It continues to amaze me how one episode can so fundamentally shift my perception of what I’m seeing. After “Forget,” I’m leaning toward Sasha currently being the most balanced of the group.
The episode starts with Sasha, waking up in her new surroundings and having some, uhmm, adjustment issues, shown when she brings the photos of the happy people who had lived in the house before the zombie outbreak outside for target practice. There seems to be an Italian cooking theme in this episode, and Sasha on her way out is asked by the well-meaning weapons guard, Olivia, to hunt up some boar’s legs so that she can make prosciutto. Later Sasha hears horror stories about how Mrs. Neidermeyer won’t shut up about wanting a pasta maker.
Sasha has a bit of an emotional break in what feel like a suburban neighborhood cocktail party and is the first to discover she can’t adjust to Alexandria. Surrounded at the cocktail party by overly friendly people who just want to steer her away from the dull conversations and cook her her favorite meal, Sasha freaks out, remembering Tyreese, Beth, and all the horrors beyond the wall. She had been hesitant about walking through the front door, and perhaps should have followed Daryl’s lead – who scoped it out and decided to pass.
This episode appears to be a turning point for Sasha, as she’s walked out the gates by Deanna – Sasha’s choice apparently, as she seems to have decided that she can’t stay in Alexandria because “it’s not real.”
She has a point. While I’m still unrealistically hoping that Daryl’s and Michonne’s attempts to try to make it work pay off, we get a glimpse into Sasha’s thoughts – flashes of the recent horrors and deaths – and her reaction feels like the appropriate response. There’s accepting the pain and trying to make a better future, and then there’s denial. The people of Alexandria are living in a fantasy world, and that never ends well.
And that brings up an interesting question, which response is more right: Carol’s continued caution to the point of terrifying a child to protect her group, or Michonne’s almost overly optimistic acceptance of their new home?
While at our friendly suburban cocktail party, we see Rick discreetly sneak a cheek-kiss to Jessie, who very motherly like, is returning baby Judith to him. Rick’s act is surprising since she’s married, but the “What the h***, Rick!” moment comes a little later, when he eyes her with her husband, and after friendly waving his brand their way (yes, apparently us vs. them branding is still a big part of this season’s theme), fingers his gun. Very primal! Very Shane!
The “What the h***, Carol!” moment comes as Carol is caught stealing weapons by Jessie’s son, who just wanted some more cookies. The woman who loves children transforms into every child’s nightmare, as she threatens the boy into not telling what he saw with the promise to bring him outside the gates and tie him to a tree so that the can be eaten by monsters. What did you all think of this? While I understand her reasoning, I think she was going too far.
Meanwhile Daryl, who is proving to be the most resilient of the group, like always is finding his niche. He’s bonds with Aaron and Eric in this episode over a spaghetti dinner (yes, the Italian food theme continues), and is recruited by Aaron to take Eric’s place a “recruiter” for the community, because as Aaron says, Daryl can tell the difference between good and bad people. I guess after being with Merle for all of those years, Daryl can handle everything and everyone. An interesting point that comes up in Daryl’s conversation with Aaron is that Aaron and Eric have faced some homophobia in the group. I’m not sure if the message here is that nothing ever changes, or that Sasha’s comments at the party are right on the nose: “That’s what you’re worried about?”
I thought this was an excellent episode that combined many smaller, character-based stories to paint a picture of this well-meaning community and how something is just not quite right. They seem to be honest, but as Deanna points out, they’ve all been affected by what’s happened. The fact that they appear to have forgotten and are living in a fantasy world is sure to end badly.
There’s a lot to think about from this episode.
The branding and the “Us and Them” theme was back, or never left. The “A” probably refers to Alexandria, but I couldn’t help think back the “A” car from when they were at Terminus. The “W” branded on the dead man reminded me of “walker” but I’m sure it we’ll find out it means something else. There was a wonderful aerial shot of Rick on one side of the wall with a walker on the other, representing that they’re two sides of the same coin, or despite the veneer of normalcy in Alexandria, just how little separates them.
For music, we were treated to the Bee Gees, "Spicks and Specks," this week. This selection I thought hit the mark perfectly, with lyrics: "Where is the sun that shone on my head
The sun in my life, it is dead it is dead."
Sorry for the later review this week. I should be back to my normal routine next week. But please let me know what you thought of the episode in the comments!
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.
