This week’s episode title, The Distance, could be easily paired with another The Walking Dead title, Too Far Gone, as the episode more than anything else seemed to focus on how far gone Rick was. This was an episode that bridged the gap between the group’s previous situation – on the road and struggling to get by after their recent losses, and what lies ahead behind the walls of Alexandria.
It was a tension-filled episode, as there were two unknowns teased throughout the hour – whether Aaron, the stranger who had appeared to recruit them to his camp in Alexandria, could be trusted, and whether Rick would ruin the situation for everyone because he couldn’t bring himself to trust anymore. While Aaron seemed mostly upfront, I did have a moment of doubt while watching. Michonne points out that he has no pictures of the people in the community, to which he replies what feels like a lie – that he had trouble with the camera’s exposure. But the bigger issue seemed to be Rick. Over the course of the series, we’ve watched Rick’s trust slowly dissipate with each betrayal, with the most recent betrayal being the group at Terminus leading them to their community under the false flag of sanctuary, with the plan of killing and eating them.
Rick has good reasons to not trust Aaron. As Carol points out, "even though you were wrong, you were still right." Rick’s trying to adjust to his new world, and his distrustful instincts have saved them before. As Rick says, the "rules keep changing." But on the flip side of the argument, he’s reminded of what Bob had told him – that he can become too far gone. Championing this point of view is Michonne, who like Rick has come full circle in her personal arc, although in the reverse direction – from silently trusting no one other than Andrea, to now being the voice of taking a chance and trying for a better future. She tells Rick, "You’ve got to let it go,” and that “the fight, it turns on you."
In the end, Rick opts to take a chance but with conditions – he only agrees to letting Aaron and his boyfriend Eric stay together because they were unarmed and Eric was injured, and Rick hides a gun outside the community’s gates – the same tactic he took at Terminus, where his caution proved warranted.
While this episode lacked some of the emotional standout moments of other episodes, it was a solid show that explored one of the more central points in the series. It was well paced, mildly suspenseful, and had a couple of memorable scenes. One was the special effects around Glenn plowing the car through the walker herd – especially from the aerial view. The other was the scene of Alexandria, seen from the roadway as a sign of hope, as Abraham and Rosita drove toward their destination.
The episode also included some nice character interactions, such as a mellowing Abraham as he reaches out to Rosita. Another was Michonne taking a stand against Rick and emerging as an alternative leader. While Daryl has been in the role of Rick’s second in charge for a while, he backed Michonne in this instance as he, like Michonne, are two who are not as far gone yet. I thought Carol’s comment to Daryl last week was significant – that they were different in that while she couldn’t let herself feel her grief, Daryl needed to feel it. This might be a key difference between those who are near gone like Rick and Carol, and those who are not like Daryl and Michonne. Michonne had her moment of breaking down when she was looking for Rick and Carl last season in "After."
What did you think about this episode? What would you do if you were in Rick’s situation – trust no one, or trust with caution?
About the Author - Chris684
Chris is a New Englander with a background in print and digital media, who currently earns a living by making web and technology products easier to use. She has a weakness for TV characters who are 'dark and twisty' (to quote Meredith Grey) and reviews The Walking Dead, Legends, Halt and Catch Fire, and Dig for SpoilerTV.
