Air Date: Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 9/8c on AMC
Rating:
“The world is ours and we know how to take it. Everything we need is right here, inside these walls; and I’m not losing it again.” – Rick Grimes
The Walking Dead (TWD) takes a venture down a road I’m beginning to detest in “East.” People are leaving the safety of walls, food, and artillery just because. I’m not sure I understand why any person living in Alexandria would want to be back on the outside. Remember when Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the gang first arrived at Alexandria? They were unkempt, wild, and shifty-eyed. I realize the change in conditions have tamed everyone, and possibly made them confident in the security Alexandria’s walls provide, but come on. Just because the threat has changed from walkers to other survivors, why let down your guard? Why go outside the walls? What is there to find that won’t lead to more heartache and pain? Is there a secret group we haven’t met yet who agree with everything Morgan (Lennie James) spouts (we’ll talk more on that later), or are the Saviors really the good guys? Yeah, right.
What Do You Think About…?
I guess the Saviors learned to watch out for anyone with something up their sleeve…
I’ve learned two things about Carol (Melissa McBride) this season: she’s hardcore and does not need rescuing. No one doubts Carol can take care of herself. The issue with her leaving the group is she’s family, important to the people she’s left behind, and is putting herself in unnecessary danger. Her desire to avoid killing people has clouded her judgment because obviously she has forgotten what the outside world is like. She’s become “soft” like she thought the Alexandrians were. She doesn’t remember there are people everywhere who want to kill anyone who have something worth taking. Carol has allowed Morgan’s way of thinking to become her own. I love Carol to death but she will never be able to stop killing the living because they are turning out to be the bigger threat. At least walkers don’t think. People can become conniving, treacherous, and are out for themselves when their backs are against the wall. Walkers only want to eat.
I never realized the survivors had cars lined up by the gate to use for escape, or in this case, rescue missions. How very smart. Or should I say stupid, since they are leaving the safety of impenetrable walls. The Saviors that Carol runs into think they’ll be able to gain admission to Alexandria with a familiar face in their midst. Obviously these renegades have no real strategy to overtake Alexandria, so maybe the plans laid out by the newly fearless Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) will lead our group to victory.
Morgan is so different from the man we first met in previous seasons. I’m not even thinking about his loss of reality featured in the episode “Clear” but his overall essence as a person in the zombie apocalypse. His character growth has taken on a life of its own, going off on a tangent with no real thought for where it will end. It seems like more happened to Morgan than we even realize and we’ll never really know what that was. His mental state goes far beyond the mantra “all life is precious.” He truly believes he can talk to anyone and get them to see things his way. I’m not so convinced. In fact, I think if he runs into more Wolves, he’ll end up rethinking his new outlook on life. But who knows? Morgan could be correct. He could be the one to turn things around and bring the world back to rights.
We know not to get too attached to characters but dammit Daryl better be OK!
I’m having a hard time watching the second half of this season. I always fear someone is going to be killed and this overwhelming sense of doom hangs over my head until the last minutes of an episode play out. I’m tense the entire hour, just waiting for that piercing bullet or perfectly aimed crossbow bolt. At least in prior seasons we knew who the bad guys were. A walker comes out of the woods, you know danger is near. But a living person? They might seem alone and destitute, yet aren’t. They might look to be defenseless but sometimes come packing some heat. There is little chance for anyone in the zombie apocalypse to know who is a threat and who is not. I think back to how foolish the Alexandrians were for allowing Rick and the group into their community with nothing more than a cursory surveillance of them. What if they were Saviors? What if Aaron (Ross Marquand) made a mistake in trusting them?
And speaking of the Saviors, how do they keep multiplying? At least with other groups Rick and his crew have encountered, there have been a limited number of people. These Savior bastards are like roaches, popping out of the woodworks at a moment’s notice. I can’t handle this massive unknown. I need to know who they are, why they are, and where the hell they are coming from.
If Daryl (Norman Reedus) dies, we riot. That is all.
Quotes
Rick to Morgan: “I don’t take chances anymore.”
**
Morgan: “It’s all a circle. Everything gets a return.”
Damn. He makes a good point but still, I think Morgan is trying to find a way out of the inevitable. Or maybe he’s clearing his conscience.
**
Overall
Ah Morgan, when you bring Carol back, please bring back the take-no-prisoners Morgan we know and love.
“East” blows my mind. It shows how we don’t really know what’s out there, which means the survivors have no idea either. They think the Saviors are a conquerable foe. Not so. I know Morgan will find Carol. I know they will be all right together. I also know they are to be commended for trying to prevent unnecessary death. But I also know it’s unavoidable in the world they currently live in. I’d like to see where the writers take these two should they meet up and not return to Alexandria. Wouldn’t that be a blow to The Walking Dead world? Let me know what you think about “East” by dropping me a line in the comments section below or tweet me @ellemoe.
Tune in to the season finale of The Walking Dead, Sunday April 3 at 9/8c only on AMC. For more info on The Walking Dead, visit the official site.
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Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC © 2010-2016 American Movie Classics Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
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