by Robbie Jones
Following on from The Walking Dead’s heartbreaking mid season opener, the show has really slowed down in pace. That’s not a bad thing however as we’ve been treated to some great character development, and this week is no exception.
Following on from The Walking Dead’s heartbreaking mid season opener, the show has really slowed down in pace. That’s not a bad thing however as we’ve been treated to some great character development, and this week is no exception.
At the end of Them, we met Aaron, and immediately didn’t trust him. Turns out he’s been following the group because he’d like to bring them to his community that has been set up for survivors. Now as compelling as The Walking Dead is, it’s really not one for originality; this would be the third time a community/sanctuary has been promised to the characters, and the previous two times, things ended very badly. Are we really going to get into this again? Both times were handled extremely well, with Woodbury and Terminus being great storylines that set up great villains, but we now know and trust Aaron. Does he work for someone evil? Let’s hope not. If shit is gonna go down in Virginia, then it has to be from an outside source, because they simply just cannot keep recycling this plot.
Rick underwent a lot of character development this week; over the course of the show, he has become very ruthless yet is still passionate to keep his group safe. However, that doesn’t mean he makes the best decisions. He’s very authoritative and immediately distrusts Aaron barely before he’s even heard him out. It’s a bad character trait, and one that can be aggravating, especially if things go wrong. Luckily, Michonne brings him to his senses and he reluctantly and cautiously agrees to see if Aaron was telling the truth. It’s understandable to be too trusting of people in this setting, especially after the kind of people they’ve met, but Rick just takes it too far. It’s one thing not to trust him, but to knock him out cold before you’ve barely heard him out is out of order. He uses his position as a leader too ruthlessly and seems to care not for what the group wants, but rather what he wants for the group, which may always be safe in his eyes but not always convenient. Rick’s mind is changed completely by the end of the episode, as they reach to community to hear the laughter of children beyond the doors, for which we got a powerful close up of Rick’s eyes as the tension and distrust falls from them and they fill with relief. It’s nice to see that Rick isn’t too far gone, when previously it seemed like he wouldn't budge. Let’s just hope it makes the character a tad more agreeable. Andrew Lincoln does nothing but good work when playing Rick; his accent might get a bit iffy at times, but he always brings a certain degree of determination and admiration to the character that sends us to extremes. He makes him easy to trust and follow when he’s being a good leader, but also makes him unlikeable and questionable when he forces his decisions upon people. The character definitely has layers and Lincoln does a great job of making that clear.
Rick underwent a lot of character development this week; over the course of the show, he has become very ruthless yet is still passionate to keep his group safe. However, that doesn’t mean he makes the best decisions. He’s very authoritative and immediately distrusts Aaron barely before he’s even heard him out. It’s a bad character trait, and one that can be aggravating, especially if things go wrong. Luckily, Michonne brings him to his senses and he reluctantly and cautiously agrees to see if Aaron was telling the truth. It’s understandable to be too trusting of people in this setting, especially after the kind of people they’ve met, but Rick just takes it too far. It’s one thing not to trust him, but to knock him out cold before you’ve barely heard him out is out of order. He uses his position as a leader too ruthlessly and seems to care not for what the group wants, but rather what he wants for the group, which may always be safe in his eyes but not always convenient. Rick’s mind is changed completely by the end of the episode, as they reach to community to hear the laughter of children beyond the doors, for which we got a powerful close up of Rick’s eyes as the tension and distrust falls from them and they fill with relief. It’s nice to see that Rick isn’t too far gone, when previously it seemed like he wouldn't budge. Let’s just hope it makes the character a tad more agreeable. Andrew Lincoln does nothing but good work when playing Rick; his accent might get a bit iffy at times, but he always brings a certain degree of determination and admiration to the character that sends us to extremes. He makes him easy to trust and follow when he’s being a good leader, but also makes him unlikeable and questionable when he forces his decisions upon people. The character definitely has layers and Lincoln does a great job of making that clear.
The show is once again doing a great job of being scary. This episode saw Rick, Michonne, Glenn and Aaron trapped in a broken down car as walkers approach, and it was tense as hell. You’d think by this point in the show, it would be predictable as to how this scene would end, but we know that this program pulls no punches and is ready to hit us in the gut at any given moment, not to mention how claustrophobic the camera work is as well.
Finally, The Walking Dead has introduced two new characters in the form of Aaron and his boyfriend Eric who are openly homosexual. Now, they’re not the first gay characters to appear on the show, as Tara is also a lesbian (But it hasn’t really been mentioned since Season Four), but this would be the first male representation and much like Tara, it’s done superbly. Admittedly, their scene together is somewhat cheesy and clichéd, but it’s definitely not patronising or offensive and is rather respectful. Hopefully this stays the same and their sexuality will not be the sum of their characters.
Overall, The Distance was a slow but superb episode that offered great character development, terrifying moments and surprising hilarity. But whilst our characters are currently in a good place, there’s still five episodes left to tear everything apart.
Finally, The Walking Dead has introduced two new characters in the form of Aaron and his boyfriend Eric who are openly homosexual. Now, they’re not the first gay characters to appear on the show, as Tara is also a lesbian (But it hasn’t really been mentioned since Season Four), but this would be the first male representation and much like Tara, it’s done superbly. Admittedly, their scene together is somewhat cheesy and clichéd, but it’s definitely not patronising or offensive and is rather respectful. Hopefully this stays the same and their sexuality will not be the sum of their characters.
Overall, The Distance was a slow but superb episode that offered great character development, terrifying moments and surprising hilarity. But whilst our characters are currently in a good place, there’s still five episodes left to tear everything apart.
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