THE WALKING DEAD 5.10

THEM

The tenth installment of the fifth season opens with grieving Maggie, alone in the woods with an approaching Walker. She makes quick work of it before returning to her grieving. However, you can tell she's not well. Next scene is Daryl digging for worms! Then Sasha's tracking for water when she runs into an area with dead frogs, when Daryl and Maggie rejoin her and they're all disappointed that they weren't able to find water. They're all weak, but at least the group is all back together! 

When they run out of gas they take to foot under the blistering sun. There are great personable moments with groups of characters. My favorite is with Maggie and Father Gabriel, when she calls him out; he tries to console Maggie about the death of her family and she tells him basically to screw off, he can't claim to be a man of God and have turned his back like he did on his congregation (great scene). Another scene I liked was with Carol and Daryl. She gives him Beth's knife and states how she thinks Beth saved their lives and how he needs to feel the loss, not hold it in. There are a couple other great moments too between different characters. A scene I didn't like (not that I didn't like it, it's well done) I should explain further that I was probably the only fan that didn't grieve Tyreese's death (yes, it was sad and very well done) just he had gotten under my skin for the last two seasons. Now, his sister is getting under my skin. Michonne told her not to be stupid and she's not only being reckless and stupid, she's being really stubborn about it too. There's a scene where they sort of "face-off" and if I were Michonne I would have bitched slapped her. But, I guess no one has the energy for that.

There is a lot of reflections, things that are in remembrance of Beth or characters lost. The group manages to survive on eating dog, a little booze, a little water, rain, and they found shelter in a barn. Daryl is the one that find the barn on one of his many lone hunts. He puts a cigarette to his hand in order to feel something, to push himself to get it out, or maybe to just feel anything other than the misery he's fighting inside. Either way, when Daryl cries, we all cry! When he returns to the group, there is a note "From A Friend" and it's a bunch of bottled and jugged water in the middle of the road. They discuss that they don't know who it's from and don't know what could be in it. They decide to not take the chance, they haven't had much luck with too many strangers as it is. Then it starts to rain and they're all happy, until the rain gives way to a raging storm - that's when Daryl tells them of the Barn he saw and they take refuge in there.

During their time in the barn Rick tells them how "we are The Walking Dead" (just like in the comics) and Daryl challenges that (way to go Daryl!), he counters "we ain't them" and Rick asks him "we're not" and Daryl just restates "we ain't them" and he takes door duty as the storm intensifies. While on duty he notices a small herd inbound. He takes to the doors as one by one they come to his aide holding the Walkers off while the storm continues to rage to a tornado. The next scene Maggie is waking up facing Judith who's been watching her, she goes and has a moment with Daryl (who fixed the music box Carl had given her). Maggie then goes and tells Sasha to go with her. When they exit the barn, they see the carnage of the Walkers and the result of the storm. She takes her to watch a sunrise and they have a moment. Maggie winds up the music box so that they can share it and it doesn't work... as a stranger enters their scene - Aaron!! Of course the ladies don't trust him as he asks to talk to the person in charge, who he knows to be Rick. Just as he says "I have good news" the music box chimes in with it's song - quite poetic.

Daryl on duty - walkers in-bound... at the door - they all go to try to hold the walkers off.

Overall it was a slow episode with some really great moments. I think this episode had to happen, for so long a lot of people were complaining about Maggie and how she didn't seem to care for her sister, and now we know this isn't true and hasn't been true at all. We have to give the characters their time to grieve and I think it was a great episode to show the additional struggles that the group has to endure. The struggle of exhaustion, dehydration, starvation, depletion, and so much more. This brings what so many love of the series out and foremost, the relationships, the characters and depth, and all the feels - and throw in some great Zombie kills! Overall, a slow episode but nonetheless, still a great one. 

Links

AMC The Walking Dead - Story Sync

Wiki The Walking Dead (Comic Series) - Aaron