“Strangers” The Walking Dead Season Five, Episode Two

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If the group escaped the frying pan that was Terminus in “No Sanctuary,” then they are about to be thrust into the fire of the unpredictable open road. “Strangers” finds the survivors reunited and out of immediate danger–a perfect opportunity to reflect on what has transpired since they were last together, on who they are now, and on the course moving forward.

Also, this brief moment allows many of our characters to clear the air between them and render moot conflicts that were dividing them since the prison. We see reconciliations affirmed between Rick and Carol as well as between Rick and Tyreese. Tara and Rick finally have a chance to discuss her awkward introduction into the group, and Rick accepts her as one of them. It’s all sealed up by a fist bump that, in it’s subtlety, gave me more to think about than I would have guessed. Andrew Lincoln’s acting is superb in moments like this, where a wry smile or a well timed pause can inform more about Rick Grimes than a hefty monologue. In any event, this little fist bump meant a lot to Tara, but Rick’s reaction showed how empty of a gesture something like this was to him. A gesture like this does not mean he trusts her, but Tara should rest assured that she can trust him. He wouldn’t have reciprocated otherwise.

Let’s back up a moment. There is a lot of time spent showing how badass-looking this group is, how tough they are. It would be easy to say, “wow, look how far they’ve come!” and then call it a day. But, I’ll save that for those extended-cut AMC commercials. There is even a lot of talk about how strong and capable they are. Carl notices it. Abraham says it later on in the episode. You could call this a good thing in terms of the world these characters inhabit, and you’d be right, but there’s more to unpack from the group’s shift into the hardened tribe they are now. Trust and acceptance is going to be as scare as food in the outside world.

Do you see the thousand-mile stare Rick has? Those are the eyes of a person not reflecting on what they have gained from their experiences, but reflecting on what part of themselves they have lost. They all have it, that controlled, scanning gaze. It reminds me more of a predator, just waiting for any chance at all to do what they do best. Michonne, by “handling” a walker with the butt of a gun,  is the first to show us the pent-up anger they can unleash. It’s obvious why Abraham is biding his time to ask them to join he, Rosita and Eugene on their quest to Washington and to find a cure.

As I mentioned last time, I see this season as a turning point for the characters in the series. They have learned how to survive in a world overrun by walkers and have come up against threats internal and external, only to prevail. They’ve done things beyond the pale of civilized people. Everything and every one they have encountered thus far tells them they are well-equipped with the skills to survive. This is the right way for them to be. So, what do they do now?

I have a feeling many groups out there were on the same precipice as our survivors. Perhaps the ones we call “bad” are the ones who went a little further into descent, or just plain decided there was no other way. Gareth was clear: “There’s no going back, Bob.” The Governor didn’t see a chance for coming back, either. Even the Claimers, who didn’t have much civilization to shrug off in the first place, likely only needed a nudge into a brutal world to make them the violent, murderous rapists they were. And then there’s the Beth-snatching, white-crossed car bandits. Who’s to say that Rick’s group of survivors couldn’t fall into their own niche of villainous traits, given the right circumstances and obstacles? If they can’t rise above the brutality of day-by-day survival, who knows what they may become.

“Everybody Can’t be Bad”

Faced with so much evil and hatred out there, is it possible to find a good man, alone in all this? That’s the situation Rick and company find themselves in. However, there are no illusions that Gabriel is an innocent man. It’s obvious he’s hiding what he’s done to survive, and Rick will not trust him wholly until that part comes out. He is an anomaly: terrified and unchanged from the plague, two years on, and nothing like the group. He seems weak and unfit for survival; the last type of person everything this series tells us should be alive. He is not a survivor–he’s a relic of a previous civilization. From Rick’s point of view, he couldn’t fit the definition of stranger better. But, from Gabriel’s point of view, Rick is as foreign and alien to his experience as it gets.

It’s Carl who is the first to accept Gabriel. Has Carl’s post-prison experiences have reaffirmed his hope in a better world? He’s seen true evil and perhaps he’s chosen, in clear terms, to choose good. He is the first to run to help him. Is this the resiliency of youth to recover in action? It’s surely not naivete; Carl understands he is never safe. But, maybe Carl has become the best judge of character out of all of them, because he is growing up in this world. The real problem, however, is that there is direct and actual risk in trusting a new person, because in a world where there is no safety–ever–trust can kill before any shot is fired.

“There’s Nothing Left in this World that isn’t Hidden”

Bob Stookey is a man complete. He’s conquered his demons, found love, and has become a strong contributor to the group as much in action as with his words. He’s come a long way from the man risking anything for another drink. He’s found his way to live, and found his reasons for doing so. I like this version of Bob, who is so much different than the one presented in the novels. (Have you not read the amazing novels by Kirkman and Bonansinga? Go. GO! Read them now. They’re required reading and very important to the overall story.) Bob has a rekindled sense of hope, due in part to Eugene’s promise of a cure. He’s certain that this world is a nightmare and all nightmares end. Bob appeals to the better nature of us all to find hope where there is none and to overcome despair.

It’s an infectious disposition, but Rick refuses to see the world for naught but what it is: the reality they are beset with, and a reality he has to deal with in order to keep his family alive. He has come to a point where he has had to hide the hope Bob Stookey now refuses to let go of. But Bob frames his thoughts in a way that is hard to ignore. They cannot keep letting go of who they are; because there’s only so much that can be given up. Literally and spiritually, supplies are running low with the group, and Bob understands they need to get to Washington.

However, a successful food run and a rousing speech can do much to turn the hearts of those on the brink of despair, and the group seems to be on a more hopeful path to Washington by the end of the episode. It’s the direction they need; an end to aimless wandering. (I’m not going to go into the religious symbolism in this episode. It’s all over the place.) So why did Bob leave the church to have a good cry? Well, I could answer this, based on the similarity of the situation to the comics, but I’m not going to spoil anything.

Finally, we find that the Terminus people have now become hunters that are only going after the most dangerous game. We’re left with a cliffhanger in which Bob is captured and kept alive while they slowly butchering and eating him, piece by piece. I guess that solves the refrigeration issue. It looks like Washington will have to wait a little while longer; Gareth and the hunters are going to be a terrifying threat for the group to deal with.

“Strangers” is a heavily layered, character focused episode, and while the title hints at the introduction of a new character, it’s clear that the meaning goes much deeper. There are strangers in cars, strangers in the woods, and a stranger with a collar, but the truest strangers here are the group itself. Cliched, maybe, but anything that these people hide can only serve to alienate them. If they choose to hide the good-natured parts of themselves from the rest of the world, they’ll be strangers to all, friends to none, and only empty shells of the people they used to be.

Final Thoughts:

• It’s interesting that Michonne doesn’t miss her sword. To her, it represents everything about the worst time of her life: after the plague, before she joined the group. But the fact stands that a sword is one of the best weapons to have against walkers; I don’t see her being parted from it for long, whether she likes it or not.
• Carol continues to be an enigma. She doesn’t seem to want to get close to anyone anymore. She is a stone wall to Tyreese, and doesn’t truly accept any compliment from Rick. She won’t open up to Daryl, and he is clearly trying to start over with her. She attempts to leave, only to be caught red handed by Daryl. I’m sure we’ll discover what she is keeping hidden soon enough.
• In case you were still wondering about the theme of this episode, here’s a hint from Gabriel’s church: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, For in due season we will reap if we do not give up.”
• I love how Tyreese’s eyes light up when it comes to protecting Judith. He makes a fine protector, and seems to have found this a better role for his disposition. Also, looks like he didn’t kill that guy after all! Seems like he was hiding something too, and it’s going to come back to haunt him.
• We see another symbol on a tree at the end of this episode. I’m guessing it is hobo code. For reference, last week’s code outside of Terminus meant “good for a handout,” which was a terribly misleading signal for the place. This week, we see a straight horizontal line on a tree outside the church, which means “doubtful.” I’m curious to see where this is all leading, or if it’s just a motif this season.
  

Comic Talk!

Spoilers below if you have not read The Walking Dead comic books!

 

You’ve been warned.

The “Fear the Hunters” storyline is finally in full swing, and this episode featured a hefty amount of dialogue taken directly from the comic books. With so many characters shifted around, I’m not much in doubt about the fate of Bob Stookey, but more how the events of this chapter of the story will play out later on the show. Bob hiding his walker bite fits in well thematically with this episode, and keeps the viewer in the dark until next episode. It’s obvious that Bob is the new Dale, and I hope events play out as close as possible to the comics from here on out this first half of the season. We’re about to see the “tainted meat” scene, and I’m looking forward to the look on Gareth’s face. But, what then becomes of Sasha? Is she the new Andrea, by analog of Andrea falling for Rick after Dale’s death? Or, is there a shift where Michonne becomes the new Andrea and shacks up with Rick, Sasha becomes the new Michonne and ultimately falls for Ezekiel? Am I thinking too hard about this? Probably.

Finally, there’s not much evidence to support this, but I still stand by the theory that the Saviors are the people in the white-crossed cars. It would make a great symbol for them, seeing as they view themselves something like twisted, crusading knights. I can’t wait to find out more.

 

-JT