Last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” was a series of epiphanies and emotional growth for all our characters. Although Daryl didn’t agree with Rick’s description of the group, I did. They have become the walking dead. They do what needs to be done and, with a little luck, they will survive to live another day. While Daryl and the others face their grief, a stranger appears in their midst. What Aaron (Ross Marquand) has to offer sounds too good to be true.
Sales Pitch
So, let me get this straight. Rick and his team have to audition to enter the community that Aaron is from? Aaron has come prepared. I’ll give him that. In his backpack our pictures of the fifteen foot high walls of steel that protects his community. Unfortunately, Aaron didn’t get the chance to mention if the community had a swim club or billiard room. Rick punched out his lights. Inside Aaron’s bag is also a flare gun and this makes Rick suspicious. I don’t blame him. That music box began to play when he walked up on Sasha and Maggie and, Judith began to cry when Aaron entered the barn. Aaron would make a wonderful politician, especially, the way he was dodging Rick’s questions.
After all that’s happened, I expected the team to side with Rick. Every time they didn’t take his advice, something bad happened, and yet, even though Rick is against going to this community, the team wants to take the chance.
Michonne
I think we forget that Michonne is human. It’s understandable. The only thing she hasn’t done yet is leap tall buildings and catch bullets with her teeth. Michonne is the Ninja Wonder Woman of Team Rick, but she’s tired of running and it’s not only her. Everyone has reached their limits. They need time to heal and that sales pitch that Aaron spieled sounds good not only to Michonne, but to Maggie, Sasha and Rosita.
This is the first time that Michonne wasn’t in sync with Rick’s call and that’s cool. This is why the team works so well and why they’ve lasted as long as they did. It’s a democracy. Michonne and Rick are true warriors and they play off each other’s instincts to survive. But, sometimes you have to let the fight go. That’s Michonne’s advice for Rick. Let it go. You have to think of Judith.
And speaking of the little ass kicker. We forget that Judith is a child of the apocalypse. She has learned at a very young age to be quiet, not to attract attention, but she’s a baby and babies cry when they’re hungry.
Aaron
Maybe, having a comedic personality gets you a punch in the nose. Aaron swears up and down that he’s offering sanctuary. There’s that nasty word again. We flinch when we hear it because it’s mostly been a lie. While the team goes out to check if Aaron really did come with transportation, Rick has to quiet his hungry daughter. Aaron’s offer of applesauce is refused because Aaron won’t eat it.
Really, I don’t care if my mother forced me to eat applesauce 24/7, if I’m tied up in a barn and an armed man tells me to be the food taster, I’m going to eat the stinking applesauce; just saying. Aaron did tell the truth about transportation, there was an RV and car, but still, Aaron was too secretive. He had no pictures with people. Michonne found this disturbing, but why didn’t they notice this sooner. I did and, Aaron’s explanation sounded like pure bull.
The team splits up, some ride in the RV, the others in the car. It’s a messy drive. Rick refused Aarons directions to travel Route 16 causing them to drive through a herd of walkers that turned into a bloody mess. Michonne had to dig walkers out of the grill, but the car was bust. Rick, Glenn, Michonne and Aaron eventually catch up to the others and, we meet Eric.
Conclusion
This episode opened up a new venue for Team Rick, both locational and emotional. The team is heading to Alexandria. I’m guessing that seeing the Washington Monument brought home memories of happier times to our weary travelers. Michonne explains to Glenn that maybe Aaron was spying on them, so what? What did he see? He saw a family, he saw people who cared about each other and, he saw people who were willing to die for each other.
Aaron was worried about his lover, Eric. Did Rick decide to trust Aaron after witnessing the tender reunion between the two men? Maybe, but just in case, he hid his gun in a blender. There were a lot of tender moments. Abraham and Rosita mend fences while searching for food in that RV. I guess even canned spaghetti looks yummy during an apocalypse. Finding the RV brought back memories of Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn). He’s the one who taught Glenn how to fix a battery. We’ve lost a lot of friends over the years and, it’s nice to remember them and pay tribute to them when we can.
When the team reaches Alexandria and the fifteen foot high steel fence, the sounds of children playing are heard. You can see the relief in Rick’s eyes. Has he found a home for his children? Is there such a thing as Sanctuary? Carol, unlike Michonne, doesn’t believe they did. Maybe we’ll find out next week.
I quite enjoyed this episode and how much Michonne was willing to both challenge Rick on his call and the group for taking in people like her, Tara- who was still in cahoots with the Governor- and even Gabriel, despite his cowardice. Hell, they even took Noah, who nearly left Daryl and Carol to be attacked by walkers near the hospital. They have every reason to be suspicious and have been fooled before by the likes of Terminus and Woodbury, but Aaron comes off as very straightforward to me. Obviously it would have been in his benefit to tell Sasha and Maggie everything first before bringing it to the group, but then there’s the chance that Rick and company would have stormed it. Plus, as Aaron rightly pointed out, no matter what he said, he knew he wouldn’t be trusted. I’m sure he’s an honest guy, but really, that’s coming from the perspective of keeping up to date on and being an avid reader of the comic book.
Hi omarid513! Interesting point. If the show runs true to the comic book, then Aaron is okay, but the show likes to switch things around. I can’t wait to see how close they keep the show to the comic book. Thank you for visiting Biff Bam Pop.
Reblogged this on gilbertspeaks.
Driving through zombies like butter. Totally unrealistic but am not complaining 😀
me neither!!!