Title: The Walking Dead “Twice as Far”
Air Date: March 20th, 2016
Network: AMC
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
With The Walking Dead”Twice as Far” now over and done with, there are only two remaining episodes to this season of the Walking Dead and we’re down another two people. Well, technically one but I’ll get to that shortly.
This week’s episode of The Walking Dead was a…decent episode. With the exception of about seven seconds, this episode was entirely Rick-less. It instead focused on two separate groups both on different missions outside of Alexandria. During the opening, we do get the impression that Carol is still troubled with the whole killing business. She is still in possession of that cross from last week’s “The Same Boat” moving it around it her hand seemingly questioning or looking for advice on how to move forward. We get to see the finished product of what Morgan was building in that same episode…a jail cell. In the brief moment, we see Rick, he asks Morgan “Why?” You can go back in your mind to when Eastman found Morgan awhile back and held him in a jail cell. Eastman could have killed Morgan but by holding him in that cell, Eastman was able to bring Morgan back from that dark place in his mind. It appears Morgan would like to have that same option as opposed to just killing.
The remainder of this Walking Dead episode focuses mainly on two separate groups. We have Daryl, Denise and Rosita and also Abraham and Eugene. Rosita currently seems to have a little fling going on with Spencer in the wake of the Abraham fall out. We do somewhat get the impression that Rosita is a bit lost at the moment and this fling with Spencer might be a way of her getting things out of her system, but she seems open to more. Carol seems to be building on her relationship with Tobin, giving him a kiss one morning while smoking on a porch swing, but clearly there is much on her mind. As we begin to break off in the episode Denise has an idea where some medicine might be in an area not far away and wants to go check it out. Daryl and Rosita end up agreeing to go after seeing how adamant Denise is going, even by herself if need be. Abraham and Eugene are headed to a local metal shop of some sort for an idea Eugene has been kicking around for a few days.
Here lies my one big issue with this episode. I will readily admit I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I just returned from a weekend road trip in which my significant other and I took five kids on a six-hour drive. Three of those children are under four so for anyone to think that was a good idea, clearly is not firing on all cylinders. Even so, I feel that I know enough not to bring the only doctor in town out on a scavenging run. Not the second best doctor, not the apprentice of a doctor but the ONLY doctor in town. I don’t care what story you spin, you are not leaving to go on a scavenging run. Not to mention someone that has practically no experience in the dangers outside the walls of Alexandria. Well needless to say, Denise embarks on a run with Daryl and Rosita to check out that pharmacy.
Eugene and Abraham discover some type of metal workshop that Eugene has been looking for, which Eugene has big plans for. Once they find this shop Eugene informs Abraham of his plan to manufacture bullets. I mean aside from food, ammunition is certainly one of the top commodities for trading and survival. The Hilltop Colony was guarding their place with spears…wooden made spears. Spears against several full magazines of a few semi-automatic rifles will end up being a pretty one sided battle. Eugene is clearly also trying to advance himself in this world as useful, important and skilled. Since we first met him we get the idea that even though he’s smart, he needs to be protected because he can’t defend himself. He stands up to Abraham by letting him know even though he once needed him, “his services are no longer required.” This cockiness doesn’t sit well with Abraham who clearly thinks Eugene is full of hot air for now and leaves him in the shop to find his own way back to Alexandria.
Daryl, Rosita, and Denise find the pharmacy and score big with the stock that is still there. There is one chilling scene where Denise investigates a thumping that she hears. Upon entering a back room she sees a crib and immediately I thought to myself, “Oh no.” She finds a walker on the ground noticeably decayed and immobile and the words “Hush, Hush, Hush” written repeatedly on the wall. As she rushes to leave she notices the shoe of a small child sticking out of a full sink. The outside of the building is covered in hand prints leading one to speculate that a whole lot of walkers were trying to get in the building. It doesn’t take a detective to put together the rest. Pretty brutal stuff that Denise does not do well processing since she really hasn’t been exposed to that aspect of the world since it’s changed.
Now remember what I said about not bringing the only doctor out on a scavenging run? Well right in the middle of Denise giving some extensive dialogue, an arrow enters the back of her skull and lodges itself there just after exiting her eye. It is an equally chilling moment as Denise continues to try and finish what she was saying, slurring her speech as she goes as if the brain trauma has caused her to be unable to comprehend what has happened. The Saviors emerge from the woods and there’s Dwight with the crossbow in hand. Dwight is the one Daryl decided to help instead of kill in that burned out section of the woods. Dwight was on the run from the Saviors then but decided to go back and take his chances with punishment, and we can tell…he was punished. Almost the entire one side of Dwight’s head is scarred from burns. As it turns out Dwight also has Eugene who is brought out and placed on his knees. Dwight informs Daryl that they know where Alexandria is and if they want Eugene to live, they will take the Saviors there and give them everything they have. Long gun battle short, Abraham arrives to help, Eugene bites Dwight in the…D and Daryl and Rosita help clean house driving off the remaining Saviors.
I know The Walking Dead is building up to a big finale but the Saviors have ultimately had their butts handed to them about four times now. They seem like that schoolyard bully who tries to talk and act tough but runs away with his tail between his legs the first time he gets his chin checked. Daryl has a moment talking to Carol about how he should have killed Dwight with Carol agreeing. Then comes this voice over by Carol in regards to a letter she left for Tobin. She informs him that she is leaving because she loves everyone in Alexandria. Yes, she loves everyone in Alexandria and because of that she’ll have to kill to keep everyone safe and shes’s not going to do that anymore. It’s possible I misunderstood and maybe she’s actually going to the Hilltop Colony to start over there, but leaving the group so she doesn’t have to kill anymore is beyond me. In The Walking Dead with the world the way it is you will most certainly have to defend yourself at some point, especially if you’re on your own. Just before the credits role Morgan is seen eyeing the porch swing Carol had been sitting on then looking back at some weapons being moved on a cart. Is Morgan going to get Carol and bring her back? I guess we’ll have to see how things play out next week.
Did you like this week’s episode of The Walking Dead? How do you feel about Carol leaving the group? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and check back for the final two reviews of Season Six.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Lk_hXZsBU[/embedyt]
- Acting/Actors: Some nice performances here in this Rick-less episode. We were just getting to know Denise and now she’s gone.
- Story: The focus is shifted here to some of the others in Alexandria. The only doctor should never leave town.
- Cinematography: Unique video prior to the opening credits
- Organization: We jump around some here but despite the bumpy ride, we’re ready for next week’s episode
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