The Walking Dead: Try (5x15)

Rick. What the Hell, dude. Why do you do the things that you do? Why. WHY. Ugh. Let's just go through what happened and then I'll rant about it.

This episode is a messy collection of smaller plots, as we see how many of our characters are getting more and more embroiled in their own issues and problems. Deanna is mourning the death of her son, and she is unsure about what really happened. Nicholas tells his version of the story to Deanna, making it seem like he wasn't at fault. Glenn tells the truth to Rick.

Sasha leaves Alexandria to go out hunting for Walkers. Michonne and Rosita follow her and save her from being killed, but she is not grateful. She just wants to be left alone. Daryl and Aaron are still out looking for recruits. They find a bunch of severed limbs, and a woman tied up and devoured by Walkers. There's a "W" on her forehead. Carl follows Enid, and the two bond over being outsiders. They share a moment of romantic tension while hiding from some Walkers. Glenn talks to Nicholas about what happened with Noah, telling him that he is never to leave the walls again. Nicholas retrieves the gun that Rick had earlier stashed, preparing to defend himself from Glenn if necessary.

While all of this is going on, Carol talks more with Sam, getting more evidence for Pete's abuse of Jessie. Carol tells Rick, and Rick talks to Deanna about it. Turns out, Deanna already knew about Pete, but she hasn't done anything about it. Rick suggests killing him, and Deanna says no. Rick goes to talk to Jessie about it, revealing that he has feelings for her and promising to take care of Pete for her. Jessie seems ready to agree, when suddenly Pete shows up. Pete and Rick get into a huge fight, attacking each other out on the street.

Rick defeats Pete, and pulls a gun on the crowd of people who have gathered to try to stop the fight. Deanna tries to talk Rick down, but Rick won't have it. He yells about how the people in Alexandria are weak, and that they have no idea what it's really like to live in this world. Michonne sneaks up behind Rick and knocks him out.

Yikes. I'll start with a few things I wasn't crazy about. Honestly, I thought that Deanna wasn't reacting correctly to her son's death. I know she said that she's a mess, but I just didn't feel it. She was just a tad too stoic for a woman whose son has just died horrifically.

Also, I don't feel like they justified the Rick/Jessie connection enough. For him to admit that he would kill Pete for her, but not for just anybody, felt very... strange. I didn't buy it. I also didn't really buy Rick's freak-out at the end. The fight makes sense, but the ranting and raving was just so... intense. I feel like we hadn't really seen Rick building up to that. Maybe with a few more hints that he was coming unhinged?

But I liked most everything else. I'm glad we're continuing to follow Sasha's journey as she tries to come to terms with her losses. The scenes with Sasha, Michonne, and Rosita were particularly interesting. (I have to point out the gloriousness of having an entire plot thread with only women of color involved!)

Carl and Enid's little romance might be a tad contrived, but I still appreciated the awkward little tension between them. Enid says that Carl scares her, and later smiles and says "good, you're afraid of me too." That's sweet.

Alexandria seems to be keeping no real secrets - it's not like Terminus or the Governor's community. I like that what you see is what you get. That being said, I'm also intrigued about the new mystery - the "W" carved into Walker's foreheads. I wish we could have seen more of Daryl and Aaron, but what we did see made me really excited for next week.

Despite my unenthusiastic response to Rick's freak out at the end, I think the dilemma with Pete, Sam, and Jessie is actually quite interesting and well done. Deanna makes some good points when she asks Rick what they're supposed to do about Pete. She's right to draw the line at killing him, but Rick is also right that banishing him leads to possible future consequences. And Pete is a doctor - he saves lives. It's such a messy situation. Maybe it's time for Alexandria to establish a jail cell for troublemakers.

The best moment of the episode, bar none, was when Michonne knocked Rick out. I was so happy for her. She's a constable too, and she was just doing her duty! I wonder how that's going to play out between the two of them...

Next week is the finale. I have no idea what to expect. How can they end this season with a big bang? Is Rick going to cause even more trouble?

8/10