The Walking Dead S6E13: The Same Boat

The 13th episode of the season featured a hostage negotiation after Rick and crew successfully raided what they believed was Negan’s main compound. But it was the psychological walk through the mind of Carol that carried the strength of this episode. Afterword, on Talking Dead, Paul Feig called Carol the best female character on television right now. I think he has a good argument there. (Spoilers ahead)

Alicia Witt guest starred in this episode as Paula, the leader of a small group of saviors which took Carol and Maggie hostage. Her leadership and decisiveness was juxtaposed against Carol’s play-acting the entire episode and she did a terrific job. In a string of scenes that almost began to bog down the episode, she relays some specifics of the background of her character. It is here that we find out she has come to embrace the murderous mentality that seems to be the norm in this world. It’s a mentality we have seen Carol embrace in the recent past. But now, as well as in the previous episode, we see some layers of her tough exterior begin to apparently wither away. As much as I would love to discuss some plot strategy, the chemistry of this small group of saviors, or the interrogation of Maggie by the woman who had also been pregnant in the past, Melissa McBride knocks this performance so far out of the park that I simply must spend the majority of this review singing her praises and examining her character.

Recall if you will to the close of the first half of the season when Morgan and Carol are in the midst of their show down, arguing over whether to kill the wolf that Morgan stowed away. I commented then that I wondered if Carol wasn’t actually entertaining Morgan’s philosophy of not killing. With these last two episodes in the bag I think it is safe to say that Morgan has had an impact on Carol. Perhaps larger than she would like to admit. In Not Tomorrow Yet, before she goes with Rick to raid Negan’s compound, Carol comes to grips with how many people she has killed. We see her troubled by the number; 18. Something happened in her psyche such that facing that reality bothered her whereas before she seemed to give it no thought. There are moments in this episode in particular where this reflection on the past has caused a type of hesitancy in her actions that we had not seen in Carol in a long time. As if the victimized version of this character from the first couple of seasons had returned, and the strong, take charge Carol of the recent past was beginning to crumble.

But then there are moments that bring suspicion to this idea. Quick glances or subtle smirks when she’s talking with Paula that almost lead you to believe it is all an act in order to have her captors bring their guard down. So which is the true Carol? In short, I think it’s a complicated mixture of both. I think the hard realization of how many people she has murdered, and the small bit of reluctancy that has led to in her actions is genuine. I also think she is perfectly aware of this inner turmoil she is experiencing and is doing her best to play it to her advantage as a hostage. She takes up a rosary and claims that her faith brought her through the death of her daughter, when in fact the opposite is true. It was when she realized her daughter was dead in season two that she abandoned her faith. But, her emotional and psychological state at this moment is such that I think she knows she can play it off as though she is hanging by a thread. As if she is weak and pathetic and not long for this world. Selling this picture of her was crucial in the saviors feeling comfortable enough to leave her alone so that she may have the time and opportunity to escape and retrieve Maggie. From this point to their eventual escape, we have an even greater view into the mentality of Carol right now. She is quick to come to the defense of Maggie, and more so to that of the baby in her womb. When another female Savior nearly cuts Maggie in the abdomen Carol wastes no time in putting a bullet in her head. Not a seconds thought. No hesitation. Brutally cold decisiveness. But when it comes to killing Paula and the threat is only against her own life, Carol is all of the sudden far more tentative and thoughtful in her actions. She has already expressed that she is afraid of what she is capable of doing. We see that as a reality when she faces Paula for the final time.

If Carol was not already the most interesting character on the show, surely this episode solidified her as such moving forward. Melissa McBride is exquisite in her portrayal of every emotional corner that Carol is exploring. This is some of the best acting the show has ever seen and it does as much or more to deepen the character of Carol than any episode for any other character ever has.

My rating: A-

Have I mentioned yet how awesome it was watching Carol in this episode? Seriously, any fan of the show has to be basking in the amazing job this episode did in deepening that character while still providing ample moments of conflict and resolution. Suspense and action carried the opening and closing scenes while dialogue and plot development carried the middle third or so. For this show, it is often during long stretches of dialogue where it becomes weighed down by over explanation or trading short and simple commentary for long, drawn out monologues. That may have become the case in this episode except for the strong performance by McBride coupled with the antagonism that Alicia Witt brought to the episode. Moving forward I can see a short one or two episode stretch of a lull in the action with Rick likely under the impression that Negan is now dead and association with the Hilltoppers begins to unfold and grow. It will likely be at the close of episode 15 or throughout all of episode 16 where we get a true sense for Negan’s specific character and the type of violence and chaos he will bring to our group. I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, specifically on Carol and how you think her character is developing.