The Walking Dead 5 x 03 Four Walls and a Roof Review

Nightmares end…they shouldn’t end who you are.

-Bob Stookey

The third episode of Season 5 continued the trend of following the comic book storylines, some dramatic revelations, and even more death. And how about that cliffhanger ending? I’m starting to think Scott Gimple is trying to torture us. So without further ado, lets look at Four Walls and a Roof and what we learned.

Tainted Meat

When we last left the show, Bob had just woken up to find himself in the middle of a Bar-B-Q, one in which he was the main course. Gareth, in true Bond villain style, monologues to Bob about his pending demise and the death of everyone he cares about. Gareth also does mention the symbols/signs carved in the trees, as being the way they find their hideout in the woods, solving a mystery of the first few episodes. Gareth even commented they almost got Carol instead, because “women taste better”. You just knew the talking wouldn’t go on long without a surprise. Bob in a laughing fit, discloses to his captors that they had foolishly dined on him after he had been bit by a zombie. The Hunters are all eating “tainted meat”. Their reaction was straight out of the comic book.

This was a classic scene from the comic, and I was ecstatic to see them use it. It really shows the new direction of the show to be more in the spirit of the original comic. Gareth kicks Bob in the face and calms everyone down by saying they cooked the meat so they should be okay. Is this true? I would think since everyone is infected already with the virus, it really doesn’t matter. The worst thing it could do is get them sick and turn them into zombies quicker. Unfortunately, like in the comic, we never find out if Gareth is right.

At the Church

Meanwhile, the group are nervously looking for their missing friends; Bob, Carol, and Daryl. Sasha confronts Gabriel in the church threatening to kill him if he doesn’t talk. Rick steps in and offers to do the job for her. Gabriel finally breaks down and admits his secret. He had locked the doors to the church and wouldn’t open them for the screaming members of his church seeking sanctuary from the walkers. He hid and listened to them being attacked and killed by the walkers. So, in short, Gabriel is a coward. Not a big surprise. Once again the storyline is identical to the comics. They are interrupted then by sounds outside and they find that Bob had been dumped off by the Hunters

I liked the touch of them writing “A” on the side of the building, much like the train boxcar they sat in in the premiere episode. Rick sees the signs and decides they need to deal with these Hunters quickly and decisively. As he starts to strategize, he finds that Abraham is tired of waiting for the other show to fall. Abraham tells Rick that they need to pack up and leave the church now. They need to go to DC like they planned, before anything more happens. Rick doesn’t want to leave behind Daryl and Carol, and he wants to finish off the threat of the Hunters. Only after Tara, Glen, and Maggie all agree to go with him if he waits and helps does Abraham decide to give Rick 12 hours to finish things. I thought the dynamic tension between Abraham and Rick was another great scene. They are both intent on saving people. It is hard to say who cares more about the group, but having a power struggle over control of the group’s future was necessary to demand immediate action.

Bob and Sasha

As the group got the plan ready to attack the Hunters, there is a touching scene between Bob and Sasha. Bob is sorry he didn’t tell her he was bit, because he didn’t want his last moments with her to be about his impending death. These two characters have grown very close over the last season, and it shows as you can feel the emotions bubbling out of both of them. But can there really ever be lasting love in a zombie apocalypse? People die all the time and turn into walkers. I think two things are certain in this world. People die, and others survive. This has always been a theme of the show, and it is nice to have the complexities of love shown in this situation. I feel bad for them, they really got a raw deal. As they spoke, Tyrese comes in and is asked by Sasha to finish off Bob if he turns before she comes back from the attack on the Hunters. Tyrese agrees to stay and watch over Bob as Sasha, Rick, and a few others head out to deal with Gareth and the Hunters. Unexpected Church Visitors

As one group heads in the direction of the Hunters camp, the Hunters led by Gareth are planning to ambush the church. After seeing Rick leave with a group, Gareth walks into the church with his hunters to finish off the others. He mockingly calls out to them, letting them know he knows they are alone. He hears Judith cry, and that gives away their location. The scene is terrifying as they get closer and closer to finding the rest of the group. I found myself screaming for Rick or Daryl or even Morgan to pop up to save them. The savior this time was Rick.

Gareth’s Last Stand

After Rick shoots off a finger of Gareth(another comic book connection), and the rest of the group reenters the church from behind the Hunters, Gareth pleads to be let go. He promises to leave Rick and his group alone. He promises to disappear so that they never see them again. Gareth knows his number is up. And as Rick stands before him, with the red handled machete in his belt, it can be seen that this will be the end of the road for the Hunters. Rick is a man of his word, and he doesn’t plan on giving his enemy the chance to retaliate like the Governor did in Season 4. Rick is a new leader, a leader with purpose, a leader who knows what needs to be done and will no longer hesitate over the moralities of the new world order. This is the Rick of the comic book, and thank God we have him back. Goodbye Gareth and the Hunters.

Just a Building…

After the butchering of the Hunters, a shocked Gabriel comes out appalled at the violent killing of the Hunters. He comments that this is a house of God. Maggie’s response is the title of the episode. In this new world, there is no holy or sacred ground. The church is just a building, like any other. What does this say about religion in an apocalypse? I think it says that symbols and traditions die when the order and stability they promise goes away. I don’t think it means no religion, or no morality, I think it means that ones faith and devotion needs to be centered on the survivors not the ones that were left behind in the old world. Gabriel has been sheltered from the truth for too long, and he will see, as the rest of the group has, that things have changed.

A Group Divided

Have they not learned yet? Nothing good comes from them separating. But Abraham holds Rick and the group to their words and the next day Abraham and his small group with Maggie, Tara, and Glen, leave in a church bus headed to DC and the cure. Why didn’t the rest of them leave? Well they gotta find Daryl and Carol. Rick doesn’t leave anyone behind and until they find out what happened, they will stay and look. Abraham gives Rick a map that they will follow to get to DC and they leave. I think a part of Abraham was hoping that Rick would change his mind and leave. He underestimated Rick’s loyalty to his new family. As the episode comes to an end, Michonne hears rustling in the forest outside of the church. Out steps Daryl from the trees. He looks exhausted. Michonne asks him where Carol is and what happened. Instead of answering, Daryl only calls for someone to come out of hiding behind him. Cut to black. What the heck? This season has been a roller coaster so far and this ending only continues this trend. So who is Daryl with? Is it Beth or Carol? Or could it be someone we saw teased at the end of the premiere? We will see.