Chapter 4 prepares us to hear the Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing that Christ has brought us into the light (4:16), by calling us to repentance (4:17), by telling us about the call of the first disciples (4:18-22), and by giving Jesus’ teaching ministry precedence over his preaching and healing ministries (4:23).
“Several passages in the other gospels, especially in that of St. John, are supposed, in the order of the story of Christ's life, to intervene between his temptation and his preaching in Galilee. His first appearance after his temptation, was when John Baptist pointed to him, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, Joh_1:29. After that, he went up to Jerusalem, to the passover (Jn. 2), discoursed with Nicodemus (Jn. 3), with the woman of Samaria (Jn. 4), and then returned into Galilee, and preached there. But Matthew, having had his residence in Galilee, begins his story of Christ's public ministry with his preaching there, which here we have an account of.” (Henry)
“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;” (v. 12) Matthew has chosen to connect the beginning of Jesus’ ministry with the arrest of John the Baptist; and a careless reading of verse 12 robs the reader of important nuance.
“Now when Jesus had heard” serves to distance Jesus from John. He has been made aware of John’s situation from afar, Jesus not being a disciple or close associate or follower of John. In like manner John was not a disciple of Jesus either; John’s mission was to “Make ready the way of the Lord” and to “Make his paths straight” (3:3) and to baptize Jesus (3:13-17). John is a pivotal figure, the last of the old and the one chosen to introduce the new.
As you will recall, John the Baptist was seized and imprisoned by Herod Antipas—the puppet king installed by the Romans after his father’s death—because John had publicly called Herod to repentance for his many, many dalliances; particularly the one in which he divorced his wife, broke up the marriage of his own brother, so that he could marry his sister-in-law.
“he departed into Galilee” Again a careless reading of this verse might leave one with the idea that Jesus fled into Galilee so as to avoid Herod Antipas, but that would be an incorrect assumption as Herod also ruled over Galilee at the time, therefore Jesus would not have avoided arrest there. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus goes to Galilee as a fulfillment of prophecy (v. 14).
Galilee is small (approximately 25 x 50 miles or 40 x 80 km) but has a large population (204 towns with populations of 15,000 or more people according to Josephus), so it provides opportunity for many people to hear Jesus’ message.
“Most of Jesus’ ministry will take place in Galilee. He returned from his baptism in the Judean wilderness at 4:12, and will remain in Galilee until he sets out for Judea at 19:1. He will work his first miracle at Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11). Almost all of his teaching and healing ministries will take place in Galilee. Peter will acknowledge him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” in Galilee (Matthew 16:16). Jesus will go to Judea to die, but will return to Galilee after his resurrection (Matthew 26:32), and will deliver his Great Commission in Galilee (Matthew 28:16-20).” (Donovan)
“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (vs. 13-16)
Capernaum is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Nazareth, and is located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. We are not told why Jesus moves to Capernaum. Perhaps it is because Peter’s home is there (8:14). Perhaps it is because Capernaum is larger than Nazareth and is located on a major trade route. Perhaps it is because Capernaum is located just across the Jordan River from the Decapolis, a Gentile region, and therefore has a large Gentile population. Jesus will do a good deal of ministry in Capernaum (8:5-15; 9:9; 13:2; Mark 1:21; 2:1-12; John 4:46-54), and Capernaum will be known as “his own city” (9:1). Nevertheless, he will pronounce judgment on it (11:23-24).
Yet “leaving Nazareth”, Jesus did not go to live and make His home in Jerusalem or Judea. Going to Jerusalem would seem to be smarter career planning for the Messiah, but Jesus dwelt in Capernaum. “This migration to Capernaum is not formally noted in the other Gospels, but Capernaum appears in all the synoptists as the main centre of Christ’s Galilean ministry.” (Bruce)
Matthew is concerned to show that Jesus fulfills prophecy. “This is the fifth of ten fulfillment quotations used by Matthew” (Hagner).
“ The prophecy that was fulfilled is this, v. 14-16. It is quoted from Isa. 9:1, 2, but with some variation. The prophet in that place is foretelling a greater darkness of affliction to befal the contemners of Immanuel, than befel the countries there mentioned, either in their first captivity under Benhadad, which was but light (1 Ki. 15:20), or in their second captivity under the Assyrian, which was much heavier, 2 Ki. 15:29. The punishment of the Jewish nation for rejecting the gospel should be sorer than either (see Isa. 8:21, 22); for those captivated places had some reviving in their bondage, and saw a great light again, ch. 9:2. This is Isaiah's sense; but the Scripture has many fulfillings; and the evangelist here takes only the latter clause, which speaks of the return of the light of liberty and prosperity to those countries that had been in the darkness of captivity, and applies it to the appearing of the gospel among them.” (Henry)
Zebulun and Naphtali are northern provinces (Capernaum is in Naphtali and Nazareth is in Zebulun), which fell to Tiglath-pileser III in 732 B.C., a full decade before the fall of the other provinces.
“Isaiah had prophesied, “There shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (Isaiah 9:1; see also verses 2-7). Now that prophecy is fulfilled.” (Donovan)
“ by the way of the sea (Greek: hodon thalasses—literally “road to the sea”), beyond Jordan” (v. 15b). This “road to the sea” is a Roman road connecting Damascus (northeast of Capernaum) with Caesarea (southwest of Capernaum on the Mediterranean Sea), and is therefore a major trade route (Hagner).
“Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c). “When the Israelites first settled in Canaan, God said, “When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their figured stones, destroy all their cast images, and demolish all their high places” (Numbers 33:51-52). However, Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun (three of the five tribes that settled Galilee) failed to drive out the Gentiles, but instead dwelled in their midst (Judges 1:30-33). In addition, Galilee was surrounded on three sides by Gentiles—Phoenicians on the west along the Mediterranean coast, Aram/Syria to the north and northeast, and Bashan to the southeast. Major trade routes passed through Galilee, and it was often invaded. Galileans, therefore, had more dealings with Gentiles and were more open to new ideas than Judeans (Barclay, 66-67). This resulted in a certain amount of assimilation, which caused the scrupulous people of Judea to hold Galileans in disdain. ” (Donovan)
“Galilee of the Gentiles” Was now an even more appropriate description than in Isaiah’s day, as successive movements of population had given it a predominately Gentile population until a deliberate Judaizing policy was adopted by the Hasmonaean rulers, resulting in a thoroughly mixed population.” (France)
“The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” (v. 16). This is a quotation from Isaiah 9:2. The people to whom Jesus brings his ministry have been sitting in darkness, but Jesus’ coming brings them great light.
“Matthew is saying that God has chosen “Galilee of the Gentiles” (v. 15c) to be the place where light will shine–rather than Judea, the home of the temple and the place where darkness will prevail at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 27:45).” (Donovan)
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 17) Jesus uses exactly the same words as John the Baptist (3:2). The core of Jesus’ preaching is congruent with the core of John’s preaching. It focuses on the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Repent” (v. 17b). “Repentance means a change of mind—turning and facing in a new direction—preparation for kingdom life. Scholars disagree with regard to the emotion behind it. Boring says that it does not involve sorrow or remorse (Boring, 167), but Johnson notes that “in the LXX (the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures) it often stands for a Hebrew word meaning ‘to grieve for one’s sins'” (Johnson, 7). Perhaps the two ideas are not so far apart. We do not easily change the direction of our lives unless we are dissatisfied with life as it is and hopeful about life as it might be. Sorrow for sin provides the dissatisfaction that sparks change.” (Donovan)
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand; for it was not reckoned to be fully come, till that pouring out of the Spirit after Christ's ascension. John had preached the kingdom of heaven at hand above a year before this; but now it was so much the stronger; now is the salvation nearer, Rom. 13:11. We should be so much the more quickened to our duty, as we see the day approaching, Heb. 10:25.” (Henry)
Jesus tells us that this kingdom has come near. We catch glimpses of it in the lives of saintly people for whom the kingdom has truly come. We see their quiet strength and feel their gentle touch. In telling us that the kingdom has come near, Jesus is telling us that we can dwell in this kingdom. We have only to repent—to turn away from the idols that crowd our lives—to let God reign.
Benediction
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Thought for the Day:
The skills gap is a reflection of what we value. To close the gap, we need to change the way the country feels about work.
Mike Rowe

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.

Las Nevadas merch giveaway

This reddit post goes into detail, explaing how at least eight out of eleven winners of the Las Nevadas merch giveaway never received their prizes. It's both likely and possible NONE of the giveaway winners received their prizes. (Link)
Quackity has been made aware of the problems with the giveaway merch shipments. PDL, a CC who edited part of the Las Nevadas videos for Quackity, was supposed to receive merch as payment. In order to receive the merch he was asked to fill out the giveaway winners form, so he would be sent his free merch alongside the other free merch being shipped out to the giveaway winners. After over a year had passed without his merch being delivered, PDL reached out to Quackity about the problem and Quackity resolved his issue (Link). Meanwhile, the actual giveaway merch winners are still waiting.
Today (April 11th, 2024) one of the people whose threads were linked to in that Reddit post has Tweeted that they STILL have not received their merch or gotten a response from the merch company. (Link)

Other giveaways

The winners of random Twitter giveaways and the Las Nevadas Quest have also struggled to receive their prizes. The OP of the previously mentioned Reddit post has compiled screenshots of people complaining they have not received their giveaway merch (Link). PDL has also talked about this issue on stream (Link). He also Tweeted out an image of one of the spreadsheets he showed on stream (Link).

General issues with merch

There are many instances of people saying their Quackity merch that they bought normally and paid for never arriving. When attempting to contact customer service, they are sent copy paste messages from "Rachel," and are not able to get their concerns addressed.
Here are some examples of this exact thing from Twitter: @mysticmistakee (Link) @Similish4 (Link)
PDL has talked about this same thing happening to him, including having "Rachel" respond to him (Link). PDL brought the issues with the merch to Quackity's attention by contacting Quackity's direct employee in charge of merch (Link). He thought this would help since he'd personally contacted Quackity about merch before and Quackity's merch person fixed his problem. Although in that clip he says it was resolved, he later learned the problem he'd had actually never been fixed. (Link)
There are also issues with merch arriving damaged, as PDL talks about on stream. The damage cannot merely be attributed to shipping, some of it is caused by intentional packing choices which are careless and destructive, such as folding posters (Link).
There's some speculation that the gold colored glasses sold as Quackity merch were being deceptively labeled "Made In Italy" to hide immoral labor practices (Link).
This Twitter thread by @evieisalilevil lists many individual examples of people having problems with Quackity's merch company (Link)

Quackity owns his merch company

Reading the previous complaints about Quackity's merch, one might argue that this is out of Quackity's control because like most Youtubers he relies on a third party company... right? Wrong. Quackity actually owns his merch company, however has hid this fact to avoid being held accountable for his shady and corrupt business practices.
While Five Hills, the merch company, claims to work with multiple creators, Quackity is the only creator ever known to have worked with Five Hills. The empty website additionally provides no information by which creators could contact them if they wanted to go into businesses with Five Hills (Link). This shows how Quackity is hiding the fact it is his personal merch company by pretending it is a larger business hosting multiple creators.
Very little information is available on Five Hills online, other than its Better Business Bureau page (Link). When you look up the registered address for the company listed on Better Business Bureau (16 Technology Dr Ste 167, Irvine, CA 92618-2328), it's a storage container. This same storage container can be seen in Quackity's video "I Played Mario Kart in Real Life" (Link). This definitively links Five Hills's ownership to Quackity.
This means that all of the scam giveaways and shady practices are all Quackity's responsibility, and the unethical business practices are his choice.

Worker's rights abuses on the QSMP

French QSMP admin @Leasagne_ speaking out (Link).
French QSMP admin @ibobiduo speaking out (Link).
French QSMP admin @Gaelleilei speaking out (Link)
QSMP web developer @Bipeo_dev speaking out (Link)
Writer for Quackity Studios @lionheartedmuse speaking out (Link)
Pomme's admin @Lumi_Pomme speaking out (Link)
Dapper's admin @Dapper_no speaking out (Link)
QSMP updates Portuguese admin Luh speaking out (Link)
Former QSMP admin Léa's interview with Nat_ali English transcript (Link)
QSMP builder @DIMITRI3theboy speaking out (Link)
QSMP translator @VeniGamiz speaking out (Link)
QSMP writer @sweevanna speaking out (Link)
Modeler and head writer for the QSMP @Elkcrown speaking out (Link)
Common themes: - Close deadlines: QSMP workers were given sudden, extremely close deadlines, forcing them to rush and pull all-nighters to get the work done - Overworked: Workers were given heavy workloads. They were regularly stretched thin, often doing the work of multiple people, driving them to burnout. - Poor communication: Workers were kept out of the loop on important changes to the server and even serious controveries such as the Forever situation. Workers often had no ability to directly contact upper management and struggled to get in contact with and get info from their own supervisors. They weren't given contact with other teams working on the QSMP or the content creators. Getting information about work was a challenge. - Being silenced: Workers were threatened with NDAs to keep them silent about work conditions. They were not allowed to talk to eachother about wages. They were not allowed to talk about the serious and criminal behavior of QSMP CCs such as Wilbur, even on their private personal accounts. They were also told they could not re-tweet support for Palestine even on private personal accounts, though they ignored this order and it was not enforced. - False promises of payment: Workers were given fall promises of receiving payment for their work, being upgraded to a paid position, or getting a raise. - Unpaid and underpaid work: The QSMP is built off of "volunteer" workers who were held the expectations of paid employees while not making a cent. Even paid employees were paid below minimum wage, and did additional work for the QSMP outside of their job descriptions that they did not receive extra payment for. - Doing multiple jobs: Workers who applied for and were hired for one role were expected to do work outside their job descriptions.
If you are thinking this is not a big deal, you can hear it from the French Union instead:

• QSMP - Call for testimonies (Link)
• QSMP - Let's strike against abusive working conditions (Link)
• QSMP - Summary of the situation (Link)
• QSMP - Harassment of workers (Link)

Also note that despite the French Union's repeated invitations for Quackity to contact them, as of April 13th, 2024, Quackity has still made no effort to contact the union, even though their first post about the QSMP was over a month ago.

Quackity's brother

Quackity's brother was accused of grooming several years ago. I was not part of the fandom when this originally went down, and so I don't know the full story to feel confident making a judgement on the legitimacy of these allegations. I leave relevant threads here for anyone to form their own opinons.
Compilation of allegations against Roscripts (Link)
Roscripts's Twitlonger responding to the allegations (Link)
People have been speculating that Quackity's brother, Roscripts, is currently the co-owner of the QSMP.
A Reddit post on the topic (Link)
A Twitter thread on the topic (Link)
Quackity has denied that Roscripts is involved in the QSMP (Link).

Responses

In Quackity's first response, he claims to be ignorant of the worker's abuses, says he's just now catching up on things, and that he hasn't been involved with his team. In he second response, he changes the narrative. In his second response he says he was a day away from fixing the problem before it was aired out for no reason. Which is it?
The admins have tried on multiple occasions to privately have the issues within the QSMP addressed, and they were ignored (Link). They could barely get communication from their own supervisors, much less Quackity himself. Regardless, handling things in private is for interpersonal drama not for actual CRIMES. When you violate the law you SHOULD be held responsible in court. It's not some sad, unfortunate scenario that Quackity is being forced to take responsibility for the worker's rights violations. That's the system working as it should. Quackity's just upset the law is FINALLY catching up to him after years of his shady business practices.
And as for the restructuring Quackity was doing? The big fixes to the server? It was suddenly firing a bunch of workers (Link).
I find excuses about Quackity's age rather lame when there have been several other CCs his around his age or younger who run their own businesses and servers and have never had something this extreme happen. Almost like it's easy to not abuse your workers and not break the law... And as much as it's terrible that Quackity is facing harassment, his sudden care about doxxing rings hollow. Quackity has ignored people asking him to do anything to calm his rabid fanbase, even when a CC who was receiving extreme IRL harassment tried talking to Quackity about his fanbase. Here are some examples of how the worst of Quackity's fanbase behaves (Link).
Quackity withdrawing from running the QSMP is a good thing because he clearly cannot handle managing it in a responsible and ethical way.

Oh my God was this list hard to rank 😅 I took about I would say at least 15 hours of my time into this and all of that was just to rank them at a certain level without much to say. First off we have about 8 Tiers from F,D,C,B,A,S,SS, and Premium though I barely put much into their. Remember this is just an opinion so don't take too harshly if your favorite episode isn't high on my list. For some episodes I may not say much or anything since this was too long originally.
F Tier, these are my least favorite episodes and most likely I have a vendetta against them in some way that made it hard for me to like them

1. S2 Ep 8 Nebraska- I hate Lori and I think this episode expresses it, most definitely a vendetta. I didn't exactly like the stuff with Hershel and recovering though it was okay, but lori made some questionable decisions to go off on her own to look for Rick even though she should know he's fine seriously. She wrecks a car and then barely dies from a walker, mind you she is pregnant and shouldn't do these things easily my least favorite episode.
   
2. S10 Ep 21 Diverged- I honestly forget this episode so much since it has nothing truly interesting or important to the story
   
3. S7 Ep 6 Swear- this episode feels slow paced and dull due to oceanside being not seen well for me and I feel like Tara put on the best performance she could for it.
   
4. S8 Ep 2 The Damned- this episode to me was just a lot of action and in the walking dead I don't want that. We see a couple of characters die (including Francine 🪦 I absolutely loved her character and hate how she died here :[ mindless) Erics death started here, but it just wasn't impactful enough.
   
5. S3 Ep 11 I Ain't a Judas- Andrea is a boring character in the show and I hate her in this episode. The focus should've been on the prison honestly and maybe If she killed the Governor I would've understood her more.
   
6. S10 Ep 20 Splinter- if most of the episode was real I would've loved it, but they weren't...
   
7. S3 Ep 5 Say the Word- Andrea just isnt much good in this episode and Rick going crazy wasn't a fun idea to me.
   
8. S8 Ep 3 Monsters- aside from the one fight with Rick I really didn't care much for it again for the fighting and having Morales return and die felt out of place.
   
9. S2 Ep 2 Bloodletting- the group searching for Sophia was okay for a concept, but this episode was okay and went slow paced for me until the end.
   

D Tier, moving on these episodes were for me mostly just forgettable or boring so I won't say much except they weren't all bad

1. S1 Ep 3 Tell it to the frogs- first off S1 won't be all high because I'm ranking EVERY episode, but this one felt slow in pace more as well compared to the last two. Shane was a badass though.
   
2. S11 Ep 3 Hunted- Forgettable... Not much to say.
   
3. S5 Ep 11 The Distance- Forgot entirely this was an episode, after rewatch still don't like it except for Aaron.
   
4. S2 Ep 9 Trigger finger- It was a bit better than Nebraska, mostly cause of the Randel scenes.
   
5. S7 Ep 14 The Other Side- Sasha somewhat makes a noble decision.
   

163-162. S11 Episodes 22 following 21- 22 had the Warden being uninteresting as a villain and 21 was boring as can be which is why they sit besides each other.

1. S8 Ep 7 Time for After- I don't like the plans they have to deviate from Rick and him going to Jadis again feels like a horrible decision on his part.
   
2. S9 Ep 8 Evolution- The ambience is the best part, though I hated Jesus' s death as it felt like a bad sendoff.
   

C Tier, These are a bunch of boring and hard to follow episodes that have some highs that keep it out of former tiers.

1. S2 Ep 1 What lies Ahead- I liked the RV scene with Andrea, but what follows is dull.
   
2. S11 Ep 4- The pope is somewhat average.
   
3. S7 Ep 12 Say Yes- The carnival was a nice scenery for TWD, but they had too many fake outs with the walker "shooting" at them and the deer fake out.
   
4. S9 Ep 7 Stradivarius- The Search for Eugene feels tiring to follow what's happening and I ended up watching the episodes once and never again because of it.
   
5. S2 Ep 4 Cherokee Rose- Watching the episode is fun because of the well, though I feel like it was stupid as an idea as the group should have more common sense before doing something dumb.
   
6. S2 Ep 3 Save The Last One- Shane was horrifying, but the rest was dull.
   
7. S8 Ep 14 Still gotta mean something- Rick felt unnecessarly cold hearted in this episode killing off the Saviors that helped him which I didn't like, though Jared got a well deserved death.
   
8. S4 Ep 9 After -It was okay watching Carl try to scavenge while Rick was injured and I liked the scene with his shoe being lost.
   
9. S7 Ep 5 Go Getters- the episode itself wasn't bad yet I never really enjoyed it too much aside from Maggie being a badass and the ending was pretty good.
   
10. S4 Ep 10 Inamtes- Inmates was a pretty well rounded episodes showing off some of the group which I liked seeing Tyreese the most.
    
11. S8 Ep 6 The King, The Widow, and Rick- the episode was pretty lackluster for me and I didn't really appeal to seeing the garbage people much in this or everyone going to attack the saviors which was a dumb move to do. Ezekiel was probably the most fun of the episode.
    
12. S3 Ep 16 Welcome to the Tombs- the finale for season 3 has always been horrible as it barely gives tension between the Governor and Ricks group, it just felt unfitting for a finale.
    
13. S11 Ep 8 For blood- it was a okay Mid Season finale to say the least (sorry, 1/3 season finale). I did like some of the parts in it with Maggie which is why it sits higher than others.
    
14. S5 Ep 7 Crossed- I thoroughly enjoyed the chase scene between the three officers and Ricks group, but that was about it.
    
15. S4 Ep 13 Alone- I liked watching the parts of the group split up, except for Maggie, Bob, and Sasha as they felt very uneventful to me. What makes this episode better had to be the part about Daryl and Beth with the ending of the introduction to Joe's group.
    
16. S7 Ep 10 New Best Friends- a lot of these parts I forgot about in this episode when it came to the Kingdom though after rewatching it I enjoyed those parts more than the Garbage people. I just honestly think Jadis's group is uninteresting and makes for no substance.
    
17. S10 Ep 15 The Tower- I sometimes forget about this episode and it's premise with Beta, but I think it holds up enough for a weird one and The stuff with princess was okay.
    
18. S9 Ep 3 Warning signs- I think the episode was okay, I just didn't like Season 9 A that much...
    

B tier, now we get to the episodes I could watch again in the past 6 months or binge through without skipping

1. S11 Ep 2 Acheron Part 2- this was close to being put into C tier since I really hated some parts about it like how they left Gage to die and still had to fight off dozens of walking regardless. The group in the first two episodes seem to switch off and on from good to bad.
   
2. S7 Ep 4 Service- for some reason people hate this episode and I can't see why except for the fact it mainly deals with Negan at Alexandria; in my opinion it was him and a couple other characters who saved season 7 and 8 for me.
   
3. S10 Ep 3 Ghosts- I forget the episode...
   
4. S10 Ep 7 Open Your Eyes- I thought the episode was fine as I don't hate Siddiq and all, though I liked and hated the ending as I loved the twist of Dante and hated that Siddiq had to die so early on.
   
5. S6 Ep 7 Heads Up- I didn't like the twist of Glenn and all, but I liked the suspicion with Carol and Morgan as well as the Ending being dramatic.
   
6. S8 Ep 11 Dead or Alive- it's not good to know when you remember an episode due to bad things. Daryl has been making more off decisions for the character and Tara seems to be completely Reckless now making me hate her moving forward.
   
7. S4 Ep 4 Indifference- The Scenes with Carol and Rick we're amusing with crude Humour as well as some more tense scenes in my opinion and I hated/liked when Rick told Carol she couldn't come back.
   
8. S3 Ep 6 Hounded- honestly I would've rather put this episode a little bit higher due to Merle (probably my favorite charcater which contributes to a lot of episodes being higher) being a badass while fighting Michonne and pulling out puns as well. The reason it doesn't get higher is still due to Rick and the phone situation being uneventful.
   
9. S11 Ep 9 No Other Way- Alden dies in this episode which I should've seen coming that sucks. The ending feels misleading a bit though everything else in the middle is pretty great.
   
10. S11 Ep 5 Out of the Ashes- literally the only reason I put this here was due to Lance so deal with it!
    
11. S4 Ep 11 Claimed- Rick had a pretty solid pair of scenes with the Claimers and I liked watching Glenn and Tara (Surprisingly).
    
12. S10 Ep 13 What We Become- I thought the flashbacks/hallucinations we're pretty good, but aside from that this episode was just mediocre.
    
13. S9 Ep 4 The Obliged- I liked watching Daryl and Rick fight each other over different views on how everything should be and the ending I thought was pretty suspenseful as well as the saviors and oceanside.
    
14. S11 Ep 15 Trust- Lance feels exactly like the Governor in some of these episodes which is what I like about him, and from here I start to enjoy Princess maybe because Mercer is around more xd.
    
15. S10 Ep 17 Home Sweet Home- I thought Maggie was a good enough concept for an episode with the reapers, though it didn't hit that hard watching again. It still Is most definitely better than the other 3 episodes of S10 part C but enough for A Tier.
    

A Tier, after this point complaints may start to stop, but that doesn't mean entirely. These episodes I enjoy watching over and over again with some good tension and comedy as well.

1. S1 Ep 5 Wildfire- For the episodes Jim was in I liked him and learning his backstory as well so this was a pretty fun episode.
   
2. S4 Ep 15 Us- the stuff with Abraham and their group was pretty wholesome to me and I liked Joe for the time being in here seeing how he is pretty fair to be honest giving things where they are due and trust to Daryl.
   
3. S6 Ep 11 Knots Untie- I somewhat feel like the episode drags due to there being too much at hilltop, but it is a new community so I can't truly argue. I remember enjoyably when Rick stopped the assassination attempt.
   
4. S8 Ep 9 Honor- the beginning with Carl I thought was good to showcase the events that unfolded before the decimation and Carl's death hit hard.
   
5. S5 Ep 4 Slabtown- I personally don't mind the hospital arc too much, yet it won't get all of it's episodes too high of course. I liked watching Noah and Beth converse and I thought this was a new era for the walking dead.
   
6. 10 Ep 1 Lines we Cross- the part with the Satellite was amusing to watch as it was a big change to see and I like that about the walking dead on occasions.
   
7. S9 Ep 6 Who are you now?- I liked learning of Luke's Group (you heard me, Luke's Group) and what they have been like learning of some of their past.
   
8. S10 Ep 8 The World Before- I liked mostly just watching two scenes, the beginning with Dante and Gabriel and Dante. I loved the fact no one even considered a Whisperer living amongst them and how he did some much devious stuff was mind boggling and amazing to watch. When Gabriel talks about forgiveness to Dante and kills him shows me how Gabriel has changed the past seasons.
   
9. S7 Ep 9 Rock in the Road- Rick gives off a good speech to Ezekiel and I liked seeing him and Morgan reunite again. The stuff with Gabriel wasn't too bad either.
   
10. S3 Ep 9 The Suicide King- the Governor finally seems to be starting to let things of him slip which I love to see. I also enjoyed watching Merle with Daryl as well too.
    
11. S11 Ep 11 Rouge element- I thought that the twist of Steph was pretty good and I don't mind the episode being a bit long and tedious for it's reveal.
    
12. S11 Ep 23 Family- I loved the fact Lydia got bit just because it shows us that people can still get bit and survive. It shows to me that in the finale no one could be truly safe even though Luke gets bit and still dies.
    
13. S11 Ep 17 Lockdown- Saving Sebastian was okay ig.
    
14. S8 Ep 10 The Lost and The Plunderers- Simon's character I think was made perfectly as he is a hotheaded person who is all about power and showing that off. Killing most of the Garbage people was terrifying to watch and showed how Negan could be more merciful than others.
    
15. S1 Ep 1 Days Gone Bye- I think for the pilot it did it's job well and showed off enough of what the show could be. Of course this doesn't mean it was all good but as pilots go it was pretty solid.
    
16. S11 Ep 1 Acheron Part 1- The only reason I put it this high was for the interrogation scenes especially when it came down to Ezekiel. Him and Mercer are honestly a great pair and I love his ending to the show as it's fitting.
    
17. S5 Ep 10 Them- after losing most of the group it seems like a fitting episode of despair and plays it perfectly.
    
18. S5 Ep 12 Remember- the first shown scenes of Alexandria was pretty good and I liked the interviews scene too. We also saw a lot of new character introductions.
    
19. S11 Ep 6 On The Inside- The ferals was a nice touch of horror that I never knew I could need. Making the people with the ferals Virgil and Connie made the most perfect sense as well.
    
20. S6 Ep 13 Not Tomorrow Yet- this episode shows off how our group is seeming to be the bad guys starting to kill people in their sleep. I like how Glenn and Heath have their first kills and show how they are changing.
    
21. S7 Ep 1 The day will come when you won't be- I like the title as it references Doctor Jenner, but for the episode I liked Negan and that's mostly it. Seeing two people die was horrible to me, but necessary and since I don't rank episodes for being bad due to deaths I can still rank them high.
    
22. S6 Ep 16 Last Day on Earth- Simon has a good introduction and I like them trying to get from point A to B, but what stands out to me most is probably Abraham and Eugene with his speech about him
    
23. S7 Ep 15 Something they need- Sasha was probably the highlight of the episode for me and I liked them and Negan's interactions. It Is a good effort to show that they aren't all monsters and I like seeing Eugene as well.
    
24. S3 Ep 7 When the Dead come knocking- Glenn and his interrogation with Merle was amazing and I liked seeing Glenn's true will shine.
    
25. S8 Ep 12 The Key- I don't like this episode much honestly if it wasn't for Negan and Ricks Speech as well as Simon and his deviousness.
    
26. S8 Ep 1 Mercy- the beginning I had to move up due to some good portions of it like Rick and Negan. I also liked the ending a lot even though I watched the trailer a lot and knew of Gabriel and Negan's interactions.
    
27. S9 Ep 1 a New Beginning- wow two series beginnings next to each other... Yeah it's weird but they weren't exactly S Tier Material. The beginning with them trying to get a horse accessory was great tension to watch and I already love Ricks Beard.
    
28. S10 Ep 18 Find me- okay so maybe I exaggerated My feeling towards Season 10 C a bit since I like some of the episodes a bit and others worse. The reason I put this here is mostly good plot lines and that was it.
    

Around here I wanted to say the reason for some episodes ranking higher is due to the fact the others are horrible and some of these have redeeming qualities. It's hard to put over 150 episodes ranked from horrible to greatness and know the points of interest.

1. S3 Ep 3 Walk With Me- Merle brings joy to me seeing him again and I love him from here on out. I like how the Governor seems to be innocent enough until the big reveal with the militia which is amazingly put.
   
2. S10 Ep 9 Squeeze- I hate Squeeze... There i said it. The cave sucks honestly and Id rather not watch it again because of that, but Negan is the only saving grace for this episode and if it wasn't for him I would never watch this episode again.
   
3. S8 Ep 13 Do Not Send Us Astray- Simon attacking the Hilltop was the most great action of this season that I never minded and it felt terrifying after Tobin's fate was sealed.
   
4. S3 Ep 12 Clear- I had to move it from S Tier, but nevertheless a great episode. Morgan's return was done perfectly and I felt like his character did a full 180 after this. Michonne and Carl's side story was also good.
   
5. S2 Ep 12 Better Anglels- Shane and Ricks final confrontation was amazingly executed and loved the difference from the Comics with Rick killing shane and Carl shooting his reanimated self; Shane and Randel was also good too.
   
6. S4 Ep 12 Still- Daryl and Beth make sense to pair together and I like seeing how we get a bit more back story to his character. They feel like the most perfect example to put for a mismatched pair.
   
7. S6 Ep Thank You- The journey with Glenn's group trying to get back was amusing to see even though the dumpster ending wasnt really the best, still horrible to see.
   
8. S10 Ep 4 Silence the Whisperers- Negan and Lydia have a good bond and I like how Negan defends her even though I hate how no one believes Lydia that Negan protected her.
   
9. S8 Ep 4 Some Guy- I still love watching Ezekiel and the Kingdom so I enjoy this episode and how he feels defeated the whole time. Jerry is the best bodyguard in my opinion as well as it is shown and Shivas death is heartbreaking.
   
10. S5 Ep 8 Coda- The reason I put this soo high was due to Rick and Bob. I did like the ending a bit even though I feel like Beth's death could've been avoided.
    
11. S3 Ep 14 Prey- originally this episode was C Tier for me, but I re-watched it and put it this high due to the Governor being a literal psycho and I love this side of him.
    
12. S11 Ep 20 What's been Lost- Lance felt underutilized as soon as he died, I really wished they could've made a difference with his exit on the show.
    
13. S8 Ep 8 How it's gotta be- Forgot about Natanias death.
    
14. S11 Ep 7 Promises Broken- Negan and Maggie had a good talk together about before.
    
15. S10 Ep 6 Bonds- Okay.. XD.
    
16. S6 Ep 10 The Next world- I thought the stuff with Rick, Daryl, and Jesus was goofy, but great.
    
17. S11 Ep 19 Varient- I do like the idea of evolving walkers though I feel like it was a bit late in the show.
    
18. S3 Ep 13 Arrow on the Doorstep- the meeting was just terrific to watch as the Governor is so sinister inside it with Milton and Hershel having a good talk as well with Martinez and Daryl having a good show off time. Merle and Glenn have some good times too.
    
19. S9 Ep 2 The Bridge- The log scene was amazing and Aaron had a good scene with the amputation.
    

S Tier, These episodes are some of my favorite to watch with a good glass of Tea and some snacks.

1. S7 Ep 7 Sing me a song- Negan and Carl were fun to watch as well as some more insight on the sanctuary as Daryl breaks free. Negan and Carl also Bond.
   
2. S10 Ep 10 Stalker- Daryl VS Alpha!!!
   
3. S11 Ep 16 Acts of God- Lance is very horrifying as to what his next move is and Leah's stuff was good.
   
4. S3 Ep 8 Made to suffer- it was a great Mid season finale as I enjoyed the fight with the Governor and Rick as well as the ending with Merle and Daryl.
   
5. S2 Ep 6 Secrets- Glenn has to deal with hiding multiple people's secrets and I feel like the comedy is pure gold here.
   
6. S1 Ep 2 Guts- The rooftops scenes were great as well as the parts where they wear guys to avoid the walkers, it always felt like a sense of panic in this episode.
   
7. S9 Ep 9 Adaptation- the introduction to Alpha was simple enough and I feel like it's a good episode.
   
8. S11 Ep 10 New Haunts
   
9. S11 Ep 12 The Lucky Ones- Carol finally feels a little bit like she's back to her old self in this community with Lance and their deals.
   
10. S4 Ep 1 30 days without and Accident- probably my second favorite of the beginning episodes as it demonstrates exactly how the group has got along since the recent events. Has a good story with the shopping market and the roof caving in was awesome.
    
11. S3 Ep 10 Home- this episode shows how Merle and Daryl are far apart which I can still keep watching Merle and be entertained as well as the fight scene at the end with the Governor being cocky as can be.
    
12. S9 Ep 16 The Storm- snow is a new but simple thing that I like along with Negan Earning trust with Michonne.
    
13. S10 Ep 2 We are the End of the World- Gamma saving Alpha is one of my favorite scenes of how it shows Alphas power towards the group and influence on it's people.
    
14. S6 Ep 8 Start to Finish- The walls coming down had an interesting story as well as many like the Wolf getting loose and Diana having a badass/amazing exit.
    
15. S9 Ep 11 Bounty- The Movie Theatre scene was pretty good as well as Alpha with and Lydia.
    
16. S5 Ep 2 Strangers- The uneasy feeling of Gabriel is pretty good to show the groups trust and I like how the ending is played out with the reveals.
    
17. S11 Ep 13 Warlords- The Complex is a pretty good place to see and I like seeing the evolution of Negan and Aaron.
    
18. S9 Ep 15 The Calm Before- The highlight is the end with the pikes though it made sense for the lesser characters. I hated seeing Henry and Enid die (Not with Tara).
    
19. S10 Ep 11 Morning Star- The start of the battle is ingenius with the tree sap fire scene and it makes for a suspenseful ending to the episode to come.
    
20. S9 Ep 5 What come After- The episode is meant to be a sendoff for Rick so I'll rank it about everything else instead. I did enjoy some of the sequences with Hershel and I loved seeing Shane again. He really puts perspective on some episodes like Season 5 which makes me enjoy watching those episodes more as well as Shane. Ricks exit was also done is a pretty good way.
    
21. S7 Ep 13 Bury me Here- I liked watching Morgan slowing go back into insanity which I believe is due to PTSD of some sort. The episode feels really well done and I like the ending to it with Richard Dying and Carol being told everything.
    
22. S9 Ep 12 Guardians- Alpha is great to watch in this episode and the way she kills the two whispering who challenge them is great!
    
23. S8 Ep 5 The Big scary U- the main focus is Negan and Gabriel which is an amazing talk between then two before settling their differences. I also like the unease at the sanctuary through betrayal.
    
24. S11 Ep 14 The Rotten core- the whole episode is one of If not my personal favorite to watch for the complex alone being a nice setting. I enjoy every bit of this episode as well as the side deal with Sebastian and how Mercer is revealed to be a pretty nice guy.
    
25. S5 Ep 15 Try- The whole episode feels like a decent into madness for Rick seeing everyone against him. I like how he goes into protective cop mode and try to defend the ones he lives as well as his speech at the end.
    
26. S11 Ep 18 A New Deal- The whole episode is average, but the ending just feels amazing to rewatch.
    
27. S2 Ep 11 Judge, Jury, Executioner- I personally like Dale a lot so I love this episode. It really shows how the group is starting to turn as they believe to do what is best for the group and not morals. Dales death is also very heartfelt to watch and showed off the walkers dangerousness.
    
28. S10 Ep 14 Look At The Flowers- Negan and Daryl make a good pair to watch though I enjoyed watching Beta and him struggling to get back on track after Alphas death and I love him so much more for this episode.
    
29. S5 Ep 5 Self Help- Daryl and Carol at the moments have some good episodes together so it's not surprise I'd love this episode. With Noah in the episode as well it feels like a amazing show of how the characters (Carol and Daryl) have changed morally.
    
30. S6 Ep 13 The Same Boat- Carol has been shown to be ruthless, but this episode shows her true colors as how she doesn't want this to be her life anymore.
    
31. S5 Ep 13 Forget- the episode itself has many great minisodes it felt like which was fantastic.
    

50 and 49. S4 Ep 6 Live Bait and 7 Dead Weight- I put these both here due to the fact of me loving the equally. The 6th episode feels like a showcase of how the Governor gets broken entirely and starts to get built back up positively showing what could have been and for a time it feels beautiful to me. The 7th though shows how some things can mess with his mind and make him go back to being a psychopath that kills everyone he sees.

1. S8 Ep 16 Wraith- The ending to season 8 was pretty eventful for the battles begin as Eugene saved everyone's asses from a cool trick with the bullets. I am happy that Rick decided to save Negan and I love the episode except for the ending being off-putting with Maggie.
   
2. S6 Ep 9 No way Out- The Wolf has a pretty interesting end that I enjoyed to see and aside from the the entire eoisode is the best part. You never feel that sense of boring to it as the action is nonstop great.
   
3. S5 Ep 5 Now- I liked small bits and pieces of this episode mostly revolving around Diana and her role starting to change. If she survived I don't doubt I would've loved to see her go through more of an arc.
   
4. S7 Ep 11 Hostiles and Calamities- I can see the hate for this episode, though I love it myself. Eugene in my opinion is at his best here and I love watching him here with Negan and their interactions. It was also great how Dwight had framed the doctor.
   
5. S5 Ep 6 Consumed- Abraham was one of my favorite characters not just for jokes but for this episode. His backstory is heartbreaking to learn about and relatable. When he falls down after beating Eugene in defeat I can feel his pain with him.
   
6. S9 Ep 13 Chokepoint- Daryl VS Beta!!!
   

SS Tier, after this point there is no bad things that the episodes could have drag it's down. These ones are my person favorites.
Around this time I also realized that it seems my numbers on the side aren't matching so I'm fixing it from here so skip 42- 38. Idk what happened but I messed up somewhere and went to fix it but couldn't find the problem.

1. S2 Ep 13 Besides the Dying Fire- The walkers attacking the farm was a great scene just as much as the Democracy speech was from Rick, though Lori is horrible to Rick in this episode. Also Rick tells the group "we're all infected"
   
2. S4 Ep 2 Infected- I love the scene where Patrick reanimates and the morning fight they have in the prison. So much stuff happens at once. The ending was Great with Tyreese and. The pig scene was sad to watch.
   
3. S6 Ep 6 Always Accountable- One time when I like Sasha is this episode with Abraham. Where to begin; The Rocket launcher scene was great, Abraham is great with quips, Daryl with Dwight is a good scene and I love the ending as well.
   
4. S6 Ep 14 Twice as Far- The Denise speech wasnt too bad and the death was great. I enjoyed Abraham and Eugene; I think my favorite scenes was with Abraham and Eugene with another one of his speechs towards him which was funny and heartfelt.
   
5. S4 Ep 16 A- The best part is when Joe's group comes along and how Rick bites out his throat signifying that he and Shane are now alike. I also like when Rick and Daryl talk as well as Rick figuring out this olace kidnaps people.
   
6. S2 Ep 7 Pretty Much dead Already- Shane is what I love about this episode, he and Dale had a really funny encounter and I feel like Shane makes me laugh and be serious at the same time with each scenes. I also like how Rick is more accepting towards Hershel.
   
7. S10 Ep 16 A Certain Doom- Beta was good in this episode and had some great parts, but the fights wee great especially the scene with the Music. Betas death felt odd, but that doesn't lower the episode.
   
8. S4 Ep 14 The Grove- I mean do I really have to explain? Carol is a savage here and I love when they finally talk about Karen and Davids death here. Nothing in this episode is a low note.
   
9. S2 Ep 5 Chupacabra- I love everything about Daryl's scenes in this that show how he is a badass and capable of holding his own. Also love his Hallucinations.
   
10. S11 Ep 24 Rest In Peace- certainly wasn't the best finale, but I felt like it did well enough for the episode. It tied up most loose ends for the show given its runtime and I feel like it is fitting enough.
    
11. S2 Ep 10 18 Miles Out- my favorite of Season 2 has Shane and Rick have the best battle I have seen even more than The Governor and Rick or Negan and Rick. This battle utilizes both of their strengths and weaknesses with some things that have never been done in the show much more like using your blood to attract walkers to other places. It was an amazing episode all in all.
    
12. S1 Ep 6 TS-19- idk what it is but I love watching this episode over and over again and I love it the more I watch it. It is probably because I like Doctor Jenner a bit more in each watching of his tragic backstory with his wife.
    
13. S9 Ep 14 Scars- The flahsback was an amazing one that told us something vital to the story about how they don't trust people coming in anymore. What Daryl and especially Michonne went through is tragic.
    
14. S5 Ep 3 Four Walls a roof- this episode is perfect for a number of reasons like Bob and his antics or Savage Rick, this was a turning point for the walking dead and this is where Rick gets some of his roots.
    
15. S1 Ep 4 Vatos- even though I love TS-19 I love Vatos more. This is unique to some episodes where you see a group just like Ricks that is trying to survive and this is where we realize the world is bigger than we thought still.
    
16. S7 Ep 16 The first day of the rest of your Life- The battle was amazing and I feel like this was the best it was going to get for the coming seasons, but season 9 and 10 surprised me.
    
17. S10 Ep 5 What it always Is- Negan with the Kid is the highlight I think, I could've honestly seen this going farther, if it wasn't for the former savior. I feel like this was fitting for an entire episode of, but we diverged a bit.
    
18. S4 Ep 3 Isolation- Hershel and Tyreese are the highlights for me with Tyreese going berserk and Hershel being a kind soul. This is a staple episode for why Season 4 is amazing and why Hershel is what made season 4 great.
    
19. S6 Ep 4 Here's not Here- I love learning about Eastman and Morgan in this one off. I love how it is somewhat told in the first person narrative to the Wolf and how Morgan changed back to who he was. Eastman shows how he and Morgan are pretty similar and why he should be like him.
    
20. S5 Ep 14 Spend- aside from Francine being here to be used as eye candy for me I loved how some of Alexandria like and dislike rick's group here. I do hate Noah dying as I feel like he could've been so much more.
    
21. S10 19 One More- I love havng the episode based on Aaron and Gabriel as they have came a long way since their beginnings. When they have few an encounter with Mays I felt like this was a testimony to who they are as people. We see how they care for each other and how Mays fails to make a point of who they are until Gabriel Kills him showing he has gone farther away from the light.
    
22. S7 Ep 3 Cell- Daryl is locked up and he is now being treated like shit. This episode feels great cause of how it feels like he is trying to break Daryl. Dwight also has a great mission on how he mercy kills a savior and shows he isn't as bad as you may think.
    
23. S6 Ep 1 First time again- I do enjoy the setting of the episode how we see the diverge in Alexandria and who listens or hears Rick out. The episode is a great example for staring episodes... But not the best at it.
    
24. S5 Ep 9 What Happened and what's going On- I loved Tyreese's character so to see him die was horrible for me. His episodes I feel like was a good send off since it is a test to who he is as a person who is confounded about the world around him.
    
25. S3 Ep 4 Killer Within- this episode was played perfectly and I feel like is a good sendoff for other characters as well like how I hate Lori. She is made just a bit better from her sacrifice and thought T-Dog went out in a good way as well. The prisoners also had a good show for their trust.
    
26. S4 Ep 5 Interment- this is where Hershel's best episode is as he is the best Samaritan Alive in the apocalypse. At the end where Rick and Carl fend off the walkers inside the gates in a great bond and I love the whole episode.
    
27. S6 Ep 3 JSS- it is well rounded and has good action as well as a lot of tension and suspense with Carol showing off her capabilities and Morgan with his philosophy.
    

Finally we cracked the top ten and into Premium Episodes. If you've made it this far you are are persistent as me... Well probably less since this took a long ass time but still. These are the episodes whee I cherish them and can watch more than once a month.

1. S8 Ep 15 Worth- Worth has what I want in an episode; good characters and story/plot. Eugene's parts are made more important seeing how he needed to stay at the sanctuary to save Alexandria and the other communities. I loved even more Dwight's part where I have without doubt the most suspense with him and Negan. Simon also had the most best arc death as it felt complete.
   
2. S5 Ep 16 Conquer- the episode has a lot of action and the ending was the pivet. I love the speech he has and how Diana let's Rick be in charge now was a sort of cliffhanging ending that signify's perfection.
   
3. S5 Ep 1 No sanctuary- both Season 5's beginning and finale are amazing and the way Rick and his group take down Terminus in one episode is amazing as they fight there way out and the scene with Judith was great. Morgan was just a sprinkle of wholesomeness to see.
   
4. S10 Ep 12 Walk With Us- The Episode had just enough action, good deaths and character interactions to make it here. First of the battle at hilltop was amazing. The second best thing was Earl and I feel very sad every time I watch this episode at his part. Then the best thing is the end with Alpha and Negan.
   
5. S3 Ep 1 Seed- The best beginning to a season it shows how the group has changed since Rick and the prison is a great example. The tombs are a great scenery and the ending was perfect for a cliffhanger as well as Conquer.
   
6. S3 Ep 2 Sick- the prisoner episode was pretty good to watch as a group of prisoners try to take on walkers. While some are good others would rather be assertive. Rick has definitely changed since season 2 and the group is played great here and much more human like.
   
7. S7 Ep 2 Well- what helps this episode is the last episode before it having a dark tone. This instead has a more uplifting one with the king and with Carol and Morgan being a great pair. The Kingdom seems to be a good community and seeing how Carol tries to smooth talk the king and how he tells whays her bullshit is an amazing scene.
   
8. S10 Ep 22 Heres Negan- We realize he was a kinda lousy husband that wasn't really too good to becoming a really supportive husband who cares deeply for his wife Lucille. The story before showed a lot of Negan and how he is and I love Lucille as a character from this episode trying to do whats best for Negan.
   
9. S4 Ep 8 Too Far gone- Honestly this IS the best episode, but I am bias so I had to put my own personal favorite above it not to say this isn't right behind it easily. Too far gone is what feels like a season finale but isn't. The Governors first encounter should've been this and I'm glad we got to see it unfold great. Rick has a great speech in it about not being too far gone yet and the Governor killing Hershel to start the best battle of the series. The Governors death feels fitting and the ending was sad and amazing.
   

Before I get to this last one I wanted to say a thank you in advance to whomever reads this as I really had a hard time making this and spending a lot of time to do this isn't easy. And remember this last episode is my very own person opinion entirely and in no way is it the best of the series definitively, without any furthermore, lets end this.

1. Season 3 Episode 15 This Sorrowful Life- Now what makes this episode so great to me? Well I'm totally biased towards the actor and the character in the show Merle Dixon. I could watch Merle all day which is what they episode feels like with the perfect duo of Michonne and Merle on their way to the governor. It has some of the most perfect comedy in the episode as well as having the best sacrifice redemption arc and ending. This episode made me laugh, smile, cry and more. There will never be a time when I ever change my opinion about this episode in existence.

Again another huge thanks to everyone and I hope this will satisfy everyones needs... Now I'ma go watch S3 Ep 15 Legit.