‘The Walking Dead’ 6×14 Review: ‘Twice As Far’

The kidnapping and trip to the Savior compound is over and it’s back to Alexandria in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, titled ‘Twice As Far.’ Just because they’ve returned home to their impeccable homes doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten the carnage of the Saviors or what happened to Carol and Maggie. It’s still affecting, playing at the back of their minds, and making them wary. There’s a change in the air and they can sense it. It’s only a matter of time until they all fall, in the wall or beyond it at the hands of their enemies.

This week Denise met her end. With two episodes left, who will be next? Carol who just ran off? Or Glenn? My bets on Glenn.

The Good: Repetitive & Eugene Pulling His Weight

The opening of this episode was bizarre.

When the hell have we ever seen them do something so repetitive? So mundane? Sure there’s been cookies and arguments about toothpaste. But when have we had scenes that made us wonder if the tv was on the fritz because it was all the same? Never, that’s when! It’s a respite before the storm known as Negan aka Jeffrey Dean Morgan, washes over Alexandria.

Frankly it scares the hell out of me.

Whatever’s coming is going to scar all of them and cut their ranks down. It’s going to shake their belief in what they’ve built in Alexandria and the larger world springing up around them. Everything’s too perfect in their new home. It’s time to shake things up and make us wish things were simple once more.

Impending doom aside, this episode built on the B-characters of the show. It gave us a chance to see how much they’ve changed and grown in the past couple of weeks. Number one example is Eugene Porter. He presented a solution for their dwindling gun ammo supply, sported a new confidence, and turned that mullet into a fancy ponytail. Seriously what can’t this man do? (Well besides finding the cure to the zombie plague.) Eugene followed up his moment of brilliance by breaking up with Abraham to set out on his own. He’s still a fumbling fool 50% of the time but it’s nice to know that the other 50% wants to take on iron capped walkers because he can. Confidence, ladies and gentleman. He’s got it in his grasp. Let’s hope he doesn’t lose it.

The Bad: Carol Leaving

Carol left because she couldn’t be part of them anymore, the people of Alexandria. After last week’s kidnapping she felt torn open and raw. She could see everything that she was, is, and could be with these people. Eventually she came to the conclusion that she didn’t like what she saw and that any growth wasn’t going to be accomplished there because of how far she’d go to ensure their survival. So she deleted herself from the equation. In hopes of erasing that woman, and as a preemptive measure to gain back the pieces she’d lost of herself, she slipped away in the middle of the night. After all, if there’s nothing left to fight for or people to fight for her, then the possibility of new horrors by her hands won’t happen, right?

Wrong.

Rick & Co. aka her family, might have enabled her to open doors to the frightening pieces of herself but it also saved her when hope was lost after Sophia. It could be her saving grace again if she let’s it. It could be what pulls her back and leads all of them down a new path. No matter what she thinks, no one does this all alone. Carol can and will come back from this because her family won’t give up on her. The first time they let her go because it was the best thing for all, the right thing according to Rick. Never again. They will find her and fight to bring her home because that’s what this family does. They survive together.

Carol will come back from this.

The Absolutely Crazy: Denise Dying

Why did it gave to be Denise? On the coattails of just getting over Lexa dying on The 100 here comes another lesbian character knocked down before we could explore more. *sigh* It’s not like I don’t understand the world they live in. All of them have to eventually punch out and die because that’s life. But did it gave to be now? Did it have to be her?!

She was trying her hardest to catch up to what she needed to be for others and for herself. She was falling in love with a woman who had faith in her abilities, despite how bad things were. And to top it all off she was finally grasping life by the balls. It was a turning tide for her that was empowering. Then BOOM! Shot through the eye and it was all over.

Rick & Co. needed people like her to break through the spiral they’ve fallen into. In her eyes they we’re more than survivors. They were smart, agile, and commanding people who started to lose their way. Now she’ll just be a memory of what could have been and what Daryl should’ve done, which is kill Dwight.

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They’re going to spiral out of control because of Denise’s death. Her last words will drive them to get up and lay waste to their enemies just for a chance. In many ways it’s even worse than their days out on the road. The stakes are higher and they’ve got more to lose. It isn’t so much about their people anymore. It’s about the home they’ve built and the future that can disappear in the blink of an eye. With that to protect, and no one to reel them back, they’re setting themselves up to lose it all. Even themselves in the name of survival.