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S05.E10: Them


Tara Ariano
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Ah, the obligatory "quiet" episodes of The Walking Dead.  Necessary and not complete wastes, but my mind drifted a few times.

 

I did like seeing how messed up everyone, and how especially bad off Maggie, Sasha, and Daryl where.  I liked how varied their reactions where, and I thought Lauren Cohan and Sonequa Martin-Green did great jobs (I like Norman Reedus, but.... angst really isn't his thing, if I'm being honest.)  I still wished some of this was done better (mainly Maggie's relationship with Beth), but I'll go with it for now.

 

I guess I really need to rewatch the Sasha/Michonne stuff, because even though I felt for Sasha, she really did endanger them, and I understood why Michonne was furious with her.  I'm pretty sure Rick especially was close to being done for, had Daryl not made a last minute save.  I was actually surprised Abraham didn't get that upset, when they talked.  He is usually all about shit-talking.

 

The dog stuff was brutal, but I did like that they ate them, because, well, on this show, you really can't be picky.  I'm sure all pets are up for grabs now.

 

Glad Rick's hat is being put to good use: Carl using it to shield Judith from the rain.

 

Yep, don't trust Aaron in the slightest.  No one that clean looking isn't hiding something.  And, he already knows Rick's name.  Yep, keep an eye on him, guys.

  • Love 3

I enjoyed this episode. I too found it necessary. Slow (until the end, GAH) but well done and emotional. I felt that way last week as well, and I'm pretty satisfied with these first 2 episodes in the second half.

 

This confused me: Sasha decides to go rogue and not just push the walker off the ledge like Rick and everyone did prior, and then suddenly because of that, everyone must stop what they were doing and get out their weapons? It seemed so "Well shit, now the walkers are on to us!" Was it just that she broke the line of formation or something?

Edited by dannymoon
  • Love 4

The longer they stood in the rain, the more I worried about little Judith. While it was cute seeing Carl put his hat over her, I was thinking they should find shelter pronto or at least stuff her in her carrier and cover her up. Tyreese would have known what to do. /sobs again.

 

I worry about little Judith too.   First, at the beginning of this episode, when they were walking down the road, sun beating down, and Rick is saying she'll be ok.  All I could think was why haven't they gotten her a sun hat/bonnet - something to protect her from sunburn.

Later on, Carl lies her in the dirt in the barn.  This episode I was thinking TPTB got rid of the wrong sibling.

 

An other random thought:

If you've watched the 100,

it's obvious that a music box is a bad gift in a zombie apocalypse.  According to Lauren on TTD, we are supposed to be reminded of Beth the Ballerina?

  • Love 3

Since when does Maggie care so much for Beth? She never cared when she was gone and kidnapped and presumed dead. She never cared to look for her, search for her, even ask anyone who was searching for her about her. It was all Glenn Glenn Glenn. NOW Maggie's going to act like the grieving sister and like she cares?

 

No.  She's not the same as Sasha. 

 

Sasha gets to grieve for her brother. 

 

Maggie has no business at all with her actions this episode, it didn't go with the writing of the past season and how little concern or care she showed for Beth. 

What's really amazing is that she has not gone to the bathroom one single time since they left the farm. Because if you don't see it on the screen, it doesn't happen, right?

 

It's amazing-- but not at all surprising, I guess-- that people complained and complained and complained about Maggie not showing enough emotion abour Beth, and then when we have an episode where she does... they complain and complain and complain....

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What's really amazing is that she has not gone to the bathroom one single time since they left the farm. Because if you don't see it on the screen, it doesn't happen, right?

 

It's amazing-- but not at all surprising, I guess-- that people complained and complained and complained about Maggie not showing enough emotion abour Beth, and then when we have an episode where she does... they complain and complain and complain....

 

If Maggie had been shown over the course of the episodes since Beth went missing, actually asking after Beth or mentioning her name, or being visibly worried about her like once or twice, these emotional scenes would have felt organic. For me, they are more like "oh look Lauren Cohan needs an emmy scene".  Bleh.

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I honestly thought Eugene offering to atone to the others by volunteering his services as poison taster, crash test dummy, and general purpose  coal mine canary was a good idea. But of course that would make us remember that he was wrong to try to lead people to Washington for no reason. So it can't be allowed.

Eugene's offering himself up as the group's guinea pig didn't bother me in the least - either he or FPP would still easily be considered the most expendable members of CDB. What did bother me was Abraham's reaction. Given past events, wouldn't Abraham be the LAST person you'd expect to reject Eugene's offer? Heck - if the group had decided independently that Eugene should be their test case, I'd be more likely to expect Abraham to volunteer to hold down Eugene while they poured it in.

  • Love 10

If Maggie had been shown over the course of the episodes since Beth went missing, actually asking after Beth or mentioning her name, or being visibly worried about her like once or twice, these emotional scenes would have felt organic. For me, they are more like "oh look Lauren Cohan needs an emmy scene".  Bleh.

 

I didn't think they were thinking that she needed an emmy scene, I just wondered when the episode was shot, if they had time to read people complaining about that lol.  I agree with the rest, though. We don't need to see everything the characters do, but we do need to see important moments of their arcs, and reactions that make sense to given situations. With Maggie it just seemed like they forgot for a bunch of episodes and were trying to retcon it in the last one. Yesss, she was suffering so much for Hershel and Beth during her obsessive and triumphant return to Glen, and today's breakdown was totally a long time coming. Sure, sure. Next up: Anita has spent all this time secretly boning Eugene and not knowing if he or Abe is the father of her unborn child. She will tell us all about what has been going on in a poignant scene and it will be terrific writing.

 

/sarcasm

  • Love 2

Eugene's offering himself up as the group's guinea pig didn't bother me in the least - either he or FPP would still easily be considered the most expendable members of CDB. What did bother me was Abraham's reaction. Given past events, wouldn't Abraham be the LAST person you'd expect to reject Eugene's offer? Heck - if the group had decided independently that Eugene should be their test case, I'd be more likely to expect Abraham to volunteer to hold down Eugene while they poured it in.

i guess my perception is really off - maybe from watching on our nonHD TV, heh- but I thought the barn doo attack was Maggie's dream, wrong, I now know, and I thought Abe smacked the bottle away from Eugene intending to scold him that he wouldn't get to be the hero.

One thing I know after many years living in tornado alley is that a barn like that would have looked a lot worse after a storm bad enough to knock down healthy trees.

  • Love 4

One thing I know after many years living in tornado alley is that a barn like that would have looked a lot worse after a storm bad enough to knock down healthy trees.

 

I thought they were trying to show it as being some miraculous thing. They were at their absolute worst during this episode, completely hopeless, but in the end they learned that they wanted to live and there can still be hope... sunrises can still be beautiful, miracles can still happen, music thingys can still work and produce pretty music...

  • Love 8

i guess my perception is really off - maybe from watching on our nonHD TV, heh- but I thought the barn doo attack was Maggie's dream, wrong, I now know, and I thought Abe smacked the bottle away from Eugene intending to scold him that he wouldn't get to be the hero.

I didn't think it was a dream, but I did think it was terribly unrealistic. What, one minute zombies are almost breaking down the doors - next minute they're all gone? And EVERYBODY says, "Ok, then - guess we can all go back to sleep." SERIOUSLY!?!?

One thing I know after many years living in tornado alley is that a barn like that would have looked a lot worse after a storm bad enough to knock down healthy trees.

Can't ever count on what a twister will or won't do. I've seen where a twister totally ripped every bit of asphalt out of a 1/4-mile stretch of roadway, but a church and house facing each other across the same road were untouched.

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What's the deal, anyway, with Abe slapping water out of people's hands? That's the second time now. At what point does it officially become a running gag?

I'd love it if the next time someone starts to drink something, everyone pauses and looks over at Abe, who starts to raise his hand to slap it away, then grins, and everyone has a hearty laugh. End scene.

  • Love 6

I liked it. 

I wasn't bothered by Maggie's being so upset, until she was rude to the priest. I thought that was uncalled for.

I noticed Sasha cut Abraham's arm, accidentally. She was out of control there - she almost stabbed another one of them. 

I liked the scene in the barn, but hated the bit with the dogs. I know they weren't their pets, but I wouldn't let anyone eat my pets. I wish they hadn't gone there. 

I thought of Jehovah's Witnesses, when Aaron showed up. I hope that he is a good guy - as long as it doesn't mean us losing another regular. They can't all be psychos out there.

  • Love 1

Next up: Anita has spent all this time secretly boning Eugene and not knowing if he or Abe is the father of her unborn child. She will tell us all about what has been going on in a poignant scene and it will be terrific writing.

 

/sarcasm

 

Who is Anita? I tune in and out when watching the show, but has a new character been added?

  • Love 2

Didn't Maggie actually EXPLAIN why she hadn't been talking about Beth before this episode in this very episode???  I mean, that's exactly how I'd been reading her behaviour over the last season and a half and then she said it.  

 

Sasha's scene with Noah at the campfire, then Maggie and Gabriel as he throws his collar in the fire - not going to lie, got a little teary.  Something about it just moved me.  Nice work all around, actors, writers etc, all on the ball.  

  • Love 16

Didn't Maggie actually EXPLAIN why she hadn't been talking about Beth before this episode in this very episode???  I mean, that's exactly how I'd been reading her behaviour over the last season and a half and then she said it.  

 

Sasha's scene with Noah at the campfire, then Maggie and Gabriel as he throws his collar in the fire - not going to lie, got a little teary.  Something about it just moved me.  Nice work all around, actors, writers etc, all on the ball.  

 

The burnt collar got me to, probably in part because I am Episcopalian. Seeing a man as shaky as Gabriel just throw the collar away felt like a hopeless moment.

 

I was glad that Maggie was able to talk to Glenn. Knowing that they still love each other and can support each other was a small hopeful moment.

 

I think that Abraham's habit of protecting Eugene kicked in when he slapped the water away.

Edited by SimoneS
  • Love 2

I enjoyed this quiet episode.  Frankly, I needed an episode to breathe without someone dying.  I also appreciated the practically of the episode:  They are out of their home range and small things, like food, water and shelter, are problematic in this environment. 

 

Like many of you, the barn holding and everyone literally digging their heels in was so strong to me.  It felt like their fight level was back up. 

 

I adore Daryl and am willing to let him grieve, but I'd like to be done with him doing that.  Sorry Beth died homie, but Imma need you to keep it moving and stop creating (as other posters astutely pointed out) open wounds on your person.

 

J.Crew is evil.  I'd be shit at this whole world b/c if I survived what they've survived, I wouldn't be able to trust anyone.  Goodness knows, J. Crew who knows peoples' names is evil.  It is going to take a lot of convincing to tell me otherwise.

 

Poor little Judith.  I just wanted to feed her, bathe her and put her in a comfortable crib. 

 

The little bumpers they do, like season 1 Rick seeing the little girl at the rest stop, is very jarring when compared to today's Rick.  I can't wait for them to find a reason to let Rick (and therein, Andy) shave.

  • Love 1

Who is Anita? I tune in and out when watching the show, but has a new character been added?

 

I think the poster was referring to Rosita and just got the name wrong.

 

So Carl used his hat to protect Judith from the one time rain, but not from the unrelenting sun?  Good thinking there.  The only miracle here is how Judith is still alive.  Magical baby.

  • Love 10

If Daryl is going to self-mutilate, I wish he'd take it out on his hair. Slash those grease curtains hanging in his eyes! 

 

Meanwhile, Abe is maintaining his Manic Panic 'do with absolute dedication. Even his scalp looks bright orange.

It was awful. I nominate the show's hair dyer as walker fodder in the event of a ZA. His hair reminded me of a woman in a guided vacation tour my family went on decades ago. Her hair was like a peach crayon had been sprayed on it.

Edited by lulee
  • Love 3

I kept thinking that poor baby is going to be sunburned too.  They need to find her a bonnet as well as a baby carrier.  And what the heck are they feeding her?

 

The scene that got me was when the whole group was stumbling along in despair and dehydration, followed closely by the walkers stumbling along.  They looked so much alike.  So sad.

 

I think the core group is still reeling from recent events.  Beside losing Beth and Tyreese, Terminus and even the prison weren't that long ago.  Maybe 2-3 months?  They must be thinking there is no refuge anywhere.  No wonder they are placing all of their hopes on DC.

 

It's creepy that Aaron knows who they are.  Maybe if they were still in GA it wouldn't be that strange, but they've traveled over 500 miles.  What're the odds of running into someone who knows you?

 

I too was a little confused about the storm and if the attack was a dream, but I think we are supposed to assume that it was real and a freak tornado wiped out the zombies (throwing some into trees) while leaving the rickety ol' barn intact.  Seems crazy but it does happen.

Edited by Haleth
  • Love 6

Aside from Rick's weird hallucinagenic phone calls they have not spent so much time grieving anyone. Andrea got to grieve her sister a little but they still carried on, she went gun crazy etc but seriously 3 in a row with just everybody morose. They didn't spend that much time when Herschel died and he was someone that everybody could love and miss. So hopefully it's done. I don't want to watch Darryl cry, he cried while stabbing his brother, that's it. done. finito.

 

And as they were coming up to the bridge, looking at the group I was struck by how many they are, so they gotta thin the herd so don't get bogged down grieving there are several red hairshirts yet to go. 

 

Hi Corday :D

  • Love 4

I, too, thought the stampeding of the barn was a dream.

Then, next morning, everyone was sleeping so peacefully?!? But, then, when Maggie and Sasha go outside and see the devastation, I thought: "who could sleep through that?" (Sure they were exhausted. Still . . .)

Then Mr LL Bean shows up,during a glorious sunrise, with a music box in the background, and all I could think about was Lost. No particular episode, just the whole spiritual, other-worldly element. These last two episodes seems like we're heading in that direction, which seems to be far from where TWD started out. But I'll withhold judgement, for awhile, as to if it's a good thing or not.

  • Love 4
Eugene's offering himself up as the group's guinea pig didn't bother me in the least - either he or FPP would still easily be considered the most expendable members of CDB. What did bother me was Abraham's reaction. Given past events, wouldn't Abraham be the LAST person you'd expect to reject Eugene's offer? Heck - if the group had decided independently that Eugene should be their test case, I'd be more likely to expect Abraham to volunteer to hold down Eugene while they poured it in.

 

I thought the same thing. But I remembered, Abraham is a soldier, and maybe those ingrained habits are hard to break. He's now pissed at Eugene, but still intrinsically reacts to him being in danger? 

  • Love 2

When Maggie finally started opening up about how she felt about Beth’s and her father’s deaths, then they advertised Lauren Cohan was going to be on the Talking Dead, I thought, “Oh Damn, they are going to kill Maggie.”  I was pleasantly surprised that didn’t happen.

 

I want Maggie, Michonne, Sasha, Glenn and Daryl to stay alive.  I figure Rick and Carl are safe for the moment.

 

Abraham, Eugene, and Gabriel the sooner they die the better.

 

Would someone please make Rick shave, and Daryl wash and cut his hair.

Edited by TigerLynx
  • Love 4

i don't mind quite episodes, but this one bugged.

I guess it pays to be a dog in the ZA----that is, until they run across a group of feral humans. Every dog we've seen so far on this series has been in relatively good condition and unscathed. Dogs definitely can outrun zombies, and probably chow down on zombie meat. Since I know it isn't real, it didn't bother me, but I did feel a tinge of sadness when they showed the collar. From family pet to human chow--sad.

I love how everyone is supposedly so worn down and tired from walking in this heat but no one collapsed or fainted after the zombie fight. And Maggie, Rosita, and the other girl all have perfect hair without a single sign of frizz LOL.

The post-storm fallout was a little much. That shack is all in one piece? Not the slightest bit of damage? The storm just happened to kill every single walker at that door? Puh-leeze.

  • Love 1
And Maggie, Rosita, and the other girl all have perfect hair without a single sign of frizz LOL.

 

I don't remember Rosita's, but Maggie's hair did not look perfect, to me. She had it in a messy ponytail, and I remember strands in the front had come loose. I thought they all looked pretty nasty last night, but I didn't pay attention to every single person. Abraham's hair looked the most out of place, as it always seems freshly dyed with Koolaid. 

  • Love 7

I think the core group is still reeling from recent events.  Beside losing Beth and Tyreese, Terminus and even the prison weren't that long ago.  Maybe 2-3 months?  They must be thinking there is no refuge anywhere.  No wonder they are placing all of their hopes on DC.

I think that it has been three to four weeks since they lost the prison. 

Yes, they've lost people. Yes, what they've been through has been brutal. But here's a thought: settle down. Find (and reinforce) a defensible building. How many buildings (and towns) have they passed??? Yet, they always seem to be on the same country road with the same decrepit barn or house. These people love to bitch and moan but it's their fault. Most people would have found a place. Even the idiot cops found a place at the hospital!

  • Love 7

I enjoyed the episode. The showrunners need these slow episodes to reinforce just how crappy the world has become. I think the audience needs to see that our group doesn't just find food and water when they are thirsty and hungry and they don't always find shelter when they need rest. The struggle of daily survival can get lost in all the action and missions they take on.

 

The kidnapped girl in trunk was especially heartbraking. Given everything Maggie has been through and how badly things are right now for the group, she pops the trunk of a car to find a young blonde woman who appears to have been kidnapped. You think they'd be jaded but the world they're living in always finds one more way to hit them while they're down.

  • Love 6

What's really amazing is that she has not gone to the bathroom one single time since they left the farm. Because if you don't see it on the screen, it doesn't happen, right?

 

It's amazing-- but not at all surprising, I guess-- that people complained and complained and complained about Maggie not showing enough emotion abour Beth, and then when we have an episode where she does... they complain and complain and complain....

 

Because it doesn't fit with all the episodes since Beth went missing. NOW suddenly Maggie cares, it's like they have her or she is putting on this act because now they need her to show feelings when we're supposed to forget how she's been for so long now.

 

Going to the bathroom isn't the same in this scenario at all. We saw Maggie's reaction when Glenn went missing, did we not? We also saw Maggie's lack of reaction when Beth went missing. When anyone is taken/killed/missing we see reactions from the crew. 

 

Maggie hopped on the bus left for DC without a second thought about Beth, she spent all that time searching for Glenn also. But now she's going to be rude to Gabriel, say she's giving up. Acting like now suddenly Beth was so important in her life? Maggie's first priority was Glenn, she stopped at nothing to find and search for him. Beth? Total opposite, so the writers trying to pull this grieving act now comes across as really fake and not fitting of the past season and longer of Maggie's actions and treatment of Beth.

 

It's like they're throwing it in there episodes and episodes after the fact to show see, she did care because of all the criticism they got over the writing.

Edited by Artsda
  • Love 8

With Aaron being so clean and mentioning that he had "good news" I assumed a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon had survived and was still going door-to-door to spread the gospel.

Me, too! Persistence! "Would you like this two-year old copy of The Watchtower?"

I worry about little Judith too. First, at the beginning of this episode, when they were walking down the road, sun beating down, and Rick is saying she'll be ok. All I could think was why haven't they gotten her a sun hat/bonnet - something to protect her from sunburn.

YES! I am super pale and am always up in my loved ones' business about using sunscreen (which is probably annoying but I care!) and I said out loud to Rick: "You're just gonna let that baby burn?! What kind of dad are you?" She is so pale and chubby and cute and I don't want to see little Judith hurt. Tyrese would have kept that baby covered.

I was also frustrated with the way Maggie discussed Beth's being missing and saying she assumed she was dead. It was as if the writers read the complaints and shoe-horned that into the show as a way to cover their tracks. One really assumes she would have said that before - it only took a minute or so!

ETA: I see Artsda had the same idea about Maggie just now, but explained it more thoroughly.

Edited by Disraeli Ears
  • Love 5

Maggie calls Gabriel out for having betrayed his flock

 

Oh Maggie. I <heart> her for that.

 

before she touches his hair and kisses him gently on the forehead.

 

That first sound you're hearing? A thousand shippers swooning.

 

That second sound you're hearing? A thousand shippers screaming "Why'd you stop?!?!?"

 

That third sound you're hearing? A thousand shippers typing away at their computers to churn out more Daryl/Carol fanfic.

 

Sudden Frenemies: Sasha And Michonne

 

I really hope the only 2 black women on this show don't spend the rest of the season catfighting with each other.

 

What's On The Menu After Dogs Try To Attack?

 

Hey, in some parts of the world, that's good eatin'!

 

But Forget All That, Says God

 

God or whoever was making the magic rain and food drops in Lost.

 

Rick, on the nose after five seasons

 

I'm surprised it took someone 5 seasons to make that comment.

 

A clean-cut, not-stinky-looking man named Aaron suddenly shows up, introducing himself. He says he'd like to talk to the person in charge, and he knows that person is named "Rick." "I have good news," he tells Sasha and Maggie.

 

Speaking of scenes straight out of Lost...

Edited by AndySmith
  • Love 6

I liked this a lot. I've never understood the complaints about Maggie. It's the zombie apocalypse. What's she supposed to do when her father is killed and her sister disappears? Sit around crying? Go to therapy? Talk about it endlessly? She has to survive. That she'd bury how she feels until she can't anymore seemd perfectly normal to me. Everyone copes differently. Maggie coped by shutting down in relation to Beth. I get it.

Count me among those who don't trust Aaron at all and who thought the zombies during the tornado was a dream. Are we sure it wasn't?

Edited by madam magpie
  • Love 8
Beside losing Beth and Tyreese, Terminus and even the prison weren't that long ago.  Maybe 2-3 months?

 

 

According to the wiki, the time between the flu outbreak at the prison and Tyreese's death has been 31 days. It didn't seem like that much time passed between the last episode and this, so it's looking like our time frame for all of this is just over a month.

 

No wonder our group is exhausted.

Edited by Rosiejuliemom
  • Useful 1
  • Love 3

I've never understood the complaints about Maggie. It's the zombie apocalypse. What's she supposed to do when her father is killed and her sister disappears? Sit around crying? Go to therapy? Talk about it endlessly? She has to survive. That she'd bury how she feels until she can't anymore seemd perfectly normal to me. Everyone copes differently. Maggie coped by shutting down in relation to Beth. I get it.

 

I think people at least wanted to see a scene of Maggie admitting that before Beth died. To at least acknolwedge her loss. Just one comment like "Glenn, I really can't talk about Beth right now, becuase if I think about it, i'm going to fall apart, and I just can't. I can't".

 

Just that.

Edited by AndySmith
  • Love 10

Reagrding this guy Aaron, if I'm in the group I'd be suspicious of him (of course) but mostly because I'd look at my group and think "What do we have to offer?". They have little in the way of supplies, certainly nothing worth stealing or going to any elaborate ruse for. They have themselves and that would be enough for cannibals like those in Terminus so you'd be leary but this guy looks too clean and well kept to be low on supplies. I suppose there's always slavery or using our numbers to bolster those of the other group.

 

So, what would he want with my group?

  • Love 6

I didn't think it was a dream, but I did think it was terribly unrealistic. What, one minute zombies are almost breaking down the doors - next minute they're all gone? And EVERYBODY says, "Ok, then - guess we can all go back to sleep." SERIOUSLY!?!?

Can't ever count on what a twister will or won't do. I've seen where a twister totally ripped every bit of asphalt out of a 1/4-mile stretch of roadway, but a church and house facing each other across the same road were untouched.

I know it's not real but it somehow seems to me that churches during tornadoes and church school buses during traffic accidents always are disproportionately targeted. 

 

Edited by SoSueMe

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