Possibly their strongest episode yet. But was anyone watching, with the new season of Game of Thrones premiering over on HBO at the same time?
What The Walking Dead does best is explore how society changes when there are no more rules and people die all the time. Fear seems to be focusing in particular on the role of young adults who are no longer planning for college or obsessed with social media -- or spending all their time getting high. As Alicia said, "Stop putting us at the kids table." Everyone's an adult in an apocalypse.
I wanted Chris to stop infuriating me so that I could like him, and guess what? That sort of happened. It takes a lot of courage to carry out a mercy killing, especially considering that Chris is only sixteen and just lost his mother the same way. Clubbing that poor guy was a whole level of magnitude different than pick axing walkers through a fence. The fact that Chris went through with it and then didn't talk about it afterward made me like him more.
Nick is by far my favorite character, though. This time, Nick figured out the zombie guts camouflage thing, and then, completely covered in blood and looking like he just walked out of a horror movie, he was cool headed enough to stand there nose to nose with a walker. And at least he's not wearing old man clothes anymore. Let's hope he washes the blood off instead of continuing to wear it because he thinks it looks cool.
I still have hope for Alicia as a character, too. She did just play a very cool warrior queen for two seasons, and in this episode, she finally stepped up to the walker-killing plate.
Ofelia certainly benefited from Nick's talent for zeroing in directly on pharmaceuticals, didn't she? I liked that he went to the trouble to deliver the rosary Daniel found, too. Medical help as well as emotional support, since Ofelia's mother was constantly holding a rosary in her hands. Are they setting up something with Nick and Ofelia?
It's interesting that Daniel told Ofelia not to depend on anyone other than himself, but then he let Nick help with the antibiotics, and told Madison what was going on with Strand. Madison and Daniel found common ground in season one, too; I think they're both so tough that they make powerful allies. It is obvious that there is soon going to be a fight for control of the Abigail, and while Strand is scary, I bet Madison and Daniel are scarier. Madison just threatened Strand's life, and while he might not have believed her capable of killing him, she absolutely meant it. Note that in this episode, Strand observed that it's the living people that are the real danger in the apocalypse. No shit, Sherlock.
Daniel was not the best away team leader. He nearly let Chris die. ("Where are you, you little bastard?") And then he nearly let Nick die. I kept thinking someone was going to get bitten. Hey, it's only a matter of time.
While the young people and Daniel were doing the tough stuff on shore and Madison was sparring with Strand, Travis was stuck fixing the boat. Essentially forced into a service role, he even had to go under the boat in the dark. I think he knows that he's not the leader and decision-maker that Madison is.
Flight 462 stuff
Let's go back to the Island! This episode showed the fallout after what happened on Flight 462. That was some massive plane crash debris they had there. At one point, Dan (who was watching this episode with me), said, "There's the Hatch!"
Despite my strong dislike for webisodes, I watched "Flight 462" in its entirety -- it's about 12 minutes long -- and I do like Alex. No surprise that Strand refused to take on more passengers, and that he literally cut Alex and Jake loose. But what was the point of the webisodes if all of the characters ended up dead? Okay, okay, Alex and Jake aren't dead yet, although Jake probably wishes he were, poor kid, and Alex was extremely resourceful and tough on the plane. She seemed to know the zombie rules while everyone else on the plane was being stupid. I wonder how she found out?
(Actually, Michelle Ang is now listed as cast, so I'm sure Alex will be back.)
So they're going to Mexico. I saw a theory somewhere out there on the internet that Strand might have made his millions running drugs. That would explain the yacht as well as the "magic house" in Baja. I've always wanted to visit Baja.
Bits and pieces:
-- Loved the walker on the plane with the oxygen mask. Also loved the big white floppy beach hat.
-- Things I could have done without: the "ouroboros" of the walker eating the crabs that were eating the walker. Probably symbolic of the circle of death that is taking most of the humans in this world.
-- I would also have preferred not seeing Travis pull that disembodied hand out of the sludge. Gagh. No suspense there, though. We all knew what had to be clogging up the water intake.
-- Lorenzo James Henrie (Chris) was a guest on Talking Dead this week, and was so smart and likable, and so cool about the mixed reaction to his character on social media, that he might have made me like Chris more.
Quotes:
Strand: "We don't have all day. Get it done."
Travis: "Man, I am not the help."
Strand: "Clearly. (Travis glares at him) I've upset you. Forgive me if I neglect certain niceties in light of our current predicament. You are a skilled technician and a vital member of this team. Now, pretty please. Fix the goddamn boat."
I bet Strand has worked in management.
Nick: "It's a yard sale. I'll go."
Ofelia: "What do you suggest we do, go to Walgreens? I'm pretty sure they're closed."
Good one, Ofelia. Maybe there's hope for you.
Ofelia: "Alicia, I can't do geriatric chic."
Nick: "What's wrong with geriatric chic?"
Laugh out loud.
Good one. Three out of four floppy white beach hats,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves science fiction but hates horror, and is confused about why she loves The Walking Dead so much.
I have no doubt Madison can be fierce and deadly. Recall the way she lost it and beat a cowering Nick in season one? I suspect there is a lot about her past we will learn more about.
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