or What I LIKED about this episode if you are uncomfortable committing to a level declaring some degree of love

 

Thora Birch/Gamma was far more interesting character than I had expected. They did a great job of giving us scenes that drove home the depths of her loyalty to Alpha and her belief in their way of life.

I recognized Frances (Gamma’s sister) almost immediately as the woman who brought the baby to Hilltop. Recognizing her did not take away from my ah ha moment at the actual reveal though. I like that we are seeing PTSD play out in the whisperers ranks just as we are seeing Siddiq suffer with the same. They both are experiencing their PTSD at the hand of Alpha.

Although Frances was a flash in the pan kind of character she certainly played a pivotal role in the episode. Gamma’s willingness to sacrifice her sister for Alpha’s safety gave us the visuals of (1) Gamma’s loyalty to Alpha and (2) Alpha’s control. Her breakdown among the “pack” members also gave room to showcase another member who might be longing for a life outside of mask wearing and guardian gathering and thus reinforcing the notion that dissention among the ranks is a festering issue

Through Frances’ breakdown over the loss of her child we are witness to cracks forming within the group. Not all are as loyal Alpha and her way of life as Beta and Gamma.

And what of Beta and Gamma? Why does he hold what I assume is a fair amount of disdain for her? Is it based solely on jealousy? Mistrust? A combination of the two? Is there a history between them that ended badly?

I am relieved that the decision was made to keep Beta’s face hidden from us. I like the mystery of who he is, what he looks like. Though it does seem that Alpha recognized him when she lifted his ski mask. I assume this because she had a slight smile upon the reveal

A great number of people complain about bottle episodes. And goodness knows that yes, Gimple overused them. Kang however does not. And I have to say that while this episode was in fact a bottle episode by definition it did not feel like one. This one worked. I thought the execution worked. The flashbacks and present day back and forth did not feel jarring. The pacing was spot on. While some of the dialogue was not stellar it never felt choppy nor vague. I love that about Kang’s style.

 

What I loved:

There is just so much to say about this episode. I peel off one layer and that seems to lead me to new questions, thoughts, speculations.

Alpha is at war with herself. Present day Alpha, when alone, has these moments where we see glimpses of her vulnerability - and it is always based on Lydia. Granted, even pre ZA Alpha would not have won any mother of the year awards. She is not the typical TWD baddie who was a “good person” before the turn. She is the atypical TWD villain that always harbored this darkness even before the turn. But there are moments, flashes of maternal clarity and I do believe in those brief moments she wishes she could be better for Lydia. But then almost instantaneously the darkness that seems to be her dominant trait is victorious over any modicum of morality that is trying to claw its way out.

This is evident in a scene with young Lydia. Lydia tries to be the person she knows her mother wants her to be. She douses herself in guts and takes off on her own to face the ‘monsters’ When she tells her mom that she wants to be strong, to emulate her mother Alpha at first responds with what seems to be affection and hope. And then her demeanor changes on a dime and tells Lydia “I hope that you will. Because if you can't, I have no choice but to leave you behind”. Sidebar: I also found it interesting that Gamma was also inclined to, in one breath, appear caring in regard to her sister, but then she could instantly tell her that she should have left her behind when she could have. No wonder Alpha is so ready to use Gamma as a replacement for Lydia. Gamma is everything that Alpha wanted in Lydia.

Alpha has everyone believe that she killed Lydia the night that she infiltrated the Kingdom. Even Beta believes that to be the case. So now we have Alpha living this lie that she has created. I am looking forward to watching how Angela Kang will have this play out, how this secret will be the undoing of Alpha. Already we know that Alpha leaves the camp during the night. She is at war with herself and that can be a very dangerous place to be. We then see where it is that she goes. Is this shrine of sorts that she has made for Lydia? The scene with her and Beta is amazing. Samantha Morton knocks it out of the park. She is pained at not having Lydia by her side. She is angry at not having Lydia by her side. And she is scared. Scared that her secret will be found out. Her face….the woman conveys so much just through her expressions, her eyes. It is amazing to watch her bring this character to life. And to see Beta almost challenging her was needed. And while Beta at this point in time is still very loyal to her I do believe that seeds of doubt have been planted. For now Beta may be able to forgive the betrayal but I do think that when (not if) the truth is realized the repercussions may be too great for her to overcome. And I think that it will be Gamma who fans the flames of mutiny.

 

Now for my favorite scene: Going to the deep place

My god this was a riveting scene. The cornfield baby scene was a nail biter. The cemetery in season 9 was creepy. This scene though...this was unnerving, terrifying. I held my breath throughout. The way Nicotero filmed it was beautiful. The quiet manner of Alpha’s tone was almost suffocating for me. I just wanted her to yell and scream - but her quiet voice was SO much worse. And making Frances kneel. I was ready for her to just decapitate her on the spot. But then she gently held her head. And then as the seconds tick by that gentleness becomes something else. I was terrified. The force she was using and the look of calm on her face was scarier than anything I have seen on television in a long LONG time. And that scream - THAT was a blood curdling scream. I know because I think I felt my blood curdle!! But the even with all of that the scariest, creepiest bit was the close up of SMs eyes. So much was portrayed in that beautiful shot. Kudos heaped upon kudos to Samantha Morton for playing it perfectly and to Greg Nicotero for capturing it perfectly. This scene will be in my top three scenes of the entire series. It will be one of those that I can just watch over and over and never tire of.

I know that at some point Alpha will be taken out. And I know at that point I will experience a bit of TWD depression because damn she has been such a fun character to follow. For me she has been the most interesting character in the entire series and thank god Angela Kang was the one leading this arc.

 

The more I have thought about last nights episode the more I find myself questioning Gamma's motivation. At first I was ready to believe that she opted to drink the pitcher of Alpha Kool-Aid rather than just a glass of the juice!

But more and more I too am wondering if there is something else bubbling under the surface. I do think that she fully believes in their so called mission BUT I do question the level of her loyalty. More so I question what exactly her motivation is. I now think it is more than mere hero worship, more than just a means to stay alive. I think now with Alpha's approval Gamma will begin to crave more than just being third in command. And that craving may end up playing a large role in Alphas downfall

I may not have mentioned this but I LOVE Samantha Morton!