Okay, okay. Everybody calm down. This week’s episode of The Walking Dead was somewhat of a nuclear clusterf*ck. We cried. We threw beverages at the television. We cursed the names of Robert Kirkman (let’s be honest, it’s all his fault), Greg Nicotero and Scott Gimple, Angela Kang (rhymes with Krang, you evil lady!), and Sturgess (the event and the stupid ass character). It was quite an event. Well, the smoke has cleared, and our minds are processing everything that happened. More than anything, it was just nice to FEEL something about the show again. Six seasons in, and I look around at the handful of friends that are actually up to date on TWD and it makes me sad. Our living room used to be packed with a dozen friends all pining to see whether or not Shane would kill Rick (ha. n00bz). So cheers to the show that showed us it still has our hearts by the balls.
Oh, and by the way, there are SPOILERS. I feel like if you made it to this website without finding anything out so far, you are the Moses of the internet. However, I am Pharaoh, and I will not let your people go. This metaphor took a strange turn…
Pros:
Alexandrians are the Red Shirts of TWD: It may not have been nice, but Rick was right when he said that Glenn and Michonne needed to watch out for themselves first. The Alexandrians just keep getting picked off one by one, and that is okay. We have almost no attachment to any of them, and the don’t have the same family mentality our group has.
David was a brave motherfucker: David, despite being an Alexandrian, was amazingly stoic when he was bit. He did admit that he had been on the road before and that Aaron found him. It does feel as though he has been in Alexandria a while, but he didn’t forget “where he came from” so-to-speak. When he was bit, we were shocked but pleasantly surprised at the “I know what it means” line. And when it was time to climb the fence, he chose to go last because the rest of his crew was in better shape than he was. Brave motherfucker you were, David.
Daryl vs. Abraham: “That’s the mission”: Daryl and Abraham have both been soldiers. One if comfortable in that position, the other isn’t that comfy. It was a good reminder that Abraham will always do the job, especially with Rick as his leader. Daryl on the other hand is his own dude. Rick may be treating Daryl a little bit too much like Merle did. Daryl needs respect and isn’t getting it right now.
Michonne tells it like it is: Michonne is a woman who has changed greatly on this series. There was a time that she wouldn’t speak. Now she is a leader. In one of her first moments leading, Heath gives her some attitude. (From Heath’s perspective, it does make some sense). Her speech to him about living and dying and surviving was one of her finest moments on the show. And gave us some serious goosebumps.
If we turn back, its because we’re afraid: One of Rick’s manliest statements. He has two kids back there, he hears gun fire, and tells the rest of the group that if they go back it is fear causing it?! Yeah, not many people would do that. Accidentally leading the herd back to Alexandria could be worse for the innocents back home. This was one of his best calls yet.
Simultaneous Arcs: There are a lot of actors on TWD. A lot of well-paid actors. The best way to slow down a story and not have to pay everybody to make an appearance is to run simultaneous episodes for each focal point. It’s effective, and elaborate if done correctly. Done too often, though, and it can get predictable, and frustratingly repetitive. So far, we aren’t in that territory.
A man and his gun: It was soooooooo “Nebraska”! Without all the hesitation. Rick took out not one, not two, but five Wolves. It was simply amazing, and made the episode that much better. He is the smartest, badassiest (it’s a word now, people) in The Walking Dead, and that won’t change.
All these feelings: It may not have been what anyone wanted to see or experience, but when a show can make EVERYONE feel so many things, it is a testament to how well written some of these characters are. It would be impossible to feel this way about our beloved pizza delivery boy if he wasn’t written and acted well in the first place.
Cons:
Where did Daryl’s fortitude go?: Back when Daryl and Rick had that moment – you know, the one where Rick tears that guy’s throat out with his teeth – he and Rick were equals. Brothers. So just when did Daryl become the pouty kid who runs away when his feelings are hurt? Would people even riot if he died anymore? Are those same people even still watching this show? This show (and Rick, honestly) needs badass Daryl back, and pronto.
The Alexandrians are kinda f’ed up: We’ll include Michonne in this. Annie was clearly not doing well with that foot. When she tripped again, everyone just looked back at her, mouths agape. They could have helped her. They had guns, swords, knives. And when David died, everyone just looked on as he screamed in pain. Put the dude out of his misery. and kill some walkers while you are at it. Ugh. With the whole “don’t leave anyone behind” theme, they sure did leave people behind. Talk is cheap, Heath.
Where’d all that blood come from, Heath?: You know when Heath looks at his reflection and see his face covered in blood? While poignant, it didn’t really make sense. It was a major goof by the crew. The last time Heath had reason for blood on his face was when he was shooting walkers at a close range to save Michonne. If you look at his face then, it isn’t that bloody. It keeps getting bloodier as they get closer to the water with no explanation.
Easter Eggs & Other Tidbits:
Round of appalls: That’s it. Rick has zombie AIDS! As badass as it was to see him dispatch that group of walkers on the road, he ended up shoving his hand into a machete that was buried into the chest of one a walker. He was holding his hand gingerly and losing a lot of blood. Does the infection spread through blood transfer, or is AMC just dangling one-handed Rick in our faces because they like to see us squirm?
The Crystal Ship: It’s about damn time the RV saw some action – and from the looks of it, will see more next episode. Here, we see Rick hop into the RV, and put a bunch of bullet holes into the side of it to kill some Wolves with some blind oscillating machine gun fire.
Remember Fear The Walking Dead? Yeah, me neither: It wasn’t a month ago when that abomination of a show made its way onto the television. We were so desperate for some TWD that we entertained the idea of it being an acceptable substitute for the real thing. Since legitimate shows have returned, I haven’t given a single shit in the honor of FTWD.
Morgan’s cheek-turning practices almost got Rick killed: Let’s pretend that Rick isn’t the post-apocalyptic version of Rambo. By Morgan letting that group of Wolves go – along with that pistol – he openly invited them to kill Rick. Looks like Morgan is gonna have to learn some Hard Knocks if he wants to survive with a group.
Glenn-isms: There are a couple callbacks when Glenn is getting ready to head out with Nick. Over the radio, he calls Rick a dumbass, the same endearing term he radioed to Rick in Atlanta for the Pilot episode. Tears. Just so many tears. Also, in telling Michonne that “we all have a job to do,” he echoed Maggie’s last words to Beth. They really went out of their way to make it sound like he was saying goodbye.
Keep movin’: It is said several times by Glenn, Michonne, et al that they just need to keep moving. Is this the writers way for subliminally telling us that we need to keep moving? Despite what is going on? We think it could be.
Rick is kinda always right: Seemed weird for Michonne and Glenn to just shrug Rick off when he told them to leave stragglers behind. THEY AIN”T ABOUT THAT LIFE, you guys. Why save people who aren’t capable, resourceful, or at all damn useful. No matter how messed up Rick seems to be getting mentally and how dark his plans get, he’s always got a valid point. And that drives the “decent people” on this show crazy. Not me, though. I’m jaded as f*ck.
Insulation: Call it P.BrBa.S.D., but I can’t help analyze every single frame and think there’s a bigger meaning to it. When Glenn’s group was in town checking the abandoned vehicles, there was a notable white truck with the text “Insulation” across it. I want to say that it was code for Glenn using Nicholas’ harvested corpse to curl up and hide in, not unlike Luke used the Tauntaun to stay warm… but it’s an obvious reach.
Predictions:
Glenn: It started as a prediction, and then we found out that the entire internet felt the same way.
There are so many ways that Glenn could come back. It is still hard to believe that even if the walkers are just eating Nicholas (yeah, yeah, Nicholas fell on top of him and intestines aren’t in Glenn’s chest), that Glenn would make it out alive with walkers surrounding as far as the eye can see. Maybe he’ll use his flare? Maybe he will cover himself in guts and they don’t smell him? Maybe someone will come along and distract? Maybe it was all a dream? At this point, whatever the internet thinks, none of it matters until we see him again. We just hope that with Scott Gimple’s statement, that seeing “some part” of Glenn again doesn’t wind up being that he is the new ghost for Rick, a la Lori.
Rick: So Rick is pretty screwed. There is a part of a herd coming toward him. Where did they come from and how can he get out of this without being able to start the RV? Well he does have a walkie, so that is good. We will have to wait and see, but it is looking grim for our hero.
Questions:
Why leave the pocket-watch in the bag?: Glenn makes it a point to leave Hershel’s pocket watch in the bag. When he and Nicholas are in the town, Glenn is holding onto the bag, so what was the point?
Why not light the trees on fire?: They are more flammable than buildings.
Why let Nicholas lead?: We understand Glenn’s moral ground, but Nicholas is way too much of a loose cannon. As proven at about minute 45 of the episode.
Why not split up to try to take on the herd?: The town is basically a main street. If they had split up in two different buildings to try to split the herd to make it smaller, and then killed them that way, could that have worked?
Why not go up the stairs?: When Glenn and Nicholas are in the town, you can see that almost every building has stairs leading up to roofs. The last time we saw a walker go up stairs was in season one. They could have used their flare on the herd itself from above.
Why make us think Glenn is dead?! It’s a cruel, cruel world, and we don’t like all these feelings!
Hush Comics gives “Thank You” an A for use of sequencing, character development, and allowing the audience to feel in a constant state of fear.
Before we go, here is tribute to one of Glenn’s finest moments, ya know, in case he really is dead:
All images belong to AMC and are credited to Gene Page.
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