The Walking Dead
Episode 6.3 “Thank You”
Directed by Michael Slovis
Written by Angela Kang
Starring Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohen, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Michael Cudlitz, Lennie James
AMC
Air date: Sunday, October 25, 2015, 9pm

Warning – SPOILERS for The Walking Dead Episode 6.3 “Thank You”

Last week’s The Walking Dead, Episode 6.2 “JSS” showed us what happened when the Wolves attacked the citizens of the Alexandria Safe Zone while the Rick and his group — the bulk of the “fighters” — were leading the Walkers away from the area.

This week, in Episode 6.3 “Thank You,” we see what happened with Rick and his group while the Alexandrians — led by Carol — were defending their homes. Rick’s team heard the loud horn sounding near the Safe Zone, which then drew the Walkers back there, so they had to decide: do they go forward in their mission to lead the Walkers far away, or do they run back home to protect their people?

In the end, Rick realizes that they can’t abandon their mission because they still have half the herd following them away from the Safe Zone, so they have to keep going. But, they still have to get the other half of the Walkers who were diverted. That means, the group has to break up again, and come up with a new plan.

Let me tell you something about this episode: For 45 minutes, I was like, what exactly is this new plan for Rick and his group? This one goes here, that one goes there, Rick gets an RV, what is Daryl doing? I don’t know. I know they want to get to the feed store, and Glenn was going to set it on fire. But really, this episode just seemed to me like a reason to kill off a bunch of people whose names we don’t know, namely, the people who had little faith in Rick. If you’ve been watching The Walking Dead from the start, then you likely have faith in Rick. And he tells it like it is.

For instance upfront, Rick tells Michonne and Glenn that not everyone is going to make it. #TRUTH. Let’s face it, even people like Rick and Daryl are at risk of “not making it” — it’s the way of the world now. So, imagine these Zonies with no experience, who for some reason after all this are still whiny bitches?

Anyhow, if I were part of this world/group/team, etc., I’d have said, “Hey, if I fall and Walkers start eating me, please fucking shoot me in the head.” There were too many people in this episode who were attacked who should have been put out of their misery beforehand. Three people: Limping girl, Limping guy, and Bit Guy. Also, both limping characters said that they should be left behind because they were slowing down the mission. Ok, great, good, that’s a good attitude. WHY let them fall and get eaten??? This really frustrates me.

Bit Guy, he knew that his time was limited, but he just wanted to get back to his wife to say good-bye, which I understand. I would want that too, but you can tell that since he knew he was already a goner, he helped everyone else get over that fence first. He didn’t make it, but at least he went out honorably. WHY everyone just WATCHED him get eaten, I don’t know, because they easily could have stabbed him in the head to put him out of his misery.

I’m having a hard time writing this story up because some shit went down that I’m still in shock over. We’ll get to that in a minute.

Look, let’s face some facts: These people would 100% already be dead of malnutrition by now. Also, what is there even to live for at this point? But, obviously, these survivors are still alive because they are resilient, and also have the strength to carry on. They’ve found something to live for. For people like Rick, Michonne, Glenn, and Daryl, their reason to live is to help others live; to be the protectors. Right now, Michonne and Glenn are people who are willing to risk everything to help others, even if it means endangering their own lives.

In this episode, there’s this overall fear of being “left behind.” The fear is strong because the Alexandrians are people who have consistently left others in their group behind. That’s why they don’t trust that warriors like Rick and Michonne won’t abandon the weaker people to save their own skin. What they don’t know is how many people Rick and his group have saved, and in so many ways — physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Watching Bit Guy struggle to live through the episode without turning, hoping to get home to say good-bye to his wife, is something we don’t get to see on The Walking Dead. Michonne repeatedly assured him that he will get home. What we didn’t know is that Bit Guy’s story was a diversion. Everything he was feeling and saying is something another character will never get to say:

Glenn.

Glenn and Nicholas go off together to find the feed store to burn it down, but they are overcome by Walkers. It seemed like there was no way for them to survive. And… there wasn’t. Nicholas was smart enough to realize this, and do something about it — shoot himself in the head. First, he thanked Glenn for helping him redeem himself. Once the gun goes off, both Glenn and Nicholas fall off the dumpster they were on and right into a pit of Walkers, who then proceed to tear Glenn apart.

As I was writing notes about the episode and I came upon this scene, here’s what I started writing as I was screaming at the TV:

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? NO!!! WHAT THE FUCKING FUCKS FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY WHY WHY WHY NO NO NO FUCK FUCK FUCK WHY WHY WHY!!!!! THIS IS FUCKING HORRIBLE.

I pretty much felt this way for the remainder of the episode, and the only thing that snapped me out of my shock just a little bit was the sequence with Rick in the RV, because I suddenly became terrified that Rick was going to be killed. And I’ll tell you this much: I would NEVER get over Rick’s death, ever. He has been my favorite character from the start, and he still is.

So, Rick is in the RV. He’s trying to get in touch with Glenn… no answer (FUCK!); Tobin… no answer; Daryl… thank god, there he is. Rick is planning to head back to where Abe and Sasha are driving, leading the Walkers away from the Safe Zone. But, out of nowhere, two of the Wolves break through the door and attack Rick! This is when I stopped thinking about Glenn, and was like, please no no no, not Rick! Thankfully, he dispatches both opponents. He then sees more attackers sneaking up along the side of the RV, so he machine-guns them right through the RV! THAT’S RIGHT! Too bad then the RV won’t start, and Walkers are coming out of the woods, drawn by all the machine gun fire. Really? Please, I can’t handle this.

Glenn, is, undisputedly, one of the best characters in every way. He is the one in the very beginning who risked his life to help save Rick, a man he didn’t even know. He’s consistently went out of his way to help others and save people. While Glenn isn’t a blanket pacifist like Morgan has become, he also doesn’t subscribe to Rick’s kill ’em all edict either. Glenn could have — and would have been justified to — kill Nicholas after he repeatedly did things to endanger the group AND he tried to kill Glenn. But instead, Glenn not only let him live, he taught him how to properly defend himself, and gave him a chance to redeem himself, which he did.

By the way, there is some doubt as to whether Glenn is definitely dead. Nicholas did fall on top of Glenn when they hit the ground, and it could be that the Walkers are actually chomping on Nicholas’ body, not Glenn’s. But, really, there’s no way for Glenn to survive this encounter. Even if someone were to show up to rescue him, he’s surrounded and nearly buried underneath a horde of Walkers. There’s no way for him to get out without a bite or scratch.

If Glenn turns up to be alive, I will be so relieved. I truly will. But man will I be furious at the show for making me feel this way right now.

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