Monday, March 2, 2015

The Walking Dead: Season 5, Episode 12


The Walking Dead
Episode Title: “Remember”
Channel: AMC
Director: Greg Nicotero
Writer: Channing Powell
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Runtime: 44 min
Rated: TV-MA
Original Air Date: March 1, 2015

It feels like the entire show has been leading up to this point. There have been reprieves along the way, the farm and the prison, but this is what the survivors of Rick's group have been looking for. In Alexandria they've found a place they can call home, somewhere safe enough that they can lead lives approaching normal. The question is can they adjust to their new found safety? Well, that and how is it going to be ruined this time?

The group initially enters Alexandria and retains their weapons, having not made the decision to stay at the onset. They're shown all of the comforts that the community has to offer. These scenes are just about what you would expect from them. Rick shaves, everyone gets new clothes, homes to stay in, and jobs to do while they're there. The group gives up their weapons once the decision to stay is made. Although they're staying it's made quite clear that they don't believe everything is as perfect as it seems. We got to see some PTSD symptoms out of Rick when he momentarily loses sight of Carl and Judith and I liked seeing that in there. After what they've lived through it would take more than a hot shower to turn off all the survival instincts that have kept them alive thus far.

There were short clips of videotaped interviews featuring several members of the group talking to the mayor of Alexandria, Deanna. For the most part the interviews were honest, with Carol being the exception. Carol talked about her love for her dead husband (yeah right) and pitched herself as a people person. This is her version of Rick's back-up gun outside of Alexandria's walls. If it hits the fan no one will suspect that Carol can flip a switch into full on Rambo mode. Speaking of Rick's back-up gun, it's not where he left it. This opens up some interesting possibilities regarding its whereabouts and who might have it in their possession now. The characters that the episode followed this week all seemed to be gradually allowing themselves to downgrade their alert status, except for Darryl. He's taking his lone wolf schtick to the next level; maintaining a guard, eating only food he kills, and refusing to take comfort in the amenities. It's going to be tough to assimilate him into the community, if he even wants to be.

We also got to see the difference between people that have lived through the whole crisis, in the thick of things, and those who have lived in relative safety. A pair of Alexandria's 'runners' take Glenn, Tara, and Noah outside the walls to show them the ropes. The leader of the Alexandrians is the mayor's son, Aidan. He and the other guy treat the whole thing like a game, taunting and torturing the walkers like a child with an ant farm and a magnifying glass. Glenn especially isn't fond of the way they operate and confronted Aidan about it. Aidan took a swing, which Glenn ducked, and then got punched right in the teeth. It's probably not the best way to make friends, but it helped Rick's group establish that there isn't a one of them that should be messed with. Following the scuffle Deanna made Rick and Michonne the law enforcement officers of Alexandria, which seems like a strange job to offer to people you've known for less than a day, but apparently she can 'read people' well. Rick concludes the episode by assuring Carol and Darryl that they're going to make it work, either in it's current state or under their control after they take the town.

Conclusion: “Remember” marks a huge new story arc for the series. The group has what they've been looking for after years surviving and some are handling it better than others. Aside from the instantaneous trust being shown in Rick and the group most of the episode worked. Glenn's big moment was fun to watch and I look forward to seeing how the rest of the group reacts to all of the creature comforts that they've been without for so long.

Rating: 8/10

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