[Ironman16]

If you read any of the interviews before Season 5 began, the theme of the Season is What We Become. I think the flashbacks seen in the Season premiere served the same purpose as Clara (the woman Rick met in the woods) did in the Season 4 premiere: To introduce the theme of the Season. Alex and Gareth are in a traincar and Alex asks what they have now become. In the last flashback after Mary returns after being raped and the people holding them captive choose another girl to rape, Gareth says, "We become the butcher." This has to be  an intro to this Season's theme and is related to what Terminus was and how this theme is going to be explored. How have you seen the theme of "What we Become" manifested up to this point in the show. Give examples and show you think it is an example.

[mosher]

This has definitely been visited by several characters over the course of the first half.

 

We have Bob choosing to see the bright side of everything even as he dying. Bob has decided that his humanity is so important that he shares it with everyone. His joy in being with people that mutually care about each other trumps the tragedy of his demise. The brutality of their world is such that they know they will probably die horrendously. Bob is a light that shows how to accept that and remain human.

 

Father Gabriel is only beginning to face what the world has become. He already suffers for the choice he made in rejecting his faith in favor of his life when he locked his parishioners out of his church. He has made an unforgivable choice in his view. Seeing the truly brutal ways of Team Rick, and in the mid-season finale when he saw proof of what the Termites had done, Gabriel has witnessed how much worse he could get. And simultaneously how much better. His cowardice didn't directly kill anyone but effectively murdered several. His shock at Rick's brutality still had him seeing Rick as having gone 'too far'. When he was out on his own- at the school, being chased from the 'Bob's Foot Campgrounds', Gabriel realized that brutality is necessary- but that you can choose to use it for personal gain like the Termites, or for the survival of your tribe, like Rick. His trip to the school underlines the theme of the season- are you meek, mighty, or monster. He is learning to separate mighty from monster and beginning to see how meek gets others (his parishioners) killed.

 

Tyreese is struggling to hold back that monster. This is his fear- that he could slaughter and walk away unscathed. He fears losing his humanity and this fear has paralyzed him. He can't find mighty in between meek and monster. He has not yet come to grips with the fact that choosing meek still gets innocents killed.

 

Sasha had accepted humanity with Bob's guidance after a long session with isolated emotions. Her shell has cracked and after breathing the fresh air outside that shell she has found the outside forbidding. Now she is confused. The air was nice out there, but it's polluted. Does she go back in the shell, or does she find a way to cope with the smoggy days so she can enjoy the sunshine. While she is deciding she is making bad decisions. She had reached mighty and has fallen into that limbo between meek and mighty. The risks of trying to find balance is high. 

 

Abraham was riding as Mighty for a long time. Motivated and moral he had it all figured out. The world of course isn't so kind and Eugene was proven a liar. Abraham took a step towards monster. He's been there before, it tastes better to him than meek. He is lucky that he has people that care about him and even more lucky that there are still people he cares about. If Abraham loses everyone he might never return from monster again. 

 

Maggie and Glenn began the season as mighty and remain so. We won't know until the second half how losing Beth pushes them.

 

Eugene has been taught by Tara that Meek will kill him. The longer he rides his lie the more likely he doesn't escape the lie alive. He knows he has no dibs on mighty but Tara helped him realize that he doesn't have a choice. Eugene has already been stepping toward mighty and now that he is exposed as a liar he can't depend on faking it anymore. The group will demand that he be mighty. 

 

Tara's journey was similar to Eugene as she was also party to duplicity, although unwittingly, with the Gov. She used that to help Eugene and she in turn uses that to strengthen herself. She knows what useless and worthless feels like, and she has channeled that to help others who wander that road. She can help people who step toward meek or monster because of her empathetic nature. She is supremely conscious of both ends of the spectrum in a way that perhaps only Rick understands. 

 

Michonne like Sasha doesn't deviate from mighty. her struggle is about shell or no shell. Right now, because of Judith and especially Carl, she's in a healthy place. Her struggles must be back half.

 

Carl- another back half struggle. Right now he is mighty, which is funny because it wasn't long ago he told Michonne that he was close to monster. I expect monster to reappear for that boy again.

 

Rosita- Mighty while Abe was. Seems focused on keeping Abe around mighty, so I expect if she has a struggle, it will be second half.

 

Beth- She lived in a shell last season until the prison fell and Hershel died. Then she emerged from the shell and she liked being outside again no matter the smog. Never a monster and only meek on the farm, Beth is mighty. She spends her time at the hospital championing what is right and helping anyone who needs it. Beth made a choice and she's so comfortable with it. Beth lost everyone. Everyone. She did not go monster or meek. When truly alone in the world Beth became a leader. Ask Noah. She was the first half's example of where you could end, should you have the psychological construct. 

 

Daryl- He has flirted with monster before, but only if someone told him too because he lends his ability to govern himself to others if they want the job. Daryl has someone meek down inside that has to be mighty so that meek one doesn't get noticed by anyone. Carol and Beth have both seen that meek one and because of that he is extremely close to them. Those two, along with Rick's trust, have allowed that meek one to strengthen. Daryl's mighty persona is becoming more authentic, and as it does Daryl is less inclined to cede his opinions to others. I think the fact that Daryl finally challenges Rick is GOOD. This means that Daryl is mighty for real now. That means he won't be a monster because others want him too (torturing Randall, crime with Merle). Second half will tell us how Beth affects him, but he has Carol and he has Rick. I think Daryl's in a good place.

 

Rick- Heavy is the head that wears the crown, right? Rick has visited every part of the spectrum and some ends more than once. He tells himself that his forays into monster are necessary. "They don't get to live." Running down Cop Bob. Kill your way into the hospital. Shoot the cop in the face. Hack and slash long past the expiry date on the Termites in the church. All of those things can be excused, but they all are a dance on the edge of monster. And Rick knows it...sometimes. Carl, Glenn, Daryl- they've all brought him back from the edge. Meek is so last season for Rick. So far Rick hasn't acted without being acted upon, he is still mighty. But his struggle is hit episode after episode time and again. 

 

"Can't go back, Bob" indeed. 

[mosher]

Dear God that is a long post. 

 

Ironman, you get what you ask for.

 

Everyone else, feel free to assume it was all spot on and skip it.

[Lurwalker]

Kudos Mosher you really summed it all up nicely.  Meek, mighty and monster were brilliant.

 

I do have to slightly disagree with Mosher on Glenn and Maggie.  Both have become meek at times throughout S5a and this was in not backing Rick in season opener to put an end to the termites (which leads to Bobs death).  Glenn had to play peacemaker between Rick and Abe at church and splitting group up then looking around in disbelief at what Rick, Sasha, Abe and Michonne had done to last of termites in church.  Maggie isn't allowing herself to consider what has happened to her family and  just trudging on.  Both characters can wear a shield of mighty while really being meek inside at least so far in this season.

 

I believe the characters that stick out the most in the theming of S5a are certainly Rick, Ty, Sasha, Abe and Carol.  Everyone else falls to the side. 

 

Rick and Abe are on that thin line at times between Mighty and Monster.  Rick has certainly become more diligent in his responses than in any season before 5 and those glimpses provided to us of his Monster are formidable.  Abe was shown in flashbacks of what his Monster could be and we are still getting those glimpses here and there (facing termites in church and how he handled Eugene when lie was exposed).

 

Sasha and Carol are also flirting with the Monster and after effects.  Carol saved her people from the termites but isn't able to accept who she has become or feel accepted back with her people.  Sasha found love, lost love and found the monster within and was only reined back recently by Ty.

 

Ty, Oh why Ty.  He has become so meek in S5a that he reminds me of old flowery wallpaper from the 1940's that when you walk into an old home you just ignore it because it's boring.  Ty in s4 wore a good mighty and was respected because of it. The meekness he now shows is unrealistic.  As Moshe said Sasha's shell cracked but apparently Ty found some crazy glue and crawled into her broken shell and crazy glued himself into it.  The one true theming through all seasons is that the za world isn't for the meek.

[DeadOnMyFeet]

Dear God that is a long post. 

Ironman, you get what you ask for.

Everyone else, feel free to assume it was all spot on and skip it.

 

Sure is! You know, I started reading that post at 5pm this afternoon. It's after 11PM now and I'm only halfway through it!  

Nah, I  could never skip through any of your contemplative, insightful & philosophical posts. 

 

Overall a very good main character analysis, covering the main points.

I do think you're spot on with Bob and Gabriel & Glenn and Maggie. Wouldn't change a thing.

Tyrese  glimpsed the monster inside him twice that I can think of, the first time he attacked our friendly leader. Not the most productive vent for his grief  and anger. lol. The second of course was with Martin. I think it's gonna take a real threat to someone he's close to (probably has to be Sasha, cuz even the baby he was guarding wasn't enough to get him to kill, only to stop him)

 

The problem with Sasha is she's not the type person to seek out happiness. She just broods and frowns until some form of happiness seeks HER out-- and very persistently, like Bob did. Unfortunately, I doubt there are very many Bob's mosying around in the ZA aftermath. He was a rare bloke.

 

I see two people Abe has now grown to care about, and Eugene isn't one of them. lol Rosita obviously, and Tara. He cares about Glenn in a brotherly type way and he respects Maggie's bravery in standing up to him. The rest of them he doesn't know well yet. But I think the only one that would send him over the edge to lose right now is Rosita. And I've said it before, Abe needs a mission. Hopefully he'll get an interesting one soon.

 

I need more background on Eugene (TV version) don't have enough info yet.

 

Great insight into Tara. I doubt any of the actual writers could argue with any of that.

 

The Michonne/Carl dynamic is fascinating. They've brought out the hope and fun, while quashing some of the dark, in each other. I'm steadily coming to see Michonne as the "Guinan" (STrek TNG ref) of the group--protective with ever growing wisdom.

 

Rosita is completely dedicated to Abe, has his back, would probably die for him, and is his equal in many ways. She's a  rare find in the ZA, he's a lucky man to have her. I hope they do a lot more with her, and the actress seems to like her character a lot.

 

Beth is...well, deceased. I think I made my thoughts on her clear--they threw away great potential for some real buzz-talk   character development. 

 

I think Daryl's finding himself, while Rick is going to travel a ways further down the dark path before he starts seekin (or simpy accepting) a little more light in his life. 

 

As to theme, I think what we're pointing to so far is that in a ZA , just as the walkers themselves are degrading and rotting away, whats left of humankind is steadily losing what's good and honest and giving way to the worst, selfish vicious people. And what's left in the end in the end will be a number of small kingdoms led by ruthless people who care not a whit for their fellow man, only their own short sighted ambitions. Of course, that could change in a season or two.

 

 

 

.

[Ironman16]

Fortunately, the Season 5 midseason premiere is almost upon us and we can see this theme explored even more.