Walking Dead: “The Distance” Review

A ‘Lil Review

Walking Dead: “The Distance”

Season 5, Episode 10 (February 22, 2015)

Is this a trap, or can Aaron be trusted? Another intriguing episode of The Walking Dead.

When last week’s episode ended, Sasha and Maggie were grieving equally with the losses of the perspective siblings: Tyreese and Beth. They both realized that they need to continue hoping and moving forward. Just as they came to that resolution a newcomer appeared to the group seeking to speak with Rick about an opportunity.

As the episodes begins, Saha and Maggie take Aaron to Rick, where the group immediately tie him up and try to see exactly what he is talking about. He then tells Rick and the group that his job is to “audition” people to see if they would be good for his group, and if they are invite them back to his community. He shows the group pictures of his community, as well as the enhanced security there. Because of their past history in regards to trusting strangers, Rick is untrusting and immediately punches Aaron out.

Michonne is a little more trusting and thinks that Aaron might be who he says he is. Maggie feels Aaron can be trusted because he could have attacked them anytime he wanted, but didn’t. Rick is still not so sure and has the group go through Aaron’s belongings, which contain a flare gun. Rick guesses this would be used to signal nearby members of his group and would attack Rick and them. Rick asks Aaron how many people does he have in his group. Aaron knows that Rick and the group would not believe him no matter what number he gives, so he toys with him a bit throwing numbers like 50, but then calms them down with the truth saying that it is only him and one other. He tells Rick that he is the one who left the water on the road last episode.

Michonne thinks that the group should at least check out his story and try to find the other person that he is with. Rick stays behind to with baby Judith to guard Aaron. He tells Aaron that if his group doesn’t return within an hour, he will kill him. At the barn, Judith starts crying, which leads Aaron to tell Rick that he has some applesauce to feed her to keep her quiet. He knows that if the Walkers come by after hearing her cries Rick would toss Aaron out to distract them. Rick is untrusting of the applesauce and forces Aaron to eat it first. Aaron tells him he would not poison a baby, but Rick makes him eat it either way.

The rest of the group search for Aaron’s missing car. After killing a few Walkers they find the car. So far Aaron’s story checks out. They head back to the barn where they decide to go forward with Aaron. Rick is still suspicious, but is overruled by the group. As they follow Aaron, they insist that they drive, so he is not leading them into a trap.

Michonne has a one on one with Rick where she is telling him about needing to trust. Rick then references Woodbury and Terminus and how when they arrived to those places, they could not hear anything and that was the sign that they were places that he now knows he shouldn’t have trusted.

Once in the car, Aaron makes small talk about his license plate collection he wants to put on the wall in his house. Michonne is impressed that he has his own house. As Aaron continues to show pictures of his community, Michonne notices that none of the pictures actually have people in them. Aaron shrugs it off that the picture was out of focus. She then feels that Aaron should have been asked “the questions.” After Aaron answers them, Rick finds a long-range listening device in the glove compartment which worries the group, but also distracts them. Glenn took his eyes off the road and drives through a herd of Walkers. The blood and guts cover the car so much it is no longer drivable.

As the group exits the car, they notice a flare go into the air. Aaron is alarmed and starts running towards the flare. Rick and the group also begin walking towards the flare, fighting Walkers in their way. As the group gets separated, Glenn sees a Walker attacking a still tied up Aaron. He cuts him loose after saving his life and then the two go off looking for Rick and Michonne. After Rick and Michonne run out of bullets, Rick shoots Aaron’s flare at a Walker and then begins using his knife. The two are then saved by Glenn and Aaron and the four of them run towards the flare.

When the group arrive to a water tower where the flare was launched from, Aaron is screaming for Eric. In the building Maggie and the rest of the group are there along with Eric. The audience is then introduced to Eric, who had broken his leg. Aaron is very concerned, and then the audience learns that Aaron and Eric and boyfriends. They joke about gaining an additional license plate, and wrecking the car. Aaron thanks the group for helping Eric and tells them that he will repay them when they get to Alexandria.

The next day they are all in an RV heading towards Alexandria. Aaron and Noah have a chat about injuries. Aaron tells Noah that they have a surgeon in their community that can help him with his leg. Abraham is driving with Rosita in the front when they see the Washington Monument and a newfound hope grows within the group. The RV runs out of battery power, only for Glenn to fix it from something he learned from Dale (from season 2).

Michonne and Rick once again have a small chat about being able to trust and let someone in. Before they continue, he stashes a sidearm at a local garbage can (in case it needs to be used for later).

The group gets to the gates of the Alexandria community. Rick listens and hears children playing instead of silence. Maybe this will be a good place for them after all.

Thoughts:

We all knew this episode was not going to be an action-packed episode, but one that would be great on character development. The central theme of “can Aaron be trusted” was also explored. It’s still not 100% clear that he can be trusted, but he’s done everything right at this point.

Speaking of character development, Michonne is changing every episode. She was first introduced on the show as the quiet ninja assassin. Now she is becoming hopeful and willing to trust. He attitude has been changing as well. She also challenged Rick in front of the group and helps him “come to the light” as well. Based on some of their interaction, there might now be a romantic connection between the two of them brewing.

Speaking of Rick, he seems to be going closer and closer to the dark side. After The Governor and Terminus, who can blame him. He’s not trusting anyone beyond his group, no matter what they do. Even after they decide to go to Alexandria, he still feels the need to stash an additional gun out of town in case it’s needed.

Rick: why didn’t you go loot a car seat from a store somewhere? Why would you just have an infant on the back seat laid down without even a seat belt?!?

The Walking dead introduced it’s first gay character. Wait… did they? Tara was already introduced and she was a lesbian character and it was pretty much shrugged off by the audience. However, I cannot recall ever any onscreen kiss she had. When Aaron and Eric were introduced to the audience as a couple, they did so via them kissing. Watching some social media reactions, many were shocked. But if you knew the comic book (or read my last blog), you would know that he was gay.

Next week should be interesting because we will finally see the community Aaron was talking about a hopefully the group will be able to have some peace and quiet.

Comics vs. TV Show:

Aaron is pretty much the same he was in the comic book. He was introduced as the emissary of the Alexandria Safe Zone who recruits Rick and the group to join them. When he first meets them, he is met with skepticism. Ultimately Rick warms up to him and in the comic he eventually becomes one of Rick’s best friends in Alexandria. The next few episodes should be very interesting as it will show Rick and the group as they integrate into the Alexandria Safe Zone, as well as deal with the dangers that will come forward.

Until next week.

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