The Walking Dead S05 E13: Forget

Assimilate, adapt, conform and blend in. On last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” we saw that Rick and his Spartans were out of their element in Alexandria. To remain members of the Safe Zone, our friends will need to act ‘normal,’ but what is normal when you’re living in the apocalypse? Assimilate can mean to join in, or like that Star Trek’s Borg, it can mean resistance is futile. Which is it and, is freedom just a state on mind? Sasha might know.

Conform

Olivia (Ann Mahoney) is the keeper of supplies, guns and chocolate. When Sasha asks for a gun, Olivia tells her to bring back a leg. Sasha’s expression was priceless, but the only reason Olivia didn’t get smacked down was because she was talking boar’s leg. Sasha has lost the two most important men in her life, Bob and Tyreese. Those family photos hanging in her room only bring pain. The best remedy for pain is to go shooting. Sasha didn’t bring back boar, but she got rid of the memories via dead photos.

Rick and Sasha are both surprised to learn that no one is up on the watch tower watching for danger. No one! How in the world did these people last as long as they have? The guns are kept locked up and only taken out for hunting boars and rabbits. Those walls surrounding the town won’t keep out people, but when Rick tells this to Deanna, she’s like, “Be happy. Don’t worry?” Deanna then invites our wily coyotes to a cocktail party.

Carol is just the cutest little soccer mom at Alexandria. She is talking recipes one minute, the next minute stealing guns for her, Rick and, Daryl. Carol would make a terrific 007. She likes to be invisible. She plays at blending in, but don’t cross her path.

Buttons

Daryl is really having trouble fitting in, but he’s not alone. It seems that Aaron and Eric feel like outsiders, too.  Aaron tells Daryl that he’s hunting rabbits, maybe, but maybe he just wants to talk. Aaron has been trying to catch a horse nicknamed Buttons. A nod to the comics, Buttons was a survivor from the farm. In the comics, Button’s whereabouts are unknown, but in tonight’s show, Buttons is viciously attacked by walkers. I’m surprised Buttons survived at all. Animals are great at adapting. They have to be. We humans destroy their habitats and hunt them into extinction, but they don’t do as well during wars or apocalypses. If not used as bush meat, they are often forgotten casualties of war. RIP Buttons.

Cocktails

Deanna is assigning jobs left and right. Michonne has to decide if her katana will make a perfect fashion statement for her new deputy outfit. In the end, she gives in and puts on a dress for the party. She also hangs her katana on the wall. While the people of Alexandria seem comfortable throwing a party, our Spartans are uneasy at first with the hospitality and, the hors d’oeuvres. What do you serve during an apocalyptic party? Spam would probably be considered a gourmet food. I’m dying to see who the hell this Mrs. Neudermyer is. Talk about asking for frivolous shit. Really let’s just risk our lives for a pasta maker why don’t we.

You could feel the sparks flying when Jessie and her husband came to the party. Rick wants Jessie and he doesn’t care about hubby. There are clues that things aren’t perfect with Jessie and her husband, Doctor Pete (Corey Brill). Rick’s good at reading clues. What’s with Sam wanting to stamp Rick’s hand? Why the letter A?

Daryl skips the party to have a spaghetti dinner with Aaron and Eric. Aaron has a job for Daryl; recruiter. To sweeten the pot, Aaron shows Daryl the garage stocked with motorcycle parts.

Conclusion

Assimilate. Michonne is blending in and so are a few of the other members of Team Rick. Some are having a hard time like Sasha. Daryl surprised me tonight. He took Aaron’s offer to be a recruiter. Aaron knew Daryl had the street smarts to not only stay alive, but to tell if a person is good or bad. Aaron and Eric were the only ones that understood our apocalyptic stud muffin. Just give him a dish of spaghetti and a motorcycle and Daryl is a happy boy.

Rick not only kissed Jessie on the cheek, but he gave her the Rick ‘laser beam eyes’ that spoke of steaming nights to come. Hubby will have to watch his back. Rick is a wolf among sheep. Speaking of wolves, we noticed a few walkers with the letter W branded on their foreheads. There is a new enemy over the horizon and it’s heading towards Alexandria. Rick’s stroking the wall tells us what? He did tell Deanna that the wall wouldn’t keep the walking dead out. Resistance is futile.

I saved the best for last. Horny Rick is scary enough, but cookie maker Carol was at the top of her game tonight. This show is not afraid of strong women. Caught stealing guns by little hand stamping Sam, I expected Carol to tell the boy to look at the flowers. Carol’s warning that she would tie Sam to a tree and let walkers feast on him, showed, once and for all, that she is not only a true survivor, but most likely America’s answer to terrorism. I can’t wait until the next episode. How long will it take before Pete meets with an unfortunate accident?