There is a shot towards the end of “Crossed” that is a lot more effective than I could have imagined. It’s a simple action, but it says so much about where we are with The Walking Dead. Having Abraham’s bloody hand reach out and finally accept the water offered to him by Maggie is oddly powerful.

The show that was all too often people disagreeing only to make a series of decisions that worsen their chances for survival has ended. It’s no longer about waiting to see the next brutal death. Season 5 has shifted its focus onto the difference between real despair and hope.

Abraham’s struggle perfectly captures this dichotomy. As a man who previously was ready to kill himself was instilled with hope only to have it dashed. He spends what seems like an eternity on his knees awaiting some sort of judgment. The intensity boils off his back, but he can’t find a reason to get up.

Somewhere along the way, we find a reason to get off our knees. For Rick, it’s the push to protect his group with extreme prejudice, for Tyreese it’s a compassionate pragmatism and both aren’t wrong. We’ve been shown that kindness in this world may be your biggest weakness.

Something we’re reminded of with Sasha’s head being smashed into a window. But, oddly enough this didn’t cement the point that kindness is weakness. An aversion to trusting Rick’s group makes sense given the circumstances. But we’re reminded that Bob the cop from the hospital isn’t a bad guy. He even earns Rick’s trust in a moment of connection. But you can’t help but feel betrayed by him in the final moments, but wasn’t he only acting in his best interests?

Speaking of which. Gabriel’s struggles back at the church fail to really drive home a point. As a character he’s acting so contrary to his own well being that I can’t feel sympathy for his plight. He’s lived in this world for long enough to know that compassion and killing are not mutually exclusive.  His character is just too illogical to be enjoyable at this moment. But remember! He’s a priest; he spared a zombie because she wore a cross. Blessed be the father.

Hope is a beautiful thing. Something that we’re not often permitted to enjoy on The Walking Dead. But it is something that is becoming a little more common amongst the dread each week. It’s nice to see Beth acting to save Carol in the hospital. A series of scenes that pushes the hospital storyline far enough along to show that our group will have many people helping them from the inside once they reach Atlanta.

The optimism I’m noticing is really encapsulated in a nice scene between Tyreese and Sasha. Tyreese’s lines about holding on to the mere fact that she had something with Bob, really show a growth, both thematically and character-wise. Our survivors are done wallowing – for the most part. Now they’re moving on.

Amidst all the thematic growth we still had time for the blood and guts. The showdown back at Terminus with the cops was thrilling. I sincerely feared for Daryl’s life as the walker’s snapped at his pinned down face. The effects of the melted zombies were disgusting, so much so that I couldn’t look away. While the act of ripping the zombie’s head off and batting his attacker was a little silly, it was too awesome to be inexcusable. I loved it.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the phenomenal work of Bear McCreary’s score. It’s almost as if they waited five years before giving the guy his due, but I found the music this week helped to create the hope I keep talking about. The scenes with Abraham had a beautiful and dare-I-day-it upbeat tone thanks to the music, it just made things so much more effective.

Shifting the focus to each separate group and managing the storylines with care is something The Walking Dead has really earned this year. We’ve certainly had more focused hours, but “Crossed” really did an incredible amount of heavy lifting to get us ready for the mid-season finale.

Are you excited for the mid-season finale?

Have you noticed the hopeful tone in the show’s narrative?

What did you think of Crossed?