Huge spoiler warning.
There’s only one spoiler in this episode and I can’t really give you any thoughts on it without spoiling it, so do watch the show before reading this? In case you’re just coming back to this blog after the holiday break, this is not going to be a full recap but rather a review/commentary. Then again, there’s basically one major plot point in this mid-season premiere so I’m not going to leave out much.
I do have an alternate title for this one, but it’s chock full of spoiler flavor: Good night, Tyreese.
There are times that the show brings about a shocker at the very end. This one was done very close to the beginning. We are on a special, sentimental mission, meant to honor Beth’s memory. It’s Rick, Glenn, Michonne and Tyreese trying to deliver Noah to his home. Things go south quick and Tyreese gets bitten. We’ve already had hints something is going to happen to these flash images of a burial going on. There’s a recurring scene of the painting of a little house, the house where Tyreese and Carol and the little girls last stayed – with drops of blood falling on them.
We’re then treated to visions of what Tyreese sees. Bob. The little girls saying that everything is better now. Beth signing with a guitar. The terminus guy that Tyreese met and told him he was going to be the first to die because he cared. And the Governor, telling him to earn his keep. While he’s having these, the Governor suddenly lunges at him and becomes a real life walker. Tyreese is forced to use the same already bleeding arm to stop him. His trusty hammer drops to the ground.
Kinda makes me feel bad for Noah because it’s too easy to blame him. We could also go for the comedic meta approach and title this episode Everybody Hates Noah since Tyreese entered that house because of him. It really doesn’t make it his fault, Tyreese got distracted – and that distraction kills. I can’t blame Tyreese either, you can’t have your guard up 100% of the time.
An almost minor milestone in this episode is the decision to still go to Washington to see if there’s anything there that survived/resisted the apocalypse. That could be the rest of the season right there.
Highs:
- We get an insiders look and feel into Tyreese’s mind as his final moments. It’s heartwrenching and it’s strange as it should be.
- We revisit with Beth, Bob, the girls and the Governor.
- The decision to go to Washington sounds like the logic thing to do and Michonne has a point bringing up Eugene’s logic to drive them there (false motives but logical expectations).
Lows:
- The whole “in honor of Beth” thing is unnecessary. We all knew that Noah’s community’s chances were slim to none. There’s no point in risking death for pure sentimentalism. Again, I understand why the characters felt they had to honor Beth, but it’s silly. They’ve already learn harsher lessons, so I guess this one they had to learn again at the expense of losing one of their own.
- Noah will get the blame for this one, as a character he’s not going to have much love from Tyreese fans. I kinda want him to “earn his keep” with some hidden talent and become a valuable asset. However, I also feel identified with a character that despite his best intentions, is not a powerhouse or a charismatic presence. His survival depends on him finding his niche. Fast.
That will do for now.
(Source: AMC)
Never Think Impossible 