Tonight’s new episode of The Walking Dead season 5 found Rick and crew beginning their new — peaceful? — life in Alexandria.
Though slow-moving, a sense of tension was felt throughout the hour as Rick and viewers cautiously learned about the Alexandria Safe Zone. There was also one major event: Rick received a haircut!
The episode begins with Rick being brought to Deanna Monroe, the leader of Alexandria, who asks to film the interview she conducts with each of the new residents. (“We’re all about transparency here.”) Throughout the episode we see her interviews with many of the characters, including Daryl (who’s nervous) and Carol (who describes herself as a den mother).
While Rick and Deanna talk, we learn that Alexandria is about sustainability. Rick’s group is the first they’ve considered adding in a long time. They were selected because Deanna wants help in making sure Alexandria survives, and Rick’s group knows what really happens in the outside world.
Deanna tells Rick it’s time to decide. After updating his watch with the correct time — a non-verbal agreement that he’s in sync with her plan — he accepts her invitation to live in Alexandria.
After putting their weapons away, Aaron leads Rick and Carl to their new home, which features an open floor plan, granite counter tops, and running water. Very nice!
But perhaps the biggest moment occurs when Rick takes a look at himself in the mirror and decides to shave! As if that weren’t satisfying enough, a nice neighbor named Jessie stops by to give him a much-needed haircut (potential romantic interest for Rick? Probably not, because we learn later she’s married). This is a Rick that we haven’t seen since season 1, and it’s extremely refreshing. “Never seen your face like that,” Michonne says with a big smile when she gets a glimpse of him.
(In tonight’s episode of The Talking Dead, Andrew Lincoln revealed that Norman Reedus is keeping his beard trimmings in his fridge in Atlanta. Gross.)
Despite the fact that things are looking up, Rick wants to proceed cautiously. They all sleep in the same house the first night. It’s a decision Deanna admires, and in this moment we couldn’t help but really like this woman.
Carl is introduced to some new kids, including one named Ron, but so far he’s not enjoying this normal type of life. He’s also infatuated with a girl in this group, but she is eager to avoid him for an unknown reason.
Later when speaking with Dad, Carl brings up a good point: The people are weak, and he doesn’t want to end up the same way. Later, looking to keep up his strength, Carl heads outside the walls when he sees the young girl hopping over the fence herself.
Although Alexandria looks peaceful, there are already signs of some trouble brewing.
Examples:
1) Rick runs into the husband of Jessie as he’s taking a walk one night. “Welcome to Alexandria,” the man says with clear disdain.
2) Daryl is not enjoying this peaceful lifestyle. In one of the funnier moments of the episode, Daryl tells Carol she looks ridiculous in her nice old lady outfit.
3) Glenn, Noah, and Tara go out on a supply run with two of Alexandria’s men, including Deanna’s son. The two hunters are a little unhinged — they decide to fight a zombie for fun when they see that it ate one of their dead friends. Tensions flare up when Glenn points out how stupid this is, and the argument turns into a brawl when they get back to Alexandria. Luckily Deanna and Rick step in to get things under control, and both leaders take Glenn’s side.
At the end of the episode Deanna announces she wants Rick and Michonne to be their constable (definition: a peace officer). “That’s what you were, that’s what you are,” she tells Rick.
In the next scene we see him sporting his new constable outfit. It made us so happy to see Rick with his old face and uniform. In fact, it could’ve been a great series finale moment because he’s back where he started (minus a wife, but plus a second kid).
If viewers were afraid that the show was about to make Rick and the group complacent, fear not. Carol echoes Carl’s concerns about losing their strength. In response, Rick says that if Alexandria doesn’t turn out how they think it will, Deanna and her people are in trouble. “If they can’t make it, we’ll just take this place,” he warns.
What are your impressions of Alexandria at this early stage?
We continue to feel refreshed by the introduction of Alexandria and can’t wait to see what troubles lay within its tall walls. Will Jessie’s husband get jealous of Rick’s good looks? Will Deanna’s son continue to cause trouble? And how bad will things have to get before Rick and company overtake Alexandria themselves? Stay tuned.
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