The Walking Dead 914 – Scars
A flashback to the time of Rick’s “death” finds a pregnant Michonne and a nomadic Daryl searching for their missing loved one. Michonne comes across Rick’s discarded gun and they share a moment to reflect on their pain and new stations in life. The flashback soon fades into the present with an injured Henry accompanied by Daryl, Connie and Lydia at the gates of Alexandria. A quick dip into the past again finds Michonne at Alexandria’s front door face to face with an old friend named Jocelyn.
The burden of leadership weighs heavily on Michonne and the lives of others flow through her thoughts at all times. In a heart to heart with Lydia, she shares the toll keeping everyone in Alexandria safe takes on her and with little subtlety lets the young girl know that she’s not exactly welcome in the community. Michonne’s stance while, harsh, is warranted and also has echoes to her friend Jocelyn’s arrival several years prior.
People change over time and the ravages of society’s fall can accelerate the ascension of the darkness that lies within. Even longtime friends can become strangers and Jocelyn’s betrayal has scarred Michonne physically and emotionally. Flipping between the past and present the horrors of mankind are laid bare in Scars to produce perhaps the best episode of the season so far.
The reasons behind Michonne’s transformation and her complex relationship with Judith are finally exposed. Danai Gurira delivers a wonderful performance, not only in the tense moments where she must confront Jocelyn’s children of the corn but in the tender scenes with Judith. Kudos to young Cailey Fleming for her performance as well.
Scars fills in a lot of the missing pieces between Rick’s death and the present timeline. Not only does Michonne’s behavior come into focus but so to does Daryl’s and Judith’s. Michonne has refused to let her guard down since losing Rick and almost losing Judith. Coming to terms with what happened all those years ago has allowed her to heal but in an ironic twist has also endangered the Kingdom.
A fateful ride with a group of unintended passengers, who should have kept their guard up as well, threatens to bring the Whisperers to Ezekiel’s community. The trade fair’s success is even more in doubt now that Alpha potentially knows where her daughter may be hiding. With the season coming to a close the stakes are being raised just in time for the season finale.
