The Walking Dead Remains Haunted by Specters of the Past

In some ways, AMC’s The Walking Dead is a present caught with one foot prior to now. It’s nonetheless making an attempt to journey the coattails of its former recognition. It’s making an attempt to wrap up the collection with out stepping on the toes of the eventual Rick Grimes film. But the largest downside is that the present can’t transfer on from the identical philosophical query it’s been asking for the reason that collection premiere: At what level do the ends cease justifying some extraordinarily horrible means? It’s a really boring query at this level, which is why I wish to discuss what’s new in tonight’s episode, “On the Inside”: ice cream.

The Commonwealth has ice cream. It has ice cream stands. In truth, it has a bunch of desserts and confections obtainable, as Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), and Princess (Paola Lázaro)—a.ok.a. YEEP—uncover after watching a brief, tacky, and oddly ‘90s orientation video about the colony hosted by its smarmy Director of Operations, Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton). Then they step into the Commonwealth and discover a new world from the one they’ve been making an attempt to outlive in. Maybe it’s extra correct to say YEEP steps into the outdated world—the one earlier than the zombie apocalypse. People are laughing and smiling. Electricity abounds. Kids journey bikes in absolute security. There’s a hearth division. It’s civilization as they knew it, or shut sufficient. Obviously, there’s an Orwellian forms backed by a military of off-brand Stormtroopers, however not less than at first look everybody within the Commonwealth appears completely content material with the place they’ve ended up, and that features Yumiko’s brother Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale), who’s baking desserts in a dessert store.

The siblings’ reunion doesn’t have a lot emotional impression since Yumiko rapidly chides him for being a baker when he was a surgeon, regardless that he says he’s happier now than he was earlier than the apocalypse. Even Eugene and Stephanie’s (Chelle Ramos) time collectively, as she takes him on a tour of the neighborhood, feels passionless as in comparison with Eugene and his ice cream cone. I’m critical about this, and I feel it’s a genuinely highly effective second, irrespective of how goof-ily Eugene snarfs down that ice cream. He seems at it so wistfully, as if it’s extra of a reminiscence than one thing actual—an emblem of the world that was. As such, it’s an ideal image for the perfect the Commonwealth desires to current: Here, the world is regular once more. Here, everyone seems to be protected. Here, folks have all the pieces—and a lot of it they will spend their assets making issues as completely inessential as ice cream.

Of course, the Commonwealth would fairly folks focus on the number of ice cream flavors obtainable than the hilariously fascistic posters overlaying each wall, or the absurdly labyrinthine ranges of the neighborhood’s forms. Unfortunately, YEEP will get an up-close view of the latter once they uncover when they have been accepted by the Commonwealth, they have been additionally inducted into the Commonwealth—they’ve been assigned jobs, locations to reside, and so forth. They can’t even talk about leaving the settlement till they discuss to the suitable supervisor, who has a five-week waitlist. Eugene, who nonetheless doesn’t know the way Alexandria fared towards the Whisperers, desires to radio residence however that takes two weeks to get accepted, so he (simply) talks Steph into sneaking him into the communications room, the place he’s nearly instantly caught and arrested by General Mercer (Michael James Shaw).

However, when Eugene, Ezekiel, and Princess are detained for a trial—the latter two guilty-by-association since Eugene broke the legislation a mere 45 minutes after being allowed in—that charmer Lance Hornsby bursts in, clearly having been notified by Steph, and calls for their launch. When the authorities refuse, Lance runs off to talk with the mysterious, unseen Governor. There’s very clearly one thing extra-sinister happening contained in the Commonwealth past its dehumanizing forms and jackbooted thugs, however all the pieces in regards to the settlement—who made it, the way it rose to energy, what’s the catch—is a tantalizing thriller that’s far, much more fascinating than all the pieces else happening within the episode.

Speaking of! “Out of the Ashes” really begins in Aaron’s (Ross Marquand) nightmare, as he and his daughter Gracie (Annabelle Holloway) get surrounded by a Whisperer, a Wolf, an precise zombie, and extra—there’s even a fast flash of Mays (Robert Patrick), the man Gabriel murdered after he allow them to go in “One More.” In the waking world, zombies break by a bit of Alexandria’s unexpectedly remade partitions, stressing Aaron out even additional. None of this, for my cash, justifies his actions after he, Carol (Melissa McBride), Lydia (Cassady McClincy), and Jerry (Cooper Andrews) head to the burned-out husk of Hilltop to see what provides may need miraculously survived the Whisperers’ assault. But Lydia notices a few of the zombies aren’t simply milling about, they’re being herded—which implies not less than one of many Whisperers continues to be there. It’s no work for the quartet to catch him, rip his masks off, and uncover there are additionally 4 former Whisperers hiding within the mansion’s basement.

Although the script doesn’t state it outright, it’s exhausting to see this Whisperer as a risk. He’s herding lower than a dozen zombies in a circle. He sobs desperately after being caught by extraordinarily threatening individuals who clearly need him lifeless. When he lies about there being no different Whisperers there, it appears apparent that he’s making an attempt to guard the others, simply as Daryl (Norman Reedus) did final week when he lied about not understanding the folks he was touring with when the Reapers attacked. Those 4 Whisperers additionally look frightened out of their minds once they’re found, and even when the dude assaults Aaron, it appears purely to offer his haggard companions a chance to flee. These folks are totally terrified, and the episode very clearly paints Aaron and the others because the violent aggressors on this situation (though they definitely have causes for distrusting and hating Whisperers). But even when these guys have been revealed at any level to have been a mastermind with a plan to make sure Alexandria’s downfall with a secret military of 1000’s, it might not make Aaron’s actions excusable.

After the remaining Whisperer is tied and strung up, Aaron retains thrusting a zombie at him, pulling it away a mere second earlier than it bites the dude’s flesh. He continues asking questions the man repeatedly pleads he can’t reply however in between his piteous sobs, he lastly chokes out a reasonably damning assertion: “I was right about you people. You pretend you’re better than the dead, but dead is honest.” It’s a convoluted manner of claiming “You people are horrible and Alpha was right to attack you,” but it surely drives Aaron into such a frenzy that he lastly lets the zombie gnaw on the man’s fingers, not less than partially proving the Whisperer appropriate. The lifeless eat the dwelling as a result of they’re pushed to by their nature; Aaron used the lifeless to inflict ache and distress on his sufferer. Now the man is contaminated and going to die until Aaron severs the hand—which Aaron will solely do if the man confesses one thing.

I consider that is the primary time on the present {that a} dwelling particular person has actively and purposefully used a zombie chew as a weapon—successfully pushing a zombie’s open mouth on somebody’s flesh to let it eat. It’s truthfully reprehensible, particularly for somebody who’s normally one of many present’s most likable characters. One, I’d add, who was fairly lately shocked and appalled when Gabriel killed Mays in chilly blood again within the tail-end of season 10. And one who has met not one however two Whisperers that have been proven to be good folks caught in a foul scenario, specifically Lydia and Mary (Thora Birch). Even Carol (Carol!) thinks Aaron’s gone too far and shoots the zombie with an arrow earlier than it may be used to assault the Whisperer a second time. She tells Aaron don’t go down this “dark path,” so he reluctantly lets his prisoner go, saying he can amputate the hand or the Whisperer can do it himself. Gee, thanks.

Do the potential ends justify Aaron’s means? The present retains asking this query time and again, both deliberately like tonight or inadvertently by its writing, however as a result of the characters are so inconsistent in regards to the ethical traces they are going to or received’t cross, the solutions are meaningless. This time, releasing the Whisperer permits him to inform Carol and the others that he noticed Connie escape the cave manner again when—she’s alive! (Or was alive. At any price, Carol didn’t inadvertently kill her whereas making an attempt to purposefully kill Alpha.) And it needs to be noteworthy that if the Whisperer wasn’t masterminding an assault on Alexandria earlier than they discovered him, Aaron did all the pieces in his energy to encourage the Whisperer to begin formulating a plan of assault. Plus, if this dude does search vengeance, I do know the present will inevitably blame Aaron for letting the man go.

Perhaps the worst half about this complete storyline is that our major characters have walked down the “dark path” so typically, on a number of events, that it’s extremely boring to look at. It’s been made abundantly clear over the past 11 years that these are flawed people who’ve endured horrific experiences that may make them act morally doubtful at finest, so these little storylines don’t inform us something, they simply pad out the episodes and provide occasional bursts of graphic violence. There is a silver lining, although: This repetition is what makes something new that involves The Walking Dead—the Reapers, the Commonwealth, even the Saviors and Whisperers manner again when—appear so fascinating as compared. And since we’re in season 11, possibly the Commonwealth and the Reapers will keep fascinating sufficient to deliver the present to a robust end.

If not, not less than there’s ice cream.

Assorted Musings:

• There are two different largely meaningless plots happening in “Out of the Ashes.” The first is that Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohen) attain the ruins of Meridian. They have the identical dumb struggle they’ve been having, the place Negan asks her to belief him regardless of proving untrustworthy whereas Maggie’s decided to disregard his recommendation to go residence as an alternative of staying to see if any of the opposite survivors from the Reaper assault present up, regardless that it’s endangering the mission (one thing she wasn’t prepared to entertain when Roy was screaming for assist). Eventually, Gabriel makes it together with one other dude. Yay.
• The different is Judith (Cailey Fleming), who begins by awesomely educating the youngsters of Alexandria some sword work (with picket swords) after which tells a bunch of fool teenagers to cease sticking their fingers at an basically susceptible zombie’s mouth. I’m undecided how the youngsters in World Beyond are, however in TWD Prime teenagers are nonetheless idiots who’ve in some way nonetheless not internalized how fucking harmful zombies are.
• I suppose there may be yet one more notable factor in regards to the Judith scene. The teenagers mock Judith by saying her mother deserted her, which causes her to threaten the teenagers after which stroll away, stifling her unhappiness. Later, Rosita (Christian Serratos) offers her a comforting pep-talk… and I’m not 100% positive these two have ever had a scene alone collectively? It’s attainable I’m forgetting one thing, however Rosita enjoying “mom” to Judith out of nowhere was form of unsettling. On the opposite hand, Fleming does some super work as Judith all through the episode.
• I acquired excited when the Wolf confirmed and was instantly dissatisfied when it turned out Aaron was solely having a dream. I’d like to see the Reapers tackle the Wolves. Two teams of murderous nitwits enter! None depart!
• Seeing a herd of zombies shamble into city when you’re taking your morning piss is a hell of a tough solution to get up within the morning, so good on Jerry for soldiering by.
• As somebody who has anticipated to die nearly instantly as soon as the lifeless begin rising from their graves, the invention that the Commonwealth is predicated in or round my present location of Charleston, West Virginia is extraordinarily excellent news.

Wondering the place our RSS feed went? You can choose the brand new up one right here.