"The Walking Dead" Breakdown: Alexandria's Awakening

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I have to admit that I was actually quite impressed with the storytelling that unfolded before all of us last night on The Walking Dead, simply because of the fact that the show is shifting big time when it comes to its tone and design. A show that a year ago was giving us nothing but heartbreak and sorrow is slowly beginning to give us hope, in small doses I might add, and this week was no exception to that fact. 

Of course it didn't seem like that at first. With the dead surrounding the gates and the people of Alexandria still licking their wounds from the intense and terrifying attack from the Wolves, the show left us with a heavy air. One filled with despair and hopelessness and well, it only got worse as the minutes progressed. Deanna was seemingly lost. We saw people ready to loot the pantry, until Spencer stepped in, more on him in a moment and we also saw Betsy take her own life rather than deal with another minute of the terror she was now experiencing. 

Then something magical happened. We saw the good people of Alexandria wake up, well...at least Jessie at first with her bold decision to put down a turned Betsy and let her fellow Alexandrians know that it was time to stand and fight or end up like Betsy and suddenly...things began to change. Denise is perhaps the best example of this change since the last time we saw her she was in nothing short of a panic, thrust into the position of town doctor and watching people die because she didn't know enough to save them. But Jessie's moment of strength, and a little support from Tara as well did wonders. She calmed down, she was able to focus...and save a life.

Even Deanna who as I mentioned before seemed lost at the beginning of the episode showed growth and change as she began to focus a little deeper on a long term plan to make Alexandria sustainable, plotting out the location of future crops to feed her people before finally unleashing all of her fury on the stray walker that she discovered inside the community and heck, even Ron is getting in on being a little more bold in this world by making peace with Rick and asking for his help to learn how to shoot. But the growth isn't quite there for everyone yet. Despite Spencer's beautiful moment of inspiring others in his town, he still demonstrated his selfishness and arrogance by looting the pantry on his own.  

But regardless of the handful of people that are still struggling with fighting for something more, especially their survival in this world, there was a wonderful awakening in Alexandria last night. At last these people who have been sheltered from the realities of the world, who no doubt watched everything collapse on television rather than before their eyes are finally understanding the gravity of everything and what it means to survive and that they will have to fight to put everything back together and to see the sun rise another day. It's by far one of the most hopeful moments the show has given us in years and it's clear now that the show will continue to be working toward the all important theme of putting our world back together and the first big step toward that began at last with the people of this town finally opening their eyes. 

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