Margaux and I take a look at this week’s mildly disappointing, yet still intriguing, installment of The Walking Dead. Beware of stylish flannel.
Trevor: Someone’s gotta send a memo to the Walking Dead writers room that silence and contemplation =/= art. I blame “Them,” which I was not a huge fan of, on director Julius Ramsay, who previously directed the Daryl and Beth Navel-Gazing Hour, aka “Still.” Once again Ramsay delivered an episode shot and directed like a particularly solipsistic independent film. He’s a competent editor, but I don’t think the director’s chair is the place for him. “Them” had a decent ending, though, I’ll give it that.
Margaux: I think the last ten minutes of “Them” made the whole episode feel more worth it than not. Actually, I take that back, there were several elements the group had to deal with in “Them” that felt like a refreshing break from them constantly knowing what to do in every given situation, at any given stressful time. That being said, absolutely nothing can or will send a straight shot of pure fear like seeing a stranger in the post-zombie apocalypse totally…clean.
Trevor: I guess I’m kinda torn, because on the one hand, a lot of characters were really annoying – looking at you, Daryl, Sasha, and Maggie. On the other, you’re right in that it was nice to see desperation on the faces of a group who we’ve come to know as a tight-knit killing organization. Then again, this show so often goes back to the well of bleakness that “Them” didn’t really have anything new to say on the subject of loss, grief, and aimlessness. There were moments that I really liked, which I’ll get to, but on the whole the episode didn’t really interest me until the water showed up in the middle of the road (because as has been established, I’m a sucker for surreal happenings).
Margaux: When the water first showed up in the middle of the road, I instantly thought that it must be the handy work of Morgan but it seems like the question of Morgan following the group will keep getting pushed further aside. Which is fine, so long as we don’t have to keep rehashing the same deaths over and over again. Even in the scene where Carol follows Daryl, when he wanders off because he’s got the sads, I thought I could watch Carol and Daryl basically talk about anything – a wiki how-to on taxes, whatever! – but her whole, we’re not the dead ones speech was something that had been said better and earlier – same goes for Maggie and Sasha’s way of dealing with grief. HATED IT.
Trevor: Carol and Daryl’s hug said more than her speech did. Speaking of repeating things, how great is Melissa McBride? But back to “Them,” where everyone turned annoying. Daryl rudely turns down water from Glenn, because he’s a twelve-year-old who just discovered Nirvana and thinks he knows how to brood; Maggie is a huge bitch to Gabriel, because apparently the idea of a priest being capable of comforting someone is beyond her; and Sasha almost gets the whole fucking group killed because she has to be Sasha Fierce and attack the walkers head on, derailing the group’s frankly hilarious plan of just pushing them down a hill, like high school bullies picking on nerds. Michonne was right to be pissed at Sasha. I can’t believe Rick didn’t blow up at her, but I guess I can believe it cause everyone in this episode was worn the fuck down.
Margaux: Glad you brought up Sasha Fierce 2.0 because not only did I think she was the least annoying of the grieving bunch. Girl fucking shot down a pack of rabid/zombie dogs (also getting the group food and fed) and nearly incited a zombie riot. Which, leads nicely into my question for you, do walkers now have the ability to sense a more hostile situation and essentially turn on full zombie mode? Because at first, Rick and Co are just chucking walkers off a bridge into a ravine like it ain’t nothing. Till Sasha snaps, goes full stabby-stab and suddenly a full-on shit storm breaks loose.
Trevor: “Them” picked up once they got to the barn, even though everyone had to be annoying at least one more time. When walkers are pushing at the door, Daryl, it’s ok to fucking call for help. If you didn’t need help, you wouldn’t be in the group in the first place. But you gotta please Tumblr, right? Crying over Beth’s death – OMG Daryl’s so sweet. Asking for help – that’s not the Daryl I love!
But I loved loved LOVED Rick’s monologue, speech, soliloquy, whatever you wanna call it. Andrew Lincoln sold the hell out of it, and finally delivered Rick’s best line from the comics: “We are the walking dead.” In the comics, this happens when he returns from Woodbury, having his hand chopped off by the Governor, and he shouts it in a rage. But I think I like it better with this context. It’s gentler, sadder. Bra-fucking-vo, Andrew Lincoln, that’s why you got this role.
Margaux: First of all, I can’t believe it’s taken The Walking Dead five seasons to finally say the name of the show within an episode, I almost felt like choosing that moment to say it (and there have been plenty of less subtle moments where they could’ve already snuck it in a little smoother) nearly took away from how impactful Rick’s monologue was. Thankfully, the lighting in the barn, and HOLY SHIT that rain-walker-attack scene – absolutely standout cinematography, saved it from going full hokey. Unlike Daryl shedding tears over Beth, which was pretty LOLZ-worth, I’m just glad he stopped moping long enough to remember to tell everyone about the vacant barn down yonder. Like anyone truly misses Beth’s unasked for acoustic folk song hour.
Trevor: I can’t remember the last time we disagreed so much about an episode, haha. I thought Daryl’s breakdown was a nice human moment. (And whether or not we miss Beth is immaterial, the point is the characters do.) I didn’t like him putting the cigarette out on his hand, though, it was very “Can I still feel anything?” This isn’t a fucking Death Cab for Cutie song, Daryl.
When Carl gave Maggie the music box, I thought, “That fucking thing better not play Tom Waits.”
Margaux: I wouldn’t say we’re disagreeing as much as I found more to like in “Them” than you, I blame the frustration you went through in having to watch this episode to begin with – having to try to watch anything makes you automatically hate it.
But we can both agree Daryl’s meaningful cigarette burn was a little too emo for me to buy into, Daryl walks around with a crossbow and it doesn’t seem like it’s 100% because it’s the apocalypse.
I thought when Maggie woke Sasha up at the crack of dawn, after they spent most of the night in terror trying to hold a rickety barn door up against the weight of roughly one million zombies (bitch, let her sleep!), I assumed the dumb music box would have something of Tyreese and Beth that they would symbolically bury. I’m glad they went a creepier and more unexpected route with what I assumed would another corny button on a show that once featured a main character ripping out the throat of an adult male.
Trevor: Yeah, let’s talk about Aaron. I did not see that coming. I’ll tell you what I do see coming, though: Aaron’s inevitable reveal as an evil character. With the exception of Herschel and Gabriel, every single person they’ve met has been evil. But a thought occurs: how cool would it be if Aaron (and the group he’s presumably with) is on the level, and it’s Rick and the gang who turn out to be the evil ones, if even inadvertently?
Margaux: Aaron does have an air of Mormon missionary to him so if the only inherently “good” people Rick & Co have let into the group (Father Gabriel and Herschel both are/were very into the Bible), then your hopeful prediction of the group being painted as the “evil” ones could come true. Yet, I have to agree more with your gut reaction of Aaron being another former barista, hellbent on seeing others get eaten alive. Or something.
But seriously, how creepy was it to see someone so clean shaven and unafraid to approach armed strangers? The cuts between Maggie and Sasha’s reactions to Aaron, and his to them, really set in juxtaposition how outta place this dude was.
Trevor: Yeah, motherfucker looks like a Land’s End model. And he apparently has such easy access to water that he can just give it away. Also he knows Rick’s name. So for all my complaints about the first half of “Them,” it did stick the landing, so I’m officially intrigued for next week.
Margaux: His friendliness and ease, like he already belonged there but in an oddly non-threatening way yet, he knows all about the group and according to next weeks preview, has some sort of surveillance photos of them? It is really hard to tell who this guy is or what he really wants. That being said, Aaron and his Eddie Bauer catalog style is the scariest and most interesting thing to happen on The Walking Dead since the season’s premiere.
Trevor: If Gareth and the Governor have taught us anything, it’s that you can’t trust handsome men in the apocalypse. Which I guess would make me Walter fucking Cronkite.
So I’m torn again on star count. Watching it at first, I was thinking 2.5-3 range, but now I’m leaning more towards 3.5, if only for the back half. “Them” ended stronger than it started, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that 21 of 42 minutes were filler. 50% is still a failing grade. But for Rick’s speech and Aaron’s arrival I’m tempted to go three and a half.
Margaux: Finally, Trevor, you have the answer to the question of which universe would you be least likely to be chosen last…for anything!
I’m going to give “Them” 3 stars, as you pointed out, more than half of this episode was dedicated to filler, though some filler landed better than others. I’d say in the better category would be Eugene’s quips and less than optimistic observations of the world around them. We’ve seen the group grieve though maybe not necessarily these particular character but I don’t give a shit, they sacrificed exploring more interesting aspects of their now-gigantic group for deep thoughts on Beth.
And I also don’t care about how the characters feel about Beth, I’m doling out the scores here and I’ll knock off half-star for too much talk about a character no one seemed to care about until they die if I want to.
About Author
