Sadé Green reviews the fifth episode of The Walking Dead season 5…
This week saw another deviation from the main group as we followed Sgt. Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and his outbreak gang on their quest to get Eugene (Josh McDermott) to Washington D.C.. Some surprising twists await the audience this week though, as Abraham’s dark past is revealed and secrets are devastatingly uncovered.
‘Self Help’ may be the slowest episode of Season 5 so far but it still packed a fair few punches. It starts with Abraham, Eugene, Glenn (Steven Yeun), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Rosita (Christian Serratos) and Tara (Alanna Masterson) in the church bus having just left Rick and Co. Everyone seems a bit too relaxed and unbeknownst to them, one of their few has sabotaged the bus; the bus crashes and rolls and the group barely make it out alive with the hapless Eugene saving Tara from a Zombie just in the nick of time.
As the group seek refuge elsewhere we begin to glimpse into Abraham’s past through a series of flashbacks – starting with him beating some guys head in with his bare hands. A human guy that is. It seems Abraham didn’t distinguish between humans and Zombies back in the old days, which is probably why his poor wife and children flee in terror whilst he is sleeping. In the meantime it would appear that Abraham’s temper is becoming more and more apparent particularly when Eugene’s safe arrival to D.C. is concerned. As the others suggest they wait to move on, our favourite Sergeant, rages that they must move quicker and hastily tries to find a new mode of transport. As Glenn and Maggie look on (their faces filled with worry), they surmise that Rick and the others are probably/hopefully close behind.
Meanwhile, during the flashbacks, poor Abraham cuts a desperate figure as he seeks and finds his family, tragically with their faces chewed off. As he goes to end his life, Abraham performs one last act of kindness by saving a defenceless man running pathetically away from a group of Zombies; Eugene. Their relationship seems to be Abraham’s only remaining purpose in this life, although this could soon be coming to an end.
Michael Cudlitz and Josh McDermitt give outstanding performances this week. Cudlitz delivers a mix of Army style cool with a terrifying red mist that seems to befall him in any high pressure situation, particularly when his mission to save Eugene is put in danger. His performances during the flashback scenes are extremely moving. Kitted out in his civilian clothing,doing anything to protect his family’s safety, akin to Rick’s current persona, is seen as anything but protective. One can’t help but feel awful about his family’s reaction to his actions, however there is no full explanation as to why he was driven to kill the men and given that he has a temper like no other, maybe his family’s reaction is completely justified. In comparison McDermitt’s slow moving, monotonous Eugene is in complete contrast to his saviour. Confessing to Tara that if he didn’t have a purpose, he fears the group would kill him, it is clear to see his vulnerability, even underneath that Tennessee Top hat of his (a fantastic line in one of many a conversation that the episode features about his insistence on keeping that bloody awful mullet). Having finally seen some of their backstory, one can only hope that the writers see sense not kill off these characters quite yet; there is surely a lot more to come from them.
Overall, ‘Self Help’ is a fairly decent episode. It has felt like a long time since Abraham, Eugene and Rosita joined forces with Rick and Co. so a backstory episode was in need. Some good character development alongside another strange realisation that the world has become the kind of place where voyeurism is acceptable, means that Season 5 is fast becoming extremely unpredictable (unless you are a fan of the graphic novels of course). Some intense moments and a mouth-dropping ending (that has not been revealed here) makes this episode a must-see. In fact, the ending could turn out to be one of the most memorable moments in Season 5.
Zombie Kill of the Week
Just when Eugene has been insisting on how useless he is and how unable he is to fend for himself, along he comes with a firehose and the heart of a lion. As the group find themselves embroiled in a fierce battle with a group of Zombies, on the losing side no less, along comes the ‘fearless’ Eugene. Standing atop a newly acquired fire truck, Eugene takes out all the Zombies with a blast of water which easily strips the decaying meat away from the rotten bones of the dead. A truly graphic image will be stuck in your mind for a good few days making you ponder just how long it has been since the Zombie infection struck…
Sadé Green
Originally published November 23, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
