The Walking Dead 1007 – Open Your Eyes
While watching Open Your Eyes I couldn’t help but feel that The Walking Dead had turned into a Cold War spy thriller. The heavy reliance on the differences between the prosperity of the communities and the bare bones existence of the Whisperers elicited thoughts of citizens trapped in the harsh realities of communist counties of yesteryear compared to their counterparts in the so called decadent West.
When Carol begins interrogating the Whisperer she captured she tries to seduce him with fresh bread and an array of jams in a bid to get some intel on Alpha and her people. Her gambit fails forcing her to resort to more unpleasant measures to get what she wants. Daryl has no qualms playing along with Carol’s bad cop routine until it involves bringing Lydia into the fray. Daryl wants to spare the kid any more trauma but Carol sees her as the only thing that could get their prisoner to talk.
Unfortunately for all involved the Whisperer doesn’t get the chance to spill the beans courtesy of some apparent malpractice on Siddiq’s part. Survivors’ guilt has torn him apart and the screams and bloodshed of his friends at Alpha’s hands continue to terrorize him. Rosita comes to his aid and after some tough talk tries her best to lift his spirits.
Gamma and Aaron have their own little meeting of the minds during Open Your Eyes. The ice between them begins to thaw after a couple of encounters. During their conversations Aaron attempts to make Gamma realize that they have more in common than they may want to admit. Gamma’s resolve in all things Whisperers begins to waver until she gets a stern talking to from Alpha. Re-energized, Gamma decides to make Aaron give up some intel and almost succeeds until she sees Lydia appear out of the darkness with Carol.
Carol has become a frustrating character this season. From her rejection of Ezekiel to her manipulation of Lydia her decision making is not only putting her at odds with Daryl but no doubt the some of the viewers as well. When she finally succeeds in shattering Lydia’s trust near the end of the episode, it’s apparent that Carol is going down the same path Rick did when he started to mirror Negan a few season’s back.
Open Your Eyes is a solid episode and the twist, although unexpected, does occur in time for the mid-season hiatus. You can almost hear the episode’s title ringing in several of the character’s ears but for some the clarion call comes too late. Gamma is forced to reassess Alpha now that she knows Lydia is alive. Lydia is somewhere off in the darkness trying to come to terms with being betrayed by those she trusts and Siddiq’s moment of clarity leads to his demise. The intrigue is ramping up and with the revelation that Dante is a Whisperer plant it’s evident that Alpha is indeed living up to her name.
