After finding out what happened to Rick and the people of Alexandria last week, we are going to turn our eye to Sasha, Abraham and Daryl. What adventures does this trio get into? This week is The Walking Dead episode 606: Always Accountable.
The Walking Dead Episode 606 Recap: Always Accountable
After leading the zombies the requisite 20 miles away (I want to know how they got to that number), Daryl, Sasha and Abraham are ready to head back, worried on some level because they haven’t heard anything from Rick.
As they are driving through a small town, they are ambushed. People with cars and guns attack and they are split, with Sasha and Abraham in their beat up car and Daryl running for the hills on his motorcycle.
Daryl winds up in the woods, which have been burned down and we get the requisite zombie of the week, this time a burned up, but wearing a motorcycle helmet zombie. Daryl has been hurt and is kind of wobbly, coming in and out of consciousness but most definitely goes out when he gets pistol whipped. (So, side note: I’ve never seen anyone pistol whipped and not lose consciousness. Is it that easy to do? One good whack and lights out. Seems too easy to me.)
When he comes to, he is captive to a man and two women, who clearly think he is part of some other group. Despite his protests that he is not, they don’t believe him. And when the time comes and they are surrounded by some bad guys, Daryl had escaped and was ready to make a run for it.
However, he discovered the most well labeled cooler in history, which had insulin. And because he couldn’t just leave the cooler out in the wide open, he went back.
He had managed to get their gun and was ready to go but the new guys surrounding them meant Daryl had to be the hero. He helps them escape when one guy gets eaten by a zombie wedged in with a rock. Well, sort of. He lose an arm to a bite. This amputation means the rest lose their gumption and head for the hills.
Daryl is all set to introduce them to Alexandria but then they discover a burned up cabin and they recognize the bodies. And the diabetic woman goes over and is eaten. (So diabetics taste different? Terminus could have answered that question.)
While digging her grave, Daryl and the gentleman come to an agreement. And when Darryl says he will be back with a car for them, he sees in the rearview mirror that they are going to use the gun to take his motorcycle and his crossbow. Finally, wandering in the woods, Darryl discovers a big gas truck and drives it back into town to meet up with Sasha and Abraham.
Of course, their journey isn’t about distance traveled as much as it is about emotions and feeling dealt with. (That sentence right there: English Literature major paying off!). They wind up holding up in an office and talking about things.
The overall picture: Sasha was feeling crazy but now seems fine, which means Abraham gets to have his bout with PTSD. It is like they are on some sort of schedule. (“Carol – it is Tuesday. We clearly talked about how you don’t get to freak out until Thursday after lunch.”)
Abraham faces his inner demons, and a zombie when he crawls out unto a down gate, where a Special Forces operative with an RPG has gone zombie. He gets close enough to have a yelling match and the zombie’s movement drops him off the fence, but leaves the RPG. Abraham then does a survey and has RPGs and cigars.
He goes back and tries to, well, seduce seems like the wrong word. I don’t know. German probably has a word for over-testosteroned white guy trying to be smooth. But we don’t. Sasha laughs but doesn’t say no to his request to “get to know her better.”
And then Darryl rides up and they all load up and head for Alexandria.
The Walking Dead Episode 606 Review: Always Accountable
Overall, an 8 out of 10. But the pace and interconnection really needs to pick up or this half season is going to feel like a waste.
So thoughts:
This season’s format of one focus per show is really becoming aggravating. There are storylines that I cared about deeply that after a week or two, I am ignoring or just forgetting about. As a showrunner, it probably makes sense. You just need a small portion of the cast each week, you get to delve deeper into the individuals but at the same time, man, it is starting to really feel the drift.
The new group. I am not a huge reader of the comics but I know that there are more factions coming. Is this the first we see of it?
There is an RPG. And a gas tank. The Chekov’s gun principle means at some point, they are spending a Mythbusters’ like budget on an explosion. The question is when.
Still no Glenn. Thoroughly convinced the big Glenn reveal is the mid-season cliffhanger.
And SPOILERS AHEAD: I am now convinced that what happens in the comic books to Glenn at the hands of Negan is going to happen in the television show to Daryl. They are slowly setting up the pieces to fall over. I won’t be happy about it but there it is.
(Editor’s Note: There is a GREAT deal on the recently released Compendium 3 of the comic that takes you up to issue #144. Issue 144 stills haunts me…)
Tabletop Takeaways: Tips for Dungeon Masters with a Narrative Spin