You'll get cookies. Lots of cookies.
Sasha stares at the photographs of the former residents of the house where she now lives. The next morning she gets a gun from storage. Sasha goes outside the fence and lines up the photographs on some logs. She uses them for target practice. She looks around as if she expects someone or something to come out of the woods but nothing does. In her mind she hears the snarling of a zombie but in reality all is quiet. She announces to no one, "Come and get me."
Rick, Daryl, and Carol are outside by the shack where Rick had hidden his gun. They discuss breaking in to storage to get their guns. Rick mentions how the people at Alexandria are lucky and keep getting luckier, "We're here now." Carol mentions they have some footlockers with 9 mm guns they don't use. Daryl says that someone has a 9 mm now (referring to Rick's missing gun). Rick tells them that the others want to try to fit into the community so this plan will stay between the three of them. Carol says that Daryl should also try to fit in. Carol shoots an approaching zombie several times to keep their cover that Rick was taking Carol out shooting. As they leave Daryl notices a W carved onto the forehead of the zombie. Is this related to the zombie torsos with carved foreheads from a few episodes back? We now see Michonne looking at herself in the mirror in her new uniform. Rick walks in and wonders if their assignment as constables is some sort of play on the part of Deanna.
Daryl is in the woods when he hears someone walking near him. He yells for that person to come out. It is Aaron. He seems impressed that Daryl can tell the difference between a walker and a person just by how they sound when they walk. Daryl just glares at him. Aaron asks Daryl if he can tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy since Rick can't tell the difference. Daryl says there isn't much of a difference anymore and Aaron asks him if that is how he feels about his own people. Daryl then asks Aaron why he is following him. Aaron says he was just hunting rabbits. Sure, Aaron, I'm sure that's what you were doing. Aaron says he knows why Daryl is out there and asks if he can join him. Daryl agrees and tells him to keep up and keep quiet.
Deanna is explaining to Rick, Michonne, and Maggie the responsibilities of the constables. She says there is going to be a government in Alexandria one day and that is why she wants Maggie working with her and why she wants a police force. They go outside and Rick tells here they need to make some changes in security. The walls can be climbed from the outside (that's what he would do) because people are the real threat now. Sasha joins them and volunteers to be a look out in the clock tower. Deanna says that no one is a look out. They just keep an empty rifle there. Rick demands that they put a look out there immediately. Sasha volunteers to take as many shifts as possible. When Deanna asks why Maggie says that Sasha is one of their best shots. Deanna says her other son, Spencer, will be look out today and she will consider making Sasha the primary lookout if she goes the welcome party that Deanna is hosting at her house that night.
Carol is chatting with some of the other women. One woman goes on and on about some recipe. Carol sees Rick walking down the street and joins him. They discuss the party and how tonight everyone will be there so it is the perfect time to steal the guns. Carol says she will go and Rick says he will be her back up. Carol says that is not a good idea, she will go alone. In this community she gets to be invisible again. Who would suspect the middle-aged woman in a cardigan of sneaking out in the middle of a party to steal guns?
Daryl and Aaron walk through the woods when they come upon a horse. Aaron tells Daryl how he has been trying to grab the horse and bring it inside. The horse's name is Buttons (one of the kids named it). Every time Aaron or Eric try to get close to it the horse gets spooked and runs away. Daryl takes the rope from Aaron. Daryl's observation of the horse is, "The longer they are out there, the more they become what they really are." He walks slowly towards Buttons and talks softly to him. He tells Buttons, "You used to belong to somebody now you're just yours." Button rears as zombies approach and makes a run for it. Aaron and Daryl start killing the zombies. They follow after Buttons.
Carol and Olivia talk about substituting applesauce for eggs. Carol is making cookies for the party. Some men come in and Olivia goes with them to the armory in the storage. One of the men asks Carol if she is afraid of guns. She pretends to not be good at using them while she gets close to the window she needs to unlock for tonight. One of the men, Tobin, offers to teach her how to use a rifle. As they all leave we see the window is now unlocked.
Aaron asks Daryl if he rides horses. Daryl says he rides bikes. Aaron says he knows that Daryl feels like an outsider. It's not Daryl's fault. Aaron and Eric are still outsiders in the community. People still say offensive things to them. "The more afraid they get the more stupid they get. Fear shrinks the brain. They are scared of you and me for different reasons." He says people become less afraid once they get to know you and he encourages Daryl to go to the party that night. Daryl says he has nothing to prove. Daryl says he met a lot of bad people doing a lot of bad things and those people weren't afraid of anything. Aaron disagrees.
At the party Carol comes with Rick, Carl, and Judith. Carol brought the cookies she made. Deanna says she envies Judith because she'll get to see what this place will become. Abraham and Rosita walk in. They both look really uncomfortable. Abraham perks up when he sees they have beer. Rick meets Deanna's husband, Reg. Reg says that Rick is remarkable for all the things he did (he watched the tapes). Rick says that Reg built the wall but Reg says that Rick has him beat because Rick saved 14 people. Deanna calls it a tie. Jessie and her family walk into the party and Rick stares at her.
Daryl and Aaron find Buttons that is surrounded by zombies. Aaron trips when a zombie grabs his leg. Daryl comes and helps him. They arrive too late. Button is taken down by a group of zombies that hungrily chow down on him. Daryl and Aaron kill all of the zombies eating Buttons. They both look upset at the loss of Buttons. Aaron shoots Buttons in the head. He says, "He always ran." Daryl responds, "You were trying to help him." They walk away dejected.
Back at the party Maggie and Glenn talk to Noah. He doesn't really like parties. Glenn says he can't leave. Maggie tells him he is there with family. Daryl stands outside of Deanna's house all cleaned up looking in on the party. He walks down the street and Aaron walks out of his house. Daryl asks him why he is not at the party. Aaron is home because of Eric's broken ankle and is glad to have an excuse to miss the party. Daryl asks him why he told him to go. Aaron says that he told him to try and Daryl did try. He invites Daryl in for a spaghetti dinner.
Once Olivia arrives at the party Carol makes her exit. Jessie calls Rick over to introduce her husband. He is less creepy at this meeting than he was the other night on his porch. He offers to examine Rick since he is a doctor. Jessie asks Rick if he is having fun and he says yes. She says that was a stupid question. She says this place has an amazing view and tells Rick to look around. He sees everyone smiling and talking, and laughing. "We all lost things but we got something back." Rick looks over at Carl talking to other boys his age. He agrees that that is a good view. Jessie's son comes up to them to say they are out of cookies and gives Rick a stamp on his hand of the letter A. Now he is one of them. Sasha is the last one to arrive. Spencer opens the door. Sasha struggles to make conversation and Spencer is sweet and naive and she walks away.
Daryl shoves giants mouthfuls of spaghetti in his mouth. Eric and Aaron smile at each other. Eric asks Daryl to look for a pasta maker for one of the women in the community. Eric realizes by the look on Aaron's face that Aaron hasn't asked Daryl something. Aaron shows Daryl his garage that is filled with parts for a motorcycle. Aaron tells Daryl he is going to need a bike. Aaron wants Daryl to be a recruiter with him. He doesn't want Eric risking his life. He is fine with Daryl risking his life because he is good out there. But Daryl doesn't belong out there. Aaron understands that Daryl needs to be out there sometimes. And Daryl knows the difference between a good person and a bad person. Daryl says he has nothing else to do and thanks Aaron. Daryl looks moved.
Michonne stares at a small plastic knife for eating the party food. Abraham finds her staring at it. He talks about living by the sword and dying by the sword. "Pray to God you don't have to use it again. Pray to god you don't get used to not using it again. It's on your back even when it's off your back." Michonne asks him how much he has drunk. They both laugh. He realizes things have worked out well for him. He asks her what she has done. She put on a dress. He tells her to try again.
Carol sneaks into storage. She grabs some chocolate from the freezer and then starts loading guns into a bag. Sam, Jessie's son asks her what she is doing. He followed her because he thought she was going to make more cookies. She says she will make him a batch if he promises to tell no one what he saw. He says he has to tell his mom. She says he can never tell anyone. "Because if you do one morning you'll wake up and you won't be in your bed. You'll be outside the walls far, far away tied to a tree. And you'll scream and scream because you'll be so afraid. No one will come to help because no one will hear you. Well, something will hear you. The monsters will come. The ones out there. And you won't be able to run away when they come for you. And they will tear you apart and eat you all up while you are still alive. All while you can still feel it. And then afterwards, no one will ever know what happened to you. Or you can promise not to tell anyone what you saw here and then nothing will happen. And you'll get cookies. Lots of cookies. I know what I think you should do."
Jessie walks up to Rick holding Judith in her arms. Judith and Carl are why he is still here. He understands now what she has been telling him that here isn't that bad. He takes Judith from her and kisses her on the cheek. They look at each other. She seems confused by the kiss (maybe she enjoyed it and that surprises her?). Away in a manger plays in the background. Deanna grabs Sasha and leads her to talk to some people. She listens to the conversations in the party. They are so normal. The scenes are intercut with memories of all that has happened to her. A woman offers to cook Sasha her favorite meal. Sasha says she doesn't know. The woman says she's worried she will make something Sasha doesn't like. Sasha yells at her, "That is what you worry about!"
The next morning Deanna finds Sasha by the gate. Sasha says "This it isn't real." Deanna tells her that is crap. She opens the gate for Sasha and lets her out. Carol, Rick, and Daryl are meeting again by the shack. Carol tells Daryl to pick a gun. Daryl asks if they really need them. Daryl says if things go bad they'll do what they have to do but they don't need the guns for that. Carol says right now they don't. Daryl says he's good. He doesn't need a gun. Rick takes a gun.
Michonne hammers some nails over the mantle in her house and hangs her katana. Rick, Carol, and Daryl come back to the community. They each walk off in a different direction. Jessie and her husband wave at Rick and Rick stares after them. He reaches for the gun that Carol gave him. It almost looks like he was reaching for it to shoot Jessie's husband. As he walks toward his house he turns and goes to the wall behind it. He puts his hand against the wall where a zombie is on the other side and leans towards it.
Final Thoughts
- I liked how the show used Buttons as a symbol for Daryl. The longer Daryl is out in the zombiepocalypse world the more he becomes who he was always meant to be. With Earl he was stifled in the world of drugs and trailer parks. His strength and goodness came out once he left that world.
- This episode made me trust and like Aaron. He really understands Daryl and I am all for this friendship.
- Carol was cray cray in this episode. I have never heard a more terrifying threat in all of "The Walking Dead". It is even scarier because of how calm and creepily smiley she is the entire time.
- Why was "Away in a Manger" playing during the party scene? Was it a nod to the comic where they celebrate Halloween shortly after arriving in Alexandria?
- How long will it be before Rick kills Jessie's husband? Her husband is creepy and he is in Rick's way. And what Rick wants Rick gets.
- I can't quite figure out what Rick was thinking in the last scene. Does he miss interacting with zombies? Is he happy he is safe from the zombies?
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