This episode seemed to be about remembering what was lost: the people, and the lives that our group had been leading. It was also about Althea (and therefore the audience) trying to piece together what happened to lead our group into the sorry circumstances in which they now find themselves.
Our flashbacks were split neatly up into duos: Alicia and Naomi, Victor and Cole, Nick and Luciana, Madison and Mel. Each of these segments were about one half of the duo confronting something about themselves; Naomi wanted to run like she has in the past, Victor lapsed back into self-preservation, Luciana was haunted by fear of what could happen, Mel was motivated by his past mistakes. So let's start with Alicia and Naomi.
How awesome was that water park? I love it when a post-apocalyptic show makes use of locations that would be empty, rather than just going from town to town, house to house, campsite to campsite. Alicia and Naomi's excursion to the water park is probably one of the best survivors vs. zombies sequences they've ever done on either show; it was fun, creepy, suspenseful and nicely self-contained. That slide down into the zombie pit was horrifying, but I loved it for that.
I theorized last week that Naomi was John Dorie's lost lady love Laura, and that she is possibly one of the Vultures. This week, we got confirmation that she is indeed Laura, and although the Vulture theory took a bit of a hit, I'm still holding onto it. Sure, Naomi helped set up an infirmary, but didn't she seem to subscribe to a Vulture philosophy? Nothing lasts, and all the rest of it? I don't believe for even a second that Naomi is dead, either. Our group wants John to help them exact revenge on the Vultures, although I strongly suspect that John is far from the innocent he seems to be. Naomi didn't tell him her real name? What the hell is going on with that?
Victor wanted to be a better man, but his self-preservation instinct (and his selfish nature) was strong enough for him to pack up an emergency to-go car. I wasn't sure why he would show Cole, though. All they have is a fairly one-sided flirtation; maybe Victor wanted to be judged, wanted to face the reality of what he was doing by letting someone else in on it. And in the end, he did the right thing, giving the supplies to Madison...yet he didn't face up to the consequences in an honest way. He wanted Madison to keep thinking he'd truly changed.
Luciana wanted to run, much like Naomi, and inadvertently led Nick to a possible solution. I've never cared all that much about Luciana, although I've never exactly disliked her. It was a little aggravating to see her want to cut loose and make for the hills like she had before, although I suppose she has good reason: the Colonia didn't exactly turn out to be the haven she believed it was. Still, it was good to see Nick again, and I'm sure he'll keep cropping up in flashbacks.
The Vultures have left me cold, but they got marginally more interesting this week. Madison and Mel are both firm in their convictions and neither will give the other an inch. That conversation out in the car park gave us some insight into Mel and why he's doing what he's doing, but...he's not really doing anything, is he? It's strange that Madison continues to tolerate him. Is his scavenging really stealing? And if not, why are they the bad guys if they're just better scavengers? They're not at war with our group, and last week, Ennis didn't seem to regard Nick as a serious enemy (although he clearly should have). It's more of a cold war, a war of waiting. I think I'd be more intrigued by Mel and the Vultures if their costumes were less silly and Mel was played by a stronger actor.
Really, all the little segments seemed to end well, but in the present day everyone points to this particularly positive day as the day when everything went wrong. What happened to make Victor think he couldn't be a better person? What twisted our group into the manipulative, ruthless jerks they've become? And are they going to tease out that particular revelation until the mid-season finale?
Bits & Bobs
- John Dorie was a cop.
- Althea is almost our main protagonist, or at least she serves as a perfect entry point for newcomers to the show.
- Mel's past life sounded not unlike the Broke Jaw Ranch.
- Part of the reason I find the Vultures so unthreatening is that it seems like there's only about four or five of them.
- This episode was aptly named; the show and the audience have been given a chance to mourn and bury Nick. That little flower Morgan left on his grave was wonderfully touching. I also liked that as jaded as present-day Victor has become, he still thinks of Nick as his friend. Colman Domingo said that line with such tenderness that it tugged on my heartstrings a little.
Quotes
Victor: Have you ever eaten cattle feed? Lemme tell you-- it's an acquired taste.
Althea: The answers only matter if they're the truth.
Luciana: They are.
Althea: Maybe. But you served them to me between two slices of bullshit, so how am I supposed to tell the difference?
Victor: Sniff before you bite.
Three out of four band-aids in the water.
I really love the opening credits changing every week. This time they were in the 4:3 format that Althea's camera was filming in.
ReplyDeleteIt does look like they are being over-dramatic with the day that everything went to hell. I just can't imagine the Vultures storming the stadium like the Saviors or Wolves did to Alexandria on the parent show.
That water park and the slimy slides were indeed cool. I kept trying to imagine living up on top there, especially in the Texas heat.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling they're going to keep stringing us along with what happened, right up until the midseason finale.