It’s the second week of this radical transition from Dawn of the Dead to Mayberry, and it’s interesting to see the effect on some of Rick’s group.
Sasha is experiencing full on PTSD (although I might have gone a little wacky at that party too… I mean… break out the Twister or something). Carl is showing signs of being a normal teen. And Carol… wow! I don’t even know what to say about Carol.
I think the scene that jumped out at me the most this week was
Who you are matters.
That’s what we’re learning this week, as former Congresswoman Deanna is discovering people’s strengths and assigning them relevant positions.
This week was quite a transition for The Walking Dead fans. One minute Rick and his friends are nomads starving for a drop of water, the next moment they’re taking showers, getting haircuts and sleeping on a bed. (Except for Daryl, of course. Homie really needs a shower!)
The episode brings up some interesting discussion elements:
How should you treat others when you’ve been hurt over and over again?
That was the debate this week, so much so, that Michonne spoke up against Rick.
It all started with the arrival of Aaron, a friendly, surprisingly clean and kempt stranger with an RV full of food and supplies. Aaron is the show’s first male gay character, which might create a bit of discussion for many who watch the show. Is that discussion relevant to the theme of this week’s episode?
You know they’ve hit a low point when Daryl cries.
This week’s episode was about suffering. Physical suffering—they’re hungry, thirsty, and wandering like nomads. Emotional suffering—they’ve just lost two loved ones, Tyreese and Beth. Spiritual suffering—many of them are mad at God. Why would God allow this to happen? (Maybe because God’s only representative they have access to is the hypocritical priest who selfishly locked his flock outside the church to die.)
Everyone is dealing with suffering in a different way. Maggie is
It’s the second biggest episode of the year—the midseason premiere—and it started (SPOILER ALERT) with us losing yet another beloved character, Tyreese.
Sadly, Tyreese had stepped up into the role of “moral compass” for the show. First Hershel, now Tyreese… who’s next?
It’s intriguing that this show was the mid-season premiere, because in it’s own poetic format, it paralleled Season 5, Episode 1 where Tyreese debated with Martin about the moral decision to save baby Judith. Now, as Tyreese is bleeding out and hallucinating
It only took about 75 seconds into this week’s episode for us to realize exactly how far Rick was willing to go to protect the group.
How far would you be willing to go?
This season The Walking Dead has been begging the question, “Is it okay to kill someone to protect yourself or your loved ones?” We’ve encountered these moments several times. In the very beginning of the season when the group escaped from Terminus, Rick urged the group to go back and wipe out Gareth and the other murderers, ending their tyranny. But the group urged him to forget about it and move on. That choice eventually cost