Spoilers in the rear view mirror might be closer than they appear.
We’re back to a familiar scene on The Walking Dead 5×05: Self Help. It’s Abraham’s turn. The church bus is chugging along, but if this were me at the wheel I’d try not to speed up. It’s like we can call AA if we have an accid- ouch. Forget it the bus lurched and we’re rolling. The walkers we just passed are now within range. And the bus is now on fire. It was such a beautiful day. In this show, you always know when things are too good to be true they’re bound to get messed up.
This week is about character development. We get to see a little backstory on Abraham, a man with a family. He’s also a man that scared his family when he first killed the guys coming at them. The result is that his wife and kids are terrified of him, and by the next morning they’ve left. And they’ve also gotten eaten. This actually becomes a lot more relevant later, so let’s not jump ahead. Abraham and his team opt to leave burning bus junction because there’s nothing to see there and find some shelter inside a library. It’s a little quiet time for character development and Eugene perving on Abraham and Rosita. Eugene chats with Tara, who tries to convince him that he’s a good person. He confesses he might have sabotaged the bus and was expecting it to break down even earlier.
Of course Abraham does not want to take a breather in the apparent quietness of the town. The group finds a fire truck backed up into a building. There’s a reason why it’s there. As they managed to start it up, the open door reveals a ton of walkers that were trapped into a building. Things are getting hairy, but just as they’re about to get overwhelmed it’s Eugene’s time to shine with the fire hose from above. The water pressure seems to be enough to rip walkers in two (three, four…).
The team ends up again on the road where the truck breaks again. It’s Maggie’s turn to try to warm up to the reclusive Eugene. She doesn’t have much luck than Tara did. Then as they’re back on the road, it’s a different sort of obstacle as the stench from a huge concentration of walkers from a farm up the road catches up with them. Abraham doesn’t want to turn back. The rest of the group knows there’s no chance. They need to double back. Abraham won’t. He grabs Eugene and start’s marching back to the truck. Glenn tries to stop him. Confrontation junction now approaching, grab your bags.
And then Eugene drops the bomb of them both. Us comic readers were expecting it soon enough. Eugene confesses he’s not a scientist. He made the whole thing up. It’s curtains for the mission, folks. Eugene just figured DC would be where he would get the best chances at resistance against the threat. He doesn’t have anything that would put the walkers out of commission. It’s Abraham’s world crumbling here, as we get one last flashback. The first time Abraham met Eugene, saving him from a bunch of walkers and Eugene explained he’s got a very important mission.
The show is settling down into another introspect mood in which we’re seeing character development, although shitstorms like these are not exempt. A better episode than last week’s sleeper, but definitely on the slower side than the start of the season. Still, it was worth it for the conclusion. We don’t get to see the fallout of this revelation next week though.
Highs:
- Abraham. Rosita. Tara is becoming a good point of view character as well.
- After she catches Eugene peeping into Abraham and Rosita’s time, Tara can’t help but sneak a peek as well. Funny moment.
- Eugene’s confession gets him KO’d by Abraham. I wasn’t expecting less. Actually, if Abraham had learned that Eugene also sabotaged the bus, he’d probably have shot him.
- Abraham’s tragic backstory ends with a new purpose in life when he meets Eugene. This episode frames it all together as the revelation takes away Abraham’s only purpose in life. This is the moment in which Abraham will rise to meet a new challenge, which is their own survival or he will crumble under the pressure.
Lows:
- Slow build here. I think it pays off in the end and it had to be its own episode without too many characters just so we can center on the beginning and end of Abraham’s world.
- I know the show tries to find some cool way to showcase the walkers every week, but water pressure? I wasn’t completely sold on the idea that it would tore limbs.
- I kinda forgot Glenn and Maggie were there sometimes. They don’t have much of a story to tell right now.
That will do for now.
(Source: AMC)
Never Think Impossible 