TWD Season 5 Episode 15: Try

Sad to say...but I feel like we've already reached the beginning of the end for Alexandria. I've agonized all week, wondering how the Grimes group will deal with yet another loss and how Deanna will react to Aiden's death. What story would Nicholas come up with? Would she take Gabriel's "warning" more seriously now? Would the other people in the community also become wary of their new neighbors? All of these answers came in tonight's episode. Here's where we are with "Try:"

Tried So Hard To Be Like You

The episode opens with Deanna, Reg, and Spencer sitting in their dark living room and listening to one of Aiden's burned CDs, which features "Somewhat Damaged," by Nine Inch Nails. The song lyrics are perfect tonight. There's a knock on the door and Deanna finds a casserole with a "we are truly sorry for your loss" note attached. Carol has been cooking up a storm. Deanna leaves the casserole on the doorstep but picks up the note and takes it inside. She burns it. Why? Because (as we see in Nicholas' interview tape) that jackass blames Glenn for Aiden's death and claims that Glenn wanted to kill him too. "These people have to go. They are NOT like us." 

Meanwhile, Glenn is explaining what happened on the deadly run to Rick. As heartbroken as Glenn is to have lost Noah, he seems equally as scared that their stay in Alexandria will be ruined by this. He tells Rick they have to make this work, but Rick is still in the "us vs. them" frame of mind. He's concerned because "they" don't know what they're doing, but Glenn maintains "we are them."

Glenn then confronts Nicholas and tells him the people he lost on previous runs is on him. "Noah? That's on you too. People like you are supposed to be dead. You don't go outside those walls anymore. That's how you'll survive."  Nicholas is offended and accuses Glenn of threatening him. On the contrary though. Glenn tells him, "I'm saving you."

Made The Choice To Go Away

Poor Daryl has no idea what kind of downward spiral is happening with his loved ones back in Alexandria. He and Aaron are off on their recruiting mission and they encounter a bunch of bodies cut in half, similar to the ones from Noah's neighborhood. They also find a naked (totally dead) woman wired to a tree....just like the way Carol described to Sam when she was issuing the cookie ultimatum. When Daryl lifts the woman's head, there is a "W" carved in it. 

Not everything is Alexandria is doom and gloom though. Carl is still in the habit of climbing over the walls to follow Enid and she finally tells him she knows what he's doing. Seems Enid just likes being able to run around in the forest outside of the walls and is also having a hard time adjusting to "normalcy." Enid still carries around her mother's knife and does not want to forget her previous life the same way the Grimes group doesn't want to let go of theirs. I'm very interested to know where she came from and I'm hoping we get a back story for her. As they chat, the two hear Walkers coming and hide in a hollow tree trunk, very close to one another. Enid looks at Carl and says "It's their world - we're just living in it." For a second, I think they're going to kiss, but then they don't. Totally ruined my plan to sing "Carl and Enid sitting in a tree..."

Drink The Fountain Of Decay

Sasha, by the way, has totally lost it. I think she's pretty much living in the watch tower these days. Even when Abraham goes to keep watch, Sasha does not return home. She goes on a hunt. Michonne and Smokin Hot Rosita are concerned and go off to look for her. They find Sasha slyly walking through the forest, shooting Walkers left and right. "I'm sick of playing defense," she says. As a huge herd of Walkers approaches them, Michonne realizes how much she's been missing her sword and her warrior moves. She happily makes do with the gun she has instead. Rosita jumps in with her knife and it's like old times again. Michonne and Rosita may feel a bit more like themselves when the Walkers are disposed of, but Sasha is still pissed and emotional. "You can't help me. Nobody... Noah? I told him that he would make it." She walks away in tears.  

Flew Too High And Burnt The Wing

Sam sneaks off to Carol's house and they have a conversation about Pete off screen that Carol later relays to Rick. Sam told Carol that his mom put a bolt on the inside of his closet, and sometimes she tells him to lock himself in. He'll often hear shouting, crying, and things breaking. Then one night, recently, the noises suddenly stopped....and when Sam came out of his room, he found his mother on the floor, unconscious and bleeding. Rick goes into crazy stalker mode and walks slowly near Pete and Jessie's house, gun in hand. Pete approaches him like they're best buds and Rick scowls and tells him to keep walking. Subtle, Rick. Very subtle. 

The next morning Rick and Deanna chat near the fresh graves and he tells her there's a problem with Pete. Uh oh. Tread carefully, Rick. Deanna is actually already aware of the problem but had hoped it had gotten better, because that's how Deanna leads, by assuming the problems will just fix themselves. She tells Rick that Pete's a surgeon and important to the community. Ummm, dude is drunk most of the time. I would probably take my chances rather than let him cut me open. Anyway, Rick tells Deanna they should separate Pete from his family and if he doesn't agree, Rick will kill him. This is really bad timing, Rick. This is not what Deanna wants to hear right now. "We don't kill people. That kind of thinking doesn't belong in here." Rick doesn't seem to realize he's in the process of digging his own grave by pushing the discussion. 

Rick approaches Jessie in her garage and he wastes no time telling her he knows that Pete hurts her. He says it has to stop and Jessie explains that Pete used to be like this before the apocalypse but then he got help. She says she can fix it and Rick calls bullshit. Jessie's getting frustrated now and tells Rick that his involvement is only going to make things worse. 

"Why do you care? Why is this so important to you? Rick, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help"

"I don't know that.... I'm married, okay? I can take care of myself." 

And with that, she goes into her house and closes the garage door. Rick goes around the house and enters through the front door (he's really not taking "no" for an answer today). He reveals that Sam asked for a gun to protect her. He tells Jessie that it's the same in Alexandria as it is "out there." You don't just get to live....if you don't fight, you die. He stands very close to her and this is getting intense. Rick tells Jessie he can keep her and her boys safe. All she has to do is say yes. The wheels are turning in Jessie's head. "Would you do this for someone else? Would you do this for anyone?" Rick says "no," then she says "yes." Hot damn! Of course, this is perfect timing for Pete to walk in. He asks Rick to leave. Jessie grows some balls and tells Pete to leave instead. Pete and Rick have words and then Pete goes after Rick and a fight breaks out. The next time we see Pete, he's been thrown through the living room window.  

Lost My Faith In Everything 

Everyone runs toward the fight in the street. It's quite a spectacle. Jessie tries to break up the fight and Pete hits her. Carl tries to break up the fight and Rick hits him. The two men are evenly matched, and I think Rick has lost his freaking mind. His act of chivalry has turned into a scary, violent, bloody mess. Rick gets Pete in a choke hold and only lets go when Deanna arrives and starts screaming at him. "Damn it Rick, I said stop!" Then Rick pulls his gun. "Or what, you gonna kick me out?" Oh good lord. He's TOTALLY pulling a Shane!

"You want this place to stay standing? Then your way of doing things is done. Starting right now, we have to live in the real world. We have to control who lives here." At this moment, Deanna is all set to control who lives there. Rick doesn't shut the eff up though. He keeps going until Michonne knocks his ass out and takes his gun. Yup, it's time to start taking sides.

The episode ends there and I'm so disappointed in Rick. Does he realize he's sabotaging the home the rest of his family wants and needs? Is he so hell bent on solving a problem or killing a villain that he's going to become dangerous to everyone else? Also...where the hell is Maggie? I'm under the impression that the rest of the group doesn't know what she heard Gabriel tell Deanna. Given Aiden's death and Nicholas' dickery, this is kind of important information for her to share. 

We only have one episode left and it will be a 90 minute finale. Will Deanna throw Rick out of Alexandria? Will the rest of the Grimes group stage an intervention and tell Rick to get his shit together? Is Jessie done with him now that she's seen what he's capable of (granted, she hasn't seen anything yet)? Will Daryl and Aaron return to Alexandria in time to help curb this disaster? And I think the big question is...because we've lost Tyreese and Noah in this half of the season alone, will we be spared a major death in the season finale?  Sigh. Just one week to go until we take what is always a very long summer break. 

TWD Season 5 Episode 14: Spend

So, we know something's been coming right? We know we're getting close to the end of the season and shit is going to hit the fan. Tonight's episode, however, still completely caught me off guard. All of the violence we may have been missing these past couple of weeks was given to us (and then some) in this episode. Let's just get to it and go over what went down during "Spend."

Just Another Day

We're now at a point where Alexandria is becoming "the norm" for the Grimes gang. Daryl takes off on his fancy new motorcycle to do some recruiting with Aaron close behind. Noah asks Reg to teach him about architecture and how to maintain the walls around the community.  He's in this for the long haul and wants to do his part to keep the place safe. Reg loves this idea and gives Noah a notebook. He tells Noah that he writes everything down and encourages him to do the same. "There's going to be a lot to remember. This is the beginning of this place."

Sheriff Rick is making the rounds and notices Jessie cleaning up a mess in her garage. She had been building some sort of metal owl with her sons and someone completely destroyed it. Rick won't take this lying down!...unless Jessie lies down with him. He decides to launch an investigation because he really has nothing else to do. 

Pete visits Rick at home and sort of stumbles in with a beer for him and a beer for Rick. Pete says the owl thing is not a big deal and quickly jumps to talking about Rick losing his wife. Smooth. Pete then tells Rick, "We've lost things. Other things we're just fighting like hell to hold on to." So the marriage is an unhappy one? Fantastic. He looks at Rick and says "Let's be friends, man" and stumbles on out of there. 

Abraham Is Awesome

Abraham goes to work at a construction site and he isn't out there long before a group of Walkers approaches. You'd think that people who are continually out in the open building things would have a better strategy to handle this situation. When Francine falls near the Walkers, the construction boss essentially says to leave her. Well, Abraham goes running toward her with his gun blazing and ax swinging. He smiles and takes out Walkers like he's swatting flies. Welcome back dude. We've missed you. 

When the Walkers are slayed Abraham confronts the group leader about leaving people behind. The guy says they have a system and looks to Francine to back him up. She punches him instead and she's now one of my new favorite people. Some other workers talk about calling it a day, but Abraham takes over and says they are going to finish their work. The next time we see the boss man, he's sitting with Deanna and recommending that Abraham become his replacement. 

Deanna listens to the construction boss' story and reluctantly agrees to Abraham's promotion. She notes that yet another person from Rick's group is now in a leadership position. Well aren't you the one making these appointments? You made two people you barely knew the law enforcement of the community, lady! Maggie, still working hard to be effective as Deanna's right hand, tells Deanna that she's making the right choices. "We know what we're doing. That's why you wanted us here. You wanted a future. You need us for that."

Gabriel Sucks (Again)

Anyone been missing him? I certainly haven't. We see Gabriel at the beginning of the episode walking around in what I assume is his new chapel in the form of a garage. He has his collar back and he's doing his scrunchy face, tormented crying thing while ripping out pages of a bible, so all I want to do is punch him. 

Gabriel arrives at Deanna's house with his crying face and tells her "Satan disguises himself as the angel of light. I'm afraid that false light is here inside these walls." He goes on to say that it was a mistake letting in Rick and the rest of the group. Gabriel says "They're not good people. They've done unspeakable things." Deanna replies that in order to survive the way they did, they had to do terrible things. She tells Gabriel that Rick already confessed these things to her. Gabriel says the group can't be trusted and they are dangerous. "They will destroy everything you have here. They don't deserve paradise." Deanna thanks him for the information and sends him on his way....but Maggie is nearby and has heard everything.   

Seriously? Some of the unspeakable things Rick and his group did helped to save Gabriel's ass on a number of occasions. His church might still be a safe place if he hand't gone off on his own and caused Michonne and Carl to take the barricades down to get him back in. Oh, and there's that little matter of him LOCKING HIS PARISH OUT OF THE CHURCH WHEN THEY WERE BEING SLAUGHTERED. I'm starting to hate him even more than I hated The Governor, 

C is for Cookie

Carol finds Sam hiding out in her house and ushers him to the front door quickly. Sam's here to collect - he didn't say anything about the guns and now he wants his cookies. Fair is fair, Carol. He's bored though. His house has no power and someone smashed his owl statue, so Sam is hoping Carol will teach him to make cookies. Carol thinks about it for a second then agrees...if Sam steals the chocolate from the pantry. Nice! Carol is teaching him to lie AND steal! 

Sam returns with the items and Carol lays down the law, telling him this is the only time this is happening, he's only getting half of the cookies, and he's never coming back. Sam doesn't seem to startled by this, but then again, the last time he saw Carol she threatened to have him eaten alive by monsters...so "you only get half the cookies and I won't help you make any more" is kind of lame in comparison. 

Anyway, he starts chatting her up, asking her if she likes cooking and if she's always been good at baking. Carol's gives him short, quick answers and is clearly not interested in befriending this little guy. I guess her last experience trying to mentor Lizzie and Mika pretty much sealed the deal on her willingness to open up to a child again. "I was good at it. It distracted me. It made me forget when I was sad." Sam says that when he gets sad he breaks stuff. Carol asks him what kind of stuff and if he broke his owl statue. When he doesn't answer she asks "Why are you here?" He replies "Why did you steal the guns?" Carol says sometimes people need to protect themselves and Sam asks if he can have one of the guns. He says it's not for him...but cries and leaves when Carol asks who the gun would be for. 

"Okay, maybe I won't **** you up after all."

Because Carol had spent so many years as a battered wife, she instantly understands the situation. She follows Sam home but Pete answers the door. Carol says she just want's to make sure he's okay. "Why wouldn't he be okay?" Carol asks to see Jessie, but Pete says "It's not a good time" and slams the door in her face. Carol reports back to Rick and tells him Pete is a wife beater and might also be abusing Sam. "Rick, I know how this is gonna go with Pete. There's only one way it can. You're gonna have to kill him."

Worst Run Ever

Aiden and his douchebag sidekick, Nicholas are getting ready to go on a run. Seems there are some power source issues (God forbid) and Aiden puts a group together to go remedy the situation. Glenn, Tara, and Noah are tasked with helping Eugene do his science-y shit to get the power grid back to 100%. Deanna and Reg say goodbye to their very confident son while Glenn assures them the mission will be successful. Off they go in a van blasting very loud music. 

When they reach their destination Glenn wants to survey the area, look for Walkers, and look for exits. Aiden and Nick make dickish comments and don't really help. Eugene, meanwhile, reminds Tara that he is not combat ready. Really? I'm sure the constant "I'm going to pee my pants at the sight of a Walker" look he has totally slipped her mind. She pretty much tells him to suck it up and start pulling his weight. Eugene argues that he has already paid his dues by getting the group to DC (kinda). Tara says the group got him there but he's totally right when he says they never would have thought to make that trek without Eugene's "mission." I do love this guy...but I was hoping he'd see Jessie at least for a trim. I also need Jessie to have more screen time. 

Glenn and Noah see a horde of Walkers near the front of the building, so they enter through a side door. Glenn leads the way which makes me very happy. Everything starts out well (doesn't it always?) but then they spot a whole bunch of Walkers behind a locked fence. They are pushing against that cage like it could break at any moment. Everyone's a little shaken up now but Tara and Eugene are able to get the supplies they need to fix the power grid. Time to go. A Walker, wearing camouflage with some armor and a helmet approaches Aiden. He panics and starts shooting the Walker everywhere but the head. Did I mention what the Walker was wearing? Because he also has a GRENADE on his chest. Glenn tells Aiden to stop but Aiden shoots the grenade and shit blows up. The cage holding the Walkers is now open and Aiden has been impaled against a wall with lots of sharp things. He seriously could have been one of Elsa's "wheel of fortune" victims on American Horror Story. Nicholas shouts that Aiden is dead and Eugene realizes Tara has one hell of a head wound and she's completely knocked out. Way to go Aiden. 

Glenn and company prepare to transport Tara to safety...and then they realize Aiden is still alive. I'll be Nicholas knew that already. Eugene tells the guys to save Aiden because Tara would agree if she was conscious. He promises to keep her safe while Noah, Nicholas and Glenn try to get Aiden off the wall (literally). The problem is...Aiden is reallllly stuck on that wall. After two attempts to free him, Nicholas looks at Aiden and says "We left them, we both did. That's who we are. I'm sorry." Then he runs away. Asshole. So now we know why Aiden loses people on his team so often. He and Nicholas just leave others the second things get dicey. Given what happened with Abraham earlier, I'm guessing this is a trend in Alexandria. Anyway, the Walkers are closing in and Aiden pushes Glenn away from him. We then see Aiden lose his guts as the Walkers eat him. I mean, he loses his guts for a while. That's some gruesome stuff right there. 

Glenn and Noah follow Nicholas to an exit that happens to be a revolving glass door. Nicholas tries to push in one direction and Glenn and Noah are right behind him. Unfortunately there are Walkers on either side of the door so Glenn and Noah are at a standstill with Nicholas as the glass is the only thing keeping them alive. 

Suddenly Eugene drives up in the van, blasting music and yelling "come and get me" to the Walkers. Seems Eugene ended up throwing Tara over his shoulder and shooting his way out of the building. My hero! The Walkers outside turn to follow the van and Glenn comes up with a plan to break one portion of the glass to allow all 3 of them to escape the doors safely. Instead of following this plan though, Nicholas takes care of Nicholas and pushes through his side of the door....leaving Noah exposed on the opposite side. Now I know why we saw Aiden die the way he did. It was a very tiny preview of what happens to poor Noah. He gets pulled away by the Walkers and thrown up against the glass. We see his terrified face as he's torn to pieces, and then we even see his face ripped off. Glenn sits on the ground and cries while he watches this happen. That has to be terrible....sitting on the other end of the glass knowing there's nothing you can do.

Nicholas runs to the van and when Eugene gets out and asks about Glenn and Noah, Nicholas knocks him to the ground and hops into the driver's seat. Will someone PLEASE kill this asshole?!?! Glenn is still alive (yay!) and beats the shit out of Nicholas before asking Eugene to help him get Nicholas in the back of the van. As they drive back to Alexandria, Eugene sees Noah's notebook. The only thing he had written so far was "This is the beginning."

I'm definitely going to have nightmares about Noah. That was horrific to watch and I'm actually kind of angry about his death. I wasn't really a fan of his character, but at the same time, I'm bitter now that Beth and Tyreese died trying to help him only for him to have his face torn to shreds a few weeks later. But I guess in the grand scheme of things it's better that Glenn goes back to Alexandria without one of his own people. It would be way too suspicious if somehow Aiden was the only one not to make it back, and with Gabriel "warning" Deanna, the group is going to struggle for her trust once she realizes her son is dead. Have I mentioned I hate Gabriel? 

I'm interested to see how Rick handles the situation with Pete. He's already super protective of Jessie (in a very stalker way) and Pete definitely knows Rick is hot for his wife. Also, people don't just end up dead inside the walls of the community and it's hard to tell if Jessie is at the "I would leave him if there wasn't a zombie apocalypse happening" point yet. This could get extremely messy and based on the previews for next week, paradise is over. 

TWD Season 5 Episode 13: Forget

Welcome to week two of life in Alexandria. The Grimes group is still having adjustment issues, but they are also working to maintain their killer instinct and not let their neighbors weaken them. It's a tough balance. While they remain suspicious of Deanna, they are starting to settle in to the roles they've been assigned. Here's where we are with "Forget:"

Mistreated, Misplaced, Misunderstood

If you were wondering how Sasha is coping with the losses she's suffered recently, there's a clear answer: the episode opens with her taking framed pictures from the house and using them for target practice. These photos are all of happy families and she takes them out as if she's exacting revenge. She shoots, the glass shatters, and she looks around. She does it again. And again. When all of the frames have been destroyed, Sasha walks over to the tree stump the pictures were perched on. She sits, sighs, and says "come and get me" to no one.  

Rick, Carol and Daryl meet outside of the walls to discuss stealing some guns from the armory to stash in the event Alexandria isn't the home they hope it will be. Carol, in her amazing flowered sweater, has access to that area and plans to leave the window latch open so they can sneak in later. A Walker approaches near the end of their conversation. Carol takes him out and notices a "W" carved on the Walker's forehead. The dismembered torso zombies in Noah's neighborhood had similar markings...but no one seems bothered by this. 

Daryl continues roaming through the woods and senses someone is following him. He finds Aaron, who asks to help Daryl hunt. They try wrangle "Buttons," a horse whose been milling about the gates for a while, but a bunch of Walkers thwart their attempt to bring Buttons back home with them. No really, the horse with the adorable name that was about to become Daryl's new pet became zombie food immediately. Bummer. Aaron looks devastated but continues to try to bond with Daryl, telling him that he's not as much of an outsider as he may think he is. Aaron and his boyfriend Eric still feel shunned at times. Aaron suggests Daryl try to let the community get to know him. "I ain't got nothin' to prove." 

Get This Party Started

Michonne is donning her constable uniform today and I get a laugh out of watching her react to her new look in the mirror. She holds her sword while looking at her outfit and realizes the contrast of her recent role vs her new one. Deanna tells Rick and Michonne that people will respect their authority simply because Deanna tells them to. Deanna envisions a growing community that will someday have a government, a full police force, and so on. She wants Maggie to help her with this vision and Maggie is totally committed to having Alexandria be the salvation they've been looking for. Sasha approaches and wants to be a lookout in the clock tower (which, by the way, never has a lookout). Deanna says she'll consider it....if Sasha comes to the big welcome party Deanna is throwing for the group. Oh this should be good. 

Carol volunteers to make cookies for the party (love it). She discusses recipes with Olivia, who manages the rations in the pantry as well as the gun inventory in the armory. She's a woman of many talents. When a couple of guys come to check out some guns for the day, Carol pretends to know very little about guns. One dude introduces himself as Tobin and offers to teach Carol to shoot anytime. She's able to switch the latch on the window before heading out to pick up the remainder of the baking ingredients. 

The party is very low key when our heroes begin to arrive. Abraham and Smokin' Hot Rosita feel out of place right away. Rosita notes that beer is being served, which takes Abraham from "I don't know about this" to "I'm gonna try." Ha! Rick meets Deanna's husband Reg...and then meets Pete, Jessie's husband. I needed Jessie to not have a husband. This totally throws a wrench in the "Rick needs a girlfriend" story I was hoping for sooner rather than later. Jessie's youngest son Sam is walking around with a stamp for everyone's hand. The stamp is a big, red "A" like the one that was on the train car at Terminus. Rick doesn't seemed startled by the resemblance though. He's totally flirting with Jessie. While they are chatting she tells him that Alexandria is a good place to be....and even though the apocalypse took so much from them, they've gained a little something back with the people that have been brought into their lives. When Jessie hands Judith back over to Rick later, he kisses the side of her head and I squeal with joy. Inappropriate for a welcome party that her husband is at? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not. 

Who Knew?

Carol sneaks away to go snag some guns at the armory. Sam follows her though, hoping she was going to make more cookies, and she's caught in the act. Carol keeps her housewife smile on and tells Sam she'll happily make a batch of cookies just for him, but he has to keep this encounter a secret. Sam explains that he has to tell his mom because he tells his mom everything. Uh oh. We say goodbye to baker Carol and welcome back the baddest bitch on television:

"You can never anyone, especially your mom. Because if you do, one morning you'll wake up and you won't be in your bed. You'll be outside the walls far, far away....tied to a tree. And you'll scream because you'll be so afraid, but no one will come to help because no one will hear you. But something will hear you. The monsters will come and you won't be able to run away when they come for you. And they will tear you apart and eat you up all while you're still alive, while you can still feel it. And afterwards, no one will ever know what happened to you.....  Or, you can promise not to ever tell anyone what you saw here and then nothing will happen, and you'll get cookies. Lots of cookies." 

"I will **** you up."

Holy shit. I had to re-watch that scene several times because it's just so awesome. I wish I could say that I came up with this, but the Twitter universe had "Look at the flour Sam" trending all night. Brilliant. 

Sasha does show up at the party and she meets Deanna's other son, Spencer. He's only slightly less of a douchebag than his brother is and she walks away from him quickly. Sasha looks like she could break at any moment...and then she does. One of the women offers to cook her favorite meal for her. Sasha says she doesn't know what her favorite meal is, and the woman responds with "I'm worried I'm going to cook something you hate." Sasha flips out "THAT'S WHAT YOU WORRY ABOUT?!?!" This is the last party scene of the night. 

You Gotta Get Up And Try

Daryl lingers outside of Deanna's house but chooses not to go in. When he walk's by Aaron's house on his way home, Aaron invites Daryl in for dinner, complimenting his efforts to "try." After some spaghetti and wine, Aaron leads Daryl to his garage where he is working to restore a motorcycle. He wants Daryl become a recruiter for the community because he knows good people from bad people, and he has the survival skills needed to travel outside of Alexandria to find new additions. Daryl is trying to hide his excitement about the bike and says "I got nothin' else to do. Thanks. I'll get you some rabbits." Awesome. 

Carol meets with Rick and Daryl to hand out the guns she took. Daryl, surprisingly, says he doesn't know that they need them. The look on Carol's face is priceless given all she went through to get the guns. Daryl is serious though. "You wanted me to try, right? I'm good." Rick thinks about it for a second, then takes a gun with him. The episode ends with Michonne hanging up her sword. Literally. She mounts it over the fireplace and it makes me very sad. As much as I want this place to work out for them, the way Michonne wields that weapon is one of my favorite things about the show.

We've got to be on the brink of something now, right? We got a "W" when the episode started and an "A" half way through. The "R" has to be just around the corner. Will we see this community crumble before the season ends? Is Sasha guaranteed to do something completely reckless at this point? And how many times did Sam wet the bed that evening from the nightmares Carol undoubtedly gave him? I mean, that scene was even better than "we brought dinner." Just sayin. 

TWD Season 5 Episode 12: Remember

Last week we were on the road to Alexandria as the Grimes group put their trust in Aaron and followed him to his home. Rick had his reservations about leading his loved ones into another Terminus or Woodbury, but the thought of a safe place where he could raise his family ultimately helped him get to the gates of Alexandria. Can this community really be trusted? Here's what we found out in "Remember:"

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

The gates open and the gang is ushered into Aaron's neighborhood. The guy who lets them in immediately demands their weapons though, but Aaron suggests they have a chance to talk to "Deanna" first. My brain instantly imagines Deanna as The Oracle in The Matrix. Not sure why. 

Rick meets with her first and she's seems fairly normal....except for wanting to film their discussion. She reveals that she was a congresswoman in Ohio before the apocalypse. Deanna and her family had been trying to make their way home from DC when the crisis hit and they were directed to this community by the army. Her husband was a genius in the architecture world and came up with the plans for the protective walls and gates, which they were able to put up pretty quickly. Sooo...the majority of the people in the community have not had to live outside of the community. "We need people who have lived out there," Deanna says. Rick tells her she shouldn't let people in...that the people out there are desperate for survival and would only come to the community wanting to take from them. He tells Deanna that he's killed many people so his family could live and so he could live for them. Deanna admits some flaws as well. She exiled 3 men who were not the right fit for the community, and she feels like she gave them the death sentence in doing so. Enough with all that though - Deanna believes Rick and his group can help everyone in the community survive and she tells him it's time for him to decide on whether they will stay. 

The group turns over their guns with the understanding that they can be checked out any time they travel beyond the wall (winter is coming?). They are given two houses to share and Aaron says everyone will leave them alone for a while so they can get settled. He's conveniently four houses down the street. Rick and Carl enter their new home and it's lovely - fully furnished, completely clean, and has running water. Rick finally shaves off his beard and I totally forgot what his face looked like underneath all that hair. 

There's a knock at the door (so much for people leaving them alone to get settled), and a woman named Jessie who works in the pantry shows up with toiletries and such. Hellooooo Young Moira from American Horror Story. I've missed you so. Jessie is also a stylist and offers to cut Rick's hair....after he answers the door shirtless....which I had to pause. He's back to looking like Season 1 Rick! The two make small talk as he gets his hair did. Jessie has two boys of her own and offers to introduce Carl to them. She's also adorable, and I need her to be a confirmed love interest for Rick as soon as possible.

Home Sweet...Something

The interviews with Deanna continue. Daryl meets with her next and he's walking around holding onto the possum he killed just before they walked through the gates. "We brought dinner." Ha! Carol totally downplays her role in the group and acts like a happy housewife who misses her husband and is lucky to have people around that can protect her. She calls herself a "people person" and lands herself a job cooking for the senior citizens. Man, she became a spy quickly. Michonne and Glenn both seem desperate in their video chat, and Carl is cautious as he holds onto his baby sister. They all decide to sleep in one house for the first night, all in the living room as one big group. No one is comfortable with losing their weapons and then being split up all on the first day. 

"You look ridiculous."

Turns out the community has a school...in a garage...but it's still a school. The other kids in the neighborhood have video games and pool tables and poor Carl is just overwhelmed. He's worried that the people in the community are weak and their group will become weak by being around them. The person who seems to have the toughest time with this new home, though, is Daryl. Dude hasn't showered yet and refuses to explore the neighborhood and meet the people who live nearby. He sits on the porch skinning the possum and messing around with this animal traps and crossbow. Carol threatens to hose him down and he tells her she looks ridiculous in her cardigan and khakis. Fantastic.

Carl kinda/sorta/not really makes friends with Enid, a girl his age who is new to the community as well. She has a knack for climbing the wall and exploring the woods on her own (damn it, Enid!), so Carl totally digs her. He climbs the wall too and finds Rick wandering around the perimeter, They take out a handful of Walkers together. Nice to see they are keeping their skills up. 

Who Put Him In Charge?

Glenn, Noah and Tara meet meet up with Nicholas (the guy who opened the gates for them) and Aiden, Deanna's son. Aiden is a dick. He's going to "allow" them to audition to go out on a run with him. He was in ROTC, so clearly he knows everything there is to know about finding supplies in a zombie apocalypse. Where is Abraham and when is Abraham going to beat this guy's ass? Aiden and Nicholas are also dangerous in that they captured a Walker who killed their friends recently, and they keep him chained up. Even when the Walker escapes, they want to catch it, not kill it. WOW. The Walker in question almost kills Tara and when Glenn takes a knife to the Walker's head, Aiden flips his shit. He brings the three "newbies" back inside the gates and tells them they aren't ready for runs. Glenn says he has it backwards and that's why he lost his friends to that Walker. Aiden goes into extreme douchebag mode and starts pushing Glenn. Deanna shows up to bring the peace but before she can, Aiden takes a swing at Glenn, Daryl comes running down the road and tackles Nicholas, and Glenn drops Aiden like a sack of potatoes. Rick and Carl get back and break up the fight and Deanna tells her son that Rick's group is permanent and they are to be treated as equals. She assigns Rick and Michonne as constables for the community. She then thanks Glenn for knocking Aiden on his ass. I want to like her, but I'm still unsure about her. This kind of seems like a big show...a setup to make Rick and company feel like they have the upper hand...

That night, Rick is dressed like Sheriff Rick and Daryl isn't pleased. He still has not cleaned himself up at all. Carol asks if they're definitely staying and Rick thinks it's time for the group to sleep in their own houses and beds. Carol echos what Carl said about becoming weak but Rick doesn't think the group has it in them to be weak. He says if the people of the community can't make it, "then we'll just take this place."

The episode ends there and I am LOVING this story line. I feel like Alexandria is a combination of the other "safe places" the gang has been to. Aiden put his people in danger and spent valuable time trying to keep a Walker captive kind of like Hershel did on the farm. The community leader is well-spoken and has a kind face like the Governor did when we were first introduced to Woodbury. The "we're transparent and everyone contributes" creepiness is reminiscent of Terminus (before we learned the contributions were items like limbs for bbq). But even though the group had their own beds in the prison...the running water, toiletries, food, clean clothes, etc. of Alexandria are true bonuses. How long will the happiness last? And is a Grimes takeover in the works before the end of the season? I can't wait to find out!
  

TWD Season 5 Episode 11: The Distance

When we last saw the Grimes group, they had just survived one hell of a storm on their way to Washington DC. They were tired, grieving, and struggling with motivation. A mysterious man named Aaron showed up right at the end of that episode, promising good news. Here's what he actually delivered in "The Distance:"

Beautiful Stranger

Sasha and Maggie bring Aaron into the barn, assuring everyone that they had taken his weapons and gear. Aaron says he has a community nearby and invites Risk and company to "audition" to be a part of it. His job is to make sure the group follows him home, but he says he is not the one who ultimately makes the decision to let them stay. This has Terminus written all over it. Aaron has pictures of the community in the front pocket of his bag specifically showing the safety walls surrounding that area. He goes on to talk more about the community but Rick punches him in the face and knocks him to the ground. Not sure why that was needed...

Rick assumes Aaron has people near by that are going to raid the barn. He ties Aaron's hands behind

his back and starts asking him a lot of questions. He wants to know how many people Aaron brought with him. Aaron says "one" and asks what it will take for them to believe him. Michonne is all about checking out Aaron's story but Rick wants nothing to do with this guy or his community. Rick is alone here.

Michonne, Glenn, Abraham, Maggie and Smokin Hot Rosita go to find the cars Aaron said he and his one other friend drove there. Rick tells Aaron that if they do not return within an hour, he will put a knife in Aaron's skull. WHAT is the deal here? Rick was okay trying to do a "no one should be killed" hospital hostage trade where Beth died. He took in Noah with no problem...even took him to an overrun Richmond where Tyreese died. NOW we're being overcautious and violent?

The five approach the two vehicles in question. One is an RV and the other is just a car. Abraham and Smokin Hot Rosita clear the RV, finding a bunch of canned goods to bring back to the barn. Rick's first response? He looks at Aaron and says "this is ours now...whether we go to your camp or not." Carl wants to go and several others agree. Michonne is stepping up now and says "We need this, so we're going. All of us. Somebody say something if they feel differently." That that Rick! Aaron feels uneasy letting someone else drive the vehicles back to his community but he tries to give Rick directions. Rick says they are going to go a different way...at sundown. At night?!?! 

I've Had A Taste For Danger

Glenn drives Michonne, Rick and Aaron in the car while everyone else rides in the RV behind. Michonne asks Aaron the 3 questions Rick always asks people before they join the group. Aaron says he's killed a lot of Walkers and two people...because they tried to kill him. Rick realizes just then that Aaron seems to have some sort of bugging/listening equipment in the car. Before he can be angry though, Glenn drives through a massive group of Walkers that he couldn't see, because AGAIN, they chose to do this in the dark on an uncleared road that Aaron didn't recommend. The car spins and breaks down and the RV is nowhere in sight. Super.

I'm thinking these guys are screwed and then a flare appears in the sky. Aaron starts to panic "It's over! Let me out!" Everyone gets out of the broken car and Rick says to leave Aaron behind. Glenn, Rick and Michonne run off in the dark woods and Walkers are EVERYWHERE. Glenn eventually saves Aaron, then the two of them save Michonne and Rick. These four start down the road on foot and find the group from the RV as well as Aaron's, um, boyfriend Eric. They share one hell of a kiss when reunited. Eric injured his leg in all of this and he's the one who shot off the flare. The gang in the RV saved him and Aaron is forever in their debt.

In the morning everyone gets in the RV and another car and starts the journey to Alexandria, where Aaron reveals his community lies. They see the Washington Monument and Capitol Building from the road, and I'm relieved those structures are still standing in The Walking Dead world. Having lived in the DC area for so long, seeing those pieces of history unscathed gives me hope for this group. Abraham and Smokin Hot Rosita seem to have hope too as they see the view from the driver and passenger seats in the RV. The episode ends with both vehicles arriving at a very large gate, with sounds of children playing behind it. Everyone approaches the gates on foot, cautious, but happy.

So we've arrived at a new "sanctuary." Will it be another Woodbury with a thriving neighborhood run by a monster? Will it be another Terminus where our heroes may end up as dinner? Could it instead be more like Hershel's farm or the prison? Maybe some sort of combination? Alexandria of course seems to good to be true, and we know if the Grimes group finds a happy home, it won't last for long...otherwise the show would have nowhere to go. But can these survivors adjust to a new community? Do the houses have running water and razors so Rick can clean himself up a little? What will happen to them if they don't have to constantly fight anymore? Here's hoping they do find some relief in their new situation. They've earned it. 

TWD Season 5, Episode 10: Them

As I tuned in for tonight's episode I was a little sad when the time came. I knew there was no chance that I had hallucinated Tyreese's hallucinations. I knew the Grimes group was starting down the road again with another loss hanging over their heads. After watching last week's The Talking Dead, I realized that Beth's death and Tyreese's death were only 17 days apart for our beloved survivors. They are pressing onward (barely), but morale is almost non-existent for them at this point. Here's where we are with "Them." 

Beast of Burden

Maggie sits alone in silence and cries as a Walker approaches her. She stands, looking at the zombie for a second before willing herself to stab it in the head. Was she considering letting it bite her or is she just exhausted? It hasn't rained in a while and dehydration is setting in. Food is scarce. Daryl is digging up worms for lunch. They have 60 miles to go and little energy among them to get there. 

Carl hands Maggie a music box he found on their unsuccessful search for water. It's broken, but she understands the gesture and thanks him. Carl looks more and more like a man each time we see him now...and not because the actor is aging, but because Carl is coming into his own. Don't get me wrong though - I enjoy the "Damn it, Carl!" moments just as much as everyone else does. We're nine minutes in and Gabriel and Noah haven't had a chance to eff anything up yet, so let's bring in the priest for some dialogue. Gabriel approaches Maggie and asks her if she wants to talk about her father or Beth. She let's him have it. "You never even met them. You had a job. You were there to save your flock, right? But you didn't. You hid. Don't act like that didn't happen." Burn! 

Carol and Daryl go on a water search and Daryl is all about solitude. Carol knows he needs to grieve for Beth and he's been holding back. "I think she saved my life. She saved your life too, right?" She hands Daryl the knife Beth used to carry. "I know you. You have to let yourself feel it. You will." Carol brushes away his hair, kisses him on the forehead, then walks away. 

Sasha is grieving in her own way...the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!" way. She wants to kill Walkers left and right whether they are a threat or not. As a massive group of Walkers approaches them near a bridge, the plan is to lure the Walkers to the edge and toss them over rather that use energy that they don't have to start a fight that will cause a full blown attack. Well, Sasha is doing things Sasha's way and she almost gets them all killed. She even cuts Abraham by accident because she's paying no attention to who is around her while she slashes. Welcome to recklessville, kid. Michonne tries to reel her in...she's trying to reel everyone in at this point....but she's in for a struggle. 

Torn and Frayed

As the group convenes to see what supplies they have left, a handful of angry dogs runs out of the bushes. This doesn't look good. No worries though - Sasha uses a bunch of BULLETS to kill the dogs before anyone can react. Way to go rogue. Daryl probably could have just used his crossbow....but hey, meat is what's for dinner. The group eats in silence and Gabriel tosses his collar into the fire. 

Back on the road, Maggie and Glenn walk wearily next to each other. Maggie says she doesn't know if she wants to go on. I imagine several of them are thinking that right now. Glenn says "We fought to be here and we have to keep fighting." He is able to get his wife to drink some of the remaining water, then looks to his left and sees a depleted Daryl dragging his feet as he walks. Glenn says "We can make it together, but we can only make it together." Daryl then finds a moment to take a smoke break in the woods. He sits, staring at a barn across the way and puts the cigarette out on his hand. This gives him the physical pain he needs to cry for Beth. 

Gimme Shelter

When he returns to the group, they are reaching a bunch of bottled waters in the middle of the road. There's a note there that reads "From A Friend." Hmmm. Could it be Morgan? Eugene does exactly what I would do if I were starving and nearing dehydration and grabs a bottle to drink. Abraham slaps the bottle out of his hand and everyone agrees that they shouldn't risk it. Just then, it starts to rain, which makes Eugene a little less pissed off that the water bottle he was going to drink spilled everywhere. Almost everyone celebrates. Maggie, Sasha and Daryl, however are stone-faced. The thunder starts to crack while Gabriel says "I'm sorry Lord," and this wondrous rain storm turns into something they need to seek shelter from. Off they go to the barn Daryl saw earlier. Once inside, Maggie and Carol come across a Walker woman who had a gun next to her. Maggie notes that the Walker could have just shot herself. "Some people can't give up," Carol says. "Like us."

Rick is able to get a fire going and Carl and Judith fall asleep quickly while the others chat. Rick says he used to feel bad for the kids growing up in the post-apocalyptic world, but now he's starting to think they might have it easier:

"When I was a kid, I asked my grandpa once if he ever killed any Germans in the war. He wouldn't answer. He said that was grown up stuff. So I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill him...and he got real quiet. He said he was dead the minute he set foot into enemy territory. Every day he woke up and told himself 'rest in peace and go to war.' And then after a few years of pretending he was dead, he made it out alive. That's the trick of it I think. We do what we need to do and then we get to live. But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay, because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves that WE are the walking dead." 

Title alert! Before seeing the way the group is dragging themselves down the road in this episode, I never thought of the title as anything beyond "a much more awesome name for zombies." Rick's speech just gave me the chills.  

At this point the storm has escalated and the Walkers are also seeking shelter. The wind and Walkers are beating down the barn doors and everyone has to work together to keep the place secure...or at least, I think that's what happened. We next see Maggie opening her eyes in the morning and looking at the barn door as if it had been a dream. When she opens the door though, Walker bodies are dismembered and thrown about everywhere. Maggie and Sasha explore the surroundings, both thinking that the storm should have torn the barn to pieces. They sit and watch the sun rise as Sasha voices her doubts about how to move on. "You're gonna make it," Maggie says. "We both are. That's the hard part." The broken music box almost works for a second and as the two teary women share a laugh, a man comes into their sight. He introduces himself as Aaron and says he is looking for Rick. "I'm a friend. I have good news." The music box starts to play as the episode ends. 

Soooo Aaron is the friend who left the water in the road. And he already knows the names of the people in the group? Creepy....unless he's somehow associated with Morgan. I need that guy to show back up again and maybe instill some hope in our heroes. I don't think Rick's companions liked his speech as much as I did, so I'm hoping this new face is actually here to get the group back on track. I don't think any of us are interested in another Terminus situation - "Sanctuary for all! Then we eat you!" 

Until next week, friends. 

TWD Season 5 Episode 9: What Happened and What's Going On

Welcome back The Walking Dead fans! It's been a long break and I've been eager to see what the second half of season 5 has in store. The mid-season finale brought us the heartbreaking demise of Beth, a character who was almost an afterthought until the prison crumbled last season. She was just coming into her own and was on the verge of a happy reunion with the gang before the hospital hostage trade went to hell in a hand basket. I assumed that tonight's episode would deal with the aftermath of losing Beth...but The Walking Dead threw me for a loop instead. Hold on to your hats, kids. Here's where we are with "What Happened and What's Going On."

For What Can Be Seen Is Temporary

The episode opens with a shovel plunging into dirt....someone is digging a grave.  The camera cuts to a picture of a house, much like the one from "The Grove," then back to a funeral where Maggie and Noah are sobbing. We then see a picture of twin boys on a playground, followed by a brief glimpse of the prison before The Governor's invasion. I'm really confused...but that's probably the point. 

Suddenly we're whisked to a conversation between Rick and Noah about Noah's planned escape to Richmond. He says Beth had planned to go with him, so Rick thinks the group should honor Beth's wishes and get Noah home. I mean, if Beth had known Rick and the gang were planning a rescue, I'm pretty sure she would have refrained from her botched escape to Richmond in the first place. I don't think these were "Beth's last wishes" so much as "Beth's plan when she thought she would never see her loved ones again." Regardless, I'm not on board with this idea. It was excruciating to watch Abraham try to convince the group to go to DC back when they believed Eugene could SAVE THE WORLD, but somehow going to Richmond is a no-brainer? 

As the group begins this next chapter, we see some more snippets of places we know and people we miss. We hear the digging again and catch a glimpse of the railroad tracks that lead to Terminus...just before we see a dead Mika and Lizzie sitting in a doorway as happy as can be. Wait. What? Mika looks at the camera and says "It's better now." The camera goes back to the picture of "The Grove" house and we see blood start to drip on it. Uh oh.  

The High Cost of Living

The group splits up into two cars - one carrying Rick, Michonne, Tyreese, Glenn and Noah, and the other is carrying everyone else. As they approach their destination Noah looks at Tyreese and says it's not Tyreese's fault that the hospital trade went the way it did. Tyreese replies "It went the way it had to...the way it was always going to." He then tells the group that his dad always made sure he and Sasha kept up on the news when they were growing up. They always listened to the radio and they never changed the channel regardless of what terrible things might have been reported. Noah reveals that he lost his dad in Atlanta but he hopes to be reunited with his mom and twin brothers soon. 

Rick decides their car will travel further ahead and scope the area out, tackling the last bit of the trip on foot. They approach Shirewilt Estate, where a Woodbury style wall went up when the zombie apocalypse began to wreak havoc in Virginia. The gates are closed with no guards in sight, so Glenn climbs to the top of the wall...only to see a ghost town. Noah is immediately emotional and climbs the fence. He takes off toward his house as quick as he can with his bum ankle and finds burnt houses, dead bodies, and some Walkers along the way. 

Rick, Glenn and Michonne start to sweep the neighborhood for supplies. Michonne scores a Yankees jersey and Glenn picks up a brand new bat. It's hard to tell how much time has passed since the hospital, but Rick's additional facial hair and Glenn and Michonne's overall defeated demeanor suggest the group has had a long and draining trip to Virginia. They talk about Beth, Dawn, the hospital, and Beth's last wishes again. But the truth is...none of them had ever believed Richmond was going to be safe enough to be their new home. 

In the meantime, Tyreese tries to comfort Noah. He explains that he didn't want to live after he lost Karen...you know, the woman we saw 5 minutes of his relationship with before she got the flu and was killed by Carol an episode later. Tyreese still talks about her as if they were soul mates. Anyway, Tyreese says that if he had given in to his sadness, he wouldn't have been around to rescue Judith. Choosing to live also saved her life.  "Noah, this isn't the end." 

Noah still wants to see his house and Tyreese goes in first to clear it. The door is already open and there are blood stains in the entryway. The body of Noah's mom lays on the ground and she's missing a portion of her head. Noah covers her up and talks to her as Tyreese continues through the house. Our gentile giant passes by a closed door that clearly has a Walker behind it and makes his way into a bedroom with the body of a boy in it. This must be one of Noah's twin brothers. I guess the Walker in the previous room is the other twin. You know, the Walker we didn't kill just now while "clearing the house." Tyreese pauses to look at the family pictures on the wall. He's distracted and doesn't hear the Walker approaching behind him. He's as surprised as we are when the Walker BITES his arm! Noah takes out his little zombie brother quickly and runs off to get help. 

Insult to Injury

Tyreese sits in the corner of the room holding on to his arm, which is now gushing blood. He hears reports of terror on the radio nearby. He looks up to see Martin, the Terminus douchebag he lied about killing, who was eventually killed in the church by Sasha. Martin tells Tyreese that if he'd killed him when he was supposed to, Gareth wouldn't have found the church and Bob wouldn't have died. Maybe Bob's survival might have helped Beth's rescue. Maybe there was a domino effect. Martin basically says that Tyreese's inability to kill causes the people around him to die. Bob appears and calls bullshit. "I got bit in the food bank. It happened the way it had to. The way it was always going to. Just like this." I'm thinking this couldn't get any more strange, but then The Governor appears. "You told me you'd do whatever you had to do to earn your keep. The bill has to be paid." Lizzie and Mika are sitting in the doorway now, with Mika saying "It's better now Tyreese." Tyreese snaps out of it to see another Walker coming at him. He has to shove his wounded arm in the Walker's mouth to be able to push him away and kill him. Good God.  

Michonne, Rick and Glenn are making their way back to the spot where they left Noah and Tyreese. Michonne says they should go to Washington DC. They are only (only?) a hundred miles away now and even though Eugene lied about the cure, Eugene still thought that was the safest place to go. "Don't you want one more day with a chance?" she asks. Rick agrees, but the moment of understanding is ruined by Noah's screams. That jackass got himself trapped near a bunch of Walkers, delaying his already handicapped ability to run for help. Shit! He's worse than Gabriel! 

Tyreese is still sitting against the wall upstairs, gripping his now almost mutilated arm, and he hears Beth singing "Struggling Man" by Jimmy Cliff. Oh man. This song couldn't be any more appropriate. Then suddenly there she is, playing guitar and sounding so angelic. Beth says "It's okay Tyreese. You gotta know that now." Bob adds "It's okay that you didn't want to be a part of it anymore, Ty." Tyreese is crying now as he looks at Beth and the two girls...and Martin starts laughing. The Governor sneers and says "You're eyes were open but you didn't want to see...even though I made you see it. But did you adapt? Did you change? No. You sat in front of a woman who killed someone you loved...and you forgave her."

Tyreese struggles but manages to get himself up. He looks and the Governor and says "I know who I am. I know what happened and what's going on. I know. You didn't show me shit. You're dead. Everything that you were is dead. And it's not over. I forgave her because it's not over. I'm not giving up. People like me...they can live." At this point the blood is pouring over the picture of "The Grove" house that we saw earlier. Lizzie and Mika take Tyreese's arm and hold it. In reality, Rick is holding Tyreese's arm as Michonne brings down her sword. They are going to try to pull a Hershel and save him that way. But has it been too long? Tyreese has had two Walkers gnawing on that arm at this point. 

Rick and Glenn carry Tyreese out of the house as quickly as they can. They have to kill a bunch of Walkers in order to get back to the car, which slows them down greatly. Tyreese thinks about how he let Marin go and his sister having to dispose of him later. He flashes back to Carol pointing her gun at Lizzie. He hears Beth singing again and starts to black out. 

They get him in the car and use the walkie talkie to tell Carol what's happening. They are going to need her medical skills as soon as possible. The car wheels spin in the mud for a bit...the movement causes the back doors of a broken down truck next to them to unleash a bunch of Walker torsos on the hood of the car. What the hell? No time to figure that out. We have to get Tyreese's arm cauterized! As the car drives away, Tyreese can hear the same radio reports coming from the car radio. He says "turn it off" and sees Bob sitting in the passenger seat in front of him. Bob asks if Tyreese is sure and Beth, who is driving, turns and says once again "It's okay Tyreese. You gotta know that now." Lizzie and Mika are beside him..."It isn't just okay. It's better now." With that, Tyreese closes his eyes for good. 

What Cannot Be Seen Is Eternal

The car stops. Noah gets out and takes a few steps, his head hanging low. Michonne, Rick and Glenn pull Tyreese's body out of the car. We don't hear what they are saying. We don't even have a close up of their faces, but we can still tell that they are in agony. Michonne unsheathes her sword, but we immediately cut back to the grave digging we saw as the episode opened. The funeral is Tyreese's and Gabriel is officiating. The group takes turns shoveling in dirt to fill in the grave. Sasha drops the shovel before she can do her part. Rick finishes the burial and the hour ends with the same sounds it opened with...and Tyreese's knitted hat placed on top of a wooden cross. 

I have to say that I'm floored. I can't believe we lost Tyreese an episode after Beth...and lost him because he passed by a Walker he should have killed and became distracted in the next room. Ugh! He was supposed to be clearing the house! I have to wonder if Sasha's actions at the funeral are out of anger. After all the talks they've had about how the world is now and what they need to do to survive, she loses her brother in another of his passive moments. Maybe I'm reading too much into the brief glimpse we got of her, but I'm thinking she might go crazy for a while. And speaking of crazy, while I enjoyed seeing Beth, Lizzie and Mika in the hallucinations, why didn't Tyreese see Karen? Again, she was the love of his life  or something right? Maybe there was just no room for her in the car. Regardless, Tyreese was never going to be okay with the evil around him or the tough and violent decisions that the group made each day. It just wasn't who he was and as Carol told Mika in "The Grove," the weak don't survive. Now he no longer has to "be a part of it." RIP.  

So next week I'm guessing we start the journey to Washington DC. With Noah and Gabriel both still traveling with the group, I'm sure it's only a short time before we see another character buried. Those two are useless. But where is Morgan in all this? He was hot on the trail for a while, but now that we're in Virginia, is he anywhere close? Will he catch up to the gang before the season ends? Will The Walking Dead writers give us a break before putting us through another hour as distressing as this one? Here's hoping...