‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘What We Become’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Danai Gurira as Michonne in Episode 1013 of ‘The Walking Dead’ – ‘What We Become’. (Photo Courtesy of Gene Page/AMC.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1013 of ‘The Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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​We make a great many decisions over the course of our lives and thankfully, a fair chunk of the decisions we make, are simple in nature. What we wear in the morning, whether or not we have that extra cup of coffee, those are the decisions we make that we think little of, because they have minimal impact on our lives. But there are plenty of moments in life, where the decisions we have to make are supremely difficult in nature. Because the power of the unknown and our fear of failure, sometimes motivates us to play it safe and not asking for that number, or not seizing the moment at work because we hesitated, fills us with regret because we never quite know if we made the right call, or if we just doomed ourselves to a life of loneliness or a menial gig from which there is no escape.
 
That regret, is something that is quite powerful in nature, because too much of it makes us fearful to make important decisions in our lives, the kind that can indeed bring us great joy. Which means that at some point down the line, we need to learn that regret is something that we have to shed, because the choices we make, can sometimes take us to new and exciting places if we take a moment to look at the opportunities that every decision presents us with. Or they can teach us a valuable lesson when they go awry. And it just so happens that these particular notions were explored in great depth during last night’s episode of The Walking Dead. For ‘What We Become’ allowed for Michonne to reflect upon all the important decisions she’s made up to this point, thanks to the fact that her latest decision to do something good and just, backfired horribly shortly after she arrived at Virgil’s supposedly serene island getaway.
 
Of course, at first it seemed as though there was little trouble to be found on this island. For Virgil is still afraid of his own shadow when we catch up with, he and Michonne in this tale. But it doesn’t take long for Michonne to realize that she was dragged to this island for a reason and Virgil finally admits that he did indeed bring her to this out of the way place in the hope that she would grant him a grandiose favor. Because tucked away, in a nearby building, was the family he constantly talked about. And unfortunately, they passed away and turned into the abominations that now walk the Earth, and he was hoping that in exchange for the weapons present on this island, that she would help him put down the reanimated iteration of his family so he could properly bury them and find great peace within his soul.
 
An act that Michonne was of course happy to complete, since it would provide her with everything needed for the fight back home. But once the act was concluded things quickly went south, thanks to a startling discovery. For Michonne heard human whispers while she was out and about late at night and that surprise led to the truth about Virgil in that, he was a damaged man. One that was eager to trap Michonne within a room out of fear of personal harm, and while she was locked away, she came to meet his former coworkers who informed her that long ago, after Virgil and the research crew took in a large number of survivors, bad things came forth, the kind that prompted Virgil to contain the trouble before it spread. And that decision locked his family within that building of death and well, losing them because of a poor decision broke Virgil through and through and this is where the story’s grand exploration on decision making as a whole, got underway.

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Kevin Carroll and Danai Gurira as Virgil and Michonne in Episode 1013 of ‘The Walking Dead’ – ‘What We Become’. (Photo Courtesy of Gene Page/AMC.)

​Because in essence, Virgil was completely and utterly shattered in regard to the tough call he made and while that makes sense, since hey… he lost his family, the fact of the matter is; the decision was made. There was no going back and changing it and he had to learn to live with it. And while his story examined the regret and the fear that comes with making a rough call in fascinating fashion, it also took the time to show us how sometimes, not taking a chance can take us down an uglier road and that was handled by way of Michonne and one trippy, drug induced, ‘What if?’ sequence. One where Michonne chose to let Andrea die instead of helping her. Which put her on a dark path that eventually led to her becoming a Savior, only to lose her life at the hands of her true love during ‘All Out War’ and well, while this was harrowing to watch, it served as a fine reminder for Michonne that every choice she made was worthwhile.  
 
Plus, this trip reinforced the fact that choosing good above all else, is really the only way to go in life. Since it allows for vengeance and darkness to stay out of one’s heart and making decisions that help others, engenders others to do good, as evidenced by the conclusion of the mess involving Virgil. For Michonne eventually escaped his grasp and spared his life, and in turn so did his former coworkers. Because this was the better way and her mercy… taught Virgil some valuable lessons. For he came to understand that fear and doubt have no place in this horrific and savage world, and he has to heal in order to survive. But while it was nice to see that Michonne is at a point in her life where making tough decisions no longer phases her, just reinforcing that fact and nothing more would have closed this story out in hollow nature. It simply needed more and thankfully; the story found a way to bring this exploration to a powerful close.
 
Because as Michonne collected her things and prepared to figure out a way back home, sadly without any weapons, she stumbled across Rick’s boots. And that discovery in turn, led her to a boat that clearly her love was once aboard and this was the proper way to hammer home the fact that sometimes, making the hard call and embracing the risky decision is worth our while. For now, she knows that Rick Grimes is indeed alive and well, and that she has to do whatever it takes to find him and see him home safely. And the final images of this episode, not only paid a fine tribute to Michonne and Danai Gurira, but they served to remind us just how far this character has come during her time on the series, and how every tough moment and every tough call have made her into a genuine heroine, one that will save more lives as she searches for the man she loves.
 
In the end, this really was a fitting send off for such an iconic character, one that does a fine job of leaving the door open for her return. But all potential and applause aside, what truly made this episode worth our while, is the sheer fact that this is as old school as it gets for The Walking Dead. For long ago, before the Saviors and the Whisperer War; the characters and commentary in this vein were an important focus for this series. Which made it nice to revisit that one more time, and it should be interesting to see what the future holds for Michonne and her quest. But in the here and the now, it’s time to return to Alexandria and see what the fallout will come about from Carol’s power play. For Beta is still out there, and the time has come for him to decide if the future is filled with war, or healing. Until next time.

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