The Walking Dead’ recap: The Carol and Daryl show

Episode 6 in review

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  • Gene Page/AMC
  • GUILTY CONSCIENCE: Carol (Melissa McBride) is haunted by the actions of her past.



Last week I had coffee with the CL’s resident pop culture guru, Curt Holman. Among our chat about his disappointment with Interstellar, and our mutual love for comics, there was talk of television recaps. In terms of “The Walking Dead,” Mr. Holman (and I’m paraphrasing here) said, “That has to be a tough one to recap since nothing happens.” It wasn’t the first time I’d heard the complaint, or that “TWD” typically saves all of its action for the opening and closing episodes of the season. It may feel like we’ve hit a lull in season 5 and that’s probably because no one wanted to see an episode solely dedicated to Beth (Emily Kinney), and last week’s reveal of Eugene (Josh McDermitt) not being the savior-scientist he claimed to be was a surprise to no one, give or take a few angry readers calling foul over our Facebook status. Yes, with only three episodes left going to into last night’s “Consumed” there was a feeling that maybe, just maybe, “TWD” would get its mojo back, and hit the halfway mark full throttle. Was that the case in an ep centered around Carol (Melissa McBride) and Daryl (Norman Reedus)? Let’s find out.

Last week: Liar liar

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Oh, Carol. You’re a complicated one. Let’s us count the ways: Survivor of an abusive relationship? Check. Mother who lost her young daughter to the ills of the zombie apocalypse? Check. Cold-blooded member of a group who has killed others in their sleep to protect the larger population? Check. Woman who shot a young girl in the back of the head when she showed serious psychopathic tendencies and murdered her younger sister? Check.

OK, so we know Carol’s been through some shit to say the least, and this ep focused on her guilt, and trying to press on even though she feels more responsible for the lives she’s taken than those that were saved. Hence, Carol’s current mission with Daryl to track down the black car with the white cross on it, and save Beth. Carol and Daryl follow the black car to downtown Atlanta, where we learn that Carol and her daughter Sophia once stayed at a shelter to escape their wife-beating husband and father. The car breaks down so Carol and Daryl sleep in the shelter. On bunk beads!

The next day, Carol and Daryl decide they need to get a better view of Downtown to see if they can scout any signs of the cross mobiles driven by cops. After spotting a white van with a cross on it hanging over a bridge, our dynamic duo looks to investigate their only big lead. But not so fast! Noah (Tyler James Williams) — who has been following the pair — surprises them and walks away with their weapons, including Daryl’s crossbow. Yeah, Daryl’s crossbow is like Michonne’s samurai sword; they won’t be apart from each other for too long.

Inside the white van, Carol an Daryl discover a gurney and conclude that the vehicle must belong to a hospital. The closet one? Grady Memorial. Right when Holmes and Watson put the pieces together, the van is bombarded with walkers who eventually knock it into the Gulch. In arguably the best scene of the night, it starts to rain zombies as they walk off the ledge and fall down face-first into the roof and windshield of the van.

A few blocks from Grady, Carol and Daryl are talking through the former’s issues when they come across a walker with one of latter’s arrows lodge in its throat. This means Noah is close, and Daryl’s just waiting for a chance to remind him that everybody still hates Chris. After knocking Noah down and leaving him trapped under a collapsed book shelf for walker chow, Daryl’s all ready to keep things moving, but Carol pleads that they should spare the kid. They do, and it turns out it was the right move because Noah a) knows Beth and b) knows where to find her. The trio decide to carry on together, but before we close out let’s talk about what happened pre-Daryl knocking Noah down.

Carol’s attacked by a walker, who Daryl slices with a machete just in time to save her, or so we think. There’s a look on Carol’s face when asked if she’s OK that clearly says, “Yeah, I’m good, minus this possible walker bite on my chest that I won’t reveal for a couple eps.” Maybe I’m off, but it damn-sure felt like this entire ep was a look at Carol’s past, present, and future outlook for a reason: her days are numbered. Anyway, chances are the good folks behind the show won’t give us a chance to follow up with my theory until the second half of the season ... in 2015.

Anyway, back to the current situation. The Grady-dwelling cops roll up on the building where Carol, Daryl, and Noah link up. The goal is to hide out in a basement of an adjacent building, but Noah’s hurt and moving slow. Carol runs out into the street and gets hit by a cross-bearing station wagon. Cops roll out and throw Carol on a stretcher while Daryl and Noah look on. Noah warns that if he and Daryl are to save Carol and Beth, they’re going up against folks with guns and numbers. Daryl lets Noah know they’ve got a team of folks to match the Grady crew, which brought a smile to my face because ultimately that means we can get Rick and the gang back from this 3-ep break. Another war of surviving groups. Just ask the Governor and Gareth how that worked out in battles past.

There’s only two episodes left before we hit the mid-season break. How are y’all feeling about this season thus far?