The Walking Dead - Season 5, Episode 4 - "Slabtown"

Blair Fink (Twitter: @BlairMFink, Instagram: @BlairFink)

Steve Bethel (Twitter: @the_lazy_gamer, Website: steveisthelazygamer.blogspot.ca)

"That's the final script for this episode?"

The Walking Dead, Season 5, Episode 4, "Slabtown"

SNEAKIN' OUT THE HOSPITAL

So here we are, back in Atlanta! I really thought the group was farther out than that. I know the cop said they "got a lead on some guys" (whatever that means), but it still seems a long way from ATL. If they did in fact get a tip...how? How could news from where Daryl and Beth were make it all the way back to ATL? Why would they (the cops) be that far out of the city? Was someone sending smoke signals? Carrier pigeons? It doesn't add up. I had a tough time with this part of the episode...actually I had a few issues with this episode. And I know if I had issues then I can't imagine how Blair feels about it...let's dive in.

I'd rather not dive into this steaming pile of poop but I guess if I've waded in this far, there's no going back now. Okay, so, this episode kind of stunk. After some thought, I think I've boiled it down to two main problems. First problem: Beth. With ole Anime Eyes being the only regular cast member in this episode (aside from Carol's brief cameo), she is the de facto lead. She has to carry this episode all by herself which is, unless I'm misremembering, something this show has yet to really try with anyone (it's very much an ensemble show). The problem is that Beth isn't really that interesting of a character and while I appreciate the effort to give her her own adventure and develop her character now (the juxtaposition of her suicidal scars against her determination to escape is effective if not particularly subtle), it falls a bit flat. This brings me to my second problem: the situation. If Beth isn't carrying the weight of the episode, the plot better be gangbusters. But it's not. It's not terrible, but it's mostly predictable. It's a hospital run by police offers but to no one's surprise, they're creepy, controlling and essentially villains. Was there ever any doubt that this place was going to be a place that Beth needed to escape from? If they were bringing in more survivors and saving more people, a good cause Beth could be a part of, maybe that could have provided a little more inner conflict for Beth and whether she wanted to leave or not. But instead we get: “Hmmm, seems creepy.” Later: “Yup, creepy!”

While the patrol picking up Beth didn't make sense, what does make sense is that they are scavengers. They go out looking for people. Not in the same sense that Gareth did. Gareth was a hunter, the Grady's are scavengers. Scavengers. They find the weak and force them into helping. They get the promise of being able to leave once they repay their debt. However the longer you stay the more you consume, the more you consume the more you owe, the more you owe the longer you stay. Not a good place to be in.

I'm a little disappointed Joan didn't stick around. I was pretty pumped to see Whale Rider show up and kind of expected her to play a bigger role than she did, what with her being an Oscar nominated actress and all. But no, we're stuck with Young Chris Rock instead. Sigh.

Suckers. Who has suckers anymore? That's something you don't see everyday in an apocalypse. So Noah gave Beth a lolli, that's nice. I trust him right of the bat, I can't say that for the rest of the hospital staff. The creepy/dark factor comes in shortly after with the help of Beth's sucker. At first you think, ok, sure these people must be getting lonely, a new pretty girl shows up it's a good bet that someone with an alpha personality, like a cop, would get a little rapey. Then Beth get the "pep" talk from Dawn, where she essentially says the "scrubs" are there to "take care" of the officers. Dirty. Throw in the entire jar of suckers on Dawn's desk and it hits you. Noah has probably had a rough past year. It's also a good bet why Joan wasn't too happy to be back around Gorman.

Gorman turning his encounter with Beth into a “You Owe Me” video made my skin crawl despite how cliched it was. Dawn tried to explain that Beth should rather be safe in the hospital than out there with the walkers but when Gorman made it clear what kind of interactions he expected to have, Beth was like “NOPE. I will take my chances with the walkers, thank you!” Fast forward to the escape plan.

What a botched escape plan that was. The kid is going to be screwed anyways. Living the "good life" in the hospital for the last year and then to be thrust into that. He was limping BEFORE he fell in the elevator. He has no chance. He'll come crawling back.

Yeah, he is definitely walker fodder unless he runs into someone that could protect him. Someone with a leather vest, maybe? Someone with a leather vest with wings on the back, maybe? Someone with a winged leather vest who is in desperate need of a haircut, maybe?

So, final scene, we think Beth is going to flip shit and destroy everything, as the people of the Rickpublic tend to do. Carol. Now, up to this point I was having some trouble with the time frame of this episode. I was under the assumption that scenes were days/weeks apart. I mean they want to catch the audience up with Beth and be on the same timeline as the rest of the survivors. This was contested in my house after the episode, but I think this is post Rick-kicking-her-out-of-prison Carol, not currently-searching-for-Beth-with-Daryl Carol. Then again could be a trick/trap by Daryl/Carol to get Beth out.

You think this is pre-Rambo Terminus destroyer Carol? No way. That wouldn't make sense. She's obviously going to interact with Beth in some capacity in the hospital and then somehow she returns to join up with Tyreese and the girls and the rest of the group but never mentions Beth at all? I think (or at least hope so, so much) that this is another Rock 'n' Roll Carol operation to get inside the hospital before going all John McClane again to rescue Beth. If Terminus was Carol Hard, this is Carol Hard 2: Carol Harder. Looks like we're going to have to hold tight on that front, though, as the previews for next week looks like the episode will be focused on the Mr. Ford Goes to Washington gang.

QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS

-Rick waking up vs. Beth waking up:

- The strongest character in this episode was Dr. Steven Edwards. He has no delusions about his place and shortcomings. He does what he has to do to make sure he survives and while he obviously doesn't feel good about himself doing it, is unapologetic.

- If you were in the position that a person was going to come into your group that was more skilled than you in your area of expertise would you kill them?

- Only if my area of expertise was Writing about The Walking Dead.

- Dawn has OCD. Not sure if/how that will be an important plot point but I feel the need to mention it.

- I still love the fact that every group has a different name for the walkers, “Rotters” in this case.

- Has anyone called them zombies yet?

- Three teams to follow now! This is getting confusing!

- I'm curious as to how they're going to handle this. Will each group get an episode and then will they start cutting back and forth?

-Where the title of this recap comes from:

Blair's Rating: C+

Steve's Rating: 2 out of 5 candy apple suckers

Blair's MVP: Dr. Steven

Steve's MVP: Dr. Steven

Blair's Deadpool Pick: Rosita

Steve's Deadpool Pick: Rosita