‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Variant’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1119 of ‘The Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say… that the eleventh and final season of The Walking Dead on AMC, has featured one bold storytelling decision after another. After all, we’ve never seen our heroes be broken and desperate enough to make some incredibly dubious and dangerous choices. Such as joining the fabric of the Commonwealth with properly knowing what they were getting into. Which led to their homes being seized by this empirical place in the name of progress. Netting our heroes their first major loss… ever really, and their desperation to be safe and fed has only led to more difficult and bold choices. Such as cutting a deal with Governor Pamela Milton to ensure their freedom and independence, and that is troublesome simply because… she’s not trustworthy in the slightest and seems like the type of person who would change the terms of a deal on a moment’s notice if it so suited her needs.
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Which sadly, turned out to be the case. For the next episode of this storied saga, ‘Variant’, saw our heroes once again in a difficult place. Because just like that… our heroes were public enemy number one in the Commonwealth and were rounded up and interrogated for the sake of finding answers regarding the whereabouts of one Eugene Porter, so he could be ‘held accountable’ for his ‘involvement’ in the death of Sebastian Milton and well… this is as bold of a choice as it comes. Because once again, we’ve never seen our heroes in this kind of situation. Where they are helpless to fight back in the slightest and are forced to move under the cover of shadows to even have a conversation about their next moves and plans. But that is indeed what happened here and oddly enough… that allowed for some real terror to come into play.

Simply because… this allowed for us to really learn that Governor Pamela Milton has become dangerous at this point, largely due to the fact that her son is gone from this plane of existence and has instead been replaced by the rotten insult this world features. An unfortunate reality that motivated her to not only put her reanimated son into isolation and have him fed. But because it also brought forth the release of Lance Hornsby for reasons unknown, but let’s be honest… we all know those reasons are bad in nature and likely related to future plans in Pamela’s mind for her little empire. Throwing us shades of another Governor we’ve known, except this one has an army that obeys her orders regardless of concerns for her mental well-being and that makes her quite dangerous for certain… but for now at least… what she has planned will be sidelined for a bit.

For while Pamela was coping with death in one unhealthy manner… Eugene Porter was faced with quite the decision. In that, despite growing and trying his best over the past few years to be a bold man that can be seen as a hero, deep down… the fear that has controlled him for so long has remained within the core of his soul, and that fear was central to his journey here. Because he was in hiding again and ready to escape, despite the fact that the love of his life was in custody and ready to take the fall in his stead and well… that finally motivated Eugene to think differently and act selflessly. Because this time around, saving his own hide and just pushing forward wouldn’t be enough for his soul. He needed to do something noble and brave in this life and well… that pushed him to turn himself in. Which will please Pamela but forces Eugene to face a dark fate, one that might cost him his life. 

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Which was indeed a brave thing for Eugene to do since it didn’t require guile and logic. It was just pure for a change, and it will indeed be interesting to see what comes out of this decision and whether or not Eugene will ever know freedom and peace again. But while all of those elements could have carried this episode no problem, this story wasn’t quite done with being bold. Because while all of this was going on in the Commonwealth, Aaron and Jerry, and Lydia and Elijah were on their way to Oceanside to check on their friends there and of course, encountered the dead and some injuries on the way. Which in turn prompted them to hole up for a bit on the grounds of a former Renaissance Faire to heal and breathe and that… at first made it appear we were going to be treated to some explorations on overcoming grief and loss. 
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Since Lydia and Elijah’s budding relationship, and her guilt over feeling something for Elijah when she loved Henry so… led to some tender moments with Aaron who spoke to how she needed to not make the same mistakes as he did and embrace happiness and be open to love again, and well… that’s where this segment of the show took quite the turn. For while some slept and some kept watch, the unthinkable happened… in that the dead breached the walls and came forth en masse and while everyone managed to escape their rotten clutches and eventually put them all down, they made quite the horrifying discovery in the fight. One that the show and the franchise have hinted at for years. In that, there are indeed intelligent walkers out there, the kind that know how to use items nearby as weapons and can open doors and even fight back. 

Giving rise to the reality that a scientific aberration exists within the walker community and well… let’s be honest… there’s a fair chance we will see them again, since revealing one now could not be coincidence. But that aside, this was both terrifying and exhilarating to discover. Since it harkens back to the walkers that used tools in Atlanta back in season one, and it of course finally ties them, and the reveal at the end of World Beyond, together at last, and foreshadows Daryl’s Dixon’s future adventure. Adding to the mythos of this universe while at the same time, paying homage to George Romero’s living dead universe. Since his zombies could do similar things for certain, and while TWD’s walkers may not evolve akin to Romero’s, any variation in this manner works just fine and revitalizes the threat that the living dead pose. 

In the end, this was just… an amazing episode when all is said and done. Since it once again saw our heroes struggle with not being in control. Not to mention it featured a powerful sacrifice and a subtle reveal of the real villain of the end of this journey. For we now know that Pamela Milton is not at all the meek, status quo leader she’s pretended to be. She’s vicious and furious and it is only a matter of time before she snaps and unleashes her fury, and the fight that will come from that… will indeed determine if mankind is fit to rule this land of the dead and will inform us as to whether or not mankind is worth saving. And truly, it will be fascinating to hear the show’s thoughts on such matters and of course… see how all of this comes together as this long and winding journey, comes to a close after eleven wonderful seasons. Until next time.

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