The Walking Dead S06 E15: East

On last week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” we saw the rippling effects of actions and non-actions. Daryl’s failure to kill Dwight caused Denise to take the arrow that was meant for Daryl; the absurdity being that Dwight used Daryl’s crossbow. Carol’s encounter with Paula has her doubting past actions. Will Carol’s decision to leave cause more ripples in the arena known as the apocalypse? Who will suffer her actions?

Ripples

The show starts with blood dripping onto the ground. The rosary beads a testimony to what can happen when people forget that their actions cause ripples. I hate ripples. The flashback shows Carol secretly prepares to run away, but while she packs, life goes on for our lovers. Able and Sasha are all kissy-face and I keep hoping Rosita finds someone, fast. Rick and Michonne are comfortable in their love, but Rick wanting a little more time has to be put on hold because nobody wants to piss off the pregnant lady.

Maggie has evolved into a good military leader. She wants to make sure Alexandria is Savior proof but those damn ripples from Carol and Daryl leaving Alexandria has put everyone in danger.

Nancy

Are the panic attacks that Carol had with Paula’s group and with the truck load of Savior Dicks a ploy or the real thing? It’s hard to tell because we do know that Carol is bothered by her kill list, but our little chameleon ninja plays the frightened Susie Homemaker card again and, before the Saviors even know what the hell hit them, Carol blasts most of them away. Now we know why she was sewing the gun inside her jacket. But, Carol is injured and one of the Saviors is tracking her.

Melissa McBride has a fan base that is huge and it’s because her character went from little mouse to grizzly bear. Come on, folks, if she didn’t show up at Terminus in “No Sanctuary,” Team Rick would have been lunch, but what we need to remember is that Carol was always doing combat… even before the apocalypse. She had an abusive husband and, for women stuck in an abusive relationship, every day is the apocalypse.

Rick considers Carol family even though she pissed him off by killing the sick people back at the prison in “Infected,” but now, he tells Morgan, she did the right thing. Morgan, who is at the other end of the prism when it comes to killing, surprised me tonight when I realized that he admired Carol. Morgan might understand Carol better than anyone else on Team Rick. He tells Rick to go home after they encounter barnyard walkers and someone who is looking for his horse. Morgan will search for Carol, but if he doesn’t come back, he tells Rick, “Don’t come looking for me.

It was touching to hear Morgan’s explanation for taking Alpha Wolf captive and Morgan did make a great point when he pointed out that kindness shown to the Alpha Wolf had a pay-it-forward effect. Alpha Wolf saved Denise from the walkers and, Denise saved Carl after he was shot in the eye. To Morgan, all life is precious, especially during an apocalypse. Is he right? Rick hits Morgan with his own secret. Michonne ate Morgan’s protein bar. Now they are even.

Daryl

Did anyone stop to think that maybe, just maybe, they should not all go chasing after Daryl when he took off. We saw just how close the enemy came to Alexandria before running into Carol.

At first, I thought Daryl was going after Carol, but it was revenge he was seeking for Denise. Revenge, like running from a kill list, can make for some big freaking ripples and we know how much I hate ripples.

Conclusion

Every action causes a reaction. Did Carol really think that she could slip out of town without half the team going out searching for her? We don’t know if she’s dead and we almost got a fright when we mistook a walker for her. It was a bad time to leave, kill list or no kill list. With Morgan and Rick traipsing after Carol, our ratio of Ninja fighters in Alexandria is way too low.

When Glenn, Michonne and Rosita go chasing after Daryl, we knew bad things were going to happen and it did. Glenn’s attempt to get Daryl to return home fell on deaf ears. Daryl takes off looking for Dwight, a man with more lives than a cat.

Ripples

Trouble is here and Team Rick will have to deal with it, but first they have to deal with the ripples they’ve set in motion when Carol and Daryl both left Alexandria. If Carol had stayed in Alexandria, Morgan and Rick wouldn’t have been looking for her.

If Daryl had stayed put, Glenn and Michonne wouldn’t have been kidnapped by Dwight. If Daryl took Glenn’s advice and went home, Dwight would not have shot him. I’m pretty certain that a universal scream was heard around the world when Daryl was shot. Is he dead? Dwight indicates no, but he’s nuts.

Enid cut Maggie’s hair because Maggie wants to be battle ready. Maggie has foresight which makes her a good leader, but she’s in trouble now and Glenn is not there. Let’s hope those cramps are from a bad jar of pickles and not a miscarriage.

Next week is the ninety-minute season finale and we are sure to meet Negan. I’ll have my industrial strength bottle of TUMS at my desk, but it might not be enough. Trouble is here and his weapon is called Lucille.