‘The Walking Dead’ Retro Recap: ‘The Same Boat’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

We like to believe, that our journey in life is completely and utterly unique, so that our story has gravity and power and makes us special in the process. But what’s funny is that such thinking is woefully incorrect in nature. For while there are moments, we go through that no one else does, we share in a lot of experiences with others, the kind that take each of us down different paths because we respond to different choices in a different manner. Because that is the human experience, a series of tests that tasks us to make the difficult call and live with the consequences be them good or bad. But what’s truly wild about this… is that sometimes we are supremely taken aback when we meet someone that shared in our journey and took a vastly different path than we did.

Because to see that, gives us pause and leaves us to wonder who we could have become if we continued on that path in a manner that we worked to avoid or are working to avoid. Which of course, might motivate us to change our course when we realize we might be flirting with disaster and a future that resembles something far worse than we ever imagined and well… this fascinating aspect of the human experience is top of mind today, because it was put on full display in the next episode of The Walking Dead. A feat that ‘The Same Boat’ accomplished by pitting Carol against her foil so to speak. For shortly after she and Maggie were transferred to a mostly secure Savior Safehouse, they came to get to know their captors.

Who were, a bunch of degenerates for certain, the kind who were rude and only out for themselves. The typical kind of jackass that Negan excelled at recruiting. But one in particular, named Paula was of note. For she was sharper than the rest and hyper aggressive and she was suspect of Carol through and through. Who of course, worked hard to put her fake persona on to keep the Saviors off guard and well, that persona did wonders. Since it got Paula to open up about her past and how she in essence, walked a very similar path to Carol in life. For she too came from an ugly background, one devoid of meaning and full of external oppression, and while she didn’t outright speak to being abused by her husband as Carol once was… the disdain for her life was similar. 

But what truly caught Carol off guard regarding the parallels here… was the sheer fact that Paula was a killer, one as skilled and ruthless as Carol was. The only difference was that Paula enjoyed it and was eager to murder if it gave her peace of mind. A reality that stunned Carol through and through, because with a smidge of effort she too could be that kind of killer, and that made her next moves hard. Because Carol knew… she would need to dive into that dark well again and work to bring these people down to survive and while she did execute a grand and brutal fight, one that granted she and Maggie their freedom, she was rattled by this encounter with a possible different future, to the point where she was clearly changed. 

However, that would have to wait for another time to explore, since there was also the matter of dealing with ‘Negan’ in this tale, which Rick truly believed he accomplished in the closing moments of this story, since Primo proudly claimed to be the man that terrified and horrified so many under that moniker. But what mattered more here, is that this was a powerful character study. One that truly tested Carol like never before and really gave her stunning insight into the shared experiences of the world and how our choices can easily make us good or bad, or something in between and the show deserves kudos for offering up this kind of unique story in the midst of chaos and crisis and well… sadly, this encounter won’t be the end of such ugly and unique matters. Since as mentioned, Carol has a lot to chew upon and of course… we’re not done with the Saviors just yet. Until next time.

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