Monday, March 10, 2014

The Walking Dead, Season 4, Episode 13: Alone



This episode begins with a flashback. Bob is walking by himself through the woods.  He seems completely despondent as he makes his way forward with a large sword in his hand.  He builds himself a shelter and sits and drinks.  A walker tries to reach through his shelter and Bob simply looks at it.  He finds a truck and even sleeps on the roof, as the walkers pass by him.  Bob walks forward without rhyme or reason, until  Darryl and Glenn pull up.  Bob says that he has been  alone for awhile and that neither of the groups he has belonged to have survived.  Bob asks about  their camp and Darryl asks how many walkers and people he has killed.  Bob admits to killing one person and says that he did it because she asked him to.  Bob says that it doesn't matter who they are and that he will come with them.  Bob hops into the back of the pick up and the three men drive away.

It's foggy and Maggie, Sasha and Bob have formed a triangle to protect themselves.  The walkers head towards them and they kill them. Sasha ends up saving Maggie but Bob gets bitten.  Fortunately, the walker bit Bob where he had a bandage and it did no break the skin. Sasha hugs him in celebration, as Maggie looks on smiling.

Darryl is teaching Beth how to track in the woods.  Beth says that she is doing so good that soon, she won't need Darryl at all.  They come across a walker feeding and Beth moves closer but before she can shoot the arrow, her foot gets trapped and she goes down.

Sasha says that they need visibility before moving onward on their search.  Maggie pulls out the compass and discovers that it is broken.  Bob reminds them that the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west.

Beth is now limping and when the come across a cemetery, Beth asks for a moment to rest.  Darryl tells her hop on his back and comments that she is heavier than she looks.  When they see house in the distance, Beth wonders if there are people still there and Darryl promises to handle them because  he doesn't think the good ones survived.  They stop and put flowers on the grave of someone who died in 1874, whose tomb stone says beloved father. I think that this is probably a tribute to Hershel.

Sasha, Bob and Maggie come across the message for sanctuary.  Maggie says that they should go because the map shows tracks in different directions leading to the same place.  Sasha is worried that it sounds to good to be true. Bob questions the sense of making the same circles from the bus and asks about taking a vote.  Sasha starts walking down the railroad tracks and Maggie and Bob follow.

Darryl and Beth enter the house and notice how clean it is.  Darryl suggests that someone is taking care of the house.  They head downstairs and find more bodies waiting on a table. Beth comments that this is a good thing because it means people remembered how it used to be and thought that these people deserved a funeral.

Sasha and Bob build a fire, as Maggie goes to get more firewood.  Bob adjusts his bandages and asks if they should stop, and Sasha replies yes so they can avoid dying. Sasha suggests that what happened this morning is warning and that chances are that Glenn is dead and that they will die soon because they have six bullets.  Sasha suggests that they look for higher ground, if they can talk Maggie into it.

Beth and Darryl look through the cupboards for food and Darryl calls it a "white trash brunch," when he notices the pigs feet.  Darryl notices that there is no dust on the food and realizes that  it's someone's stash. Darryl says that they will take some and leave the rest, then claims ownership of the pigs feet. I doubt Beth was going to argue about the pigs feet.

Beth is playing the piano by candlelight as Darryl watches.  Darryl announces that he has secured the building and then hops into a coffin to sleep, calling it a comfy bed.  Darryl asks Beth to sing and play some more. Beth obliges him and Darryl listens.


Sasha awakes the next morning and finds Bob sitting beside her.  Bob is staring at a note written in the mud which says, "don't risk your lives for me."  Bob gather his things and says that they can still catch up to Maggie.  Sasha is slow to get moving and Bob has to repeat himself.  Maggie is moving quickly down the railroad track  She pauses to kill a walker and slit its abdomen open.

Sasha and Bob are walking and she wonders why he is so happy to be alive and why he is smiling. Bob says that he is not alone and that is how it happened when he lost both of his groups.  Bob suggests that Sasha try some self awareness and calls her bull headed.  They come across the walker that Maggie killed and the message she left for Glenn using walker blood.

Darryl carries Beth into the kitchen area and they sit to eat when Darryl hears a noise.  He opens the door and finds a dog at the front door.  Darryl closes the door after the dog refuses to enter and is not happy to see that Beth came to check on what was going on.

That night, Bob and Sasha try to get some sleep and they hear walkers in the background.  Neither of them can actually see the walker and Bob comments that there is a lot of noise at night.  Bob says that when he was alone, he didn't sleep much, so Sasha points out that he isn't sleeping much now and needs the sleep to heal. Sasha asks what they are doing out there and Bob asks why she thinks Tyreese is dead. Bob points out that if Tyreese were alive, he would go for Terminus.  Bob wonders if Sasha is afraid to find out if Tyreese is alive or not.

Beth sits down to leave a thank you note for the people if they come back.  Darryl says that she doesn't have to leave that and wonders if they should stick around there for awhile.  He says that maybe they could make it work with new people.  Beth wonders what makes him think there are good people around. Darryl stares intently at her but the moment is broken when Darryl hears the dog.  Darryl goes to rescue the dog but when he opens the door, there are a ton of walkers.  Darryl screams for Beth to grab her shit and run.  Darryl manages to make his way outside.  Darryl finds Beth's bag on the ground and then a car drives off.  Darryl runs screaming Beth's name, following the car.

Sasha and Bob find another message from Maggie and realise that she is keeping to  the tracks.

Daryl is running, continuing to follow the tracks of the car.  They lead him to the train tracks where he is obviously winded.  Darryl is forced to sit completely exhausted.

Sasha and Bob come across a building and she points out that it is secure and high up.  Bob says that he is not stopping because Maggie is out there alone.  Sasha argues that Maggie made her choice but Bob says that he doesn't care.  Bob points out that when he got to the prison, bad things happened because he was scared .  Bob tells Sasha that she doesn't need to be afraid that Tyreese is not at Terminus.  Bob kisses Sasha and she again tells him that he doesn't have to be alone again.  Bob says that he won't be and continues walking, leaving Sasha standing in the middle of the tracks.

Sasha heads over to the building and makes her way upstairs. She finds it completely abandoned and so puts down her things.  Sasha starts to cry but quickly stops herself.  Sasha looks outside and sees Maggie lying on the ground and rushes out when she sees a walker right behind Maggie.  By the time Sasha makes it outside, there are walkers everywhere.  Sasha and Maggie start killing walkers in the most kick ass girl team together. Maggie asks where Bob is and Sasha explains that Bob is looking for her.  Maggie admits to hearing Sasha say that Glenn is dead and that they should stop looking for him. Sasha asks why Maggie is there and Maggie admits to waiting for Sasha and Bob and that she cannot do it by herself.  Maggie tells Sasha that she knows what Sasha and Bob would be risking their lives for and it is more than Glen.  Sasha agrees that they should catch up to Bob and get to Terminus.

Darryl is approached by a group of armed men. Darryl Immediately grabs his cross bow and points it at what looks like the leader.  The leader talks about how he has been looking for a cross bow like Darryl's and points out that if Darryl pulls the trigger, the men around him will shoot him dead. He introduces himself as Joe and Darryl lowers his weapon and gives his name in return.  Joe and Darryl seem a bit like kindred spirits.

Bob walks on and stops when he hears his named called.  When Bob turns, Maggie and Sasha are walking towards him. Maggie and Sasha both give him a hug.

Glenn sees the sign for Terminus.


The flashback with Bob walking despondently shows us how much Bob has changed. Yes the group at the prison is no longer but unlike the last time he was out on the road, Bob is not alone.  Maggie and Sasha are a family and they are what keep him from slipping into despair. It's also worth noting that while Maggie and Sasha are both worried about their loved ones, Bob has no such concern.  This is why he is able to stay positive and upbeat.

I wish that Bob had made the push to go to Terminus because it had the chance of being a good camp rather than his worry over Maggie.  It's clear that he has feelings for Sasha and yet he was still willing to leave her behind so that Maggie wouldn't be alone.  Why does the safety of the White Maggie, who he doesn't have romantic feelings for, take precedence over Sasha? I understand that Sasha was scared but that seems to be all the more reason he should have stayed with her.

Beth and Darryl are continuing to grow on each other. As long as this relationship remains platonic, I can deal with it.  I do like that they are changing each other even if it is an unlikely pairing.  It seems to me that being found by Joe and his men is going to represent a turning point for Darryl.  For most of his life, all Darryl has done is follow men like Joe around.  He is now going to be faced with the choice of fitting into this new group or remaining the man his old group taught him he could be and leave to find Beth.  I don't like however that impetus for change is saving a damsel in distress.

With the exception of Darryl, it seems that all of the survivors are on their way to Terminus now.  It will be interesting to see what happens when they get to their final destination.  I think that it will not be the paradise that they've all hoped for but will at least cause them all to reunite.  This will probably be the season conclusion.