What a way to serve up the mid-season finale! The Wall is down and Ron is hunting for Carl. On last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” we were served a big slice of happy thoughts when Glenn crawled out from under that dumpster. Yes, my little zombie snacks, Glenn is alive but, as usual, our joy was short lived. How will Team Rick survive this latest setback? Who will die on this episode? It better not be baby Judith.
Hive
Our little Sam, like the groundhog, comes out of his hidey hole only to scamper back inside where he feels safe for another six weeks or until the ants or walkers do him in. The walkers are no different than a swarm of ants with marching orders to find food for the hive. There is one similar objective between the two; feed the hive; feed the virus. Anyone who has ever had an ant invasion inside their kitchen cabinets knows how hard it is to control the swarm.
Did anyone ever think about checking out that stinking watch tower? It’s just another example of the illusion of being safe. Donald Trump might want to remember this when he starts building his wall. Walls were made to come crashing down. Rick’s cries for the townsfolk to run for cover have everyone scrambling in every direction, but it’s not looking good for our team.
Carol and Morgan just barely get to safety with Carol winding up with a concussion. I don’t like our Ninja Cookie Baker out of commission. Denise is stuck with Mr. Alpha Wolf, which means she is stuck with the short straw. Alpha is sick from an infection he got from a rusty bumper. Denise thinks Alpha can change. Do you?
Countdown
Deanna was bitten. I kind of expected her to go first, mainly because she isn’t a fighter. She’s a planner; a dreamer with a map and, Deanna wants Michonne to pick up where she left off. We did get a jolt when we saw the bitten Deanna leaning over baby Judith. Luckily, Deanna was still herself and she only wanted to hold something that represented life itself, a baby. She tells Rick that he is in charge of all the people of Alexandria. We’ve gone from them against us to just plain “Us.”
There is too much happening and our friends are separated from each other. Maggie has barely climbed out of reach of the swarm, Eugene, as always, is rescued by Rosita and Tara, but he’s not a total waste. He knows how to pick a lock. Heads up on this scene because we learn that Eugene is the voice that is heard on Abe’s walkie. It figures. Ron’s gunning for Carl, but Carl is smarter which comes from living on the outside. Carl doesn’t rat out Ron, but he does take away his weapons. Raise of hands if you think that Carl should have told Rick about Ron?
The scuffle between Ron and Carl bring the walkers crashing through the doors. Everyone has to make it upstairs and away from the home invasion walkers. Sam’s music and Judith’s crying might draw the swarm upstairs, but Rick has a plan that we know will work. It did before. Cover yourself in walker guts and blend in.
Conclusion
This entire first half of season six has been a gut wrenching experience. Team Rick just can’t seem to find a safe zone be it farm, prison, Terminus or Alexandria. In the midst of a wolves attack and a Pied Piper walker brigade gone horribly wrong, love was able to sprout between Abe and Sasha. But, death doesn’t take a holiday and, the world is full of monsters. I don’t think Tovah Feldshuh’s Deanna should have been done away with so soon. I would have enjoyed her lasting at least until the end of the season, but nobody asked for my advice. At least Deanna went out in a blaze of glory. She became a Samurai and actually aimed for the walkers’ heads. Deanna will be missed.
There was a battle of wills between the Ninja and the Zen. Denise, like Morgan, foolishly thought that they could find the Alpha Wolf’s happy thoughts. She and Morgan thought they could convert and retrain a crazed man. They were both wrong. After six years, we know to trust Carol. She knows crazy. She wanted Alpha Wolf dead, but Morgan knocked Carol out. Morgan screwed up again.
Alpha Wolf did what we expected him to do. He clobbered Morgan and now he has Denise as his ticket to ride, taking Tara and Rosita’s weapons with him. Although we have no love for Alpha Wolf, Benedict Samuel, the actor who plays this despicable character is so freaking great at making us hate his character and everything he stands for. Benedict Samuel was able to scare us with those wild eyes and jackal smile. He is a worthy enemy until Negan shows up when the series returns from its hiatus in February.
The song playing in Sam’s room was Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and that is exactly what Team Rick will have to do. The walker guts that they’ve smeared on them will help them tiptoe through the swarm, but they need to be quiet. I’m not too worried about Judith. She’s lived outside the wall. I think that baby knows when to be quiet.
Unfortunately, for Team Rick, Sam is a bit unhinged. The apocalypse is not kind to children. How do you get a child who has not lived outside the wall to understand that to survive the monsters, you have to become one? You don’t. Sam starts calling for his mom just as Glenn and Enid climb to the top of the west wall.
See you in February, my little walker snacks. From the previews for episode nine, it looks like Abe, Sasha and Daryl have just met up with Negan’s men.
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