Well that was… an episode. I’m not sure what I expected
since it’s been known for a while that it would be a kind of
flashback/hallucination episode leading up to Rick’s departure, but was it
wrong of me to want a little more out
of it? Not more action, necessarily… in fact, I’m kinda loving how lowkey and
subdued this season has been so far. It’s been nine years, I don’t crave
outrageously gory zombie slaughter every second episode anymore. I like
heartfelt conversations and small but meaningful character moments just as much.
So was that the problem? That Rick
spent his last remaining moments on the show conversing with dead people,
instead of getting some closure with his loved ones? Nope. For me, the problem
lies in the very fact that this was Rick’s last episode, or more accurately,
the fact that I knew this was his
last episode. How am I expected to enjoy anything about it when I know that
whatever happens, by the end of it Rick will be gone? I guess I could say props
to everyone involved for still managing to make it somewhat suspenseful, but
that’s hardly consoling. Like, can you imagine the absolute gut-punch this
episode could have been if they had kept Rick’s exit a secret? I know I
complained about this before but it’s something that’s on my mind a lot, and
not just regarding TWD. Generally, I would prefer never to know when an actor
is about to leave a show. I want to be surprised and outraged, dammit, not just
mildly sad when it finally happens after half a year of knowing it would.
But enough about me and my stupid feelings, what was up with
Rick? His situation looked pretty damn bleak after he ended the last episode
with getting impaled on a piece of metal, right in the way of an advancing
zombie horde. I expected Daryl to come back for him and take him home to
Michonne, where he could die peacefully in her arms, because I’m ever the
optimist. Instead, Rick managed to free himself, get on his horse, and begin
his long way back to camp, accompanied by long-dead friends and the occasional full-blown
imaginary rescue group. It was weird seeing Shane after all these years, and
being reminded that he might be Judith’s biological father, something I
completely forgot about. Nothing could top Hershel’s appearance, though, since
for me his was always the most painful death out of anyone on the show (until
Abraham and Glenn, maybe), and knowing that Scott Wilson also died just a few
weeks ago, it was that much more heartbreaking. He was such a cool old man, and
I miss him a lot.
By the time Rick dragged himself to the other side of the
bridge, the real rescue mission arrived, but at that point he didn’t feel like
taking any chances anymore. Spying some scattered dynamite a few feet away, he
blew up the bridge while still standing on it, making it impossible for the
horde to cross and therefore saving everyone else, while heroically dying in
the process. Or, you know, that’s what was supposed to happen. Instead, Anne
found his still breathing body downstream and immediately called for a lift
with her secret helicopter buddies, so Rick’s last episode actually ended with
him waking up in the sky and being reassured by Anne that he’s going to recover
and everything will be okay. But will it, really? As far as Michonne, Judith,
and everyone else knows, Rick Grimes is dead, unless they actually went
searching for his body and realized that it was nowhere to be found, in which
case, would they just give up on him? Never. Also, should we just collectively
ignore the fact that it’s probably impossible to miss a helicopter descending
from the sky and taking two people with it in such a small area? If the writers
wanted to take the only sensible route, Father Gabriel would tell everyone
about Anne’s trading people via helicopter side business, after which,
realizing that she is also mysteriously gone, everyone would come to the
logical conclusion that Rick is alive, out there somewhere, but probably unable
to come home for some reason.
Speaking of which, we will
find out eventually what becomes of Rick after his helicopter adventure, since
it’s been announced that Andrew Lincoln and his character will both be back in
a number of TV movies, the first of which begins shooting next year. If you
were completely stumped after reading this piece of news, because what the hell
was even the point of him leaving the show if he’s just gonna keep being Rick
anyway, don’t worry, you’re not alone. It seems likely that he only wanted to
leave because he missed his England-based family, which is perfectly
understandable, but he wouldn’t mind reprising his role in a less
time-consuming fashion, maybe even on a shooting location that would be closer
to his home. People are already theorizing that the helicopter’s destination is
actually somewhere in Europe, which would allow us to finally find out what
happened to the rest of the world in the wake of the (American) zombie
apocalypse, and I, for one, am thrilled about that idea. So now we’ll just have
to sit tight and wait for further news to come out.
As for the rest of the survivors, this now leaves us with
the problem of Maggie’s exit, since the helicopter is no longer available as a
possible way to write her off the show. I’m still hoping it could be done
without her dying, but it seems unlikely that we would see something similar so
soon after the trick they pulled with Rick. At this point I honestly have no
idea how that particular departure is going to go down, the only thing I know
for sure is that I DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT WEEKS BEFORE. We probably will,
though. That’s just how it is. But for now, let’s see what happens next week,
when we check back with the group six years later. Did they rebuild the bridge,
or is everyone living in one unified community now? Are Carol and Ezekiel
married? Negan still in prison? Those are at least questions that are easy to
answer.
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