Sunday night’s episode of The Walking Dead was extremely intense, dramatic and did a number on my heart rate. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins the whole time.
We finally got to see what some of the other characters were up to in their new found job duties. Gabriel being the preacher, Abraham helping build walls, Daryl going on his first recruitment assignment and Eugene finally being put to good use for a certain easy mission gone sour.
Gabriel Stokes gets himself settled into the Alexandria’s version of a church chapel. He notices a written note from a woman named Rosemary with a bowl of strawberries. The note is thanking him for joining the community. Gabriel has this sort of overwhelming look of dread where he suddenly rips out pages in the bible.
Outside, Daryl takes off from Alexandria on his new motorcycle while leading Aaron. Reg and Noah have a brief morning conversation about the future of Alexandria. Noah lays out his goals of how he wants to contribute and learn the skill of crafting the walls. Noah wants to be an architect. Reg is so impressed by his passion that he hands him his journal that he normally used to record his ideas and experiences. Reg also informs Noah that they lost power. The power has been working fine this whole time.
Not a moment too after, Abraham wakes up and looks stressed as he looks in the bathroom mirror, Rosita remains sleeping under the covers. It’s implied that she is fully nude underneath, hello.
Near the Monroe estate, Glenn, Eugene, Noah, Aiden, Nicholas, and Tara are preparing for a supply run. Reg and Deanna explain that they need to find certain pieces at this warehouse. Eugene is well aware that he can find the correct equipment such as a micro-inverter(s) in order to repair the solar power grid. Noah hands Eugene a silenced pistol, he hesitantly takes it. Aiden bids farewell to his parents. Maggie is confident that Glenn will come back unscathed as he always does. Tara is asking Noah about some girl in the community named Holly. Probably a girl she is interested in. Before Glenn jumps into the rape van with the symbol of a phoenix, Deanna thanks Glenn a second time for putting her son in his place. Aiden starts the van on when loud bombastic dub-step beats begins playing. It’s a way to attract walkers. Glenn, Noah, Eugene, Tara, Aiden, and Nicholas head off away from Alexandria. Reg and Deanna wave at Gabriel when they see him across the street. When I was watching this I thought, this is all too positive to have a good future. This is evidence of “the calm” before the storm.
Meanwhile, during Rick’s watch he stops by Jessie’s house, and sees her cleaning up a recent wreckage of parts in her garage. Jessie tells Rick that it was most likely an owl that broke in and destroyed everything. When Rick informs Jessie that he will ask around, Jessie denounces that it was only an owl. Is it an owl? Did someone break in or is it something totally different? Jessie’s demeanor makes it sound like the mystery does not need to be investigated any further. Rick walks away.
At the warehouse, the crew parks the van and get out as they equip themselves with different weapons, from pistols to assault rifles and Ak-47s, all with silencers. The area does not seem to have many threatening walkers. Nicholas suggests they go through the front door. Glenn immediately advises that they check all the exits and do a perimeter check in case things go to shit. Aiden agrees with Glenn. Noah snipes a nearby walker with a silenced handgun. The six split up into three groups, Glenn and Noah, Eugene and Tara, and Aiden and Nicholas. Glenn and Noah walk together and seem to have formed a tight friendship bond. Glenn is sort of showing Noah the ropes now that Noah’s leg has fully healed. They share a few laughs. In another area of the surrounding compound, Eugene and Tara are walking between large trailer trucks. Eugene is ranting on about his cowardice towards contributing. Tara recommends that Eugene pulls his weight as she did in order to gain some respect within the group. Eugene lies by adding that he did his part by bringing them to Washington. Tara disagrees by saying that they brought him to safety. Eugene believes that his deceptiveness to bring Rick and the others to Washington was the best decision. Tara still thinks Eugene should help out. Eugene holds a broken micro inverter in his hand.
Back in Alexandria, Carol hears a knocking at her door when she opens it up and sees Sam standing. Sam tells Carol that he did not tell on her. Carol rudely asks what he wants. Sam wants to learn her cookie recipe. Carol tells him that he needs to steal some chocolate from one of the neighbors. And she challenges him to not get caught or else. Sam quickly accepts the responsibility and walks off.
At the warehouse depot, the six have reunited and found a door to enter. Glenn leads the way and first bangs on the door in order to draw in nearby walkers. The inside of the building is so dark they take out their flashlights. The sound of walkers can be heard off into the distance. Glenn already knows that the zombies are out of reach. The warehouse is filled with aisles of supply brown boxes and long concrete hallways. They find where all the walkers were roaming, behind a long narrow chained fence. They aren’t a threat so the group continues to search for the items. Aiden remains on guard while the rest search around the aisles. Within a matter of a minute, Eugene finds a box full of micro inverters, all identical to the one in his hand. As they are about to head back a walker in riot gear approaches Aiden. Aiden tries to shoot it in the head, but the mask protects its face as the bullet ricochets. Glenn tries to call out Aiden and tell him what to do. Tara wrestles with it for a second until it clings off her. As it gets closer to Aiden he gets scared and aims his rifle at an attached grenade. An explosion ensues. This knocks everyone down.
Smoke and fog are everywhere as Glenn gradually gets up. He looks around and notices Tara lying on the floor unconscious and bleeding from the head. Glenn attempts to help her but realizes he is out of arms reach due to the shelf being in his way. Eugene then wakes up in a daze near Tara. Noah and Nicholas come by Glenn. The explosion not only knocked out Tara, but also subsequently killed Aiden in the process. They look as they see his body stuck to the wall and penetrated by pieces of metal shrapnel. The caged walkers are also now freed. Glenn tells Eugene that he needs to carry Tara and escape. Eugene helps up Tara who is bleeding from the head but freezes when a bunch of walkers come towards him. Before a walker can bite any of them, Noah walks around and begins taking them out like target practice. Who would have thought that Noah was such a good shot? Nicholas and Glenn turn their heads toward Aiden and see that he is still alive. In order to draw walkers away from him, Noah tosses a flare in the opposite direction. Eugene carries Tara into an office, while Glenn and Nicholas tend to Aiden.
Miles out at a construction site, Abraham and a large group of hulking men help pick up parts for building the walls. Abraham is attempting to adjust to this new lifestyle as he holds the handle of his assault rifle which is placed on top of a trailer. Soon enough he hears growling walkers as he turns around and aims his gun towards them. The onslaught of decaying corpses sets alarm to the others on the site that they need to bail as soon as possible. Even leaving one of their workers named, Francine to die. Tobin who is in charge makes the cowardice call. Meanwhile, Abraham quickly comes to Francine’s aid and distracts the small horde. He tells her to hid inside the tractor car as he draws them away from her. He shouts out “mother dick” as the walkers surround him. He says it as if it’s a sport that he’s been missing for a while. In my opinion, Abraham is the only character who actually gets a rise out of killing the undead. So he quickly crawls underneath a tractor trailer and waits for them to follow. As they approach him he starts shooting each of them in the face. Blood and pieces of flesh go flying everywhere in a bloody massacre. After he stands up on the other side, Abraham finds a mace which he uses to fling the spiked blades into the corpses heads. I thought that was pretty awesome. After all the walkers are dispatched, Abraham tells Francine that the coast is clear as he helps her out of the tractor vehicle. They both approach a scared Tobin who says their shift is done for the day. Francine yells at Tobin for leaving her to die until Abraham punches Tobin in the face. Tobin stands up and leaves. Abraham tells the others if they’re down for continuing work. There is still a few hours of sunlight, Abraham says as he cracks the wipe and takes control of the situation in a heartbeat. Tobin gets in his truck and heads back to Alexandria.
Inside Monroe’s living room, Tobin relays the story to Deanna and Maggie and tells her to make Abraham the new foreman. Tobin knows that he isn’t fit for the outside world and he would feel more confident in giving the power over to Abraham. Deanna is absorbing everything and lets Tobin know that she will coin Abraham as the new leader after she personally speaks with Abraham. Tobin leaves through the front door. Deanna is indecisive as Maggie tells her that assigning Abraham to lead is the best decision. Deanna showcases her concerns in constantly giving her people authority. Deanna tells Maggie that giving her people authority is starting to become routine. I can tell that she is starting to get annoyed by those circumstances. Maggie says it will work out. Maggie then tells Deanna she will work on the blueprinting the layouts as she walks downstairs.
A knocking on a door comes when Carol answers it. It is Sam and he has acquired the chocolates. Carol pulls him inside the house as he starts talking his head off. She tries to quiet him down by telling him to not ask her any questions. When they get to the kitchen Sam opens his mouth and says that they don’t have to be friends, but they can still talk to each other, Sam thinks silence is boring. Carol is about to yell when he asks her why she stole the guns. “Sometimes you need to protect yourself,” she replies. He then asks her why she bakes cookies. When she’s sad, Carol tells Sam as a parent would normally explain to a curious child. Sam responds, “when I get sad I break things.” Sam reveals to be the one who broke the things in his families garage and that it was no owl. Sam even asks for one of Carol’s guns. When Carol asks why he needs a gun, Sam replies, “It’s not for me.” “Who is it for Sam,” Carol asks as he quickly bolts out of the room and through the door. Something is up and its not the applesauce cookie recipe.
At Rick’s abode Sam’s father, Pete stops by. Pete tries showing his appreciation by thanking him for trying to solve the owl case. While holding a beer in his hand Pete asks to check him and his son again. Rick is very quiet and nearly says nothing, only absorbs what the man is saying. “Let’s be friends man,” Pete says as he drunkenly pats Rick on the back. Rick forces a smile as he lets Pete out of the entrance door. As Pete walks down the block, Rick stares at him with such malice. Does he want to kill him or something? If so why? Because he wants to bang Jessie? Don’t become Shane Rick, you’re better than that.
Back at the warehouse, Tara is lying on top of an office desk with her head wrapped up in bandages, blood is still very wet. Noah notices that the flare he shot is beginning to die out as Glenn and Nicholas attempt to free Aiden from the metal shards that have penetrated through his shoulder and lower abdomen. Aiden shrieks in pain as Glenn tries to pull his body from the metal. They both try to calm him down and tell him to try not to scream since the walkers are now beginning to come their way. Unbeknownst to everyone, Eugene walks out of the warehouse office while carrying Tara on his shoulder. On his path out of the building, Eugene finally steps up and shoots the walkers in his direction. After a couple of attempts with a silenced handgun, Eugene manages to get through the first wave of the undead. Noah notices that Eugene left with Tara and tries to get Glenn and Nicholas to leave. Glenn however, does not want to leave Aiden behind. In fear, Nicholas takes off in the same direction that Eugene went. The crowd of walkers are closing in on them and Aiden knows that he’s done. Aiden tells Glenn and Noah to go. Noah pulls Glenn away from Aiden as the two chase after Nicholas. Aiden shakes as he sees the onslaught of decaying bodies overtake him. The walkers begin tearing into Aiden’s flesh like a steak Kebab. Aiden screams in pain as the life force from within him is literally eaten away. This was extremely gory. This made me feel a bit sick to my stomach, but it wasn’t nearly as horrible as what I was going to witness in the next few minutes. Goodbye Aiden.
Glenn and Noah chase Nicholas towards the front entrance of the warehouse where Nicholas squeezes himself through a revolving door. Glenn and Noah have no choice but to enter the door, there are walkers behind them and walkers in front of them. Noah and Glenn take the opposite side of the revolving door as the three of them are trapped between walkers on either side of them, shrouded by a mere plate of glass. Panic quickly sets into them until Eugene comes hauling by the front with the van and the dub-step music blasting in the back. This at least lures all of the walkers away from the front entrance, but Glenn, Noah, and Nicholas are still pinned between the revolving door. Nicholas shouts and says that Glenn and Noah have all the weapons. Glenn replies that Nicholas has all the ammunition. So shooting down the glass is out of the picture. Before Nicholas decides to push forward, Glenn tells all of them that they can break the glass as long as they can keep the turn style shut. Glenn begins to hack away at the glass with a rifle as Noah and Nicholas have trouble keeping the door closed. Nicholas gets so nervous that he starts pushing his way out of the door, which inevitably exposes Glenn and Noah to the horde of walkers inside the building. Glenn tries to desperately tell Nicholas to stop. The cowardice sets through Nicholas too much that he manages to push outward as Glenn and Noah’s back side becomes exposed. Nicholas runs off in pursuit of the van as the numerous set of arms grab Noah’s leg. Glenn tries pulling Noah back into the door, but the force from the walkers is too great. Before Noah is pulled into the crowd, he tells Glenn, “don’t let go.” The walkers forcibly pull Noah into the crowd and out of Glenn’s arms. The door closes as Glenn is forced to watch behind the glass as Noah is pushed against the glass. The walkers begin to rip into his skin and devour every part of his body, from his shoulders, to his face. Glenn watches his friend die as he cries from the horrifying trauma. This was the most gruesome death I have seen on The Walking Dead. Poor Glenn. Rest in peace, Noah. Sorry you had such a painful death, ouch. This was one of the best scenes I have seen thus far in the series.
Inside Alexandria, Pete gets a knock at the door when Carol shows up at his doorstep. Pete asks her what she wants. Carol asks if Sam and Jessie are alright. Pete quickly states that things are fine. He nearly tells her off. Carol leaves.
Around the outskirts of the facility, Eugene waits in the van for the others, he see Nicholas approaching. Eugene gets out and asks what happened to Glenn and Noah. Nicholas commands Eugene that they leave immediately. When Nicholas tries to jump in the driver seat, Eugene tries to take out the gun holstered in his pants. The two have a little fight as Nicholas pushes Eugene off him. Before Nicholas can get into the van, Glenn comes running and delivers two aggressive punches to Nicholas’ face, which knocks him out. Glenn tells Eugene that he will put Nicholas in the back. Eugene jumps back into the driver’s seat as they take off towards Alexandria in a haste.
Meanwhile, at the Monroe house, Deanna gets a knock from the door. It’s Gabriel. Gabriel walks inside and begins blabbering about how the devil has many forms. Such forms that appear to be of light. Gabriel tells Deanna that the people that she let in, such as Rick and the others are “not good people”. They have done horrible and unspeakable things. Luckily, Maggie walks up the stairs and eavesdrops the whole conversation. Gabriel continues his bullshit rant by adding that he knows the people of Alexandria are good and that she needs to make the decision to let Rick and the rest go because they are dangerous. During Gabriel’s betrayal, we see Glenn driving back in the van while crying and looking upset. Eugene in the back notices a page in Noah’s journal opened to, “This is the beginning.” That is the same journal that Reg gave Noah. It is clear after what happened and for what Eugene seen, that the sentence is an omen. This is the beginning of the end, or the beginning of a new era in Alexandria. One in which Rick is the commanding ruler.
At the construction site, Abraham stands on top of a trailer and tells everyone that they can go home, they’re done for the day. Abraham smiles as his ginger walrus mustache perks upward.
“They’re a false prophet,” Gabriel explains with his religious rhetoric. Gabriel finishes his spiel and apologizes for not telling her sooner. Deanna tells him, “I have to think about it,” as she thanks him and bids him farewell. What a little lying rat!? And a hypocrite. What he did was worse when he let his congregation die because he was too much of a chicken to walk outside his church. Someone needs to kill Gabriel fast, hopefully that will be Maggie. My only guess is he’s referring to the time that Rick massacred Gareth and the hunters in his church. If Rick never did that, Gareth and the cannibals would have just carved up someone else they found along the way. They were a menace to the new world and needed to be neutralized.
Getting back to the episode, after Deanna shuts the door, she hears the van pull up as Glenn screams for help. Carol enters Rick’s home and tells him the situation. Carol voices her concerns to Rick that she thinks Pete is hitting Jessie and even Sam. “Did Sam tell you?” Rick asks. “He didn’t have to,” Carol says. It seems possible since Carol has been in that situation in the past. She’s using her own domestic violent experiences as an explanation to all of the weird behavior. When Rick asks Carol what he should do. Carol boldly replies, “I think you’re going to have to kill him.” Jeez Carol, have you ever heard of a justice system? I mean if the guy is beating up his family then he deserves a good beating himself, but killing him? If Rick does that, there reputation within the confines of the community will be forever ruined. Deanna will think that Rick and his people are just as bad as all the other groups of marauders out there in the wilderness. And Gabriel’s false confession isn’t helping.
I cannot wait til next week, when a certain civil war within Alexandria rises between Rick’s group and the residents of the community. ‘Spend’ was a big episode for Eugene because he’s finally becoming brave. However, Glenn is realizing that he cannot always save everyone, he isn’t Spider-man after all. With only two episodes left, so much is likely to happen. It seems like the end point won’t be a positive future for the characters. I have a premonition that a lot of characters will be killed off by the end of this season. Stay tuned for next Sunday, March 22 on AMC.
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