The Walking Dead,“Crossed,” was written by Seth Hoffman and directed by Billy Gierhart. Rather than focusing on a single group as the last few episode have, this one crossed back and forth between them. The title is also a reflection of people crossing each other and coming to a crossroads in their journey. It even refers to the walker who is “crossed” by wearing a cross. The motif is also picked up by the cross that identifies the hospital cars. This episode felt a bit like it was just marking time before the fall finale and the winter hiatus – oh woe is us! The tension, however, is mounting as we know that the fall finale is very likely going to be the last episode for someone.
The episode begins with a black screen and the sound of what seems to be gunshots but is actually Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) chopping up one of the pews to use to fortify the church. Everyone is helping to strip the church to make it safe to leave behind Carl (Chandler Riggs), Michonne (Danai Gurira), Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), and Judith. They even pull out the organ pipes. Gabriel bitterly asks if they will even take the cross. Daryl (Norman Reedus), ever the pragmatist, naturally says they will if they can use it. I had to wonder, give the level of extra fortification, how Gabriel ever managed to keep anyone out of the church.
There’s a nice moment when Michonne offers to go after Carol (Melissa McBride) and Beth (Emily Kinney), so that Rick (Andrew Lincoln) can stay behind with his kids. He insists he has to go because he owes Carol. Michonne points out that they all owe Carol – due to her rescuing them at Terminus – but Rick insists, “I owe her more.” He owes her more because of having banished her. The irony is always that had he not banished her, Tyreese (Chad L Coleman) might have killed her or she might have been killed when the prison fell.
After the others leave, the “women and children” barricade themselves in – but of course, we know that Michonne and Carl are two of the least helpless characters. Now that he is locked in the church, what’s happened there starts to effect Gabriel. In a very Lady Macbeth moment, he begins to obsess over the bloodstained floor, trying to clean it with his fingernails (OUCH!), his sleeve, and finally scrubbing. Like Lady Macbeth, he is feeling guilt for the killing that took place within the sanctuary of the church. He was able to distance himself from the people who were killed by his locking them out of the church, but not those who died within. Of course, the physical dismantling was symbolic of the loss of faith experienced by the characters already, remember Maggie (Lauren Cohen), who was very devout, is the one to have called the church nothing more than four walls and a roof.
Carl tries to help Gabriel learn to defend himself and face the reality of what life has become. Carl lays all the weapons out and tells Gabriel to pick one, so he can teach him to defend himself. It’s a beautifully shot sequence as Gabriel is on his knees, looking up at Carl – a pose usually used for worship and supplication, which mirrors Abraham’s pose throughout the episode. Gabriel still doesn’t get it and insists that he doesn’t need to defend himself, that the Termites had said they would leave. Carl knows better and tells him they were liars and murderers. Gabriel’s response is “Like us?” Carl is clear that they weren’t like them. The Termites came after them, they were just defending themselves. Carl has come to the conclusion that they can no longer stay in one place anymore. They’ve lost the ability to have a home. There is no more sanctuary within the church in any way.
When Gabriel finally does choose a weapon, it’s interesting that it’s the machete. And of course, Carl has laid the weapons out right beside the blood stain that Gabriel is trying so hard to remove. Does Gabriel choose the machete because it’s what Rick used to kill Gareth? Did he choose the machete because he thought it the most lethal so that he would remove it so no one else could use it? As soon as Carl tries to correct how Gabriel holds the machete – he needs to know the best way to stab a walker in the head, after all – it’s like Gabriel is suddenly nauseated by the direct correlation between the blood he’s scrubbing and the violence within the church. He suddenly says he feels sick and leaves to lie down. Riggs and Gilliam are both fantastic in this scene, and Gurira is as well as we get her concerned reactions to Gabriel completely non-verbally in the background.
Michonne goes to check on him later in the episode, and Gabriel lies and says he’s fine. It’s interesting that she tries to explain to him that the things they do are worth it. Is she trying to justify the killing and be absolved? Or is she just trying, like Carl, to get him to accept the reality in which he now lives? I don’t believe we’ve seen any other evidence that Michonne is religious, so I’m going with trying to get him to see reason. Gabriel has to remind her of her partner who refused to come to grips with the new reality and subsequently became her pet. Gabriel, however, remains suspicious, wanting to know what Michonne wants from him. She tells him she doesn’t want anything from him, she just wants to help him.
Gabriel uses the machete to pry up the floor boards to escape from the church, leaving the machete behind him and stepping on a nail as he leave the sanctuary of his church. This felt like a lot of religious symbolism to me – perhaps Christ leaving the cave and wearing the crown of thorns? Regardless, it’s hard to know what Gabriel is thinking, and that hole in his foot can’t be good – besides being a terrifically cringe-inducing moment. Gabriel isn’t gone long before a walker attacks him and he violently picks her up and slams her down on a tree stump. He’s about to finish her off when he catches sight of the cross on her neck. Suddenly, he’s reminded of what he’s supposed to be – he’s supposed to help people, not kill them.
Deep down, Dawn (Christine Woods) also wants to help people, but her primary concern is maintaining her tenuous control at the hospital. After she gives O’Donnell (Ricky Wayne) a dressing down for his poor policing strategy for capturing Noah (Tyler James Williams), O’Donnell gets his own back by insisting that Dawn take Carol off life support to conserve resources. It’s clearly one of those ways Edwards (Erik Jensen) was talking about that they use to get their own back against Dawn. We see Beth continue to evolve in this episode, and it would be a real shame if we didn’t get to see the payoff from what a badass she’s become. She confronts Dawn and O’Donnell accusing him of wasting resources.
Dawn can’t be seen as weak by siding with one of the “wards,” however, and immediately tells O’Donnell to have Edwards take Carol off the machines. She doesn’t withdraw all care, though, allowing that if she pulls through on her own that’s fine. I loved the scene in which Dawn concedes that she was wrong about Beth. Beth isn’t weak like she thought, and she gives her the key to the medicine cabinet and tells Beth to save Carol herself. Even though Edwards has crossed her, Beth has to go to him for advice. Very much like Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Edwards has used his one skill to ensure his own survival. He tries to explain to Beth, though we’ve seen that their relationship is strained at best. He does tell her the medicine to use after guessing that Dawn has given her the key. He does warn Beth not to trust Dawn, however.
It’s clear that Beth has been busy. She keeps quiet (for the most part), and like Noah, is everywhere and largely unnoticed by cleaning, but this provides her with the perfect opportunity to watch and observe – hunting her prey as Daryl taught her. She’s also made friends and gets Percy (Marc Gowan) to create a diversion so she can get the epinephrine for Carol. After giving it to Carol, there’s a lovely scene in which Beth takes Carol’s hand and says, “I just wanted you to know that I was here.” I’m a little concerned at the use of the past tense in that sentence – not I am here but I was. Does that mean that Beth won’t be there when Carol ultimately wakes up? Regardless, it’s a lovely scene between the two who used to be the weakest members of the group who are now among the strongest.
We also see Tara (Alanna Masterson) really come into her own in this episode. There’s a great opening shot of Glenn (Steven Yuen) staring at the herd. With Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) still on his knees in the road, Glenn is forced to take over the leadership of the group. Tara has become the practical one, dividing up their water and giving them the group name of GREATM (Glenn, Rosita (Christian Serratos), Eugene, Abraham, Tara, and Maggie). She’s trying to think of something else, but she’s also trying to keep the group together. Maggie has taken on the task of looking after Eugene who spends the episode lying on the pavement, probably burning until Maggie finally relents and uses the ladder and a blanket to keep the sun off of him.
Maggie also looks after Abraham. Rosita tries to get him to re-engage, but she only manages to make him angry. It’s a nice scene when he does come up off the ground in a fluid motion and just stares at her. Serratos’ reaction is perfect as she pulls back and is clearly afraid of him in that moment. Maggie is all business as she pulls the gun on him and tells him to sit down or she’ll put him down. Abraham is clearly thinking about it but does sit down. Maggie, of course, has been through something similar with Beth, and asks Abraham later if he wanted her to shoot him. He confesses that he thought about it, but has decided to live. Each of them has to deal with the loss of hope that came with losing the dream of Washington and a return to normal life. As Maggie tells Abraham, “Get over yourself. You’re not the only one who lost something today. It’s never going to get better than this.” Eugene wakes up at the same time that Abraham finally agrees to take a drink. Life goes on.
Water plays a big part in the healing process as this entire group crosses from anger to acceptance. Glenn, Rosita, and Tara go in search of water. When they pass some power workers who were trapped under a hydro pole and turned, Tara quips, “Just stay here, guys. Don’t get up. There’s nothing for you in Washington.” It’s funny. But not to Glenn or Rosita yet – for them it’s too soon. Tara tells them, “I don’t know what to do without DC anymore. But I’m not “dealing” with it. I’m over it.” She then goes on to defend Eugene: “Truth hurts but he was useless. He had one skill that kept him living. Are we supposed to be mad at him because he used it?” Glenn replies, “Damn right.” At first, I thought he was agreeing with Tara that you can’t be mad at Eugene for trying to survive, but on re-watch, Glenn IS mad at Eugene at this point.
However, we see that Eugene isn’t really useless because it’s what he’s taught Rosita that allows them to build a makeshift water filter. Eugene can still be useful. And we learn that that usefulness is what drew Rosita to Abraham when they met. She was with another group in Dallas when Abraham saved her, but seeing what she could do, he recruited her to help save the world. Nobody had asked her to help before that.
Glenn sees fish in the pond and they use the netting in the walkers’ jackets to make a net. When they succeed in catching a fish, Glenn asks Rosita if she can clean them and of course she can. Glenn then asks her to be a permanent part of their group, wherever they end up. It’s a nice moment as he sees her worth and reinforces it giving her hope again. The group’s journey into the idyllic country reinvigorates them and gives them new purpose. Fishing somehow also carries a biblical allusion with it and maybe another reference to the title “Crossed.” Glenn concedes that it may be funny when they pass the walkers the second time and as they reemerge onto the road, Glenn tells the other two, don’t even look – don’t look toward the herd or toward the lost dream of Washington. Tara’s almost childlike optimism is reinforced by her having found a yo-yo.
Finally, the episode also follows the mission to save Carol and Beth. The dynamics between the group is really interesting. Rick has formulated a strategy to go in and take the two women back. It involves taking out as many of Dawn’s people as possible – quietly and lethally. Tyreese, however, suggests a non-violent method. Take two of Dawn’s officers hostage and trade for Beth and Carol’s release. Everyone goes home safe. What’s really shocking is when Daryl sides with Tyreese against Rick’s plan. Rick is also clearly caught off guard by Daryl’s shift in loyalty. It’s a major crossroads. Rick is still (and forever) focused on saving THEM. Daryl is focused on saving people whenever he can, and Noah is a prime example. This scene is also shot with Rick on his knees as he lays out his plans, another echo of Abraham and Gabriel’s poses.
Of course, the ambush goes sideways. They capture Lamson (Maximiliano Hernandez) and Sheppard (Teri Wyble) only to be attacked by Licari (Christopher Matthew Cook). Turns out that these aren’t the cops they’re looking for anyway because Dawn won’t care if they get killed. Lamson is the choice of new leader amongst those who dislike Dawn. Lamson does a great job insinuating himself into the group. He manipulates Rick by appealing to him as a fellow cop, trying to re-awaken those ideals of justice. Lamson talks like someone trained in mediation. He says his whole focus is a peaceful resolution – exactly what Tyreese and Daryl have been lobbying for. We also see Lamson and Sheppard on their knees when they are captured.
Lamson, whose first name just happens to be Bob, is also able to manipulate Sasha. Sasha is still struggling to come to terms with Bob’s death. Tyreese tries to help her. Tyreese thinks she should hold on to the fact that Bob knew he was dying and that she was able to be there with him for that – the one thing about Karen’s death that Tyreese can’t get over. But Sasha isn’t Tyreese and her regret is not having been the one to help Bob die. Lamson preys on this by getting her to help his friend Tyler die. I found myself wondering if Bob’s entire story is a lie. We’ve seen, after all, that the cops who oppose Dawn are actually the really creepy, bad cops, so is Lamson the good guy he would appear to be? Noah tells Rick Lamson is one of the good guys. When he puts the zip ties on Noah, Lamsden asks if they’re too tight. Certainly his advice to Rick to press Dawn to compromise is in line with what we know of her – but then he knocks Sasha out and takes off.
Once again, the show manages to come up with some fantastically gruesome new walkers. Napalmed walkers that are melting into the asphalt are cringe-inducing, not to mention dangerous to drive over! A shout out to the walker that Gabriel impales too.
One of the best sequences in the episode is the chase through the asphalt-walkers and the subsequent fight between Licari and Daryl. We know they can’t kill Daryl, but I’m betting I wasn’t the only one screaming at my tv as the jaws of the one walker were snapping at his head – and I love that sound effect! And then when Daryl’s hand slides through the other walker’s mouth before he rips the head off by the eye sockets and uses it to brain Licari! Of course, it’s Rick who ultimately rescues Daryl. Clearly by the look in Lincoln’s eyes, Rick will also riot if anything happens to Daryl! Daryl may have disagreed with Rick on tactics, but it’s clear that their bond is still strong. Daryl is the one to pull Rick back from killing Licari who could be a valuable hostage. And once again, Licari is on his knees - though he doesn’t beg for his life.
All in all, this was an interesting episode that wove the symbolism of the title throughout the story threads. It was nice to have an episode that gave us at least a taste of all the various characters, setting us up for the fall finale. I suspect that the episode will focus entirely on the events at the hospital though. What did you think of the episode? Who do you think is most likely not to be seen come February when the show returns? Why do you think Gabriel ran away? Do you think they should have stuck with Rick’s strategy? Is Lamson a bad guy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
