11x15 Trust

[7.4/10] There’s a viral tweet that goes...

me: i hate clichés”
author: the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one
me: [sobs] omg the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one

That’s pretty much how I feel about Carol and Ezekiel. I was a little skeptical of them back in the day, but they became one of my favorite couples on the show, and stories like the one we get here are why. There may be no more low-key touching scene in the series than the “You make the light” exchange between the two of them. And it works because for however much Carol believes herself to irrevocably steeped in darkness after all she’s been through, Ezekiel not only recognizes the good she does, but the good she is. That means a lot, especially given all they’ve been through.

Their story connects with the broader theme of “Trust”, which is when it’s worth it to work outside of the system to achieve the greater good. It’s so true to form for Ezekiel that even with his qualms about accepting the special treatment thanks to Carol’s actions, he decides to use the extra time to pay the kindness forward one hundred-fold. He creates an off-the-books clinic to help those who otherwise can’t afford the cost of healthcare or refuse to burden their families, a not so subtle commentary on real life events.

Separate and apart from the social critique, I like it as an example of someone like Ezekiel trying to be worthy of the blessings he’s received by sharing them with others. I’m still not a huge fan of Yumiko’s brother, Tomi, because he’s a generic character, but even he has a solid character beat here. After how bad he feels being part of the upper crust, with it apparently affecting his work, the fact that he not only warms his soul working in Ezekiel’s clinic, but that it produces better doctoring from him, is a nice place to take the character. Carol recognizing the good her questionable activities with Lance made possible gives her a win as well. It’s one of my favorite storylines in the show in some time.

The other two plots in this one aren’t nearly as good, but still solid. There’s tension in Hornsby knowing that the likes of Maggie, Aaron, and Gabriel are lying about what happened at that apartment complex, but not being able to prove it. So he parcels out these little tests, each of which the good guys pass, but it drives enough of a sense of foreboding to make weight.

We know Aaron and Gabriel can handle themselves while fighting a bunch of Walkers. But the mere fact that he sends them in as a gotcha moment and then smiles with a faux-pleased “good job” at the end adds to the sinisterness. The tension of him trying to start the car at Hilltop while Maggie looks on speaks to the tone of a well-constructed scene. And there's something downright menacing about him iterating with little Hershel, finding a hat that fits and trying to get the kid to turn on his mom in his own insidious way.

Hornsby’s quickly become one of the show’s best villains, and his ability to play games with the good guys, and seem that much more scary and dangerous when he loses contributes to that. At the same time, it’s interesting to see Daryl be torn between his loyalty to the usual group of survivors and his attempt to fit in and get along at The Commonwealth, if only for the good of Judith and RJ. This whole thing puts him in an uncomfortable spot, and “Trust” plays that up.

That just leaves the various other players within The Commonwealth putting together that Sebastian and others are involved in some shady shit. I appreciate that the show is connecting the dots here after some disaggregated storytelling. Eugene and Rosita go to Connie and Kelly to break the story. Eugene connects with Max who connects with Mercer. I’m doubtful this will all come to fruition before we hit season 11c, but it’s still nice to see things start to lock into place rather than keep expanding out as we head into the show’s last batch of episodes.

The connection here is people confiding in one another, helping them see the right path, even when it’s hard. That’s a little too on the nose with Max and Eugene, but I appreciate the theme of their corner of the episode. Something may be difficult, but when the change is needed, when people are suffering, there’s no other choice but to act to help.

But my favorite part of this one, as has often been the case in this batch of episodes, is Mercer. Some of the dialogue between him and Princess is pretty cringey (especially their discussion of sex, which feels like it was written by thirteen-year-olds). But I love the idea that their connection is more than just kindness and mutual attraction. Princess wants to be there for Mercer, help him deal with the psychic burden of all that he sees and takes in. It’s a great T.V. example of someone being a supportive partner, and speaks more to why they might work than all the meetcutes and other nonsense T.V. shows try to pull.

Mercer’s burden is, again, very compelling. He acknowledges the bullshit of The Commonwealth, but basically feels there’s nothing he can do. He points to the overall good, arguing that just like the old days, protecting fifty thousand people from what’s beyond the city’s walls is worth tolerating the mortal excesses within it. There’s a logic to the argument, but I appreciate Max’s retort that given his standing in the community, he could do something to change it. The show seems to be setting up a coup, or at least the idea that Mercer is the right person to lead this community in a way that works and is more humane, and I’m interested to see where that goes.

Overall, TWD still has its limitations, and the exploration of these ideas is often basic. But the human connections here are vivid, and the acknowledgment that even the people who don’t see themselves as angels can be forces for tremendous good is a heartening one to build the episode around.