Walking Dead Episode Review 5.7 - Crossed

The calm before the storm.

The Walking Dead has been historically sharp in these episodes.  Whether or not they succeed in next week’s mid-season finale is another matter. How did they do Tonite?

Tonite’s episode is defined by the two different approaches one civil and the other savage.  The efforts to rescue Beth and Carol are crossed between these two approaches. Rick lays out an extraction plan much like a Navy Seal team would and it would involve the deaths of the enemy after luring a couple of the “cops.” Tyreese still in his pacifist mode, wishes to accomplish this goal through a hostage trade. Daryl surprises Rick by agreeing to this strategy and Rick reluctantly goes along.  

This decision creates a tension between Daryl and Rick, two of the fan favorites. Rick has long since gone into Shane-Land and is fully-equipped to do whatever is necessary to rescue his comrades. I believe Daryl was swayed into this decision by Carol, as evidenced by the fact that he was ready to leave “Everybody Hates Chris” to die last week.  After Daryl gets ambushed by the psycho cop, Rick comes to the rescue and pulls his pistol on the cop. Rick has this look in his eyes that made me think he was going to kill that man, and in fact he should have pulled the trigger.  Instead, we get a bit of predictable and unnecessary drama to build to next week.

There was also the irony when the “cops” asked Rick if he was a cop.  I wonder if Rick even remembers that he was a cop before the cataclysm?

There were some really cool melted zombie effects in this one.  Reminds me of that guy from Robocop after getting the Toxic waste poured on him…

Daryl grabbing a zombie skull by his eyes and using the detached head as a weapon was sick.  Practical effects beat CGI 10 times out of 10.

We finally got back to the Abraham Eugene group.  Nothing really happened here outside of Tara getting on peoples nerves (and acknowledging it to everyone doesn’t excuse it.) Eugene survived his vicious beating and Abraham ended his self-imposed punishment by drinking his water.  Rosita showed a water filtration technique she learned from Eugene, proving that he isn’t worthless. I’m not exactly sure where this is heading going into next week since they are the “B” Plot line right now.  I’m going to say goodbye for now to them since I have little reason to believe they will even appear in mid season finale, See you in February.

Another interesting developing story line is that of character of Father Gabriel.  He’s guilt-ridden after barricading himself in the church and leaving everyone who sought shelter at the church to die outside. He’s essentially a child and I chuckled seeing the Child-Soldier Carl offering to teach Father Gabriel how to use weapons to defend himself.  Carl commenting about the skull structure of a zombie is a subtle touch by the writers.  Like a child, Father Gabriel runs away from the church and faces off with a Zombie. He’s successful in fending it off, but is unable to deliver the finishing blow. Could this be a possible way to bring Morgan back into the picture? He was teased at in the opening episode, so there has to be plans in the works to bring him in.

Back at the hospital, Beth attempts to save Carol only to have Dawn authorize them pulling the plug on her and then have the gall to blame Beth for it. Dawn is an interesting character, who has a look in her eyes that makes you just despise her instantly.  She talks about how people are weak or strong but she is the one who is actually weak.  It’s pretty apparent that she enrolled into the Ryan Leaf School of leadership.  I hope she gets one in the head by Rick, but for some reason I think she’s going to survive.  The writers have created her in a manner where I can see her fate going multiple ways.

Sasha is a complete moron and I know the actress portraying her must have rolled her eyes when she read the last few pages of the script.  Especially when the cop who duped her just happened to be named "Bob," the name of her recently deceased lover.  Weak, weak writing, guys. 

BTW I think I know what she was looking at through the sniper’s lense at the end…

What a gahhh-awful way to end the episode, I’d be ashamed if I wrote that finish. 

If you can overlook the ending it was a C+ episode.  See you next week for the Midseason Finale!

Agree? Disagree? Post a comment below!

C.J. Foxx 

Author of Super-Hero Bowl VI
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