The Walking Dead S05 E04: Slabtown

Bob’s dead, Glenn and Maggie have joined Sgt. Abraham’s team, Gareth and his cannibals were chopped and diced by Rick’s team, but on last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” Daryl had someone hidden in the bushes. Who is it? Where the hell is Carol and, who has Beth? Hang onto your IV tubing and follow me.

Grady Memorial

Beth is alive! Wall clock ticking 5:17, intravenous tubing in her arm, Beth (Emily Kinney) realizes she’s in some type of hospital. Her attempt to get some information brings her face to face with Doctor Steven Edwards (Erik Jensen) and his companion, the female version of “Officer Krupke.” Officer Dawn Lerner (Christine Woods) is a hardnosed bitch with about as much compassion as an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake; my apologies to the snake.

Beth is put to work mopping floors and helping with patients. She’s Grady’s very own candy striper. At the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, you pay for the honor of living and even the food is marked against your tally sheet. Oh, and the food consists of Guinea pigs. Sound strange? This little cavia porcellus was domesticated around 5000 BC and was considered a food source for the people of Peru. Hey, when there’s no food around, Guinea pigs can be quite a treat… I guess.

There is some kind of power struggle going on between the doctor and officer Lerner, but we’re never sure who really is in charge. We do notice that some of the patients try to escape any which way they can; one man jumps out a window and a woman gets bitten trying to escape the post-apocalyptic trauma unit. Apparently, they don’t have universal health care in Atlanta because we hear Lerner complaining about the cost of supplies and who is worthy of saving to Doctor Edwards. Noah (Tyler James Williams formerly of “Everybody Hates Chris”) a fellow patient befriends Beth and gives her pointers on how to survive the guards.

Officer Lerner

Officer Dawn Lerner must have been a power hungry witch before the apocalypse. She turns a blind eye to one of her scum bag officers, Gorman (Ricky Wayne), abusing the women patients and she attacks Beth when she loses an argument with Dr. Edwards. Lerner makes the mistake of thinking Dawn, Noah and Beth as weak. They are not. Noah and Beth make plans to escape when Beth is tricked into killing a man.

Conclusion

Grady Hospital is no Team Prison. Where Rick and the team worked together in making a home out of a prison, Dr. Edwards and Officer Lerner do their best to make the hospital into a prison. Oh sure, Grady hospital has a guinea pig and veggie farm going, but I suspect that the patients and staff were most likely brought to the hospital against their will via those cars with the white crosses on the windows. They were rescued only to be mistreated, overworked and starved.

Beth is forced to help out as Joan’s arm is cut off because of a bite. I wonder if it brought back memories of Hershel’s leg. Joan was running from that hospital when she was bitten and we know why. Gorman is the type of officer that uses his power to intimidate and to take advantage of those who are weaker than him. He raped Joan and he tries with Beth… foolish man. That green taffy he tried to stick in Beth’s mouth comes back to haunt him.

Beth has evolved, just like Carol. Beth is focused on surviving while retaining her humanity. She knows how to give needles thanks to her dad being a veterinarian and she knows that Dr. Edwards told her to give the wrong medication to a patient. His reason is too horrid to understand. The other patient was also a doctor. There can only be one doctor if Edwards is to continue receiving special treatment.

Beth and Noah make good their plan to escape down the elevator shaft and through the bodies of former patients, but after fighting off a host of ‘breakout walkers’ only Noah escapes the hospital from hell. Beth decides after a second beating from Dawn that she’s going to take down as many of the guards as she can, but something stops her…

Dr. Edwards is a sickie. He appreciates good art; Caravaggio’s “The Denial of Peter,” but he thinks nothing of killing a fellow doctor. Officer Lerner has OCD and although she makes sure the hospital is squeaky clean; her soul is as dark as coal. Beth took care of scum bag Gorman with a little help from a jar of lollipops and zombie Joan, but she can’t leave this shit hole yet. Another patient has arrived and it’s the Apocalyptic Wonder Woman herself, Carol. What happened to her? And, how long before Carol throws Officer Krupke off the roof of the hospital. As to the question of who came back with Daryl… I’m thinking it was Noah. Do you?

See you next week, my little zombie snacks, and remember to hashtag #savetheguineapigs and #breakout walkers on Twitter.