TWD 5x12 "Remember" episode discussion... **SPOILERS WITHIN*

[MinionZombie]

Why would this congress lady so readily allow Rick into her house? The two gay guys walked through the gates with the group. How did they have time to vouch for the group? The lady said herself they haven't opened the gate in a long time(if I correctly recall). Aaron and Eric are the chosen guys who go out into the world to find new additions to the group, so they're trusted to make the right call as to who gets in through those gates. If you're at the gates you're already trusted enough, but there'd still be a trial period to see how things work out - however, Aaron and Eric had been following them for a good three weeks or thereabouts. They're extremely cautious about who they even approach, let alone bring to Alexandria and guide through the gates. Some nice little bits of information - such as the area having been cleared out of people at the start of it all, hence the place being fairly deserted beyond Alexandria's walls - explained an awful lot in a simple sentence; I like that kind of stuff as it answers various questions attached to their situation. Alexandria is a soft touch and I think Monroe has realised that - they've banished three people recently - and I think that has alerted her to the need for some genuine badass goodies who have been surviving out in the world to come and be their new law enforcement/protectors. Architects, politicians, hair dressers, cooks - the people of Alexandria were just ordinary folk who were lucky enough to be escorted to that haven and survive there in a very sheltered environment. Even their scavengers who go searching beyond the walls have had an easy time of it (the skin-flaying walker was grim-but-amazing) - so I loved it when Glenn laid down some truth - he should have bitch-slapped him with some truth as Glenn was doing runs in and out of Atlanta on his own in the early days in a walker infested city; he's a maestro at it.

[shootemindehead]

One of the best episodes in what is probably The Walking Dead's best series so far. Love how the group have almost become the thing they hated about other people. That is they are willing to take what isn't theirs, if others don't "work out" as it were. Something stinks about this place though. But, it's 'The Walking Dead', so you know something is going to go pear shaped eventually. So far Gimple has been blowing the crap out of Glen Mazzara's, let's be honest, poor effort in comparison. One very minor gripe, it was pretty signposted that Mr. ROTC was going to turn out to be a dick as soon as he mentioned ROTC.

[MoonSylver]

One very minor gripe, it was pretty signposted that Mr. ROTC was going to turn out to be a dick as soon as he mentioned ROTC. Pretty true to life though. Some people just can't wait to broadcast their dickdom. As soon as they open their mouths, you've got their number. He reminds me of a guy I work with TBH.

[Buzzbomb]

The last couple of episodes have been great, well executed & leaving me with lots to ponder over... The groups' current position reminds me of Darren & Merle within the Atlanta camp - one eye on taking what they can and yet sticking with it to see where it leads. The last shot once again echoed the governor's eye-patch... Then there's the question over Rick's missing stashed gun, and Edith(?) going walk-about & the 3 exiles... I loved the interaction between Rick & Carl in the woods. The 'interview' responses were also interesting - I think Herschel & Dale passed on their moral compass to Glen... Rick has been & is on a 'knife edge' between the person he was and the governor's 'anything is justified' approach to protecting his family. The "You can't go back" recurrent theme of this series is also something that springs to mind. Like war veterans (of several generations) having a hard time adjusting to 'normal' life... Team Rick are in various ways finding it difficult to reintegrate & likewise the citizens of Alexandria are like ostriches with their heads in the sand = It'll probably go all FUBAR pretty soon. I look forward to seeing how Darryl adapts, or doesn't... PS - Re: the metal poles supports being outside rather than inside the walls - I reckon this was just an economic thing as they presumably have to show more of the inside of Alexandria than the outside, so it's cheaper & quicker for the TV bods to do...

[Neil]

Nit pick mode: Ideally, at least in my view, I'd prefer to have the support beams for the walls on the inside rather than on the outside. Yes! Very odd! Couldn't fathom that!

[Publius]

But it’s a rule that applies to every resident of Alexandria and is just one of the many reasons why Carl, Carol and Rick can already see that the people of this community are weak. The rule applies to every resident except for the hand-picked guards, one of which happens to be the leader's son. But even assuming there's no nefarious motive to the public disarmament rule (e.g. removing means of resistance to keep the people docile), what are they supposed to do if the wall is breached somehow? Rick's group has seen it happen before. - - - Updated - - - Then there's the question over Rick's missing stashed gun, and Edith(?) going walk-about & the 3 exiles... Enid. I wonder whether she has the gun. She was watching Rick's group from outside the wall at least by the time they got to the gate.

[Moon Knight]

I don't think Enid has the gun. Too obvious, but of course I could be wrong. Whoever took that piece also planted that Walker as a trap. I least that's my theory. Another brilliant touch was we finally got a sense of time! Deanna telling Rick the time and proceeded by Rick setting his watch brought a smile to my face. It's those little things we all forget.

[Neil]

Enid. I wonder whether she has the gun. She was watching Rick's group from outside the wall at least by the time they got to the gate. Yes, what is the importance of the gun going missing!?

[MinionZombie]

Another brilliant touch was we finally got a sense of time! Deanna telling Rick the time and proceeded by Rick setting his watch brought a smile to my face. It's those little things we all forget. Aye, I liked that too - as well as Rick immediately setting his watch to the right time ... in some ways it's quite an alienating thing, knowing what the definite time of day it is, rather than just an approximation after all that time out in the wild. I'd imagine the Alexandria crowd also know exactly what day it is - Team Rick probably only know what month it is. I'm really looking forward to seeing how our battle-weary gang are going to cope within this very normal setting. It's like a fresh new direction and a change of pace, a new avenue to explore, and I'm super excited to see where things go from here. What are people's thoughts on Deanna? How much do you trust her - do you trust her?

[Moon Knight]

Aye, I liked that too - as well as Rick immediately setting his watch to the right time ... in some ways it's quite an alienating thing, knowing what the definite time of day it is, rather than just an approximation after all that time out in the wild. I'd imagine the Alexandria crowd also know exactly what day it is - Team Rick probably only know what month it is. I'm really looking forward to seeing how our battle-weary gang are going to cope within this very normal setting. It's like a fresh new direction and a change of pace, a new avenue to explore, and I'm super excited to see where things go from here. What are people's thoughts on Deanna? How much do you trust her - do you trust her? I trust Deanna. Her explanation as to why they want the gang in Alexandria is very believable and makes perfect sense. She knows they are weak, she knows her son is a douchebag, she knows they can't be safe forever, she knows they NEED The Survivors. I like her and I can't wait to see her develop more.

[Trin]

This episode was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed seeing a new survivor group, a new layout, a new dynamic. Alexandria was a nice departure from the kinds of groups we've seen to date. That assumes they don't turn into cannibals next week, of course. I don't know where they are going with Rick but I don't like it. Last week he was a psychopath. He attacked, detained, robbed, and repeatedly threatened to kill Aaron, not to mention almost getting the entire group killed. This week he was a little better, but that ending comment... blah. Did Deanna's ability to read people clue her in that he's thinking about stealing their stuff and taking their place because they are weak? Shame on you Rick. I'd stand up and clap if next week opens with Michonne spending half the episode bitch-slapping Rick. I didn't like the Carol acting job, either. Yes, it was clever. But it rubbed me the wrong way. She came off as self-serving and conniving and - once again - her unilateral decisions pose a threat to the group. Daryl, Carl, Michonne - I thought they were all good. Interesting twists, plausible actions, good performances. And Glenn - Booyah! The high point of the episode was Glenn getting fired up. His actions and behaviors seemed genuine, balanced, and in keeping with the ethics we expect from the group. Kudos to Deanna for backing him up. Great interaction all around. Deanna - I like her assuming we're seeing Alexandria without some huge sinister underpinning that she's hiding. Right now we don't know much. They have an idyllic setting, but we know they've lost people recently, and had turmoil in the past. I think they're desperate given how open they've been to our little group of malcontents. Personally, I hope Alexandria turns out to be exactly what we see of it. I'd like to see the conflict come from the outside for a change. Maybe even from the zombies?!?

[Moon Knight]

^ I wouldn't say Alexandria would just let anyone in. They followed and watched Rick's group for a couple of weeks. I love this Rick. He's very unpredictable. I love it.

[shootemindehead]

What are people's thoughts on Deanna? How much do you trust her - do you trust her? She's a politician... ...so no.

[Publius]

They followed and watched Rick's group for a couple of weeks. So they know the whole group put together is about as competent as Aaron and Eric by themselves. Or less competent, maybe, given that Aaron and Eric were basically running circles around them without being seen, in the same threat environment that Rick's group was moving through.

[Trin]

^ I wouldn't say Alexandria would just let anyone in. They followed and watched Rick's group for a couple of weeks. I love this Rick. He's very unpredictable. I love it. No, they wouldn't let in just anyone. And the group probably portrayed itself pretty well if all you saw was them walking along a road dying of thirst. But if I were Aaron by the end of my first day with Team Rick I would've led them off a cliff. Starting with Rick. I told the guy where my vehicles were parked and he promptly stole them, leaving my partner stranded in the woods, claimed my food and told everyone to eat up, and almost got me killed dragging me smack into a zombie riddled back road. There's caution... and then there's telling me he's going to kill me every 5 minutes. I'm still cheesed over a season of Rick hallucinating and acting insane. That was really a slog of TWD episodes for me. It looks like we're gearing up for a repeat, possibly with Daryl losing it too. I was hoping for a half season of good solid behavior out of the group. The rest of the group was fine. They showed a health dose of caution but remained civil. I'm loving Michonne in this story arc. Yay sanity! So they know the whole group put together is about as competent as Aaron and Eric by themselves. Or less competent, maybe, given that Aaron and Eric were basically running circles around them without being seen, in the same threat environment that Rick's group was moving through. Booyah! It's going to be interesting to see what has motivated Alexandria to seek new blood. Done right, Team Rick could integrate and positively influence this community. They clearly could add great skills and manpower. I'm just worried that the writers are using this as a vehicle to display our beloved survivors as the bad guys.