10.03: The Walking Dead - Ghosts

[ctg]

The threat of the Whisperers return leads to paranoia sweeping over Alexandria- in the meantime, Carol battles with the need for revenge.

 

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The legend of Whisperer's army is real. I claimed in the previous episodes that it's ten thousand strong and I kind start to believe it being real after forty nine hours of relentless zombie killing at the gates of Alexandria Free Zone.

If they would have done the improvements Eugene suggested in the comics, mainly putting up a moat and lining the walls with earth, to prevent it from falling down, they would be golden. Seeing that there were hundreds of them coming at same time, the moat could have easily filled that number. Although I suspect that disposing the dead afterwards is a major deal. Something that not all could do, even if they wanted, because it's so dangerous.

Lydia said that if Alpha wanted them dead, she would have sent the whole horde. Not just waves of them at time. So, if not them, then who? And why Alexandria? That place was hard to find, even for Negan. Yet, everyone seems to find it.

Why? It's not like they have a huge fire going with thick black smoke going on the sky 24/7 as if the ASF had become Morgoth backyard all of suddenly. That ring wraith, witch-king would have sent his whole undead army in just for giggles.

You kind of automatically start to think in medieval terms you've Aaron arming himself with a mace arm, and having his man-at-arm follower in a form of Negan. I don't get what Negan was so afraid of when Gabriel forced him to team up with our brave scout? Has he really been institutionalised so much that he doesn't want to show how bad*ss he can be, if given a chance?

Carol didn't give a flying ef about Alpha and her thoughts. In her mind, one shot, one kill would have solved the whole problem ... except Beta. Alpha might be the ruthless leader, but it's Beta who is her executionar, her general. So, she unlike Negan showed no remorse. And with all the big guns standing at the border, they could have taken the group instead of yielding land.

You look at the Turkey/Syria border today and essentially Turkey is doing the same thing. The war therefore is the way of utilising political power, just like Alpha made it to happen at the border. If I would have the money, I would've bet on Alexandria side, seeing that Whisperer only had one wheel gun.

Negan said, "One simple fact. One truth kept my people going. If you don't protect what belongs to you, then sooner or later, it'll belongs to somebody else. Be that your country. Your wallet. Your home, Your ... dignity."

Well, he didn't said about the dignity, maybe because it's not quintessentially American. Yet, it simply encapsulates the whole message. Essentially, as he claimed, either you protect what's your or you lose to someone else. And to Negan, Alexandria is his home. Even if it's just a jail that he has and it's not even his own - as it wasn't built to him, specifically.

Yet, anyone of that doesn't explain the title. As that is theme of this season. The mental defects, the PTSD, the ghosts of mind or demons as some call them. I've always thought to face them head first, instead allowing them to summon the worst things. Maybe that makes me a fighter, and I'm not denying it. Life is one long struggle and it's only a miracle we make through it.

Those people, living in the Kirkman's world all have their ghosts. Their demons. None of them are now what they were back then. Carol the least. She was essentially a tormented housewife, badly beaten at times, and her mind mostly probably full of demons. The darkness that never goes away, just as it is with the traumatic memories.

How can we live with them ... peacefully?

 

[nixie]

Looks like the Dr is in Sadiq's mind.

Then we have Carol also seeing things. I feel she is going to lose the plot big time, her quest for vengeance is likely going to cause a lot of collateral damage.

Then there is Aaron, the anger we are seeing I think is him trying to hide his spiralling descend into a breakdown.

I understand Negan's reluctance to take part in the defence, he wants to live, how easy would it be for someone to accidentally on purpose to take him out?

 

[REBerg]

This seemed like a Halloween episode, with whisperers effectively standing in for ghosts and goblins, but did they really need to add drug addiction and hallucination to the problems already faced by the Alexandrians?
PTSD injects a little reality into the plot, but these people are what, seven or eight year into the zombie apocalypse? Existential threats should be pretty much normalized for them by now. They've got children who have known nothing else.
I think this signals the beginning of the end for the invincible Carol. The mental deterioration being experienced by Aaron and Siddig are just cover.
I'm also thinking that Negan's story will soon be concluded. He seems to have proven that he is a changed man, but how can he ever redeem himself for the unnecessarily brutal murders of Glenn and Abraham? I am foreseeing dramatic and violent deaths for both Carol and Negan by the end of the season.

 

[ctg]

Looks like the Dr is in Sadiq's mind.

The mental deterioration being experienced by Aaron and Siddig are just cover.

So I'm not the only one? It's like he's always there, but not really. Thing is the beer drinking at the swing made me to think that he is real. But how can he be wearing that white coat and has no blood on it. No stains and his hair stylized with some product.

Sadiq is like me. I'm scared of doing some of things. I don't want to hurt anyone, so refrain from using my knowledge, my skills because something might happen.

Like I said in my above post, you live with those demons and you deal with them the best you can. Sometimes you'll have no choice, but to be with them ... and usually it's a sign of some dark times. Just like they are experiencing in Alexandria.

Thing is, this is war. It feels like Michonne doesn't want it as she doesn't want to lose anyone. War means loss, not profit as some like to think. It is the continuation of the politics, when they have failed, but Michonne, the ex-lawyear, current Mayor of Alexandria doesn't want to have that fight. The only one who seems to get it, is Carol. But she's going mental.

We saw that Whisperer lady, with a hole in her chest, turning at the end. It's a proof that the Whisperers want to have a fight. They sent those zombies bombs in and they crossed the border each and every time, counting more than three times.

I'm also thinking that Negan's story will soon be concluded. He seems to have proven that he is a changed man, but how can he ever redeem himself for the unnecessarily brutal murders of Glenn and Abraham? I am foreseeing dramatic and violent deaths for both Carol and Negan by the end of the season.

Redemption in the Kirkman's world means salvation. Not invulnerability as we have seen in the Fear. He is still who he is, and he cannot help himself ... or can he? Negan is Alexandria's secret weapon, there's no doubt about it. But just like it is with any nukes, the risk is using it. To my mind Gabriel made absolutely the right call, when he ordered Aaron to take Negan out for "a work command."

Negan knows how to kill and when to put himself out there to do the deed. I get that Aaron hates his guts, and cannot never forgive for losing Erik. Loss hurts. Really badly. But it's seven years since Erik died and he cannot get over the grief or the hatred it caused. Yet, he needed Negan.

He needed the bad man to do thing he does best. I agree that he was supremely ruthless in his action, when he left Aaron in his own devices. He's a prisoner and the first rule of dictates that you'll have to escape.

He did, but he also turned around as a changed man and saved Aaron from getting his face munched off. It's true that it endangered Aaron's life, but in his defence, he was also scared for his own. Aaron was still steaming, when he arrived to that abandoned hut, he wanted to tear a new one in Negan's body.

Thing is, we didn't see Negan really being scared. There was no reflection of that, only just tiny spark of getting caught, when Aaron found the hiding place. If he would have been allowed to use an effective weapon, like that crowbar, there would have been no mess.

So, all of it culminates to one ... well, two things, humans and their feelings. Without them we are no better than zombies.

 

[svalbard]

A solid episode. The first one I have enjoyed this season. Maybe it is to do with the fact that we are seeing some character development. I hope that this continues.

 

[Judderman]

This was the best episode for some considerable time. Perhaps could have been more considering it was a massive zombie invasion. In the first 5 or so minutes they had a disturbing run through of two days of fighting. Quite exciting, despite no losses. But I can't help feeling like they could have made more of THE BIGGEST ACTION POTENTIAL THIS SERIES HAS EVER HAD. Could have had an episode of the exhausted fighters going back time after time. But anyway, it was entertaining, and meant they made progress on something quickly for a change.
Then Carol's visions were truly haunting at times. This was actually an episode with some horror! Possibly I would have preferred if the trapped scene was "real", but still it was done well.
Alpha not really punishing Carol seemed surprising really. Maybe she fears for Lydia.

Lots of craziness after 2 nights missing sleep made sense. Honestly I think most people would be cracking up fighting after missing 1 night's sleep. You would get big mistakes happening against the walkers after missing 2 nights sleep. People would be collapsing.

Hopefully there wont be too much calm after the storm, and they can keep a bit of madness and action going. And without Ezekiel and Rick we don't need to expect big speeches.

 

[Jeffbert]

I'm also thinking that Negan's story will soon be concluded. He seems to have proven that he is a changed man, but how can he ever redeem himself for the unnecessarily brutal murders of Glenn and Abraham? I am foreseeing dramatic and violent deaths for both Carol and Negan by the end of the season.

I agree; though it would mean that of all the original characters, only Daryl remains. I think he joined the cast in the 2nd season; late in the first, maybe.

I think they ought to make obvious the frustrations of the people who believe in peaceful coexistence, and just cannot understand why some prefer conflict. As a viewer, I think about this frequently. This episode could have brought up the topic, though we know that the good guys are thinking about it. As I recall, Alpha's philosophy is that they must be prepared to relocate at a moment's notice. Something about permanent settlements are unreal, or unrealistic, because something eventually happens to ruin them. Thus, as long as Alexandria & the others remain, Alpha is proven wrong. This, she cannot allow. It is as though she hopes to start a war of annihilation just to prove herself right; perhaps to prove to herself, that hers is the only way to live.

Negan had the settlement, but ruled with a rod of iron, and brutality to those who defied him. He demanded tribute from the other communities, and when they resisted, he demanded submission. As long as they obeyed, they were o.k., but with just barely enough to live.

I do not recall much about the governor, except that he had a facade of a nice place to live, until you actually lived there. Cannibals, likewise. Their lifestyle seems odd, given the others found food, including game in the surrounding areas.

Anyway, I should think that anyone who had lived through all that, would be tempted to just sit down and weep. There is simply no end to it!

 

[ctg]

I think he joined the cast in the 2nd season; late in the first, maybe.

He has been in since the second episode aired.

 

[Jeffbert]

Close enough for government work.