Talking Big

By Jay Innis Murray

These are both good episodes though 3 is a bit of a prelude to 4. They park Daryl in a sort of pivot point since Rick will be leaving, and D. is the most popular character with the fans. He’ll have a lot to carry. He’s doubting Daryl. And he’s the voice that calls back multiple times to the show’s origin and the first season and Glenn. Rick is non-stop philosophizing. Killing each other when the world already belongs to the dead. It’s not the way. Not anymore. Or: To build life or to take it. It’s us or the dead. People keep apologizing to him in various conversations as if he’s a ghost.

Michonne the samurai machine to open Episode 9.04 is glorious fan service. Later Negan tempts her with the glamour of elitism. The glamour of excellence. There’s also Negan’s bat. The lynched man/hanged zombie scene has a charged shot (Michonne’s face) that does not seem to be followed up by anything related. Rick has tears in his eyes talking to Carol. You give me hope, he says.

We’re given tons of time to think about the moral quicksand of revenge killings. Daryl and Rick have their conversation about this topic in a literal trap dug into the ground.

Let Carl go, Daryl tells him, which is ironic from the guy who keeps doing glory days fan service.