The Walking Dead: Knots Untie

February 28, 2016 8:58 PM - Season 6, Episode 11

The group makes some new acquaintances, and accepts a dangerous mission. Daryl accepts aesthetically imperfect lembas. Maggie and Glenn make an appointment at the apocalypse's best (and presumably only) ultrasound clinic.
posted by escape from the potato planet (62 comments total)

I actually rather liked this one, but I do need to get one thing off my chest:

So, Jesus escapes from his bonds, finds Rick and Michonne nude in bed, and decides "oh, it would be totally appropriate to wake them up for a conversation right now"...because why?

If his goal is to win the trust and cooperation of the Alexandrians, that's a really counterproductive approach. And a pointlessly risky one. But they needed a dramatic fuckin' cliffhanger moment for the end of the last episode, so hey. Who cares if it makes no sense and never gets mentioned again?

That's one beautifully kept country house for being almost two years into the apocalypse.

It's nice to see them meeting an apparently non-sociopathic group. Although they certainly slathered on the creepiness with Gregory. Gee, do you think he'll end up being a source of conflict?

I like Jesus.

Denise's super-awkward soda gift for Tara had me sure they were trying to set up a romantic subplot. But now Denise's (less awkward) oatcake gift for Daryl, and Abraham's "settling down" comments to Daryl, have me thinking differently. They'd make a cute couple, don'tcha think?

God, everything is suddenly all Dawson's Creek on this show.

Speaking of which: Abraham lost Rosita's necklace in the fight in front of the country house. Boy, whatever could that mean.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 8:59 PM on February 28, 2016 [3 favorites]

Well if they were going to have a pointless episode, I suppose it was good to do it up against the Oscars. I don't have a reason to care about Abraham's love life, so I don't. I really echoed Daryl's "am I supposed to care" demeanor towards him throughout the episode. This was the Seinfeldiest episode in quite a while. I don't care about Gregory, or Evan, or his brother, or any of these people. Rick is a crappy, reckless driver and he sucks for getting the vehicle stuck in the mud. The "wreck" was clearly just an excuse to embed some walkers into the undercarriage of a vehicle, then have that as a backdrop to our heroes talking.

So many things that happen on this show could be interesting if they somehow found a way to dramatize the mental and emotional considerations that it took to get there. Why on earth would people who have seen this much death and heartache willingly run out for more war? All of a sudden WE HAVE NO FOOD huh. Like all the food is gone off the earth, and only Gregory has some. The ultrasound, them chillin in the back of the RV on the way to what is presumably going to be a bloody conflict where all of them don't make it back - it's just pointless without some kind of work going into getting the audience to go along with them on that journey. Are they so desensitized to trauma that they have a blindspot to danger now? Why can't someone among them be warning them about that, or doing something to remind them of what they've experienced? Rick's covered in that dude's blood, and never really reacts to it aside from licking his lips.

I mean I know they've crushed it with ratings but jeez they've decided to rest on their laurels bigtime.
posted by cashman at 9:14 PM on February 28, 2016 [5 favorites]

Two years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from maximum security stockade to the Alexandria countryside. Today, still wanted by the undead, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: The Z Team. *cue theme music*

Please please please smear a red stripe of blood on the side of the RV so it looks like the A Team van in the next episode.
posted by peeedro at 9:21 PM on February 28, 2016 [4 favorites]

Because blood-drenched Rick is the first Rick everyone meets.
posted by alrightokay at 10:11 PM on February 28, 2016 [13 favorites]

I'm not sure why they didn't pump Jesus for intelligence about other groups right from the beginning. No questions about people running around with W's carved in their head either?
posted by Pryde at 10:21 PM on February 28, 2016 [5 favorites]

No questions about people running around with W's carved in their head either?

Who? Oh, those guys? Everyone's forgotten about them! That was like two whole episodes ago.
posted by prismatic7 at 10:30 PM on February 28, 2016 [11 favorites]

Seriously, so why on earth are they trusting the Jesus? It doesn't make any sense at all. Maybe the least sense anything has ever made on this show, which is really saying something. Does Rick think he is the actual Lord and Saviour or some shit? 'Cause seriously, there is no reason to trust that guy. None. And plenty not to.

Don't bring him to Alexandria. Don't go with him to his compound. MAKE SENSE, SHOW.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:49 PM on February 28, 2016

This show now, in a nutshell: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by tobascodagama at 4:47 AM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

I mean, I didn't hate this episode, but it was kind of dumb anyway. I don't care what Abraham does with his dick, I really don't, except that Sasha doesn't seem to be into him, so he needs to stop being a creep about her. (I wonder if they'll be transferring Michonne's "only attracted to black men" trait to her.) But I do appreciate that Abraham and Daryl are being rational about the idea of making babies. "You think things are settled?" indeed.
posted by tobascodagama at 4:50 AM on February 29, 2016

My head is nodding vigorously at WTF cares about Abraham's romantic life? So odd that they gave him the kind of visualized interior torment they give about life and death stuff for that.

Greg is appropriately awful.

Best line of the episode is Rick's: "WHAT?"
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:18 AM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Also, since we're to the everyone gets to date/open season on shipping stage, can I just put in a vote for Jesus/Darryl?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:21 AM on February 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

Jesus is just alright with me.
posted by entropicamericana at 7:59 AM on February 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

Jesus is just alright, oh yeah.
posted by phearlez at 10:16 AM on February 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

Jesus is basically Batman, yes?

Don't go with him to his compound. MAKE SENSE, SHOW.

Apparently nobody thought to say: "y'know what, the last TWO TIMES we went to apparently-inviting communities IT REALLY DIDN'T WORK OUT WELL FOR US." But no, let's send our ENTIRE CORE GROUP there.

I liked also the "here, Maggie, you stay here alone and keep an eye on Jesus" moment: it's not like Jesus himself hadn't told you all that morning that one guard wasn't sufficient to hold him.

can I just put in a vote for Jesus/Darryl?

Seconded.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:50 PM on February 29, 2016 [5 favorites]

it's not like Jesus himself hadn't told you all that morning that one guard wasn't sufficient to hold him.

I actually trust Maggie to guard Jesus effectively under the circumstances. I don't trust Maggie to guard Jesus effectively while also being sufficiently wary of Jesus' friends sneaking up behind her with a gun/knife/rock/etc. There absolutely should have been a second person out there to watch for an ambush.
posted by tobascodagama at 12:57 PM on February 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, was Jesus's "he keeps the trains running on time" introduction of Gregory a "HEY LOOK HE'S KIND OF A DICTATOR GOT IT RIGHT OKAY THEN" warning that sailed right over the heads of Our Gang?

(The second time he's more blunt: "Gregory can be a real prick.")
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:59 PM on February 29, 2016 [6 favorites]

Does Rick think he is the actual Lord and Saviour or some shit?

What, you mean you haven't realized yet that's exactly what he is? Lord and Saviour of the Hard Men Making Hard Choices.
posted by happyroach at 1:11 PM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yeah, fuck Gregory. It's a shame they didn't take Carol along for the trip, because she definitely would have murdered him within about 10 minutes of rolling up on Hilltop. (That's probably why they didn't bring Carol.)
posted by tobascodagama at 1:12 PM on February 29, 2016 [8 favorites]

Where the hell is Carol? Is this basically two episodes in a row without her? I would much rather see her than Abraham ruminating on his sex life.
posted by chaoticgood at 1:21 PM on February 29, 2016 [7 favorites]

i'm sad that maggie didn't just shoot him right in the face when he was like "lol hottie u can fuck me for food" because that's the only way i would've been satisfied with this episode

oh i guess they were NEGOTIATING so she could've shot him in the knee first
posted by poffin boffin at 1:56 PM on February 29, 2016 [9 favorites]

My head is nodding vigorously at WTF cares about Abraham's romantic life? So odd that they gave him the kind of visualized interior torment they give about life and death stuff for that.

Well, on this one point: Abraham is pretty blatantly suffering from untreated PTSD. So it's actually 100% in-character for him to be getting all ringing-ear-soundtrack-panic-brain about totally random shit, and I think that's what the show is trying to express. It'd be nice if they gave any indication of actually taking his story somewhere, though.
posted by tobascodagama at 4:46 PM on February 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

The Walking Dead: Who cares if it makes no sense and never gets mentioned again?
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 6:25 PM on February 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

guys, Rosita gave Abraham a necklace made of TRASH. and he LOST IT, like a piece of TRASH. did you get the SUBTLE SYMBOLISM??
posted by gatorae at 6:29 PM on February 29, 2016 [4 favorites]

It's like no one remembers anything that happened more than two episodes ago. When you come to a new community all armed and looking hard, you explain about the fascist with the tank, the cannibals with good advertising, the rape hospital, and the town of idiots.

"...So you can see why we're a little wary about new communities. Also, you can see why it's a bad idea to try and fuck with us, Gary."

"My name is Gregory."

"Yeah, and my name's not fucking Natalie and you know that, so cut the shit."
posted by The Man from Lardfork at 7:28 PM on February 29, 2016 [17 favorites]

Where the hell is Carol? Is this basically two episodes in a row without her? I would much rather see her than Abraham ruminating on his sex life.

Wait is Carol doing her own thing or also thinking about Abe's sex life?
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 8:01 PM on February 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

Oh, come on you guys. Abraham is thinking seriously about settling down. He is assessing his relationship with Rosita and Sasha. He just lost an item given to him by Rosita. The Z-Team are off on a deadly mission.

You know what this means.

This is the show that gave you The Great Benny Hill Box Truck Chase, Glenn Escapes The Walkers By Not Being That Other Guy, Walkers That CAN'T HEAR RICK SHOUTING, and Everything That Merle Did Ever. Subtlety is not the strong point here.
posted by prismatic7 at 9:04 PM on February 29, 2016 [6 favorites]

When you come to a new community all armed and looking hard, you explain about the fascist with the tank, the cannibals with good advertising, the rape hospital, and the town of idiots.

FUCKING SERIOUSLY. for really reals, this is the thing that makes me the most utterly fucking furious about this sTUPID SHOW THAT I CAN'T STOP WATCHING why why am i infected with this horrible show watching virus help meee

If the last group of people I met, people who seemed nice and helpful and kind and offered me food and shelter and safety in the middle of a fucking massive worldwide extinction level disaster situation, turned out to be ACTUAL FUCKING CANNIBALS you better believe 01) that I would be super fucking aggro and suspicious and 0-to-murder in 1.4 seconds towards every new person that I ever met for the rest of my life and 02) that I would TELL THEM ALL PRECISELY WHY I WAS ACTING THAT WAY, BECAUSE OUR FRIEND BOB GOT HIS LEG CUT OFF AND COOKED AND EATEN WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE OF COURSE I DON'T TRUST YOU, THEY TRIED TO EAT US
posted by poffin boffin at 9:34 PM on February 29, 2016 [9 favorites]

Maggie: These tomatoes won't even sprout.

Glenn: Honey, we have to wait until it's thematically appropriate that they do so, with the least amount of subtlety possible.

While I don't particularly care about Abraham's sex life, I appreciate that they're making an effort to flesh him out a little bit. We're spending a lot of time with these characters, and for a long time it's felt like the writing staff has been satisfied with giving each of them a single defining personality trait, so anything that adds even an inch of depth to them is progress.

Is it just me, or are medical staff way, way overrepresented amongst the survivors that Rick and his crew stumbles across? The American South isn't Cuba, you guys; every third person you encounter shouldn't be a doctor.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 10:12 PM on February 29, 2016 [6 favorites]

And why did they bring Preggers Maggie on the bus ride to possible death???
posted by davidmsc at 10:36 PM on February 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

This episode played out like a D&D session run by a DM who wanted to take a break from the main campaign and just read '12 Ways To Spice Up Your Session' in an old issue of Dragon magazine.


'We will rid this area of kobolds and we will save Prince Alric but then we want many rations and also half of your healing potions.'
posted by ian1977 at 3:14 AM on March 1, 2016 [3 favorites]

Is it just me, or are medical staff way, way overrepresented amongst the survivors that Rick and his crew stumbles across? The American South isn't Cuba, you guys; every third person you encounter shouldn't be a doctor.

Mortality rate for everyone else is 95%, but for doctors it's only about 20% because everyone tries to keep the doctor alive?
posted by Mogur at 4:28 AM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I kind of liked this episode, though I had to translate the Abrahamisms for Mr. Torisaur, who doesn't usually watch.

"Wait, what?"
"He asked if they meant to get pregnant, and then Glen said yes and he said 'Why would you do that, it's the apocalypse.'"
"Oh. Fair point."
posted by torisaur at 4:39 AM on March 1, 2016

Mortality rate for everyone else is 95%, but for doctors it's only about 20% because everyone tries to keep the doctor alive?

That actually makes sense. Congratulations, show, you did one thing that made sense.

When you come to a new community all armed and looking hard, you explain about the fascist with the tank, the cannibals with good advertising, the rape hospital, and the town of idiots.

Right?! This is like the bad writing thing where nobody ever sits down and talks to each other, ramped up to eleven.

"Why are you guys so reluctant to give up your guns?"

"Last time we walked into a town and let down our guard, we got herded into a box car and they were going to slaughter us like cattle."

"Oh, fair enough."
posted by tobascodagama at 5:07 AM on March 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

"Last time we let armed strangers into our camp, they beat a 16-year-old to death and then forced us to give them half our stuff. Put down the guns, please."
posted by cardboard at 5:48 AM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

"Okay, we've both stated our starting positions, they sound incompatible, but at least we're talking like adults. Let's build on that."
posted by Mogur at 6:02 AM on March 1, 2016 [10 favorites]

Right. Definitely, the flip side of "we're never giving up our guns" is "you wouldn't let strangers into YOUR camp with guns".

I think that's what gets me, the fact that both sides of these exchanges are always surprised at the other one.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:50 AM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

Well you gotta cut 'em some slack, Maggie just put XP into diplomacy like yesterday
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 8:10 AM on March 1, 2016 [6 favorites]

The Man from Lardfork“When you come to a new community all armed and looking hard, you explain about the fascist with the tank, the cannibals with good advertising, the rape hospital, and the town of idiots.”

poffin boffin: “FUCKING SERIOUSLY. for really reals, this is the thing that makes me the most utterly fucking furious about this sTUPID SHOW THAT I CAN'T STOP WATCHING why why am i infected with this horrible show watching virus help meee”

This is part of a larger problem with this show, and with other shows in general: the infection that is that old dictum of "show, don't tell." People don't show in the real world. They tell. They tell, and it works really well. But here we are, zombie apocalypse, and (to cite the moment that made me most aggravated when I watched this episode) they come upon members of the community of the crazy ninja Jesus they just met, are super mistrustful as they're right to be, and these people apparently got into a weird car wreck and half of them got zombified and the rest ran into a dark building and cowered behind filing cabinets, and it looks a whole lot like a trap, but z-team decides to save them anyway at the request of their new ninja friend, and then they get out, and they have an opportunity to say ANYTHING AT ALL about, oh, "WHAT THE HELL IS THE COMMUNITY LIKE WHERE YOU'RE FROM?" or "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT BACK THERE?" or "WHEN THERE'S A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, AND NOBODY'S ON THE ROAD, HOW THE HELL DO YOU FLIP A FREAKING CAR?" – but apparently all they can think of to do is have an awkward little "uh, hi, my name's glen. what's yours?" conversation.

I mean, really – wouldn't that have helped? At least knowing Gregory's name before they entered the new camp? Maybe get some clues about their situation? About the political lay of the land?

I keep wondering if Jesus' real superpower is going to be explaining and elucidating things. So far, it seems to be. We run into a typical everybody-killing-each-other-with-knives-for-no-reason scenario, and Jesus jumps up and points out all the obvious things that happened recently that everybody seems to be ignoring. That's nice. I guess I'd gotten used to believing that would never happen on this show.
posted by koeselitz at 8:25 AM on March 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

(And I feel like this is all because the writers are trying to "show, don't tell." They could have even brief little conversations explaining who Gregory is, how he's regarded by other people at the camp, etc – but no: they have to show us, which involves our heroes being idiots and blundering through everything and getting covered in blood. Maybe that's why they prefer it, I don't know, but it sure is maddening.)
posted by koeselitz at 8:27 AM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

I mean, canonically, "show don't tell" refers to establishing traits about characters and the world more than anything. Don't tell us that Evil Oppressive Government is evil and oppressive, show us. Don't tell us that Flawless Perfect Hero is flawless and perfect, show us.

But conversations between two characters about things that they have really good reasons to be conversing about in the circumstances isn't "telling", as long as you actually remember to back up the telling with some showing later on. It also shows you some stuff about the characters who did the telling, because you get to compare their version of the story with reality later on.

Compare what we got with a hypothetical alternate episode where there's a long conversation in the car:

"So, what can we expect when we get to your camp?"

"Uh, well... You know, we've been surviving a while. Since the beginning."

"Yeah? You got walls?"

"Sure, of course, doesn't everyone?"

"Who should we talk to when we get there?"

"Oh, that's Gregory. Yeah, he's... Well, he's done a lot of good for us, you know? Really helped us get through everything."

"You guys talking about Gregory? Yeah, he's the best! You guys are gonna like him, I know it!"

Which all has the shape of telling, but it's showing that while the camp is pretty safe the survivors there aren't totally comfortable with it, and they're nervous discussing security for some reason. It also shows us something about Gregory, that he seems to be a charismatic guy who people are loyal to but maybe he's just kind of the leader by default and not by any special skill. And then we get to see the camp itself and meet Gregory and hear about the Saviors, at which point we get to learn why the Hilltopians feel the way they do about strangers and about Gregory, but it feels like more of an important reveal because the question was planted beforehand by the conversation.

Interpreting "show don't tell" as "characters never talk about anything important" is really bad screenwriting.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:39 AM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

But I guess that kind of approach would require the writers to have interest in any of the characters other than Rick's, Abraham's, Gregory's, and eventually Negans' respective penises.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

This episode gets a lot more enjoyable once I start imagining that Glenn is just terrible at euphemisms, and he spent half the episode trying to figure out why Abraham was so concerned about that morning's pancakes.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:07 AM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

Glenn's internal monologue: "Wait, did we even have pancakes today?"
posted by tobascodagama at 11:37 AM on March 1, 2016 [8 favorites]

I know this show often doesn't make sense, but can anyone figure out the car wreck thing? What caused the Hilltop people to wreck? Why were they, post-wreck, separated in a dimly lit building alongside zombies? I cannot figure out what the chain of events was that managed to include:

1) driving along at a decent speed
2) HORRIFIC WRECK
3) ???
4) ???
5) Now stuck helpless and scattered in the upper stories of this dark building.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:45 AM on March 1, 2016 [7 favorites]

I couldn't figure that out, either, Pater Aletheias. To be honest, a lot of the fun of this show seems to be attempting to categorize weird mysteries as either "stuff the show wants me to be trying to figure out" or "stuff the show didn't intend to make weird, but they apparently didn't notice it was odd when writing it." I guess the car wreck was the latter, but geez. How do you flip a car bad enough to get people ground up under the wheels and trapped to later become zombies, all without any traffic on the road? It seems to beggar belief.
posted by koeselitz at 11:52 AM on March 1, 2016 [4 favorites]

Maybe they ran over the zombies, who got stuck in the wheels, and that's what caused the car to flip?

Except we've seen lots of zombies get run down by vehicles that came through the experience just fine, so having that be a problem now just because it wasn't Our Heroes in the car at the time is just... ugh. This show.

And, yeah, splitting up in the aftermath and hiding out inside a dark building rather than staying outside in an area with clear sightlines and not that many zombies is... weird? It's a weird decision. Were they just gonna live in the building forever? Like, "Oops, our car got fucked up, I guess we'll just stay here until we die. In separate rooms of this dark building that's full of zombies."
posted by tobascodagama at 12:00 PM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]

My guess is that they were going too fast and hit a couple zombies (that ended up underneath) and in the process of trying to miss them (and failing) they crashed the car.

Or maybe its a student driver who freaked out?

I just have to assume that the zombies underneath the car did not die in the wreck and were already zombies.
posted by LizBoBiz at 12:01 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

gatorae: guys, Rosita gave Abraham a necklace made of TRASH. and he LOST IT, like a piece of TRASH. did you get the SUBTLE SYMBOLISM??

*puff puff pass* Duude, it's deeper than that. See, she's a lady, but a badass lady, which are the two reasons Abe digs her. But she's also a lady who makes things. Like, pretty, fragile things. Whoa, that's totally like babies! So Abe's all "huh, maybe we can make a baby." Yeah, that's it. Remember the two random kids who ran past the camera when Abe and Sasha were walking back in from their tour? And Sasha talked about things getting better?

It's all fertility goddess symbolism, maan. Live fighting death, men and violence -vs- women and uh .. less violence. Deep. Yeah, this show is deep as shit.


davidmsc: And why did they bring Preggers Maggie on the bus ride to possible death???

Manufactured conflict .... dun dun DUN!!! Remember her sewer adventures earlier this season? SHE ALMOST DIED! OMG! Wasn't that INTENSE?! Why did she choose to go in the sewer again? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by filthy light thief at 12:46 PM on March 1, 2016 [3 favorites]

I would hope it is because Maggie and Glenn had vowed to never leave each other again but that was a few separations ago so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by LizBoBiz at 1:28 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Walking Dead: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by filthy light thief at 1:37 PM on March 1, 2016 [8 favorites]

So now that we're in Virginia, when is it ever winter. Because FROZEN SNOW ZOMBIES!!!
posted by grateful at 2:24 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

Well, we're in Day +615 according to this show timeline , so we should have had a winter or two already, depending on when this all started.

If you really want some snowy zombies, you may enjoy the movie Dead Snow (Norwegian: Død snø). Less drama and nonsense than TWD, too.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:56 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm thinking that Abraham's internal conflict about his love life is going to come into play later in some really dramatic ways.





Kidding. moar zombie fightz pls producers/writers. yr character are dull AF. thx, ebk
posted by eyeballkid at 4:58 PM on March 1, 2016

Well, we're in Day +615 according to this show timeline , so we should have had a winter or two already, depending on when this all started.

Those have been Georgia winters so far. Which can get fairly cold, mind, but not enough for frozen zombies. I don't think they've seen a Virginia winter yet.

I fully expect the show to entirely gloss over the very real threat to survival posed by post-apocalyptic winters the same way it's started to gloss over the supposedly very real threat posed by zombies. Pretty much the whole reason to set up permanent shop in a place like Alexandria is to hand-wave away actual survival stuff in favour of Very Manly War Stuff.
posted by tobascodagama at 5:44 PM on March 1, 2016

moar zombie fightz pls producers/writers. yr character are dull AF. thx, ebk

Z Nation is what you want. It's not perfect, but it's fun, there are good, (generally) logical characters, and they kill zombies. And the first two seasons are on Netflix.
posted by filthy light thief at 6:35 PM on March 1, 2016

Denise's super-awkward soda gift for Tara had me sure they were trying to set up a romantic subplot.

Um, Denise and Tara are an established couple now. They are even co-habitating. No trying to set up about it.
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:40 PM on March 2, 2016 [4 favorites]

Yeah, I think people are reading a little bit too much into Denise's interaction with Daryl. Which is understandable, actually, since nobody talks to anybody about anything, so when they do it must be Super Important, right?
posted by tobascodagama at 7:40 AM on March 3, 2016

Denise and Tara are an established couple now

Huh. How did I miss that?
posted by escape from the potato planet at 3:45 PM on March 3, 2016

My favorite thing about Hilltop suggesting that Team Rick couldn't take out Team Negan was the utter confidence of Team Rick. Like, they actually thought that idea was amusing.

So did we, at my house. Rick was probably thinking, "Wouldn't even take all of us. Hell, we could just send Carol."
posted by kythuen at 3:53 PM on March 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

The one thing that makes me interested in Abraham's dalliances is the fervent hope that this show will deal with the inevitable breakdown of rigid traditional heterosexual-style lifelong monogamous couplings. Abraham needs to find himself realizing that romantic love as he knew it is obsolete. But then, that would be way too much to hope for; so...
posted by koeselitz at 11:45 PM on March 3, 2016

Maggie: "Guys, before I talk to Gregory, I'd like to get a clear consensus from the group about what's on and off the table with respect to these negotiations."

Rick: "Well, this Negan guy sounds like bad news; he almost got Abraham, Daryl and Sonia! And the Hilltoppers seem okay - should we offer to liquidate Negan for these folks?"

Michonne: "I agree that offer might make sense, if what Gregory and Jesus say is true. But we just met them - do we have any evidence that they're not lying to set us up? Remember Terminus? Maybe Gregory's just sending us in wrapped up with a bow like so many Omaha steaks?"

Daryl: "Irrespective of that, we should definitely do some reconnaissance on this Negan dude. If these Hilltoppers really are out of ammo, then that's probably because Negan's got it all, right? I mean, maybe he'll be a tough nut to crack, maybe not; maybe we take the fight to him, maybe not; but it doesn't hurt to be prepared."

Rick: "Those are both excellent points. What do you think, Maggie?"

Maggie: "Okay, how about I try to go for a straight food/ammo swap for now. I'll try to draw him about Negan, too, try to get some clues about where his compound is, how many goons he's got, that kind of thing."

Abraham: "In the meantime, how about Daryl and I go pick up Carol? We'll come back, and then we'll take the information Maggie gets, and try to scope out Negan's compound?"

Michonne: "Sounds good. Okay, hands in everybody! 'Alexandria' on three!"
posted by Rat Spatula at 3:05 PM on March 4, 2016 [5 favorites]

Why aren't they growing crops? All that planning and Alexandria didn't have crops?

except that Sasha doesn't seem to be into him, so he needs to stop being a creep about her.

I got the sense that she did like him but he was unavailable. However much that matters.

But no, let's send our ENTIRE CORE GROUP there.

And give the baby to Gabriel again!

Where the hell is Carol?

Hopefully working on a new project.

Denise and Tara are an established couple now.

I totally forgot about this. The again, for the last two seasons I kept forgetting that Glen and Maggie were a couple, too. And Abraham and Rosita. I guess that's why I'd like to see a little settling down, so I can focus on the characters.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:35 PM on March 4, 2016