THE WALKING DEAD 5.3

Four Walls and a Roof

If you've read the comics you knew this was coming, especially after the end of the last episode! I think they did a great job bringing the comic into the AMC world. This episode opens with Gareth continuing his psycho rant to Bob. Some interesting points are that he calls out Carol and mentions how they almost got her and "the Archer" before they drove off. Gareth also talked to Bob about what sort of person tastes the best (sick!) He mentions that women are tastier because we have more fat in our bodies, he taunts Bob as he mentions Sasha. One question was answered, what are the marks in the woods? Gareth answered that they had been leaving marks to find their way back "back to what now" as Gareth thinks about what's left of Terminus. One of the best parts in this scene is when Bob starts laughing at the Termites as he tells them how has been bit and that they're eating tainted meat!

Someone's Watching

Back at the church Sasha has gone out to find Bob, she notices someone in the woods before a jump scare of a scene as Walkers come into her scope. Rick and Tyreese help her to get back into the church when they confront Father Gabriel. He reveals how he locked the doors and let the Walkers attack the people begging to get inside. For those of us that have read the comics we knew this, it's nice to see that they kept his back story the same. Did you notice Rick's face while Father Gabriel was telling them what happened? His face, while listening to him go through the trauma he experienced from it all, seemed a mix of disbelief and contemplating his actions against the Father's.

They're interrupted as someone mentions how there is someone outside of the church. The troupe goes out and find Bob left on the ground as a few Walkers make their way in. As Rick surveys the scene, as he turns to head back in it's revealed there is a red marked A on the outside wall of the church. When Bob comes to he tells them about how Gareth and the Termites ate his leg right in front of him and he reveals his bite. When he was telling them about his ordeal you have to wonder if they had gone back to make sure the Termites were dead what would the outcome be? Rick asks Bob if they have Carol and Daryl and Bob tells him how the Termites saw them drive off. Abraham picks the worst time to try to announce that they're leaving for Washington as the two Alpha males clash. Glenn breaks them up and after much testosterone fueled talks, it's decided that Abraham and his crew will stay until they deal with the Termites and then Glenn, Maggie and Tara will go with them to D.C. (NO - say it's not so!! Why break up the group now? I hated Abraham - the writers - for their terrible timing.)

The Big Play

In the comics Rick and his group go and attack the Cannibals camp, so we think this is "the big play" that the group is preparing for. Meanwhile, Sasha and Tyreese have a heart to heart. I think Tyreese doesn't want his sister to go after the Termites and he doesn't want to go either. However, his message was a good one about forgiveness. Sasha, in disbelief of what her brother is telling her "I should forgive them?" Tyreese tries to tell her "That's what Bob would want." She hands her brother her knife and tells him to put it through is temple "That's what Bob would  want." What would you do if your loved one was bitten and you were faced with having to wait until they stopped breathing. Could you put the knife through their skull?

Rick and most of the crew head out to the school yard where the Termites are camped. It was confusing as the scene didn't change from the road sign as people came out of the woods and slowly reveals it's the Termites. I was literally having such high anxiety, it's crazy. They break into the church as the sociopath Gareth starts addressing the remaining group hidden within the church. Was this the play the entire time? Knowing that Gareth and the Termites have been watching them, were they only leaving to draw out the remaining Termites? Why else would the remaining people be hidden all together within a small room.

The church is dark, it's night, and right before the Termites are going to knock down the door (which Gareth seems upset about) two of the Termites get their head shot in as we hear Rick's voice! They shoot Gareth and wound him. Gareth continues his sociopathic behavior trying to talk to Rick and then realizes it's useless. Interestingly, there is a red handled machete! If you don't remember in the first episode when Gareth is again, talking to Rick asking him what was in the bag that he had buried, Rick told him there was a red handled machete in there that he was going to kill him with. Rick is a man of his word! What surprised me was how some of the people in the group seemed upset with the killing of the Termites. I didn't understand that unless they were just upset with the brutality of it. But, as Rick said - they didn't want to waste any bullets. Amazingly though - Michonne gets her sword back!  In the aftermath Father Gabriel is taking in the carnage as he comments "This is the Lord's house" with his dismay of the beaten bodies and blood that are covering his church. Maggie corrects him "No, it's just four walls and a roof."

The World Needs Rick Grimes

Sasha has to say goodbye to Bob as the rest of them say goodbye as well. As the group leaves Sasha to spend some time with her boyfriend, Bob calls Rick back and shares with him a touching moment as he thanks him. I love the send off from Talking Dead their farewell stated how he come to the group alone but, left the world with family. Sasha and Bob have their moment and I found it crushing that Sasha asked Bob "So what is it, the good that comes out of this bad?" He doesn't get to answer her as he exhales his last breath. Tyreese enters the room and tells his sister to step out as he makes sure Bob didn't turn and they bury him.

The rest of the group prepare to separate again. I don't know about you but I think this is the WORST idea EVER! Why? Here we go again, the group is split up and we have to wait and suffer through awaiting them to get back together. I don't know, then again maybe they do better split up and only coming together for a little bit before splitting up again? Maybe they have a better survival rate that way? Either way, I hate it. I wish they could have stayed together longer. Abraham gives Rick a map that has their route to DC marked on it. Glenn, Maggie and Tara stay true to what they had agreed on as they all climb into the bus and take off for Washington, D.C. Rick opens the map and finds a note from Abraham "Sorry, I was an asshole. Come to Washington. The new world's gonna need Rick Grimes."

Rick sees that Tyreese is burying the rest of the bodies and goes to help him. He asks Tyreese about his journey before they reached Terminus. Tyreese answers "It killed me" to which Rick replies "No, it didn't." There was a great message through this episode how much we change but, we still remain who we are. We can survive, adapt, and move forward. Michonne seems to be torn about her sword coming back to her. I know in the last episode she mentioned how she didn't miss certain things. But, I think she needs her sword and now she's trying to come back to terms with the world as it is now. She was sitting on the steps of the church as Father Gabriel comes out to join her and comments how he can't sleep. He's dealing with a mild form of PTSD, he's haunted by what he's done. Michonne tells him that it's not going to go away but, it won't haunt him all the time. They're interrupted by some noise in the woods. She goes to investigate as Daryl steps out from the dark of the night. Michonne asks him "Where's Carol?" Daryl calls out to someone (we can't see" "Come on out!" and the screen cuts to black! What! These weeks waiting are hard. But, we waited for several months for the new season and so far the wait has definitely been worth it. Next week we'll finally get to see Beth too.

Sneak Peek - Slabtown

Links & More

AMC The Walking Dead Story Sync
Hitfix - Rick Grimes Coma Question
Robert Kirkman Answers Coma Question
MTV - Daryl's Best Moments