The Walking Dead: I mean I'M JUST SAYIN' OKAY
Series-wide themes for The Walking Dead, continued! ( S1 & 2 themes here.) Gettin' right down to the real nitty-gritty really this time! Starting with, the big three overarching motifs I've actually noticed: time, water, and signs. (Well, and also using injuries/appearance/behaviour to signal links between characters, but I'll get to that later.)
( I have, like ... a lot of the Big Three )
( I have, like ... a lot of the Big Three )
Firstly, I'm not sure it's possible to read too much into things on this show. And secondly - Dude. Glenn is EFFED. If we go by previous seasons' patterns, by mid-season, along with one or more of Abe, Gabe, or Gareth. But maybe they're feeling generous and will give him until the end of the season. (That's assuming the show doesn't mix up its MO, of course; I'm curious what role Tara will play, if any, in the Glenn/Maggie situation going forward; there's some kind of mild sister-pair preoccupation the show has, but I don't know quite what to make of it yet.)
Just a huge YIP YIP YIP UH-HUH-UH-HUH to aaaaaaaaalll your Rick thoughts. AND MICHONNE. That whole thing, and the inversion of Lori/Rick in the same position (and, more distantly, the inversion of Michonne/Mike), showing how far Rick had come, just incredible. And it was the natural conclusion, in a way, to their first real bonding over seeing/talking to dead people. It's like, yep, we've both been broken by this world. But ... we're also okay. What this world has stripped us back to, the things that have been revealed lurking inside ourselves, the things we are, we can live with being. (Until the next excruciating peeling cycle begins. IT'S LIKE THIS *NOW*, THAT'S ENOUGH.)
As for Daryl, and being utterly alone, well ... I guess. Other than the mental break style seeing dead people thing, there's also been Tyreese and Carol's musings on how they might be "haunted", the way the dead stay with us. For them, it's the horrific side of it, the lives lost and the pieces of their own humanity they lost with them, whether their love or their moral innocence - and then vice versa when it came to Lizzie, because while Carol did it, Tyreese is complicit and carrying that around too, and he knows it. But with Daryl, IF he's left Last Man Standing, then the lives that haunt him will be carried in the humanity he's been given by everyone he's loved and who loved him. Even the loss of Merle ultimately helped him along that path. Sad, yes, but not tragic - in fact the opposite - when framed by the fact that death is always inevitable.
Though I don't really know that I see it going that way. I'm very, very curious to see if they follow through on the self-sacrifice thread, how and when and why, and see if that comes at any kind of appreciable peak humanity for Daryl - and what point they consider him to have reached it. Although since he is such a useful counterweight, I wouldn't expect them to lose him too long before the end of the series. (Again, all these calculations dependent on whether the current trends continue, or if they're going to take it somewhere else.)
... MAN, viewing this series just through the "survival" lens is depressing. No wonder people get so bummed.
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....inorite? yeeesh.
Good points re: Daryl. And yeah, look, whatever DOES happen to him, I can't see him disappearing until the end or very close to. He's just too useful from a story (and, let's be mercenary about this for a moment, ratings and show popularity) perspective.
Dude. Glenn is EFFED.
He..... he really is, isn't he? I've been trying to actively avoid spoilers, because no matter how I started out with this show... I can't fight it. I'm a don't-watch-spoiled girl at heart. But even so, there's been some general chatter leaking across my field of vision again which is sheer speculation, but... yes. Things are not looking good for poor old Glenn. /o\ But hey! Gareth, meet red handled machete. Machete, meet Gareth... and holy hell, that scene, right? ... I should go talk about that on the appropriate entry though...
SO! Wildebob!! LOLING 5EVA :DDD Poor Bob, but lol. Yeah, when that happened, there was a moment of *phewbeth*, and I did kinda love that Bob got his TAINTED MEAT revenge moment... although I'm a little surprised we didn't get a little longer for that/the Hunter storyline to play out before, well... the epic walker-esque massacre, because 'we didn't want to waste the bullets'... which is really all I was going to say about that scene really, so look, I'll just say it here - just... another step down that devolutionary spiral, right? This is how we kill walkers. Now this is how we kill people like you. And a possible schism in the group there too - between Rick/Michonne/Sasha/Abraham and Maggie/Glenn(SOB)/Tyrese... and now that Glenn and Maggie have left, I just.... OH GOD.
As for Beth....
Wanna know my latest speculatory thoughts? Bad luck, imma tell you anyway.
I suspect this week's episode is going to be the 'So where's Beth been' ep, and I woner if they're not going to do it in the style of the 'Governor appears watching the prison at end of ep, next two eps flashback in time and tell story of what happened between last time we saw him and getting to that moment'.
ie... I suspect they'll show us Beth back after being separated from Daryl in a place that is seriously going to (welp) f(&% her up, and the process of the aforementioned f*&%ing up. I think she WILL eventually be rescued by Daryl and Carol, and she's the one hiding in those bushes at the end of the last ep, with Carol, because she's been so damaged by the experience that she's seriously not ok. And then the story becomes about how she adapts/the group deals with etc etc and etc and so on. There may be stuff there about the fact Maggie didn't actively look for her... but I kinda hope not. :( Altho... gah, there are no good options really.
But because I love her to pieces, I think Beth'll come out the other side eventually, more or less... just very, very changed. /o\
OH GOD SHOW YOU HURT SO BAD BUT I LOVE YOU SO.
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... OhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhMG. EXCUSE ME I HAVE AN EDIT TO MAKE. (At the bottom of the post. And I adore you and I will be back at a more civilised hour.)
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Like, the fact WE knew Beth was with Daryl I think masked it, because WE knew Beth was with someone who was going to do their best to keep her safe. ... But the fact is, Maggie was so focused on Glenn (GLENN GO TO TERMINUS), like she'd... well... maybe even just subconsciously thought... 'Beth'll be dead already. Glenn is a survivor who woulda survived, but Beth...' And meanwhile Beth's off going, 'I miss Maggie, I miss the way she used to boss me round, I used to dream of her and Glenn havin' kids' etc etc...
And meanwhile, I reckon Beth's going to survive where Glenn is not. And I can't see Maggie's NOT looking for her, well, NOT coming up. Welp. /o\ And I adore you too. :)
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Re: Maggie, yeah, I mean, she said very early on with Sasha and Bob that she had absolutely no leads on Beth but she did on Glenn, since she had thought he was in the bus, hence it made sense to make him her priority. And I think you're right, she subconsciously probably did start to think that. Although as of everyone meeting up in A, she knows that last Daryl knows, Beth is still alive. Glenn made the offer to Abraham without, as far as we could tell, consulting Maggie, and she's loyal to him and she's backing him (she burned the photo! he'll never need it again! - and we can probably assume Glenn knows she's supportive if not committed to the DC mission), but she was also revolted at Rick's and the group's bloodthirstiness (having watched her father's head get hacked off probably didn't help with that). All of which to say, it does make sense of her going with Glenn with Abraham, but at the same time, she'd learned through Bob that Daryl and Carol had driven off, so that had to have at least raised the question of Beth for her. I WILL JOIN YOU IN YOUR /o\
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YES. GIMME. *WAVES GIMMEHANDS AT YOU*
(By the way, don't take my censoring of my swearing in one or two instances as a cue to do the same if you don't want; it seems monkey-fighting monday-to-friday is my own personal line in the salty sand for what I'll casually sling around - and saying "Glenn is FUCKED" just seemed so harsh /o\ (BUT HE IS THO) - but I don't have a problem with others going as blue as they feel appropriate :))
I'm a little surprised we didn't get a little longer for that/the Hunter storyline to play out
And then the story becomes about how she adapts/the group deals with etc etc
Ohhhhhh but here's the thing (other than the whole Maggie angle, which the show has helpfully split off to deal with separately and later), I'm now pretty sure it's going to be an extension. Not of the Hunters themselves, that's done, and SO SATISFACTORILY, YES that scene, ALL THE THINGS you said, LOVE IT. But this is the return of Rick the Sheriff, riding into town (what up, S1!). Dealing with people who are behaving like animals (Merle!), taking on that role for himself even when he asserts there's no rules anymore - he's strong, and moral, enough to be The Guy in those situations. Like, I was assuming the Beth rescue mission-vs-cure was going to be the dilemma, but of course it's not (that's so four seasons ago), it's the choice between the greater world-rescue mission and justice. After all, the world's gonna need Rick Grimes. (He makes sure to point out that along with his promise, he'd never let Gareth go because it wasn't just *human* vengeance Gareth was carrying out by eating Bob, he'd do that to anyone now (*animal*!), and, despite all the detours of the last few seasons, Rick is still the guy who's not going to let that go.) If whatever happened to Beth is distinctly little-girl related (Daryl's right eye suggests yes), then Judith-as-the-future is all the more reason to go stamp that out(/plus rescue other girls?), on an emotional level if not a logical one. (- Which is to say, not that it's not a logical choice to make, but the emotional impetus of saving-the-world for Judith's sake and saving-little-girls for Judith's sake is more even.) (For Tyreese, too, while we're at it, since he's the one most visibly struggling with that. Hopefully they've got some interesting conflicts in store for Gabriel, there, too.)
Although, just in terms of the pacing, I really appreciate how clearly they've set up just how incredibly efficient and BAMF the group has become (because just because I love the other aspects of the human condition, I do NOT mind some hardcore BADASS when it's earned, and boy howdy has this group earned it). I love how quickly Gareth&co was dispatched - both times - and I really hadn't got up to speed, literally, with realising that OF COURSE Carol and Daryl were up to a rescue mission all on their twosies without needing backup. If it goes like I think, it's the possible all-out war Rick's gonna wage to rescue/exterminate that's gonna be the thing that's big enough to really challenge him and his BAMF pack.
OH GOD SHOW YOU HURT SO BAD BUT I LOVE YOU SO.
WHAT YOU SAID.
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don't take my censoring of my swearing in one or two instances as a cue to do the same if you don't want
Well. :) Look, I take an extremely ad hoc and changeable approach to my sweariness, depending mostly on the mood I'm in and whether I'm having a 'I should really try and swear less' kinda day... So I'm wildly inconsistent, as you've probably gathered. But I certainly appreciate the permission and it's DEFINITELY good to know I'm not offending. Sincerely. :)
it's the choice between the greater world-rescue mission and justice.
mmmmm-hmm. uuuuhh-hhuh. yiiiipyipyipyipyipyipyip uuuuhh-huh /sesame street aliens ftmfw :D Indeed. And AIN'T the world just gon' need Rick Grimes. (RICK! \o/... ahem.) EVERYTHING you just said there. I'm so with you.
And the pacing too - I keep being surprised by how quickly they're burning through plotlines, but you're absolutely right - of course there's a gathering momentum to the ruthless efficiency with which they dispatch these threats now. And I kinda love the show for being brave about that too, k'know? Like, oh-ho! Terminus is totally going to be a big deal, right? NUH! They're OUTTA THERE SUKKAZ!!! Oh wait, the Termites are back as Hunters?? NOPE! YOU DIDN'T NEED THAT HEAD, RIGHT GAZ? DIDN'T THINK SO. Just... holy moly relentless. And of course pacing is historically ANOTHER thing this show's copped crap for, and yet which I have, with the only exception being the TWO Governor backstory eps (Fine. One. I can understand the necessity of one. But TWO? TWO you guys? Don't do that to me.) always loved too. But wow I'd love to see anyone complain about the pacing now. (I lie. Actually I wouldn't like to see that. It would drive me nuts. You know what I mean.)
Oh show. You have my heart. How a zombie show managed to burrow its way so deep in there I have no earthly idea. I did not see this coming, but here we are.
And yes. I really feel I should say, given all the bitching I've been doing.... OH YES, DON'T GET ME WRONG, I ALSO VERY MUCH ENJOY MY PEOPLE BEING BAMFs. BECAUSE THEY IN FACT ARE. They're just, as you and I know, MOAR than just BAMFs. :D And omg, I know this is the wrong spot, but as I'm here... yes. I think I was possibly more excited about the katana finding its way home to Michonne than she was. Like you say: very happy she could let it go, but REALLY GLAD SHE DIDN'T, in the end, HAVE TO. WOO!
Oh, and as for all your Maggie thoughts - yup. More sesame street aliens. TOTAL AGREEMENT HERE. GAH. I can't wait to see how this plays out, but at the same time, ALL OF THE /o\.... *bites nails* This show is so bad for my blood pressure...
*glares more at television fairy*
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