directed by Greg Nicotero
written by Channing Powell
This episode, Alexandria is introduced in earnest as Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the other survivors are welcomed into Aaron's community. Of course, given the succession of hellish experiences Rick's group has endured since the governor destroyed the prison back in season 4, it's perfectly understandable that they have trouble assimilating into a new community, but they all know they need this, and it is this underlying knowledge, helped along by the patient prodding of community leader and former Congresswoman Deanna Monroe (Tovah Feldshuh), that spurs them to give it the old college try.
Monroe has thought of everything for them; housing, "stress debriefing" in the form of taped interviews, and jobs. Carl (Chandler Rigg) meets kids his own age, and tries to be a "normal kid" again. Carol (Melissa McBride), during her interview, keeps quiet about her violent, warrior-woman life and packages herself more as a den mother, which results in her getting a job as a caregiver for old people. Glenn (Steven Yeun) gets recruited to go on supply runs by Monroe's son, Aiden (Daniel Bonjour), and Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) are offered jobs as the community's police officers. Rick even finally shaves himself and gets a haircut from a comely resident named Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), who, it is disclosed later in the episode, happens to be married.
Daryl (Norman Reedus) remains aloof and on edge.
Settling down proves difficult, however. Carl is restless, and voices concern to his father than living there could make them weak. Glenn's supply run with Aiden sours quite quickly when Aiden's "pre-game" ritual, which involves chaining up walkers and tormenting them, nearly costs Tara (Alanna Masterson)her life and which ends with Glenn getting into a brief scuffle with Aiden, ultimately getting the better of him, and with Daryl getting involved in the fight as well against Aiden's lieutenant. Rick breaks it all up, though.
Out of caution, the entire group sleeps in the same house despite being offered two very large houses to sleep in. In the end, though Monroe respects Rick's decisions, but that doesn't make him any less wary of what could happen.
What impressed me about the writing of this show was how efficiently writer Channing Powell sets up what is certain to be a hell of a season finale, it strikes me that not a single minute here is wasted on the extended conversations that have irked enough people over the years to earn this show the nickname "The Talking Dead." Every conversation leads to something. Every moment of silence is pregnant with possibility. The show's writers have laid their cards on the table, and are clearly setting up a doozy of a season finale. It strikes me that there is no "bait and switch" here like there was in Season 4, when the beacon of hope that was Terminus turned out to be another nightmare; it's fairly clear that the crap is going to hit the fan, and soon.
What I particularly liked about this season was how it focused on the "core group" or the Season 1 vets and Michonne. The more obvious indicator of this is that it's only the season 1 veterans (and Michonne) whose video interviews are played throughout the episode, though one presumes they all went through the process. It also hews fairly closely to the comic book version of this story, though Deanna Monroe was originally Douglas, and a couple of characters were a little different (and Andrea, unlike her televised counterpart, was still alive). It's indicative of how important that story was to the group that the people behind the show endeavored to reproduce those scenes as faithfully as possible.
Of course, Daryl Dixon remains the wildcard here, not having been part of that story at all. I've already said my piece on how important I think Daryl Dixon's death could be to this series, but if the show runners are ready to pull (or have already pulled) that particular trigger, they aren't letting anything on right now.
I don't know what's coming in the last few episodes of this season, but to my mind "Remember" does a hell of a job setting us up for a wham bang finale.
8.8/10
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