“Consumed” delivered an extremely gripping chapter of The Walking Dead, following Daryl and Carol’s search for Beth.

While the surface elements at play were in top form,  it’s the deeply personal analysis of what brought these two characters to where they are currently, both physically and emotionally that packs the most weight. There is a theme of reflection, in perhaps the most potent and complex psychological study we’ve seen thus far in the series.

With countless instances of Carol’s reflection cast on glass surfaces, the dark and foreboding mirror image of the highway leading into Atlanta, this episode was packed with imagery of change. Something that shines through every moment both internally and externally. 

This is an infiltration mission, and an exciting one at that. Daryl and Carol follow the marked car back into the ruined city of Atlanta, and the excitement is palpable. The change of scenery is commanding, cementing the hopeless state of the world, as empty blackened buildings stand claimed by the dead.

It’s a thrill to traverse these areas again, especially with these two characters. As soon they enter the city, the threat looms with legions of walkers pouring out of the darkness towards our duo’s stalled vehicle. While escape is easily achieved, the sanctuary, which end’s up being some temporary housing once visited by Carol in another life, brings back painful memories of her past. A theme that was constantly explored in various situations from that point on.

Watching these two search for clues in an attempt to track down Beth’s captors was just awesome. They work much like a well oiled machine. Their complete confidence once stripped of their weapons by a desperate Noah is empowering and thrilling. I don’t know if an episode of this show has got me this pumped up since the fall of the prison. It was a much different kind of thrill, but every bit as potent.

The constant revelations on Carol’s mental state, told in part through flashbacks really got to me. These glimpses over the course of the episode are fantastic. We’re shown that Carol’s role at the prison allowed her to be the person she always thought she should be, and the utter sense of defeat she suffered after her exile. While her discovery of the fall of her former home, and the horrible loss of her adopted children left her empty inside.

It was made obvious that Carol still maintained the desire to keep her new found strength and willingness to make those tough calls, but her experiences left her with a profound fear of loss. A fear that almost made her abandon the group, if for no other reason than to spare herself from losing anyone else.

How the writers played all of this off of Daryl’s character, and the strong, compassionate man he’s become, was nothing short of brilliant. A device strengthened by some expertly crafted pacing and dialogue. The fact that a single episode could be this packed with character, while showcasing all the action, intrigue and suspense we’ve come to love, is simply stunning. I was completely engaged from start to finish.

The seriously haunting score by the incredible Bear McCreary combined with some seriously bad ass set design and the overall visual atheistic of the locals put this episode over the edge of awesome. The atmosphere practically oozed off my screen, inspiring me with a sense of loss, dread, and confidence all at once.

In one of my favorite instances of this, our dynamic duo investigates a van belonging to the people they’re after. Said van dangles precariously over the edge of an interchange while being pursued by walkers on either side. How this scene played out in the end was a little improbable (the van probably would’ve landed on it’s roof), but it was awesome none the less.

And how about finding out how Carol ended up in the clutches of our insanity besieged boys in blue?

So much for the intentional infiltration angle, but this is much more compelling as we now know that rescue will not come from within, but from our main cast of characters after Daryl’s return with Noah.

This to me was an episode that makes me wish there was a rating higher than 5. An episode that shows an incredible level of story telling finesse, while driving home one of the most important points that could be illustrated on this show: there is no such thing as a straight path in this world. A point that has drawn a certain amount of contention in previous episodes when character’s didn’t act the way the were ‘supposed’ to, or the way their previous characterization dictated they should.

These characters are constantly struggling to find who they are in any given moment. A fact illustrated in part by the role reversal undergone in regards to Noah’s fate in this very episode. When it comes to motivations and snap decisions, there are no constants, much like in our world. This is something I always wanted to see addressed in a more targeted fashion, and this did the job perfectly.

I’m absolutely shitting my pants to see what comes next, and as of this moment I’m anticipating what may end up being the finest mid season finale in The Walking Dead history two weeks from now.

What did you think of “Consumed?”

Were you disappointed in the lack of romance between Carol and Daryl?

Where do we go from here?

Can The Walking Dead continue its hot streak?

Are we heading back into Atlanta full force come mid season?