This past March 15th, season 5, episode 14 of The Walking Dead titled, "Spend," was indeed extraordinary in every way. Chris Hardwick of follow-up show Talking Dead said the episode was like watching a season finale. And he was right, with still two episodes of this hit show left in the season. Therefore by hindsight, viewers now know why the previous two episodes were light in action, which were preambles of sorts. Or in other words, episodes 12 and 13, titled "Remember," and "Forget," from an overall story vantage point, were warm-ups. Further validating that the people behind producing The Walking Dead certainly know what they are doing.
From previous episode 12 titled, "Remember," before Rick and his group of fourteen enters the Alexandria Safe Zone community, he says, "It's a good thing we're here." And wow was that ever more confirmed than in last Sunday's March 15th episode. For his words held true.
Thus when potentially dangerous and horrifying situations did indeed arise in episode 14, the people of the Alexandria Safe Zone community were shown to be inept, compared to Rick's people who are so used to exigently handling themselves, almost like a tight-knit Special Forces group. That is all of Rick's people including now Eugene in this episode, except Father Gabriel now a traitor. In any case, this episode had Rick's people show the people of the Alexandria Safe Zone community how it's done when unexpectedly encountering the walking dead. Something of which the Alexandria community were simply not ever used to before Rick's people arrived.
The mocking of Glenn's plan by Nicholas a long-time Alexandria community citizen, a plan to know all the exits of a warehouse before entering to get micro-inverters, was the first clue. Yet it was Nicholas's friend Aiden, son of Alexandria leader Deanna, who supported Glenn's plan. Thus the scene had proven that both Glenn and Aiden were shown to be good with each other, since after their previous altercation happening after a supply run. Nevertheless, shortly after Glenn, Noah, Tara, and this time Eugene, as well as Nicholas and Aiden all enter the warehouse, horror awaited, which shortly after, both Aiden and Nicholas panic. And tragedy results.
Meanwhile, Abraham joins with a crew of people from the Alexandria community at a mall construction site to gather materials to expand their Safe Zone wall. Then walkers appear unexpectedly to converge, followed by Alexandria community citizen Francine who falls from her lookout perch. Fellow Alexandria citizen and crew leader Tobin, acted by Jason Douglas, panics, and orders the rest of his crew to retreat, thus leaving Francine, acted by Dahlia Legault, behind. This of course doesn't sit well with Abraham, fellow battle-hardened member of Rick's group, who not only acts to save Francine, but also takes charge of continuing work of expanding the wall.
Summarily stated, there seems to be a whole lot of panicking going on among those of the Alexandria community whenever they encounter roamers, or walkers as called by Rick's group. This episode also shows why both patience and hindsight are enjoyably invaluable while viewing a show like The Walking Dead. Especially after the end of episode 12 titled, "Remember," the last scene where Rick, Carol, and Daryl are all three standing on the porch of their new beautiful mansion home, their group's first night in the Alexandria community. It was Carol who spoke a concern among the three, after she and others of Rick's group had observed a characteristic behavior of the community of Alexandria, during their first day within the beautiful fortified community. For Carol feared that they too may become weak. Yet shortly after listening, Rick says, "Carl said that. But it's not gonna happen. We won't get weak. That's not in us anymore. We'll make it work. And if they can't make it then we'll just take this place."
Yes, patience followed by hindsight are enjoyably invaluable while watching The Walking Dead, because every episode does not always have to be flat-out balls-to-the-wall action as if you are watching a Michael Bay Film. There are gems in this show.
Hindsight is invaluable, especially after viewers watched that last scene in episode 12, when after Rick says that if the people of the Alexandria Safe Zone community can't make it then he and his people will just take this place, some viewers were already quick to seeing Rick as the new bad guy. For shortly after episode 13, during the follow up AMC show Talking Dead with host Chris Hardwick, with guests Kevin Smith of AMC's Comic Book Men, Ross Marquand who plays Aaron, and Alexandra Breckenridge who plays Jessie, it was Kevin Smith who had said that Rick may be the new monster. While Chris Hardwick followed by comparing Rick to the Governor's descending to the dark-side as Rick touched his gun holstered to his belt, while watching Jessie with her husband Pete both walking together down the street. So now we know why it was prophetic when Rick had said in the beginning of previous episode 12, as he says, "It's a good thing we're here."
Now more than ever, it's a good thing for the people of the Alexandria Safe Zone community's sake, that Rick's people are now there -- this especially after stunning revelations. Beginning from both Nicholas and Aiden, wonderfully played by Daniel Bonjour who reportedly cut short his honeymoon for the role of Aiden Monroe, that both men had panicked that resulted in the deaths of previous fellow supply-run crew members, and not the other way around as both had told Glenn, Noah and Tara two episodes ago. Of course both had panicked again, while not only resulting in Tara getting injured but also both in Aiden's death and Noah's.
Then of course there's the domestic violence revelation brought forth by Carol to Rick, about Jessie's husband Pete that she learned from the couple's son Sam. Yet lastly, Father Gabriel was bound to show up, to betray the very ones who had protected him all along before Deanna Monroe. She said to Rick earlier that she's good at reading people, so she may already believe that Father Gabriel isn't all that together. But if not, then there's an ace in the hole, and that ace's name is Maggie.