Sunday, February 22, 2015

"The Distance" to Alexandria Shortens on "The Walking Dead:" A Television Review

Director: Larysa Kondracki.

Writer: Seth Hoffman.

Cast: Andrew Lincoln, Ross Marquand, Danai Gurira and Norman Reedus.

"The Walking Dead" continues with Seas. 5, Epis. 11, titled "The Distance." That distance was shrunk between the survivors and Alexandria. Here, the new character, Aaron (Ross Marquand), promised safety and refuge, but what does he get in return? The group split on this episode, between trusting and mistrusting Aaron. And, Rick was leading the mistrusting camp. Still, everyone found themselves safely at Alexandria, after surviving a bloody zombie road trip. At Alexandria, a new story arc will be started, for at least a few episodes. Overall, "The Distance" offered an intriguing, plot driven showing.

In this episode, Aaron was introduced to the crew. A recruiter for a remote community, Aaron offered shelter, community and a new chance. But, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) has been jaded by his experiences at Woodbury and Terminus. Most people are not trustworthy in the zombie apocalypse. Still, Michonne (Danai Gurira) is more optimistic. With a further vote from Glenn (Steven Yeun), the whole group is heading to Alexandria, but for what? What lies in store for these resolute survivors, in future episodes?

Aaron appears to be trustworthy. He is clean shaven, well dressed and a smooth talker. But, his promises appear to be too-good-to-be-true. If there is safety at Alexandria, then the show should be winding down, now. But, there are still several seasons ahead. So, some sort of conflict will be introduced in this new location. It will be curious to see what Aaron is hiding, behind his smiling veneer.

The crux of this episode lay in Alexandria. Is this location as Aaron promises? There is very little evidence to suggest that Alexandria is a completely safe location. Though, Alexandria's large gates and laughing children suggest the potential for a respite from the dangers of a zombie apocalypse. Previews for a future episodes show quiet city streets and empty homes. So, the community is sparsely populated. The location also looks well maintained. However, the community of people will determine Rick's fate and the group's safety.

Where will the show end up now? This viewer believes that Rick and the group will stake out a living in Alexandria, for at least a couple of episodes. But, their journey will continue to Washington, after the mystery of Alexandria is revealed. What mystery does Alexandria house? Without having read the source material, everything is conjecture. But, Rick and his co' are likely to be pressed for reciprocity. They are utilizing a community's safe location, after all. So, the survivors will be expected to participate in some sort of unappealing way, to the community of Alexandria. Any further conjecture would be pointless, with so little revealed of Aaron and the new location.

"The Distance" was a curious episode. There were a few solid action sequences introduced, on the journey to Alexandria. A firefight in the dark was especially well done. Also, Michonne's characterizations is a little overwrought. With her experiences at Woodbury and Terminus, it would be expectant that she would be more jaded and lest trusting of other survivors. Although, Rick is on the other spectrum and too untrusting. These two characters appear as a foil to each other, with future episodes of the show promising more mystery and conflict.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.

A clip of this episode is available here:

A "The Distance" Preview Clip on 28DLA


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