TV Review – The Walking Dead – Twice As Far

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Season six – episode 14 – spoiler alerts Several separate stories that echo one another, strong story and character development and a truly shocking death scene for a character viewers were really getting to love. Carol seems traumatized by what she did to the Saviours who captured her in the previous episode and eventually runs away alone leaving other characters torn as to whether or not to go after her. This story is allowed to bookend the other events covered. The main plots involve a staple Walking Dead storyline – the foraging expedition that runs into serious trouble. Two foraging parties go out; in one, Dr Denise talks a reluctant Daryl into helping her find a pharmacy as the Alexandrian drug supplies are running low. Rosita goes along for the ride. The other trip has Eugene persuading the uber-macho self-appointed master-soldier Abraham help him find a place he thinks he can turn into a workshop for making bullets for the survivors to use in their guns. Eugene is trying to toughen himself up as he has a reputation for cowardice so trying to act tough around the real tough guy seems to be his real motive. However the men fall out childishly when Eugene tries to kill a zombie alone and Abraham kills it first. To be fair, it is a zombie encased in welding armour so Eugene’s difficulty is actually excusable. Denise has a similar struggle keeping her nerve round zombies. She goes to pieces when she sees a child zombie but after successfully finding the pharmacy supplies she too proves herself by killing a zombie. She is making a powerful triumphal speech on what it means to her to succeed when she is shot clean through the eye, Harold at Hastings style and drops dead on the spot. It’s a mind numbing moment, but more surprises follow. The attackers are Saviours, and they have already caught Eugene. The attack crossbow was Daryl’s taken in a previous assault. The survivors we know seem doomed, especially when Eugene seems intent to warn the attackers of the stealthful approach one man who might yet save them, Abraham. But it’s a brilliant ruse and though Abraham does attack, it is Eugene himself who makes the biggest move, biting the groin of the attack leader and not letting go. Abraham later congratulates him on officially becoming a true soldier as the Alexandrians tend his wounds but the loss of Denise hurts everyone and in the despair, Carol’s leaving is not seen until it is too late. Humour, shock and surprise and mystery come one after the other in the show’s most startling roller-coaster ride yet. Arthur Chappell