The Walking Dead: Ep. 610 The Next World
After a bloody and gripping episode last week, The Walking Dead opted for a lighter tone tonight with an episode filled with some unexpected humor, unusual twists and a nod to some of the best buddy cop duos of the past.
In The Next World, things in Alexandria have returned to normal and the episode begins with Rick and Michonne in a domestic scene that at first viewing seems like a dream sequence. The normalcy of the first few minutes of The Next World is in stark contrast to the bloodbath that comprised most of last week’s episode. The shift in tone, while unexpected, was welcome as it gave the audience a chance to see members of the cast share screen time together. The first half of Season 6 employed a disjointed timeline to tell the narrative with mixed results. While it was effective in telling the story, it denied viewers and the actors from enjoying one of the show’s strengths: the chemistry between cast members.
Before Daryl heads out on the road with Rick, Denise asks him for a special request. Their humorous exchange not only highlights their different personalities but also the subtle differences in the regions they’re originally from. It’s a small but nice touch in the script that focuses on some of the mundane, regular aspects of life in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
It’s been weeks since the walker purge of Alexandria and Daryl and Rick go off in search of supplies. Their journey uncovers an unexpected bounty and leads them on a humorous adventure involving a mysterious stranger. Rick and Daryl’s adventure, or more appropriately, misadventure is the closest thing The Walking Dead will probably ever come to featuring a buddy cop dynamic. The scenes between Daryl and Rick were so enjoyable that they evoked some of the best duos in TV and film. Their cat and mouse game with the stranger even had a touch of the classic Peter Sellers Pink Panther movies. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Andrew Lincoln compared Rick and Daryl to Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Personally, I’d sign up to watch a show featuring those two as partners inside or outside of The Walking Dead universe (Make it happen AMC!). Their chemistry is undeniable and it will be nice to see them interact with the rest of the main cast again in future episodes.
The Next World wasn’t all laughs however. The episode featured some heavy hearts and difficult decisions for some of the characters. It brought back a little of the love and everyday humanity that was lost in all of the carnage of the previous episodes. The Next World’s humorous tone won’t last forever though as there are several questions, from this episode and the ones before it, that are yet to be answered. Answers, that Rick and the group may not welcome with open arms.
