The Living are Haunted by the Dead: The Walking Dead 4x14

AKA the best episode ever?

I loved this episode so much even though it made me sob (!!!) , it was so carefully and beautifully and richly written. I wasn't surprised at all that I loved it once I saw Scott Gimple wrote it, though.

AND THE ACTING OMG. Melissa McBride for all the awards, tbh. She was amazing.

Anyway, where do I start?

I hadn't really realized how much I'd missed Carol until this episode! It was just so nice to have an episode from her POV fully centered around the central issues of her character. I am so glad Tyreese forgave her, because I think/hope it means that she's not doomed to death. Speaking of Tyreese, the scene where he was talking about dreaming of Karen and dreaming about how a stranger killed her, etc. really gave a lot of insight into his particular grief? Like, I think part of why he was able to forgive Carol in that moment was because she was finally able to give him some answers he needed. (also because he would have otherwise been alone and they'd just been through something really hard) But anyway that scene was also just so beautifully acted with him talking about being haunted by the dead (because yes of course you'd feel that way) and Carol trying so hard to know what to say in those moments. PERFECT.

Carol trying to toughen Mica up and Mica resisting. Lizzie feeling genuine grief and horror over killing the walkers and just not getting it. The burning fire...which of course was really Lizzie, the fire was finally out just when the fire/problem of Lizzie herself would be out. Lizzie's love for Carol and how upset she was over "making her mad" (for all the wrong reasons) and how hard in those moments it must have been for Carol to do what needed to be done. Carol's failure, yet again, to protect and save the little girls in her care.

And there were all these moments in the episode where the characters thought maybe things would be okay, but as audience members you sort of know they weren't. Again, we had a little group wanting to play house and well WHY NOT? They had food and a mom and a dad and three little girls!! Even when Lizzie joined in killing the walkers during the attack you could practically see Carol thinking, "maybe it will all work out."

Obviously, this was a very disturbing episode, I won't deny that, but it was one of the most powerful in my opinion because of just how much you could feel the strain and difficulty of this world. Harsh and heartbreaking reality. I cried so much during the scene when Carol shot Lizzie. :(

I want to know all your thoughts and feelings!

(also I think Rick is finally back next week, hallelujah, tbh)