The Walking Dead: The Next World

Set two months after the completion of the mid-season premiere, The Next World, was a time to take a pause from the craziness of the last episode, and start to set up story lines for future episodes. Although I like the general approach of this episode, what I didn’t care much for was that only two months later it seems as if nothing was made of Carl losing his eye, or Rick losing Jesse (more on that later), or the community being nearly decimated by a zombie horde. There should have been at least some mention or reflection upon that.

Jesus
This episode introduces a character from the graphic novels, Jesus. Rick and Darryl are off searching for supplies when they hit a jackpot of food and supplies on a cargo truck. After stopping at a gas station, they encounter Jesus (no, not the Savior of Christianity but some dude who kind of looks like Him). I liked how Jesus duped them and took the truck, and also how Rick and Darryl reclaimed it. The part that was utterly ridiculous was how Jesus somehow untied himself from the ropes that bound him and overtook the truck. I’m sorry but this just isn’t humanly possible. It would take him at least a couple of minutes to undo the ropes, even if he is Houdini. The truck had to be going at least thirty miles per hour and no human being would be able to overtake it. Sorry, this was an epic fail in terms of believability. When they lost the truck during the fight against Jesus, I groaned. What an awful waste of much needed resources. Having said that, I do like the character of Jesus and could see some real possibilities for him.

Carl and Enid
These are two dreadful characters, so it makes perfect sense that they should be a quasi-couple. I have no real idea what Carl was trying to accomplish out in the woods, even after his half-hearted explanation to Michonne. This has to be my least favorite couple on the show.

Spencer
Spencer is a bit of a lost soul with his family biting the dust. That they killed off the rest of them would suggest that Spencer is not long for the world of The Walking Dead. Just look at Jesse’s family. They were all eliminated from existence in less than one season. At least he got some closure with his mom.

Rick and Michonne
This story line is not working for me at all. For one thing, it’s only been a couple of months since Rick lost his last woman, and now in the very next episode, he’s hooking up with Michonne. It makes his last relationship seem trite and unimportant. Also, the two of them as a couple just doesn’t work for me. I think they work well as close friends and allies, but not as an item. Not to mention, Rick’s women don’t last very long. This doesn’t bode well for Michonne’s existence in the zombie apocalypse.