The Walking Dead abandons the momentum of it’s previous chapter to explore something truly tedious. “Self Help” details Abraham and company’s foolish “mission.”
From the very introduction of Abraham, Rosita and Eugene, it was painfully clear that their ‘mission’ was nothing more than a fools errand. I can maybe see some of the more naive viewers taking this outlandish proposal (a reversal of the zombie plague) at face value, but for our established characters, as presented, it was downright insulting.
When this part came around in the comic, while Eugene’s story was obviously a load of shit, I didn’t even give it a second thought, as it’s a medium where suspension of disbelief is much, much easier to maintain. It helped that Eugene feigned contact with Washington via his battery-less radio, lending a shred of credibility to his claims. But without that, something about seeing this unfold in the show was immediately, and strikingly silly. A fact only compounded by the amount of time it’s been allowed to go on, coupled with the poor development of the aforementioned trio of newcomers.
But If there’s one good thing I can say for tonight’s episode, it’s that it closed the book on this particular detour, while attempting to add some much needed depth and purpose to the character of Abraham. Did it succeed in the latter? The answer, from where I see it, would be neither yes or no.
From the onset of the episode to it’s conclusion come countless instances of steadfast, almost laughable exposition from Abraham. He really doesn’t want to turn back on the mission. The intermingling scenes depicting the flashback scenario in which Abraham is left behind after brutally defending his wife and children. When he later discovers their eviscerated remains, he decides to take his own life, he comes upon Eugene, and is bestowed with a new sense of drive and purpose.
While it did lend some weight to Abraham’s personal position, it did little to excuse the others who followed him, or to make him a likable character. And, while were on the subject of likability, Eugene was also in top form, never missing a chance to irritate. However, with that being said, his saving of Tara, sabotaging of the bus, manning of the fire hose, and owning up to his lies, made him a much more sympathetic character that I thought possible.
There was certainly some progression here in terms of character development, and while I wasn’t particularly moved by any of it, it does excite me to see what might be around the corner. Did the unwavering ridiculous dedication to Eugene’s mission cause the disconnect for me with these characters? Only time will tell.
There was certainly some gory and satisfying walker killing on display here though, in both the opening bus crash escape, and in the scene involving the fire truck. The latter of which was actually one of the more awesome and creative zombie destruction scenes this show has served up. I never would’ve imagined using the immense pressure of a fire hose to blast chunks from softened zombie bodies. A truly spectacular scene in an otherwise rough episode.
It takes a hell of a lot more than a few simple scenes of undead brutality to make an excellent Walking Dead episode. It’s always nice to see, especially when treated to viewing a herd so large it was smelled before it was seen. But when the narrative driving the characters from set piece to set piece feels so underwhelming and unimportant, all the gore and action in the world couldn’t save it from mediocrity.
I’d be a liar if I said the final scene depicting the culmination of Abraham’s misguided dedication didn’t get my blood pumping, but it was a very small amount of excitement in an episode rife with pointless expository scenes about missions and mullets. My only hope now that this meandering plot thread has snapped, is that these characters can find a mission worth taking on. Not to mention one that will raise Abraham to the ranks of greatness his character deserves.
What did you think of “Self Help?” Did you believe Eugene’s lies? Is Abraham too dedicated?
