‘The Walking Dead 8×06: The King, The Widow & Rick’ Review
So, the first battles of the war in The Walking Dead is done, and the Saviours are trapped inside their base. Things in The Walking Dead are slowing back down again while the characters have to think on their actions, and what the future brings.
This week, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) makes a visit to the junk yard to try to get Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) to change sides again. Ezekiel is left in mourning and gets a pep talk from Carol (Melissa McBride), and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) makes a decision about the prisoners that Jesus (Tom Payne).
While Rick, Ezekiel, and Maggie may be the focus of the episode this week, there are also things going on with characters that were in the background during the war. This includes Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rosita (Christian Serratos). The confrontation they have with two of the Saviours shows they aren’t ready to be back into battle just yet. It is a nice piece of action in a quiet episode though.
Carl (Chandler Riggs) has another encounter with Siddiq (Avi Nash) and it is refreshing to see how much Carl has grown up. One of the few characters at the moment who have a respect for the life that still survives in a world full of the dead, the friendship that seems to be building between the two is actually nice to see.
Carol’s wake up call to Ezekiel is something that is needed, and this is emphasised by Henry (Macsen Lintz) and his refusal to give up his need to fight to get payback for his brother. This people of the Kingdom need a leader to show them the way, and the only person to be this leader is Ezekiel, even if he is a broken man.
Carol is a character that is similar to him, as is Morgan. They have both reached that moment of wanting to give up, but had to be pulled back into the reality of the world they now live in. In a selfish way, the audience want Ezekiel back to his normal self too, even if we understand his pain and fully understand the darkness that has taken over.
The fact that the Saviours are now controlled within their compound removes them from this episode (other than the prisoners). This makes for a quieter episode where we get a chance to breathe. The fact that Rick is willing to put himself in danger to try and get Jadis on his side, may be a risk that he shouldn’t have taken, but he took it. It looks like next week we’ll get an answer from them. It is safe to assume Jadis and her group are going to be investigating the claims that Rick has made.
While there isn’t too much focus on it, the theme of life is still dominant this week. Whether it be the prisoners who are being used as a pawn and still face death, or it is Carl looking to make contact with strangers, instead of killing them straight off, life is finding a way. There is a look to the future when the Saviours are defeated, when people can live in peace. While some characters (Daryl and Tara as an example) may be bloodthirsty; not all are, and that is what is important for the future.
The Walking Dead is taking an interesting route right now, and while some fans may not like it, at least it makes for an interesting season. We can expect the Saviours to get out of their zombie surrounded compound soon enough though, and that will be when we get back to the war.
****½ 4.5/5
The Walking Dead airs at 9pm on Fox in the UK on Mondays.
