The Walking Dead Recap: Can't have two sides of 'The Same Boat'

The current season of The Walking Dead, more so than any other season, is having a suspension of disbelief problem. TWD used to be a show where any “main” character could die any possible week. Much of the show’s excitement came from such a possibility, even though deep down we all knew that our main mains would most likely not meet their doom. However, Glenn’s faux-death earlier this season was the final nail in the deathless coffin. When Glenn was finally revealed to have survived his seemingly inescapable situation in the alley, there was no longer any way to suspend disbelief towards a main character in “danger.”

The lack of mortal danger would not, necessarily, be a problem for TWD if the show did not continue to have episodes that played up the personal danger like “The Same Boat.” We have seen Carol slink around Alexandria like some sort of ninja assassin and take out countless numbers of Wolves. Are we really meant to believe that she could so easily be captured in the forest AND that her life is in danger? Again,there isn’t anything wrong with that type of plot if the show decides to focus on something else within the scenario other than Maggie and Carol being in danger. Unfortunately, “The Same Boat’s” meager attempts at offering something other than mortal tension, which was still the primary focus, was executed poorly.

For Carol especially, a bit of a tipping point seems to have been reached since Maggie brokered the deal to take out The Saviors. Because of the confounding time jump earlier this midseason, we are meant to believe Carol has developed a conscience. Instead of being badass Alexandrian ninja, she now seems to be questioning whether killing is right. This is shown in the opening scene of “The Same Boat” and later clarified in the episode when she doesn’t kill the approaching attacker, opting to shoot him in the arm. Her questioning the difference between good and bad is long overdue for TWD. It’s about time there was some serious consideration of when killing is justified and when it isn’t, as well as how “evil” these characters have become as a result of it.

However, Carol is probably the worst character to be having this sort of dilemma. While she has had a long past from which she has grown into something completely different, three episodes just isn’t enough time go from ninja assassin to somewhat sheepishly begging your captor to escape. To make Carol the moral compass of Rick’s original group, Morgan still being an outsider, doesn’t feel right for the character or for the group’s dynamic, despite Carol’s history. In fact, it would make more sense for Maggie to be the person who questions the morality of what Rick and co. are doing. Instead, Maggie goes ham on the chain smoker (the last survivor of the Guilty Remnant), with Carol being the one to offer mercy.

But Carol questioning herself and what she has become isn’t a bad thing. It is the execution that is bad. She cannot put on her timid, abuse survivor face and question whether all this killing is really necessary for 40 minutes and then burn a handful of people alive while locking the door behind them. Especially since it was not to protect Maggie’s “goodness,” as Maggie had already pulverized someone earlier. TWD, you cannot have it both ways, even if Carol gets covered in Primo’s blood at the very end of the episode.

It would also be helpful for the audience if TWD did not make it so easy to identify who is “good” and who is “bad”. There is a dire need to explore whether Rick and co. are good or evil and whether or not that even matters in this world. But when the survivors are so clearly painted “evil” because of their exaggerated cold bloodedness and constant use of naughty words (you can only call someone a bitch so many times), the audience doesn’t even get to ask themselves if Rick and co. are still “good." When such a clear line is drawn between the reasonable Maggie and Carol and the sailor mouthed, gruff Paula, the audience doesn’t even need to ask the question. There will always be an ingrained bias towards Rick and his co. because they have been our protagonists for so many years. The audience doesn’t need anymore biases to put them on the side of Rick if the objective is to have the characters question their morality.

But how can you question your own morality if you don’t know who your villains are? Not since The Governor have we had an inside look into villain motivations and/or what makes them tick. The Saviors are the worst example yet. We know almost nothing about them except they were allegedly extorting The Hilltop and they seem to attract some rather adolescent-minded adults. We still don’t know who they are, what they want, who Negan is or how they act. While this level of mystery could be used strategically to question morality, the aforementioned clearly painted in an evil hue characters have already informed us that they are “bad.” This is another example of TWD trying to have it both ways. If you want us to think that The Saviors are evil, show us that they are evil and not just that they are good target practice.

It was clear “The Same Boat” was drawing parallels between Carol and Maggie and Paula and Maggie’s doppelganger. Carol and Maggie got to look into what was meant to be a mirror shattered by too much killing. Paula was a version of Carol who had become numb. As a ghost of TWD future, Paula completed her task with flying colors. But her inevitable death was all the more disappointing, especially since she had potential as a character. Using her as a one-off messenger was yet another example of TWD’s villain flaws. Keeping Paula around to be redeemed or not to be redeemed would have actually created some much needed tension in the show. It would have continually given us a gauge of how close or far Carol was to becoming Paula.

I understand moments like the knife coming towards the screen through a zombie face are what keeps people coming back to the show. TWD knows this too. Unfortunately, the series has not become any more adept at the balancing act between action and meaningful story developments. I need a reason to care about these characters again. I need a reason other than the time I’ve spent with them over the years. If you aren’t actually going to put them in mortal danger, then it is no longer good enough to care about these characters simply because I have been with them since the beginning. And while it is nice to see Paula impaled on a metal pipe and her cheek being eaten by a zombie, that type of moment should no longer hinder meaningful story development.