BWW Recap: Shelter From the Storm is Gravely Needed on THE WALKING DEAD

What is it the kids say these days? All the feels? I think that applies to this episode. Beth is gone, Tyrese is gone and at this point, all hope is gone. There's no food, no water and really just no will to survive. And on the hot, hot road to DC, that doesn't bode well for Rick and his gang.

Continuing the more character driven portion of the season, our survivors are slowly hitting their breaking point. With no food, they are growing weaker by the day. (I don't care if Daryl ate a worm, he's still hot.) Daryl, Maggie and Sasha are each grieving hard in their own way. Daryl is incredibly sad and wants to be alone, Maggie is numb and just wants to give up on everything and Sasha is just plain mad. As each of them work through their grief, they realize toward the end that the only way they can get through it is to lean on each other. It was certainly nice to see Maggie finally reveal what she's been going through and reveal to all of us that she is really grieving in her own way. It's so easy to judge when you're not going through it yourself. And if each of our survivors is representing a stage of grief, I'm sure it'd be pretty easy to award the Denial prize to Father Gabriel. Seeing him burning his collar was definitely a turning point for him as well. But I did enjoy that she refused the Good Father's offer to talk and put him in his place and then turned around and confessed all her thoughts to her husband.

After a quick meal of some wild dogs, they gang stumbles upon a supply of fresh water with a note "From a Friend." Skeptical, they decide not to partake and just like that, the rain begins. Refreshing, hydrating and a quick turn into dangerous as a huge storm barrels in. They take refuge in a barn. As the storm heightens, Daryl notices a large group of walkers trying to break into the barn and he tries to keep the doors closed. One by one, the survivors band together to hold the door closed as each of them individually realize that they need to keep fighting.

This episode was again supremely directed. And there is a significant series moment as well. As our survivors are walking on the long road to DC, there is a herd of walkers behind them, and it's kind of hard to tell them apart. Our survivors are slowly becoming the walkers. As Rick tells the gang a story of his grandfather in the war, he quotes, "This is how we survive. We are the walking dead." Boom. The survivors are the dead in this world, not the walkers. They're just postponing their deaths every single day. Daryl refuses to accept this and blatantly states, "We are not them." Amen, Daryl. That's why he is a soldier that even through grief, battles on. If last week was the funeral, then this week was the wake. And we were all along for the ride to grieve right along side them. The final scene with the entire gang coming together and holding the door closed as the storm raged outside was such a beautiful, epic moment. Not only was it so relevant for each and every single character to stand up against that door and fight for their lives, the way it was beautifully shot, it felt like we the audience were right there with them. Raging against the walkers, against the new world, against the storm and realizing that it's just not time yet to give up this fight.

And then, at the very end is the appearance of our newest character, Aaron. (Speaking of biblical...) This is another instance where the comic book reading people are super excited and I have no idea who he is. But I know he will not disappoint. What I do know, is that he looked very clean and shaved and healthy so there must be something that he has that our group does not. Is that enough to trust him to go with him?

So, now they are on the road to DC. According to Rick it's been three weeks since the incidents in Atlanta. I don't exactly know how long it would take to walk to DC, but I'm pretty sure they have moved further North out of Georgia. Are they past the Carolinas? I hope this Aaron guy is going to detract them off their path again. I would really like to see what's happening in our Nation's Capital as well. But, that seems like a series finale revelation more than just a regular episode so I'm guessing Aaron is going to take our survivors to their next destination on the Eastern Seaboard. Our group is in shambles, let's hope there are clearer skies ahead.

Follow me on Twitter @eponineq and follow @BWWTVWorld for all the latest updates, scoops and recaps.

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Photo Credit: AMC

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