[rating=4.00] “New Best Friends”
When an already splintered group is struggling to form an alliance with other communities in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, is it normal to be so openly deceptive? That was the second biggest takeaway from this week’s installment of The Walking Dead, “New Best Friends,” which is so cleverly insightful that it may as well have been named by a child.
The episode ambitiously (by comparison) alternates back between two narrative fronts — the Kingdom and their increasingly strained relationship with The Saviors, and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) having to go Mad Max on a zombie that must’ve wandered onto the set from an Iron Maiden album cover.
Back at the Kingdom, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) is still refusing to go to war with the Saviors, despite one of them openly taunting Richard (Carl Makinen) during their routine pickup of goods. It ends with a few cuts and bruises, and while everyone walks away, the Saviors leave with a promise that things “will get visceral” if their attitude continues — a very unsubtle reminder of their absolute dominance, as even the Saviors recognize that they instigated the conflict.
Still, this does nothing to sway the Community Theater King, so Richard takes the newly-welcomed Daryl (Norman Reedus) out to a secret weapons stash, informing him of his master plan. Of course, telling someone who’s been a part of your community for all of 15 seconds might not seem all that well thought through. And after revealing that his plan essentially sets up the hermitic Carol (Melissa McBride) as an sacrificial pawn, Daryl reacts accordingly, promising that he’ll kill Richard if anything happens to her. Up to and including being bitten by a zombie or being struck by lightening.
So, this whole allegiance thing is off to a great start.
Back in Rick’s corner of the world, we’re given a more proper introduction to the Junkyard… gang, I guess? A well-numbered squad dressed in all black and walk around like the villains from Superman II, Rick proposes they join him in their fight against the Saviors, and in typical Walking Dead style, this is all done by describing situations as vaguely as possible, filled with big, dramatic pauses and lots of posturing.
After their leader takes Rick to the “Up up up” (seriously, how many toddlers now work in the writing room?) to survey their CG-rendered junkyard, she muses about the changing times and how their role as scavengers and thieves might be coming to an end.
But before they’re willing to take up arms, Rick has to prove himself in a Thunderdome-style matchup by battling the aforementioned heavy metal zombie covered with spikes. (Also, his name is Winslow, which was pointed out for some reason). Anyway, Rick wins, of course, and they earn themselves a new group of tentative allies. This then led to more infighting with the group, because what better way to celebrate a crucial victory and significant expanse of your opposing force than fucking squabbling with one another?
Of course, for all the bickering throughout this week’s episode, it pales in comparison to the outright lying that Daryl does during his reunion with Carol. As she tearfully explains to Daryl her need to get away from everything — which is still a grossly underwritten character transformation — she asks if everyone in Alexandria is still okay. Daryl, who’s fighting back tears himself, blatantly lies to her, telling her that everything’s fine, aside from their forced subservience to the Saviors.
Daryl’s intention here is to keep Carol safe, but doing it by lying not only seems like it will completely jeopardize their friendship, but its astoundingly shortsighted, considering that Carol single-handedly took down the entire Terminus compound just two seasons ago.
So, between all the deceit, squabbling, and petty infighting, and one extremely temporary alliance, the side we’re supposed to be rooting for is sure on some shaky ground starting off.
