First off, lets talk about Rick.
I told you, and I will tell you again, Rick is always right. Rick makes the hard choices. Rick says the hard things. This world that they live in? You can't be nice. You can't hesitate.
That's all Rick was saying to Michonne and Glenn. Don't hesitate.
He said, not everyone is going to make it, make sure you save yourselves. If you can save someone, do it, but make sure you come home.
He is not saying to be like Nickolas and just abandon people. He's not saying shoot someone like Shane did to save yourself. No. He literally says, try and save people. What he is trying to make clear, that is easy to forget, is these people are not up to date on the world. They are going to get themselves in situations that are dangerous for everyone. Don't put yourself at risk for a lost cause. For example, I'd totally try and save shot in the leg dude. Kuddos to bitten guy who wants to go home to his wife to say goodbye and try to help the survivors fight their way out. No, I would not go back for girl who fell. She is about to be overrun. Don't do it.
That's why I was so glad Michonne called out Health and said what we were all thinking. You haven't actually been through it. You actually haven't had to live in the world and make these decisions that Rick and Michonne have made. Rick and Michonne have seen someone weak cost the life of someone strong. They have had to kill a human to save themselves from a walker or save themselves from being overrun later by the same wicked people. That's all Rick was trying to remind Michonne and Glenn of. That these people have not made the same hard decisions as the Scooby gang. Because Michonne and Glenn are good, it might be easy for them to be swayed by the Alexandrians to do something other than the smart, now zombie-world infested choice.
The call backs to the second episode with Glenn were great. The fact that Glenn tells Rick not to be a dumbass. Glenn is basically saying goodbye to Rick.
Glenn also breaks some of his own rules, trying to do the nice thing by including a distraught Nickolas. Glenn knows better .. he hesitates ... then lets Nickolas join him on the run to set the feed on fire.
Remember how Glenn had told Rick that he was afraid to let others go with him because he gets into trouble when he lets others go on in-and-out runs with him? That's exactly what happened here. He lets someone -- and it costs Glenn.
I read others state that they thought Nickolas was saying thank you for saving his life. No. I politely disagree. I think Nickolas was thanking Glenn for the opportunity at redemption.
However, you have to ask yourself, was that thank you worth it?
Thank you is not going to get Glenn back his life. Thank you is not going to let him see Maggie again. Or his possible unborn baby, if you think like I am that that is where the show is headed.
I've addressed this before, but people saying that Rick is like the Governor is completely off base. The Governor wanted power and tortured people. Rick does not want power. He wants to keep his people safe.
People are also saying that Rick is wrong for not going back to Alexandria. That he is letting the people fend for themselves. No. He is not. He is sticking with the plan.
I actually really appreciate this.
If/when people get scared they abandon the plan, that's when things can go even more haywire. It's shortsighted. That's what he is saying over the CB. He saying that the easy thing would be to abandon the plan, especially for the Scooby gang. But, honestly, what would that accomplish? The Walkers are right behind them. They need to steer the herd away from Alexandria. Think about it. If Rick doesn't, then whatever is happening in Alexandria, they will have to be dealt with that on top of the heard. The best thing is to hope that the people of Alexandria can survive. No one will survive if the herd is not taken care. It's really good leadership. Really, the gut reaction, the easy choice, the emotional choice would be to go to Alexandria. However, if Rick and the rest do that, everyone could be lost at Alexandria.
Along those lines, some think that Rick is upset in the RV that he didn't go to Alexandria to save his children. In my opinion, I think there is a different possibility behind the emotion that Rick is displaying.
A simple one.
He is overwhelmed. Everyone always hates on him for not showing emotion, for always being so in charge, so hard. Here, he isn't. He does have a heart, and emotions, and fears. How would you feel in that moment? The plan goes wrong - for a variety of reasons. Rick desperately wants to be able to control the variables. Rick hurts his hand and is clearly concerned. He's exhausted, he just ran all that way back to the RV. He knows he is on a suicide mission. He hasn't been able to reach Glenn. He randomly gets attacked by The Wolves. He finds a baby food jar, keying him in on the fact that someone has breached his house. He then has to deal with even more Wolves and is nearly taken out. Then, after all of that, with the herd approaching, the fucking RV won't start? How defeated would you feel in that second? Like, come on! Everything he has had to deal with, and this extraneous, man-made machine won't start!!!
I feel for Rick. I'm sure he will get himself out of this situation, but man, does this guy deserve a flipping vacation.
Until next week!
** If you would like to read my other blogs, please find them at:
http://www.madelinefresco.com
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**** Madeline Fresco is a novelist who lives in San Diego. She is the author of CROSSED THE LINE, available for Kindle at Amazon.com, for Nook at Barnes & Noble, and as an ePub at other eBook retailers. You can also listen to her novel as a free, serialized audiobook at http://www.madelinefresco.com. Her second book THE CHOICE, is available on Kindle at Amazon. Her third book ANGUISH, is available for Kindle at Amazon.com