10.06: The Walking Dead - Bonds

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Carol and Daryl go on a mission together while Siddiq struggles to solve a mystery.

 

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This is a really interesting episode and it's definitely not a filler. In many ways I feel it's a turning point for the great Walking Dead series as it delivers answers to many questions we have had recently like what happened to the ammo. It might feel weird that we had to wait for this long.

It is also intriguing how suspicious Daryl about Carol's motivations on doing things. He doesn't see the Queen as the hunter, but as some sort of danger that is going to threaten the whole community, Hilltop and Kingdom (in hiding) as well.

What is important is that Daryl is not after Carol's love, while Carol might have her eyes on the scruffy hunter. She says to him, "You cannot be alone forever," and it's kind of true, because we all need love. It might be strange to hear for the younger readers, but it's true. Everyone needs someone. Without love, you wither and die. No second runs. No returns.

It is that love for himself and for the Dog, that saves him in the dark forest. Without you could just give up when you get stuck in the middle of the horde. With it, you want to go and keep on living. Interesting question however is what Carol needed to capture one of them, when Daryl was in so much trouble?

Trevor is a real doctor. Where he came from, we have no idea. Some of us, me included has taken him as an illusion Sadiq's mind has conjured. But it's not likely that would be the case as especially as the crisis with the Alexandrian population escalates it becomes crystal clear that Trevor is a real person and he's not really happy to be "grinding herbs" as it's "pre-industrial medicine."

Yeah, there are no more big pharma's ready to churn out whatever chemicals is currently needed. It seems that all the chemists has been picked clean and there's no point on going into the scavenging runs. You could even think that Glenn and Old Man Hershel would have loved the current state of the world. Especially Glenn, with no need to go anywhere to do anything, unless it's really needed.

So what are they going to do when they realise that Alexandrian's water has been poisoned with zombie bacteria?

I loved Eugene's storyline this time and I'm willing to forgive him the past errors, by taking him off the title of Dr Evil. What he does with the radio is more than anyone of the scouts has done in a very, very long time. In fact, we'll have to go back to Road to Alexandria to get anything related. And he does it behind the desk, by just being himself with the radio.

You could say that he is in his element with the microphone tangent under thumb as he delivers his various wisdoms. What is really intriguing is that this is happening way after the Fear crew had abandoned their radio quests.

Eugene almost abandoned his quest, before he got through with the woman. What he does wrong is that he doesn't take down the frequency and use it to identify, while taking down on what channels are dead and what has life. It is also weird that he doesn't go down the channels by half a megahertz at the time, but instead turns the dial as if the random number gods are on his side.

What makes this interesting is that the voice in the radio could be within reachable distance. In the evening, however, as the ionosphere calms down from being bombarded by the solar storms you can reach thousands of kilometres distances. There is a whole school of radio amateurs who compete within the distance class, but as there are no people outside the Earth-Moon system, it's kind of pointless, because you can only do so much before you've done everything.

When you are in a survival situation, the distance means

"He cannot be trusted. Dispose of him," Beta said. He was so against bringing Negan in the camp that I was certain he was going to cut Negan's throat, when he had a chance. Maybe he should have done it, because the way Negan play his act kind of tells that under the black leather jacket is the redeemed man ... or is he?

He told Beta to his face, "If you take me in I tell you all the little secrets you wanna know about your enemies." Thing is Alpha sees him as an asset that going to deliver cream at some point, while Beta sees Negan as he is, a threat.

"What is it with you and the Boss Lady," Negan asks, "Is it little Alpha on Beta with Omega on side?" And you feel the growing threat as Beta growls back and ask him to keep quiet. But how can Negan be quiet, when the banter is everything to his character, without it, he's just a redeemed man. Put a leather coat on him and the funny man comes out, with his terrible jokes.

He goes and tells Beta the whole story about him being the leader and people kneeling to him, and you start to wonder when his head is going to be cut off?

I loved the competition between the two alpha males, both knowing that at some point they are going to clash over the Whisperer Queen. Maybe the best moment was when Beta denied the bacon for the man who had done so, so much to please his master.

"No. Only those who walk with us will eat!"

If Negan could have been able to keep his motor mouth closed he might have got some bacon.

So is Negan going to get his skin suit?

 

[nixie]

I still think Carol and Negan have made some sort of deal. I do want to believe he is planning to take the whisperers down from the inside, I do think he has a spark of goodness. Hopefully I'm not proved wrong.

Carol is a threat, she doesn't see the bigger picture. I can't remember if Rick shared with anyone what she did at the prison or if he just told her to leave, if he did tell anyone it would have been Daryl. Carol's cure is to cut off the head even if a plaster on knee would fix it. If left to Carol it will not only be the horde that gets annihilated, it will be the whisperers as well. Alpha, Beta and Omega will have to die but others can be redeemed, she doesn't see this.

Eugene, has he now created another problem? Who's to say whoever's on the other end of the radio aren't another version of the saviours.

I was wrong Trevor is real, still think if we have to loss another medic it should be him and not Sadiq, he is even more annoying as real a person and not a figment of Sadiq's imagination

 

[Dave]

I thought this was almost as good as last week.

Just one thing though, I thought the people were coming down with a stomach bug, no more than that, but without antibiotics....

So what are they going to do when they realise that Alexandrian's water has been poisoned with zombie bacteria?

Is that really the plot here? It was already established at the end of Season 1 (rightly or wrongly) that everyone had the zombie bacteria. You didn't need to get bitten, or scratched, because it was already in the water and the air and the soil, it was just dormant until they died. That was why all the CDC scientists had committed suicide.

 

[svalbard]

If it is the poisoning of the water where is Aaron. He saw this in the last episode. Surely he would have reported it.

Another good episode. I loved the Negan and Beta scenes. The last one with Negan returning...he is a badass.

 

[REBerg]

What is important is that Daryl is not after Carol's love, while Carol might have her eyes on the scruffy hunter

The impression I got was more the opposite: Daryl has a thing for Carol, which keeps him from forming a relationship with anyone else. Maybe it's not romantic love, but who could match Carol in Daryl's eyes?
I also thought that Daryl's concern for the settlements was secondary to his need to protect Carol on her mission. I wonder how Carol, assuming she succeeds in breaking her whisperer captive, plans to destroy a walker horde of thousands when the suvivors' weaponry seems to have dwindled down to bows and arrows.

Eugene, has he now created another problem? Who's to say whoever's on the other end of the radio aren't another version of the saviours.

I thought the same thing. Voices on the radio have rarely been a good thing in both TWD and FTWD. The woman on the other end seems to have more sense, although that may be part of her ploy. Eugene seems too lonely to see the potential danger.

Is that really the plot here? It was already established at the end of Season 1 (rightly or wrongly) that everyone had the zombie bacteria. You didn't need to get bitten, or scratched, because it was already in the water and the air and the soil, it was just dormant until they died. That was why all the CDC scientists had committed suicide.

Yeah. I think that the nasty bugs being released by the rotting corpses being bled into the water source are enough to cause an epidemic -- without any help from zombie bacteria. My question is: Will people start dying and turning inside the walls? It doesn't seem like they have enough healthy members to keep a walker watch over the ill.

Another good episode. I loved the Negan and Beta scenes. The last one with Negan returning...he is a badass.

How crazy is it that the baddest ass ever to be in the series is now providing comic relief here? I laughed when Beta removed Negan's blindfold and turned it into a gag. Of course, we all know that Negan's days as a funnyman are limited.

 

[svalbard]

I have a feeling that the sick old lady is going to die and turn in the hospital. Plenty of foreshadowing going on with her. Also the voice telling Sadiq to wake up may be a warning to this.

 

[ctg]

I thought the same thing. Voices on the radio have rarely been a good thing in both TWD and FTWD. The woman on the other end seems to have more sense, although that may be part of her ploy. Eugene seems too lonely to see the potential danger.

What can you do when you kind of need to keep up with the search and find out other survivors? In terms of what it used to be, there is still awful lot of items that they could acquire to make their lives better. And to be honest, I have wondered why is that Hilltop is not in the coal business? They could make so much material for the forge and heating the houses during this time, but nobody is making coal. They haven't even utilised those mines in the Virginia to get some of that material.

Eugene seems too lonely to see the potential danger.

I thought she showed the good side by being careful on what she revealed. She even said, "People are dangerous."

Will people start dying and turning inside the walls? It doesn't seem like they have enough healthy members to keep a walker watch over the ill.

Yes, it is very possible that someone dies and in return turns others. To be frank, they should all be in the locked isolation chambers to just to eliminate the possibility.

 

[Jeffbert]

Here is my thought, after watching Talking:
Gimple himself used the word 'ally' in reference to Negan & Alpha, both of whom are or were brutal tyrants. A tyrant does not want allies, but needs subordinates; may even need enemies just to keep the subordinates in line. A wolf just outside the sheepfold, keeps the sheep from going out on their own; makes them dependent on the leader. Heretics, witches, and such other imaginary foes have been used historically to keep fear in the minds of the masses. How much better to have real enemies!

As much as Alpha wants to have ex-tyrant Negan kneeling before her, and serving her, she should not be so naive as to trust him. Beta seems to be trying to protect Alpha from her desire to trust Negan. An obvious statement, yes; but is Alpha really inclined to trust Negan?

Alpha is like the Soviets, believing the Marxist dogma that communist and capitalist societies cannot peacefully coexist. For the others to continue, means that the dogma is untrue. Alpha's chosen lifestyle is endangered, she must eliminate them to ensure her own survival as the leader of the whisperers. The worst thing for a tyrant is to lose the number one position. But she needs the wolf! She must show some progress in eliminating the other societies, just make it very slow, though noticeable progress.

I do not think Negan wants to usurp the leadership of the group; as he seems to have chosen the "if you can't beat em, join em" philosophy. He really wants to earn his redemption in the eyes of the Kingdom, etc., but it will be very costly. It seem like his weakness is children, his exposure to Judith over the years; obviously she won his heart. But the writers like to keep the viewers guessing! His redemption will likely come via self-sacrifice; though I doubt it will be this season.

What a fun show! it even has its own fan-show! Wait! I thought they were going to discuss the coming spin-off! I do not recall any such thing.

 

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Alpha is like the Soviets, believing the Marxist dogma that communist and capitalist societies cannot peacefully coexist. For the others to continue, means that the dogma is untrue. Alpha's chosen lifestyle is endangered, she must eliminate them to ensure her own survival as the leader of the whisperers. The worst thing for a tyrant is to lose the number one position. But she needs the wolf! She must show some progress in eliminating the other societies, just make it very slow, though noticeable progress.

I agree, but I didn't see her as a Dictator. More like a warlord. Even though she has put up a border, she really doesn't have a nation. But in the regards of Negan, he would be more valuable as a lieutenant than a co-chief(tain). Overall she should maintain a peace within the camp so that no plots against her head can grow up among the natives. She likes to rule by fear more than use the other political instruments.

 

[Jeffbert]

I do not see much difference between a dictator and a warlord. She is depicted as occasionally brutally killing subordinates, often via Beta. She may not call them enemies of the state, but since she is the State, there is little, if any distinction. She may be more like Blofeld than Stalin, but I am glad I live out here, on this side of the TV screen, rather than in there.

 

[ctg]

I do not see much difference between a dictator and a warlord. She is depicted as occasionally brutally killing subordinates, often via Beta. She may not call them enemies of the state, but since she is the State, there is little, if any distinction.

True, she is the state, but has no land. When she comes into contact with the communities, she rather wipe them out use diplomacy to win them on her side as allies. There are no such things for the Whisper. Only endless suffering among the Dead. Warlords are often that chaotic and they seek no stability, while the warlords enjoy sowing the seeds of anarchy everywhere. To them, there is only death and chaos, just like it is in the Whisperer band. Even the new people have to go through the rituals and feel depressed, just because they want to join.

A dictator wants stability, where he or she is at the top of the pyramid and everyone bows to the. In the TWD there are at least two of them, The Governor, and the Old School Negan. The Terminus and The Wolves were more like warbands, now lost in the oblivion. What the helicopter people turn out to be is a question, but from what we have seen it's some sort of tyranny or reminiscent of the old world government, who survived in the shelters and had some sort of military backup, who remained loyal to the cause when all hell broke out.

 

[Jeffbert]

True, she is the state, but has no land. When she comes into contact with the communities, she rather wipe them out use diplomacy to win them on her side as allies. There are no such things for the Whisper. Only endless suffering among the Dead. Warlords are often that chaotic and they seek no stability, while the warlords enjoy sowing the seeds of anarchy everywhere. To them, there is only death and chaos, just like it is in the Whisperer band. Even the new people have to go through the rituals and feel depressed, just because they want to join.

A dictator wants stability, where he or she is at the top of the pyramid and everyone bows to the. In the TWD there are at least two of them, The Governor, and the Old School Negan. The Terminus and The Wolves were more like warbands, now lost in the oblivion. What the helicopter people turn out to be is a question, but from what we have seen it's some sort of tyranny or reminiscent of the old world government, who survived in the shelters and had some sort of military backup, who remained loyal to the cause when all hell broke out.

I should have said that as they relate to Alpha, I see no difference between a warlord and a dictator.

Oh, she does have land, and marked the border with heads on pikes. True, she is migratory, but only when the need arises. Her beef is with the idea that walls provide permanent safety from the walkers. Her solution is the only one she will allow. But even the civilized people had to pull up stakes, and move, when all Hell broke loose. In that fact, everybody is migratory in a sense.