‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 6.1 “First Time Again” (9 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.
If it wasn’t obvious from my scribblings here at BSR, I didn’t like “Fear the Walking Dead” all that much. That being said, the ritual of easing into the comfortable butt-grooves of my couch for a Sunday evening with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his crew of lovably brutal zombie survivalists was more enjoyable precisely because “FearTWD” was so bad. It’s kind of like the feeling you get when that crappy opening band finally finishes their set so the headliners can come out and put on the show that you paid for.
So, did season six of America’s favorite zom-drama live up to its predecessors? Read on for a complete, spoiler-filled dissection.
We’ll Do It Live
Right off the bat, it’s easy to see the benefits of being AMC’s MVP. This episode looks expensive. Sweeping, computer-enhanced shots of vast, zombie-infested landscapes; over 200 zombie extras in full prosthetics; and let’s not forget the technical wonder that caused “The Wizard of Oz” to go over budget—filming in both color and black and white. The shift between filters adds to the Tarantino-esque vibe of the episode’s fractured narrative that picks up the pieces of last season’s shocking finale and inserts them into place. The first scene is disorienting as we see that Rick has taken full leadership over a team made up of native Alexandrians and his own people. The most surprising example of this newfound cooperation comes from Glenn (Stephen Yuen) and Nicholas (Michael Traynor) working side by side, since the pair nearly murdered each other at the close of last season.
The team is working on a complicated plan to take the zombies that are overflowing in a nearby rock quarry and funnel them to a location where they’ll be least likely to maul everyone. When things inevitably go south, the episode revs up one of the most ambitious episodes of the entire series.
Carter Finally Gets It
While it was nice to see the whole zombie-wrecking crew assembled onscreen again, tonight’s episode was all about four dudes and their place on the morality spectrum. We have Rick, slowly moseying along the knife’s edge between ruthless pragmatist and protector of the weak; Morgan (Lennie James) tempering his own demons with spirituality; Glenn making the case that one can take the high road and still be a badass; and Carter (Ethan Embry) struggling with his current reality.
Judging by the last time we saw Rick Grimes in action, it would be easy to assume that he was on his way to becoming the Governor, and that Alexandria would become another Woodbury. However, tonight we see that Rick still has that stark sense of justice that won’t allow him to kill someone for simply disagreeing with him. I like to think that Morgan has revived this part of Rick—Morgan was essentially Rick’s first ally in the zombie apocalypse, and the two seem to have an inherent bond that keeps them both steady. In one flashback, we see that Rick walks in on Carter holding a gun to Eugene’s (Josh McDermitt) head after he was attempting to convince some other Alexandrians to kill Rick. Now, if we didn’t already see Carter in the present, I would have thought Rick would have straight up murdered his ass. Rick relents, but only because he figures that Carter’s going to get killed by his own shortsightedness. It’s morbid as hell, but there’s something about Rick’s acceptance of the fact that he doesn’t always have to be the judge, jury and executioner that makes me think that his head is still on straight.
While there weren’t many of them, Glenn’s scenes with Nicholas were fantastic. Despite the fact that Nicholas nearly killed Glenn, the two of them seem to have worked out a shaky level of respect. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) makes the keen observation that at one time, she and Tara (Alanna Masterson) were on opposite sides, but now they’re total BFF’s. Even if Nicholas and Glenn don’t quite get to that point, Glenn’s adherence to the high road is admirable. He has proven that one can be a survivor and still preserve a sense of integrity.
And Carter, poor Carter. I’ve got nothing but love for Ethan Embry’s portrayal of this tragic almost-hero. In one episode, he goes from making me hate him for his conniving ways to putting me on the verge of tears when his face gets chewed off by a zombie. I agree with Rick—the dude was not built for the zombie apocalypse, but I got the sense that he really was trying towards the end. On “Talking Dead,” Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero discussed the fact that Carter was essentially the pre-apocalypse Rick Grimes. He had the makings of a hero—charisma, leadership skills and a finely chiseled jawline—but he never quite got the chance to blossom.
That Cliffhanger!
During the last few moments of the episode, just when Rick’s plan seems to be working, an alarm cuts through the air, attracting the gigantic zombie horde back to Alexandria. It’s a hell of a way to end the episode—all that planning and execution goes out the window because either somebody is really stupid or really vindictive. Sounds suspiciously like a certain priest that we’ve come to abhor.
All in all, season six is off to a great start. The show continues to pioneer new and disgusting ways to dispatch the undead, and it feels like this season is going to feel more cinematic than the show has been in the past. The black and white scenes were also a nice throwback to Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead,” which reminds us that zombies can still be terrifying without color.
Good to have you back, TWD.