The Walking Dead: Crossed (5x07)

Eep! We finally got an ensemble-based episode where we got to check in with all of our characters! I was missing the big ensemble-based feel of the show, so it was nice to have it back.

First of all, we spend a little bit of time with the DC gang. Maybe we can't call them that anymore. But in any case, Eugene is still out cold, and Abraham appears to be in a bit of a trance. He won't talk to anybody or drink any water. Glenn, Tara and Rosita go off to find more water while Maggie stays with Eugene and Abraham. Glenn, Tara and Rosita all seem to bond, as Tara tries to make jokes to lessen the tension, and they even succeed in catching some fish! In the end, Eugene starts to wake up, and Abraham, seemingly relieved not to have killed him, finally drinks some water.

Inside the hospital, Beth is horrified to learn of Dawn's decision to cut off Carol's medication, because it is taking too many resources to save her life. However, Dawn tells Beth that she had to side with one of the cops in this matter, to maintain the balance of things. She gives Beth the key to the medicine cabinet and tells her to save Carol herself. Beth does so, using some of the other patients to help her with her plan to get Carol the medicine.

Back at the church, Carl, Judith, Michonne and Father Gabriel all say goodbye to the rest of the group as they settle in to wait for their return. Michonne looks after Judith, while Carl tries to encourage Gabriel to start learning how to use weapons. Gabriel seems horrified by the very thought, and he says he needs to go lie down. Then, unbeknownst to Michonne and Carl, he lifts up some floorboards and escapes the church. Weaponless and scared, he immediately runs into a Walker. He manages to evade death, but he is severely shaken by the experience.

Then there's Rick, Daryl, Noah, Tyreese, and Sasha. They all travel back to Atlanta, planning on getting Beth and Carol back from the hospital. Rick basically wants to go in and take them all out, but Tyreese suggests that they draw some of the people out and take them hostage, then offer them as a trade for Carol and Beth. The group decides to go with this plan. Using Noah as bait, they manage to get two of the officers. However, a car quickly shows up and scatters the group, nearly allowing the two prisoners to escape. In the scuffle, Rick and the group actually manage to get a third prisoner, so they now have three bargaining chips.

Noah assures the group that one of their prisoners, Officer Bob Lamson, is one of the good guys and will be cooperative. As the group waits for arrangements to be made with Dawn for a trade, Sasha gets to talking with Lamson. He tells her the story of his partner from before the apocalypse, and how he came back as a Walker but never got put down. Sasha offers to mercy kill Lamson's partner, who is right outside the warehouse. However, as she leans toward the window to see the Walker outside, Lamson slams her head against the window and runs off, attempting to escape.

A few nit-picking complaints.

First of all, did anyone else think that when Eugene woke up, he might have been reanimating as a Walker? He just starts making groaning noises, and Maggie runs over to him all relieved and delighted. I was sitting there thinking... uh oh. Is he a Walker or is he just waking up? I couldn't tell if we were supposed to be worried, or if it was just poorly thought out. It's a small thing, but it bothered me.

Also, Sasha came across like a total idiot in this episode. It was completely obvious that Officer Lamson was going to betray her and try to escape, and yet she didn't seem at all suspicious of him. I mean, how convenient is it that his dead partner's Walker-remains happen to be right outside of where they're staying? Yeesh.

Lastly - while I love the fact that Michonne is now embracing her love for Judith and Carl and taking on something of a mothering role, I'm a tiny bit peeved that she was left behind on this expedition. She's one of the best fighters they have! Why would they bench her for such an important task? Michonne really hasn't had a lot to do so far this season. I hope that changes soon.

Mostly, however, as seems to be the case with this whole season, I loved this episode.

I like the stuff with Glenn, Rosita, and Tara. Although, I hope they're not going for some sort of romance between Glenn and Rosita. Now, if it were Rosita and Tara? I'm all for that. In any case, I like the way these people are starting to bond and trust one another. Hopefully eventually Rosita and Tara can feel like part of the bigger group, when they all meet back up with Rick, etc. Sometimes it's nice to have a plot thread with a glimmer of hope, among all the pain and chaos. It looks like Eugene is waking up, and they caught fish, and got water.

What on earth is going on with Father Gabriel? There has got to be more to the story than we know. I thought he had confessed his big sin, but if the truth was already out there, why on earth did he need to escape? I think there's more to this guy than we've seen so far, and I'm excited to find out. Also, Carl has been sidelined a lot recently, but there were some interesting things going on with him in this episode. His casual way of talking about stabbing the Walkers through the head is meant to seem a bit unsettling, but at the same time we're seeing his compassion and his love for his family, as he understands why Rick needs to leave him behind, and he wants to help Gabriel learn how to survive.

It's so messed up that Dawn, who is supposed to be in charge at the hospital, is needing to plan secret missions just to save people's lives. I'm glad to see that she is a good person at her core, even if she has to outwardly agree with the bad guys. Beth's bravery and ingenuity in getting the medication to Carol was nice to see as well. She is so bad ass! I hope Carol will be okay.

Some highlights of the main plot with Rick: Daryl using a Walker's head as a weapon! Ew, that was gross. And awesome! I also liked the way that Rick seemed to be over the top with his violence, and Daryl had to reign him in. Rick is in control for now, but he is still a bit on edge. I'm glad we're still seeing this in him.

I'm glad to see Sasha is still mourning Bob. It would be a mistake to forget about him right away. And even though I complained about her falling for Lamson's trick so easily, I suppose I did appreciate the reason for her vulnerability. She thought she was relating to someone who had also lost a loved one. It makes a certain amount of sense.

Next week is the last episode before the winter hiatus. I'm looking forward to some bombastic culmination of everything that's been going on so far. I can't wait!

8/10