Ep 515 "Try"

Alexandria isn’t so welcoming to our group anymore. Deanna and her family are taking the loss of Aiden very hard. Nicholas isn’t helping matters because he is lying about what really happened to save his own skin. Deanna tapes him as she does all interviews and he paints himself as a hero and everyone else the bad guy.  He says Glenn got Aiden hurt and then wanted to leave him there to die, but Nicholas wouldn’t do it. And poor Nicholas had to push Noah through the door otherwise Glenn would’ve pushed him out to be eaten by walkers. What a piece of work. Deanna is thankfully still cautious and decides that neither Nicholas nor Glenn will be allowed to have weapons or go outside the walls for the time being until she can investigate. Carol makes Deanna’s family a tuna casserole and leaves it on the doorstep with a note, but Deanna leaves the casserole and burns the note.

Glenn is taking Noah’s loss hard.  He confronts Nicholas and tells him Noah’s death and the deaths of the others he’s gotten killed before are on his hands. He knows what kind of person he is and from now on he doesn’t touch weapons and he doesn’t leave Alexandria. Rick tells Glenn the people there will never understand what it’s really like out there and they don’t have to abide by Deanna’s rules. Glenn says things have to work out, for Noah, because he believed in Alexandria. Later we see Nicholas outside the walls digging up a coffee can and I think that’s Ricks gun hidden in it.

Carl and Enid grow closer. He follows her outside the walls and she calls him on it. He asks what happened to her before she came to Alexandria, but she doesn’t really say. They run around for a minute until a group of walkers comes upon them and they hide inside a hollowed out tree.  She confesses that he scares her.  He starts to touch her hand, but pulls back and she says she must scare him too.  Yay, Carl’s gonna get some!

Rick and Carol talk some more about Pete. Carol got more intel from Sam including that Jessie put a lock on the inside of Sam’s closet and sometimes she tells Sam to lock himself in and not come out. One morning he found Jessie lying on the floor bleeding and Pete was just sitting on the porch as if nothing had happened. At night Rick is outside and has his gun out when Pete walks by. Pete says hi and tries to talk with Rick, but Rick gives him a look and tells him to keep walking, which he does. The next day Rick checks on Deanna and lets her know that Pete is a big problem. Of course she already knows what is going on, which horrifies Rick. He cannot believe that she hasn’t done anything to stop it. She wants to know what could possibly be done and Rick says to separate them and if that doesn’t work, kill Pete. She proclaims they don’t kill people, they may exile them, but they never execute. If Pete is exiled though, he could come back and he knows everything about the town.

Daryl and Aaron come across some zombies and see a fire one night. The next day they find random body parts strewn around and come upon a woman tied to a tree who was eaten alive. She has a W carved into her forehead and wakes up as a zombie until Daryl puts a knife through her head. Looks like we’re catching up to whomever likes to dismember bodies and carve W’s into heads.

Rosita enlists Michonne with helping her find Sasha who never returned from her watchtower duty the night before. They follow a trail of dead zombies through the woods and come upon Sasha just as a hoard approaches. Sasha tells them to leave because she doesn’t need their help, but they tag team the walkers and then Sasha breaks down. I don’t think she’s going to make it too much longer.

Rick decides to talk with Jessie about the Pete situation. As all battered women normally do, she defends Pete and says he’s had a hard life, but she’s helped him before.  Rick tells her if she doesn’t do something about it Pete will kill her and he can’t let that happen. She says she can take care of herself and tells him to leave while she goes in the back door and closes the garage. He walks around front and decides to confront her again walking through her front door. He lets her know Sam asked for a gun to protect her. She finally concedes for Rick to take action when Pete walks in on his high horse. He tells Rick he should leave but Jessie says Pete should leave. Pete goes bonkers and he and Rick start to fight and they end up on the street after they fly through the front window. Everyone in the community is watching as both Rick and Pete are bloodied up and neither will back down. Carl tries pulling Rick off while Jessie pulls at Pete, but then Deanna comes out and puts her foot down. This pushes Rick over the edge. He pulls out his gun and tells them they just don’t get it. Their way of doing things will get them killed and they have to start living in the real world. Deanna says she realizes that now more than ever and Rick is stunned that she would consider shutting him out. Suddenly in the middle of his rant Michonne knocks him out.

End credits…

There is a 90 minute season finale next week and it looks like we will be enjoying those extra 30 minutes. I’m really hoping Rick doesn’t get exiled, because even though he’s channeling crazy-Rick he’s right. I also hope the group doesn’t get torn apart over this with anyone siding against Rick. They should know he wouldn’t take the risk unless it was important. I’m curious to know what the numbers were when Alexandria began as opposed to now. We know they lost people. Did they never question why?

Ep 514 "Spend"

Holy crap. What an episode. After the last few weeks of serenity we kept asking ourselves if this new situation would work out and now we have our answer. No. Of course we knew things would go south, we just didn’t know how quickly.  I’m now with Rick. They should take Alexandria over. These people don’t know what they have or what they are doing and have now gotten some of our favorite characters seriously injured or killed. The one happy note of the night is that Daryl gets his new bike and goes out with Aaron to look for new inhabitants for the community.  However, who knows what that community will be once they have returned.

Noah has a heart to heart with Reg and expresses his interest in learning how to build.  He wants to reinforce the wall so Reg gives him a notebook and makes him the new historian for Alexandria. Abraham is on the construction crew and goes out with some of the Alexandrians to get more supplies for the wall. The best line of the night comes from Thomas, the construction leader, who tells Abraham he needs to excuse himself to “send a fax to Cleveland.”  He comes running back out of the woods with walkers behind him.  One of the Alexandrians, a woman named Francine, gets stuck and all of the other Alexandrians run off and leave her there, but that’s not how our group works. Abraham soldiers on and makes it to Francine, helps her into the cab of a tractor and he rolls underneath. After witnessing his bravery some of the other men cover him while he gets a gun to Francine and goes medieval on the walkers.  Once things settle down, Thomas thinks they should call it quits for the day, but Abraham says they should keep going, so the others decide to keep working and Thomas tenders his resignation to Deanna.

The power grid keeps going out and the runners plan to go out to get new micro-inverters.  They want Eugene to go, but he is hesitant. He thinks they can find the right equipment themselves, but Glenn tells him he is going. Aiden is leading them again, which makes me a little nervous. Hopefully he has learned his lesson after getting punched by Glenn. When they get to the warehouse, Nicholas wants to go right in, but Glenn insists they should check all the exits to make sure they know what they are getting into instead of going in blindly.  Nicholas jokingly says he’ll just run out the front door. Aiden agrees with Glenn and it’s a good thing because the front is surrounded with walkers.  While they are scouting, Eugene and Tara have a heart to heart.  She tells him he needs to step up, but he thinks he already has because they made it to Alexandria.  She reminds him that they got him there not the other way around and calls him a coward.

They get inside the warehouse and it’s quiet.  Glenn tells the others there are most likely walkers there, but they must be stuck somewhere. Aiden suggests they move in and out quickly. They find the hidden walkers, which are stuck behind a fence and spread out to find the micro-inverters. A walker with armor gets close to Aiden so he shoots, but can’t get through the armor.  Glenn sees something on the walkers uniform and tells Aiden to stop shooting, but he shoots again and the walker blows up.  In the aftermath, Aiden appears to be dead according to Nicholas, and the walkers are roaming free.  Tara has a nasty head would and is unconcious so they must get her back to Alexandria quickly. They get into a back room, but it turns out Aiden is still alive. Glenn says it will take three of them to help Aiden out and Eugene pledges to guard Tara. While the others are freeing Aiden, Eugene decides to take the bull by the horns and get Tara to the van. He throws her over his shoulder and shoots some walkers on the way out of the back door. 

In the warehouse, Glenn struggles to get Aiden loose, but it’s almost impossible and becomes even more so when Nicholas runs off to save himself, like a little bitch. Glenn and Noah have to leave and Aiden gets eaten alive. Glenn and Noah run to the front and see there is no way they can get out, but Nicholas runs into the revolving door and gets all three of them stuck.  Glenn and Noah are in one part with the gun and Nicholas is in another with the ammunition. They are being attacked on both sides with nowhere to go until Eugene pulls up with the van. The walkers on the outside trail after Eugene with the help of Aiden’s techno music mix. Glenn decides to break through the glass and get the gun to Nicholas so he can shoot and cover them, but Nicholas once again tries to save himself and pushes the door around so he gets out. A walker gets hold of Noah’s leg and he gets pulled out, but tells Glenn “don’t let go”. Then Glenn must watch, as Noah gets pulled apart. Nicholas stops Eugene and tells him to move over so they can leave, but Eugene is wary and wants to know where the others are. Nicholas freaks and pulls Eugene out of the van, but he doesn’t make it all the way in before Glenn pulls him out and knocks the shit out of him.  In the van, we see the notebook Reg gave Noah to write in. It has one line written in it, “this is the beginning.” 

Back in town, Pete stops by for a beer with Rick.  He tells Rick he is sorry about him losing his wife and that he should bring the kids by for a check up.  Pete tells Rick it must look like they haven’t lost a lot, but they have.  He also says they should be friends, because they kind of have to be. (Yeah okay Pete, let me just hand you the knife and I’ll turn around…)  After Pete leaves, Rick messes with his wedding ring for a second, almost acting as if he is going to pull it off.  Later, Rick finds Jessie in her garage cleaning up an owl sculpture that has been destroyed. She tells Rick things like that don’t usually happen there.  Rick says he will look into it.

Carol finds Sam rummaging through her house. He wants more cookies because he’s bored and someone knocked over his owl statue.  Carol tells him he doesn’t know what real problems are and she will bake him one more batch if he can steal the chocolate. He comes back later, chocolate in tow.  He makes small talk while they are baking the cookies and she tries to cut him off until he finally tells her they don’t have to be friends, but they don’t have to be silent either.  He then admits to her that he broke the owl statue because he gets frustrated sometimes and he also asks Carol if he can have one of the guns.  When she asks why he would want one, he says it’s not for him. Could it possibly be for #porchdick Pete?  Sam runs off.  Carol goes over to check on him, but Pete answers the door and won’t let her see Sam or Jessie. She goes back to her house and finds Rick.  She tells him Pete is hitting Jessie and possibly Sam and there is only one way to take care of it. Rick will have to kill him.

Father Gabriel decides to make an appearance and comes to visit Deanna.  He tells her she has let Satan into her paradise because Rick’s group is evil and has done evil things.  He only hopes he has told her in time.  I have never liked this man from the first moment he was screaming for help on top of that rock.  Fortunately, Maggie overhears the conversation so our group will be ready when the shit hits the fan.

End credits…

It seems as though, through no fault of their own, Rick’s group is taking over and Deanna is not happy about it.  I’m not sure what she expected.  They’ve lived outside in this new rugged world for two years, not sipping wine and having dinner parties in their little hipster neighborhood. I am stunned that the Alexandria group seems to be so surprised that our group isn’t getting killed left and right. It’s because they watch out for each other and care for each other. For all of the Alexandrians showiness of sitting by the fire roasting marshmallows and singing kumbuya, they all leave each other for death at the first sign of trouble. And where the hell does “Father” Gabriel get off?  He locked himself in his church while his flock was being eaten by zombies. But he’s righteous and Rick’s group is evil?  I’ve hated him from the beginning.  He is way more of a liability than Eugene and has now shown his truest of true colors.  Only two episodes left I think, so how will this end?  Hopefully some of the Alexandrians will realize that Rick’s group is the way to go before any more of our beloved group is killed.  And YAY for #scarol, get Pete!

#twd #scarol #stupid Alexandrians

Ep 513 "Forget"

Last week the group needed to remember what it was like to live a semi-normal life with showers and haircuts and without guns.  This week they need to forget, but after the last two years is it possible for our group to forget?  Some seem to find it easier than others.

Sasha definitely seems to be the most reserved.  She takes her gun outside the walls for some target practice.  She listens as if she keeps hearing something like a walker or a person sneaking up on her, but no one is there.  What she hears is in her head and once she’s done with practice she sits on the stump and says, “Come and get me.”  She’s definitely got some PTSD going on and why wouldn’t she?  I’d be worried about anyone in Rick’s group who wasn’t struggling with some issue after what they have been through.  Too bad there isn’t a therapist in Alexandra because he or she would be doing some heavy pro-bono work.

Rick, Carol and Daryl also go outside the walls to meet at the white cabin and discuss their gun situation.  They want to get their guns from the armory quickly before the Alexandrians start to watch and worry about what the group might be doing.  With Carol’s deep undercover work on the Junior League she has noticed a whole locker of guns the others don’t use and wouldn’t miss.  Rick asks that they keep this meeting between the three of them because he does want everyone to try and make it work there.  On their way back Daryl notices a corpse with a W carved into it.

Michonne checks out her new uniform in the mirror.  She and Rick are still curious as to why Deanna would give complete strangers an authoritative position.  Michonne wants to believe it is to integrate them into the Alexandria group.  They meet with Deanna and Maggie to discuss their new jobs.  She wants to build a working government and wants Maggie’s help.  They walk out to look at the wall and Rick persuades Deanna to make some more fortifications to the wall or someone will eventually get through.  He also brings up his strong belief that they should have guns on them, but Deanna will not back down on that issue.  Sasha walks up and volunteers to be the lookout on the watchtower, but Deanna says no one ever mans the tower because it’s not necessary.  Rick flips out and says someone should be there because to see who is coming from every side and eventually someone will come.  Can these people have been lucky enough for no group of crazies to find and ravage their camp?  If so, I want to go to Vegas with them because they are one lucky bunch.  Deanna agrees to the watchtower guard, but she wants her hottie son Spencer to maintain it for now until they make a schedule.  Then Sasha can get on the roster.  For doing this, Deanna expects them all to come to a dinner party she is hosting that night. 

Daryl is out walking and catches Aaron near him.  Daryl accuses Aaron of following him, but Aaron says he is just out hunting rabbits.  Aaron asks if he can join Daryl and Daryl begrudgingly agrees, warning Aaron to keep up and be quiet.  They come upon a horse that Aaron has seen before.  He tells Daryl he’s tracked the horse for months and his name is Buttons, but every time he gets close the horse runs off.  Daryl thinks he may be able to catch the horse and he gets close, but some walkers get there and the horse runs away.  Aaron and Daryl kick some walker ass and go back after Buttons.  When they find him he is being taken down by 5-6 walkers and can’t get away, so this beautiful, majestic creature is finally consumed by the world around him.  They kill the walkers that have already started eating from the horse and then give him as peaceful a death as they can, by Aaron shooting Buttons in the head.  I hope this isn’t a foreshadowing for our brave group who was out in the wild and has now been reigned in.  On their way back to town, Aaron reveals to Daryl he knows what it feels like to be an outsider because of his relationship with Eric.  He says people try to be nice, but there is still this feeling there.  So he knows how Daryl feels, but he thinks Daryl should try his best to make it to the dinner party.

As Carol is trading recipes with some of the Stepford wives she see’s Rick and tells him the armory will be unmanned that night due to the dinner party.  When Carol goes to get her ration of chocolate for her cookies, she unlocks a window to get in later that night.

The dinner party begins and we get to meet Deanna’s husband Reg, who is impressed by Rick.  Jessie introduces her husband Pete to Rick, who doesn’t mention anything about their middle of the night smoke on the porch meeting from the last episode.  Pete acts charming in this meeting even offering to check out Rick’s health since he’s a surgeon.  Um, no thanks creepy porchdick.  Pete and Sam, Jessie’s other son, go to talk with some others.  Jessie hangs back and points out to Rick that the dinner party isn’t so bad and the apocalypse helped the world in one way.  Everyone there is from a different background and might have never met if it wasn’t for the apocalypse.  Sam comes back and wants to stamp Rick’s hand so he’s part of the group.  Rick lets him and it’s an A.  Hmm, A’s haven’t necessarily been a good thing for our group in the past.  We see Abraham and Michonne talk on the porch and Sasha stops by.  She meets Deanna’s son Spencer, but shortly after she goes ballistic when a woman wants to cook her dinner and says “she worry’s” she’ll cook the wrong thing.  Sasha blurts out that she can’t believe that is what she worry’s about and leaves.  Rick bumps into Jessie again and she has Judith.  When she hands him Judith he kisses Jessie on the cheek.

Carol is at the armory collecting the guns while everyone’s at the dinner party.  She get’s caught by Sam, Jessie’s youngest son.  He asks what she is doing and says he followed her because he thought she might be making more cookies.  She says she will make more if he will not tell what he saw.  When he wavers and says he has to tell his mother Carol goes full on creepy and tells him if he doesn’t keep his mouth shut he may wake up to find himself out in the woods surrounded by walkers and screaming where no one can hear him.  I think he’s keeping his mouth shut.

Daryl does clean up and gets to the outside of the party, but doesn’t go in.  He’s heading back to his house when Aaron see’s him and invites him to dinner.  Daryl asks why he isn’t at the dinner party and Aaron says he luckily got out of it due to Eric’s sprained ankle.  Daryl comes in and eats spaghetti with them and afterwards Aaron gives Daryl a bike and says he has a job for him.  He wants Daryl to come out and be his sidekick recruiter.  Aaron says Daryl can tell if someone is good or bad and he can’t.  Daryl says he’ll take the bike and help Aaron because he has “nothing else to do”.

The next morning Deanna opens the gate for Sasha and gives her the gun and ammo.  Deanna tells her she understands something is going on, but they need to figure out what to do about it.  Sasha tells Deanna that Alexandria isn’t real, but Deanna tells Sasha that comment is bullshit.  Out in the woods Carol hands out guns to Rick and Daryl.  Daryl no longer wants one to carry.  He thinks it’s good they have them, but he is comfortable walking around without a gun.  Rick hesitates for a moment, but still takes one and stuffs it in the back of his pants.  Michonne also decides to retire her katana sword to the mantle in their house.

End Credits…

#porchdick #RIPButtons #twd #scarol