The Walking Dead’ recap: Virginia’s for lovers

• Courtesy AMC

Two months is long time to be away from something you love, but at last, we’re back fto pick up the pieces from last year’s mid-season finale of “The Walking Dead.” After several invites to swing by neighborhood pubs for their respective “TWD” viewing parties I decided on and option I wish I hadn’t: I’d watch the 57th Grammy Awards (terrible, just fucking terrible, sans Sam Smith) and then dig into last night’s premiere. Well, thank God for “What’s Happening and What’s Going On,” an episode that was arguably one of the best in a while and 43 minutes of television that revived my faith in the business after completely losing it having to suffer through the three-and-a-half-hour foolywang that was CBS’ broadcast of “I Love the ’90s” the Grammys. Let’s dig into the ep which I thought would be mostly centered on Noah (Tyler James Williams), but ended up being ALL about Chad Coleman’s Tyreese. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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So I guess we’re still reeling from the death of Beth (Emily Kinney). OK, well, me not so much, but our characters are still grieving. After what appears to be a funeral service for Beth (more on that later) we find Rick and Noah discussing the latter’s now botched plan to head to his home in Richmond, VA, and bring our singing-ass blonde with him. Virginia’s for lovers after all, and you can’t tell me those two weren’t going to at least makeout had it not been for the whole officer Dawn putting a bullet in Beth’s head thing. Anyway, Rick’s intrigued by Virginia and thinks the crew should head to Noah’s old digs because it might be the “last long trip” they’ll have to make. Yeah, doubtful. Also during these discussions about the group’s future, we see images of blood falling onto a framed drawing of a house, and visions of characters past (I mean do we really need a visit from Lizzie and Mika aka the Pyscho Sisters?). What does this all mean? Is it foreshadowing? Someone’s very bad dream? Has “TWD” gone art-house? Yes, we got some answers.

Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Tyreese, and Noah arrive in Virginia and find their potential safe haven have littered with bodies, walkers, and homes that looked like they were nuked/and or burned by some unknown force. Did that place not look like it might’ve been the result of some human on human violence? Surely, walkers don’t go around setting shit on fire, but who knows. Rick, Michonne, and Glenn decide to go for a sweep of the ‘hood which in “TWD” speak means “let’s separate because something good always happens when we do.” Tyreese gets left with a grieving Noah who for some reason thought there was a snowball’s chance in hell that his mother and two twin brothers might still be alive. Naturually, Noah takes off running for his old digs with Tyreese on his heels. I don’t like where this is going, and sure hell don’t trust Noah because let’s be real “Everybody Hates Chris.”

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RANDOM ASIDES:

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/02/06/andrew-lincoln-says-rest-walking-dead-season-f-ing-nuts

http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2014/12/01/the-walking-dead-mid-season-finale-recap-coda