Series Issues: The Walking Dead 5×13 – Cookies or Death?

Cookies! I mean, spoilers.

From now and on, I’m putting the alternate title on the post.

One of the things I realized while watching The Walking Dead 5×13: Forget was that the audience is also on an adjustment period in which we’re supposed to lower our guard and believe we’re going to be safe. However, as this episode proved, the people of Alexandria might be the ones in danger of our group of survivors and not the other way around. No, we’re not rooting for Alexandria, don’t be crazy. However, it does feel like in this case it’s the mice inviting the cats in.

Daryl finally makes friends as he runs into Aaron, who wants to catch a horse. It ends how I picture it would end, unfortunately for the poor animal. The world outside the walls of Alexandria is as cruel as ever. On the other hand, Daryl opens up (ok as much as a grunt is considered approval) and when later on, he skips out on the party mixer he ends up at Aaron and Eric for some mean spaghetti. It’s Aaron who has been preventing Deanna from giving Daryl a job. The reason is he wants him to be a recruiter, just like him. On top of that, he offers him the motorcycle parts in the basement that includes a complete frame for him to build a new one.

Sasha is on the verge of a breakdown. She had found her niche as a sniper and now she feels out of place. To make things worse, when Rick is asking about the rounds on the watch tower, they learn that there are actually none. Deanna prefers to keep people in a bubble of bliss. Sasha almost desperately volunteers, but Deanna instead asks her to come to the party. Instead, she’ll put up her son in the tower. You know, the same guy that opens the door for Sasha when she gets to the party. Politicians lie, apocalypse or not. If you have not been able to tell Sasha is near her breaking point, another lady makes it painfully awkward as she asks her about her favorite meal. Sasha snaps. The party was dull anyways.

Which is a shame because it seems Rick was somewhat enjoying himself. He even puts up with Jesse’s annoyingly happy kid Sam (sorry but I hated that kid since the moment he appeared) and her husband… (give me a second, googling it…) Pete. Rick even plants a kiss on Jesse’s cheek that is a little too lingering to be platonic. However, unbeknownst to anyone except Rick and Daryl, invisible hit woman Carol slips away from the party to steal some guns away from the armory.

Unfortunately, happy fun kid Sam has followed her. I blame Rick for playing up her cookie recipe. Unfortunately for Sam that is. Get ready for a sweet-as-venom verbal throwdown as Carol literally terrifies Sam within an inch of his life with kidnapping and death in the same sweet grandmother-ly tone that he offers him cookies in return for his silence.

Thank you for following me around kid. Cookies or death?

It was a good episode, and the fact that my favorite scene was basically a grown up woman threatening a child makes me think I should seek some professional help. On the other hand, Michonne hanging up her katana was the saddest thing I’ve seen. The finale, with Rick on one side of the wall and a zombie on the other, was very poignant (that means evoking a keen sense of sadness and regret). Can the survivors really move past their own past? The answer is irrelevant. In this world the illusion of hope is temporary.

Highs:

Carol’s sweet “Cookies or Death” offer to Sam. That was on par with Hannibal Lecter talking to Clarice Starling. Superb acting yes, but that scene really seems to need a “do not try this at home” warning.
Abraham changes his mind about staying at the party the moment that Rosita points out the beer.
Sasha telling Deanne that Alexandria isn’t real. I couldn’t help but empathize, although I’d stay inside the wall. On second thought, I might follow Sasha instead.
Daryl finding himself siding with Aaron and Eric as they seem to be outsiders in their own way. Refreshing to see that Daryl can be a redneck without being a homophobe. You gotta love Daryl’s way of accepting the offer by way of having nothing to do. You also gotta love his gratitude offering to hunt two rabbits for Aaron.

Lows:

Don’t like the fact that Deanna wants to groom Maggie for a managerial role. I don’t like how she treated Sasha either.
The gesture of Glenn and Maggie nudging Noah to mingle with the rest of partygoers. He’s going through his own thing, leave him alone. Felt too patronizing.
Rick. Jesse. Peter. This is a soap opera angle and triangle. I’m just not feeling this one. We all know where it’s going to end up, or this is just bait to fake us into believing something will happen when it will not. Feels a little too much like a setup. I’m not sure which is worse, so I’m kinda rooting for the walkers to break in and eat Alexandria’s own version of the Bradys.

That will do for now.

Coming soon: