It is "Them" or Us on "The Walking Dead:" A Television Review

Director: Julius Ramsay.

Writer: Heather Bellson.

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Glenn Rhee and Lauren Cohan.

"The Walking Dead" has returned from hiatus, with two episodes now. The second episode, in the latter part of Seas. 5, is titled "Them." Though, there was very little of "Them" is this showing. After the loss of two characters in two episodes (Beth and Tyreese), the filmmakers have slowed down the pacing, significantly with this entry. Very sombre and miserable in tone, "Them" introduced a new character and another trust test, or two. Are there any survivors out there that Rick (Andrew Lincoln) can trust and not kill? He is the butcher of Woodbury, afterall. Also, this weak entry in the apocalypse was delivered via an experienced duo of showrunners: Julius Ramsay and Heather Bellson, so this showing felt a little flat, overall.

Rick and his crew are making their way through Richmond, at this point. They are on their way to Washington, D.C.. They hope to find more survivors and possibly answers in American's former seat of governorship. Their journey to this new location is a sour one. They are starving and dying of thirst, while the undead shamble just out of picture. The survivors are offered some help along the way, in the form of water. But, there is no one you can truly trust in the zombie apocalypse. Though, the new character, Aaron (Ross Marquand), does promise "good news." Hopefully, that news does not involve a town full of cannibals.

Daryl turns to self-harm, but why (unexplained)?

A couple of trust test were introduced in this episode. In the final few scenes, Rick and company were offered bottled water from an anonymous source. Too good to be true, only the naive Eugene (Josh McDermitt) jumped at the chance to drink. The others were a little more wary of the gift. Another trust test was introduced late in the episode. Aaron popped out of nowhere, asking to be taken to the group's leader. Is Aaron another wolf in sheep's clothing? Based on previous episodes, Aaron probably has a trick or two up his sleeve.

The tone of this episode was overly dour. Focusing on emotions and dialogue, action elements were minimized and so were conflicts. Instead of excitement, writer Heather Bellson brought a number of sour notes to the screen. A thirsty baby here, a self-destructive Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) there and a crying Daryl (Norman Reedus) over there, all of these short scenes created for a melancholy approach to storytelling. This viewer prefers a more up-beat tone, but the opposite was delivered here.

The sombre approach to storytelling and the lack of intense conflict can partially be related to the inexperience of the filmmakers. The previous episode, "What Happened and What is Going On," was created by showrunners Greg Nicotero and Scott Gimple. These two filmmmakers have dozens of shows under their belt. But, director Julius Ramsay and Heather Bellson have accumulated only four episodes together. Their inexperience could be seen in the pacing within this episode and the shooting style. Scenes seemed to stagger nowhere, fast. Interactions and dialogue served very little purpose. A discussion on a music box is completely irrelevant, when your survival is at stake. Hopefully, with more experience, Ramsay and Bellson will utilize time more effectively and efficiently.

"Them" was one of the weaker episodes of the season. Coming off of two intense episodes ("Coda," "What Happened and What's Going On"), this episode slowed down the show's overall story arc. Very subdued and sombre, "Them" also fell flat in tone and conflict. Developed by a second, more inexperienced filmmaking unit, "Them" was a shaky entry in the series and somewhat underwhelming. Though, future episodes such as "The Distance" promise a return to more compelling television viewing.

Overall: 6.5 out of 10 (too static, quick frame cutting of a zombie attack were laughable, where is the hope?).


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