‘Tales of the Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Davon’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘Tales of the Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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For the most part, zombie themed fiction has stayed away from something that each and every one of us are quite curious about when it comes to the aftermath of the zombiepocalypse. Specifically, what would society transform into? Because thus far, all we’ve seen in the wake of such a disaster, are communities that are forced to fight harder for what they have… or a community collapses and people just move on. But we really have to yet to see a genuinely contained community, thriving long after the end of the world and what they turn into with a second chance to right all the wrongs of the past. In fact, even The Walking Dead Universe is guilty of this, since the good people of the Alexandria Safe Zone have yet to really enjoy long and sustained peace in their world.
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But the franchise offering up the most zombie content out there right now, is clearly looking to change that particular issue with zombie related fiction, and within its own saga. Since this week’s episode of Tales of the Walking Dead, opted to explore just that. For ‘Davon’ takes us into the heart of a community on the American and Canadian border that is about as isolated as they come to dig deep into what a sustained community in the middle of the end of everything would transform into… in the most unique manner possible. For what makes this episode quite fascinating, is that we don’t get a direct answer as to what society could become under such duress right away. Instead… we are immediately plunged into a waking nightmare for the man whose shares the namesake of this episode. 

One revolving around a touch of amnesia since Davon hasn’t a clue why he snapped out of unconsciousness in the middle of the woods with a bad wound on his forehead and his hands shackled to a walker that is badly mutilated. In fact, the walker is in such bad shape, that its mouth has been melted shut, a surprise that undoubtedly saved Davon’s life while he was unconscious. Not to mention, he simply does not understand why the people of a nearby town are searching for him in the middle of the night with pitchforks and ire and well… the only way for him to uncover any truth, would be to get moving with his starving passenger and try to reassemble his memory and slowly but surely those memories do indeed come floating back into his mind, in broken fragments of course.

Which in turn revealed unto us, that Davon was trying to get across the border into Canada and came across an isolated French community while wounded. One that was originally Canadian in origin and reclaimed at the end of everything. And after healing from his terrible wounds, Davon did his best to grow and thrive with this community, even potentially finding love within its walls. Making it appear as though this isolated community, was nothing more than a true oasis in a sea of living death. For everyone here was thriving and that in turn postulated the possibility that perhaps we would indeed be okay as a species, and if given the right opportunity to do things over… we would finally get everything right the second time around.

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But that is when this story took quite the amazing turn and slipped into some dark territory. For Davon’s memories began to reveal, some concerns within this place. For children were going missing and he just so happened to stumble upon several before his memory was lost, one of which was dead. A discovery that revealed that one of the community members was responsible for such a horrible act and sadly… despite him putting down that very community member, everyone believed he was responsible for the darkness in their town. Which in turn led to a horrible sequence in the town square, one that saw Davon figure out more about his broken memories as the town worked to execute him in a gruesome manner. In fact, this ‘trial’ was so harrowing and so intense that it eventually led to fist fights and battles from inside the crowd itself. Which in turn allowed for Davon for escape and chase the last echoes of memory in his mind.
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That thankfully, led to the truth about this community and a stunning ending to say the least. Wherein Davon found the real killer and learned their motivations for such twisted acts. In that, they believed that the children of this world were doomed, and that this community didn’t have much longer to last… so it was best to spare them the horrors of this world and free their souls and had it not been for Davon… another child would have perished. But what mattered more here, is that this community did indeed show its true colors in the closing moments of this tale and that in turn offered up the stunning ending in question. Where revenge and vitriol ruled the day, hammering home a horrifying postulation on what we would potentially become at the end of the world.

In that, it could be an utter disaster and just as bad as the apocalypse outside, if certain fundamental issues aren’t addressed. Such as say, our unfortunate habit to give into anger and hate. For this community was full of nothing but that and indulged in it often as evidenced by the fist fight in town square. Plus, we’d be foolish to not point that Devon is a BIPOC individual and was treated in a supremely horrible and downright racist manner when the chips were down. All of which informs us that end result of not addressing such critical fundamentals would indeed lead to this kind of hollow and teetering collapse. Where the ugly has nowhere to go but toward our neighbors, and one can only wonder what this place could have been, had they worked together and tried to create a true utopia instead of this nightmare.

Which means that perhaps there will come a day where we see a better community in a universe such as this, one that is indeed independent and actually functions and thrives in a healthy manner. But while we wait to see that on the silver or small screen… we can in the meantime, bask in another fascinating and powerful tale from this fascinating and powerful series. Because not only were we treated to a commentary laden tale on the human condition, but we were also privy to a murder mystery of sorts, one that also leaned hard into folk horror. Since there were echoes of that genre everywhere to be found here. Which just serves to remind us that this series really is eager to take chances and try new things and it will be genuinely interesting to see what other surprises await us when the season finale arrives next week. Until then.  

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