Review: The Walking Dead ‘The Grove’

So I would just like to preface this by saying that ‘The Grove’ has probably solidified itself as my favorite Walking Dead episode ever. This week brought us to a very dark place, one that the series constantly touches upon but never really looks in the eye for very long. If you haven’t seen the episode yet, I highly suggest that you avoid this review (and all others) until you have. The spoilers are not worth knowing what’s going to happen, trust me. If you have seen the show, then by all means read on to hear what I have to say.

This week’s episode follows Carol, Tyreese, Lizzie, Mika and baby Judith exclusively. This makeshift family wanders along the railroad tracks seeking Terminus. Along the way, Carol tries to keep the younger girls up to date on their zombie apocalypse living education. In this, she discovers that while Mika is not as weak as she first thought, Lizzie has other problems going on. The poor older sister is living under the assumption that the walkers are just people that have changed and that there is potentially a way to understand them.

When the group finds an abandoned house, they decide to settle in for a while. Carol continues to help the kids, trying to make Mika a little tougher while endeavoring to convince Lizzie that the walkers are not our friends. Unfortunately, the lesson doesn’t take in time. Carol and Tyreese, out on a hunt to find some food and water, return to discover that Lizzie has slain her sister in an effort to prove to the others that the zombies are no different from humanity.

And if that’s not dark enough for you, things get even worse. Seeing that Lizzie can not be trusted around baby Judith, Carol and Tyreese come to the conclusion that nothing can be done to help the girl. So Carol does what Carol does best - she takes Lizzie out and puts a bullet in the back of her head. Following that traumatic event, Carol decides it’s time to confess to Tyreese her involvement in the death of his former girlfriend and the other person at the jail. Luckily for Carol, Tyreese now has a greater understanding of the horrible crap that Carol has been going through to keep her people alive. Thus, he forgives her and the remnants of the group continue on to Terminus.

I have to say that this has been my favorite Walking Dead season (half-season) thus far. Spending time delving into the psychology of the characters has really paid off with regards to getting us emotionally invested in them. While we’ve always had favorite characters, we’ve rarely had the chance to see more than a few of them face their demons. Now, with ‘The Grove’ we see the effect that the end of the world has on the minds of children. Further, we see the burden that Carol has been living with and how she has come to the conclusion that to live in the new, harsh world one has to be willing to do harsh things.

For those out there (myself included) that were anti-Carol because of her actions at the prison, this episode definitely makes you reevaluate your opinion. Putting a bullet in the back of a child’s head is not what one might call “morally correct”, but the choices on the table were few. What can one do when the whole world has fallen apart and you can’t save everyone? Carol presents one solution, however questionable it might be.

The only thing I can think now is “how on Earth are they going to top this one?” Aside from having baby Judith chewed up by zombies, it’s hard to think of a darker place that the series could go. I’m guessing now that we’ve been bombarded with tons of emotional trauma, the writers may give us a much-needed break and get back to the action-oriented side of things. Otherwise, the entire Walking Dead audience is going to end up having a psychological breakdown.

Next week’s episode, ‘Us’ brings us back to some of the other characters and should spell out a bit where the writers will be taking the show for season 5. Check out a preview for that episode at this site. And until next time, if you’re ever feeling a little unstable just remember to "look at the flowers" <shiver>.

Photo Credits -           

The Grove courtesy of nerdbastards.com