Is life getting back to normal in Alexandria? It might be, but there’s unrest among some residents. But then again, what’s really normal on The Walking Dead? After the brutal attack on the Saviors, the group gets into a routine in this episode, “Twice as Far.” Eugene and Denise want to stray from that routine. But what are the consequences of that? And how does Daryl’s past come back to haunt him?
Why The Walking Dead Needs More Characters Like Paula >>>
Breaking the Routine
It seems that after the attack on Negan’s group, everyone at Alexandria is back into their routines. Olivia watches the food and weapons, Eugene and Sasha patrol the fences, etc. But it seems like others want to break that routine, as there is still a lot of unrest among the group — and rightfully so.
Carol is very mopey still, carrying her rosary beads and smoking. She tries to maintain normalcy, but her sins are haunting her. I blame Morgan for that, but that’s beside the point. She pays a visit to Daryl, who has his bike back. She questions him about the group that originally stole it, and he just remarks that he should have killed them when he had the chance.
Meanwhile, Eugene and Denise, two people who are book smart but not that great with defending themselves, want to venture outside the walls. Eugene recruits Abraham, and Denise recruits Daryl and Rosita. And Morgan is building a jail cell, for “options” next time.
Outside the Walls
Eugene leads Abraham to an abandoned factory. Along the way, he expresses to Abraham that he finally feels like he’s blending in and surviving this new world, something that was hard from him in the beginning. Inside the factory, Eugene explains that he wants to start manufacturing bullets there because he knows that at some point they will run out.
As he explains his plan, a lone walker shows up. He calls “dibs” but has a hard time killing him. When Abraham “saves” him, Eugene gets very upset. The two get into an argument and Abraham leaves him alone in the factory.
In another part of town, Denise leads Rosita and Daryl, who were very reluctant to even go with her, to an apothecary, which she remembers a while back and thinks could have good medicine. Once inside, they hit the jackpot. As Rosita and Daryl clear out the pharmacy, she explores a back room of the shop, where she encounters a walker with a broken leg and a child drowned in a sink. She’s appalled by the scene and gets upset.
On the way back to Alexandria, Denise opens up about her past life. The three take a shortcut back, and Denise stops to retrieve a cooler from a car with a walker. Even though Daryl and Rosita tell her to leave it, she opens the door, gets attacked and kills the walker on her own. She’s very proud of herself, especially since the cooler had orange Crush for Tara. However, Daryl and Rosita start to lecture her.
She comes back with a great speech about why she wanted to go out and why she chose Daryl and Rosita. But that speech is cut short when she’s hit in the head with an arrow and dies.
Blast from the Past
Out of the woods comes the group who stole Daryl’s stuff, the same guy who he says he should have killed a while back. And they have Eugene. The guy, Dwight, explains that he was aiming for Daryl but missed with the crossbow. He then tells Rosita and Daryl that he wants them to bring his group back to Alexandria, where they will take whatever and whoever they want.
But before anyone goes anywhere, Eugene spies Abraham behind some barrels, ready to rescue them. He distracts the new group by biting Dwight in the groin. This is just enough time for Abraham to attack, while Daryl and Rosita join in. Ultimately, some are killed, but five get away. Daryl gets his crossbow back, but Eugene was injured.
The Walking Dead: Carol’s Breakdown and 9 More Troubling Moments from “The Same Boat” >>>
An Escape
Back at Alexandria, Eugene is healing, while the group explains to Rick what happened. Abraham heads to see Sasha and woos her enough to get himself inside her home.
Meanwhile, Carol leaves a Dear John letter to Tobin, who she has been seeing. She explains that she’s leaving Alexandria because she doesn’t want to be forced to kill anymore, not for herself or for her loved ones. She also explains that she knows that even after one threat is over, another one just lies right around the corner, and she can’t take it anymore.
What’s the Deal?
So what’s the deal? I’m not liking this wishy-washy Carol. First, she was a victim and then she was a bad-ass, saving everyone from Terminus. And now she’s just plain confused. The heaviest of the new world is really weighing her down. All of the lives she’s taken are adding up. I just don’t think that living alone in the outside world is the answer. She made a point to say that Rick had banished her once before in the past, so I guess that’s why she thinks she can do it again.
I’m not really thrilled that they killed Denise. It seems like every time you start to like a new character on The Walking Dead, they die. But again, that’s the way this show is.
I found it fascinating that the group Daryl ran into a while back is still out there. I’m curious if the group has anything to do with the Saviors or if it’s just a group of nasty people. Either way, they aren’t good people.
I have to say, I don’t blame the people of Alexandria for being on their toes. A big storm is headed for town. I just hope they are ready.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.
(Image courtesy of AMC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
