REVIEW: The Walking Dead- Season 5:4
“Slabtown”
Finally, we learn that Beth is safe and sound in a hospital! The opening scene of the episode was a nice homage to season one when Rick wakes up to the post-apocalyptic world. Like Rick, Beth has awoken to a new place with new characters.
First, we meet Dr. Edwards, the sole doctor of the hospital who is apparently not very well liked. Dr. Edwards is a very intriguing character. He has a piece of artwork in his room along with a record player; he even said she was bored at one point. It must be nice, not worry about the living dead outside the walls. Life in the hospital is very different than living as a nomad and traveling all the time. We’ve gone from eating people to eating Guinea Pigs. The hospital seems pretty sustainable, there is a garden on the roof, no walkers in site, medical supplies; maybe Rick & Co. should just come here.
Second, we meet Dawn, an OCD police officer who has some anger issues and has a seemingly complex background. Our first impression of Dawn is when she says “we saved you” and “you owe us.” This is a very different governing system than the Ricktatorship that we are used to. This payback system seems to work for the small population of the hospital, but is flawed. Once the police kidnap- I mean- “save” you, you are forced to serve a sentence to pay them back. You must work until your debt is paid off. But if you eat their food, that probably adds more time to your sentence. This seems like a never-ending cycle.
It seems that Beth has really grown up and is tougher than we thought. The character of Beth has developed so much since the prison. This episode really should have been titled Breaking Beth. It is when Beth and Noah try to escape the prison, we see the courage in the young, vulnerable girl that has changed her into the woman she is this season. She has become stronger emotionally, physically and psychologically. Maybe Daryl Dixon is responsible for some of this, maybe it’s just a side effect of the zombie apocalypse. At least Beth isn’t around to see how her sister has taken her disappearance. Maggie has not said one word about Beth. She was so wrapped up in looking for Glenn, maybe she just assumed her sister was dead. Once Maggie found Glenn, she still never even bothered to mention Beth’s name. She didn’t hesitate at all when she decided to go along with Abraham. Not even the slightest, “Tell Beth I love her.” Maggie must not think that Beth was strong enough to survive, but she was wrong.
They left us again with a cliffhanger. Just as you get wrapped up in the suspense of Beth walking with scissors towards the crazy Dr. Edwards, Carol comes in on the gurney and our heart drops. Is Carol infiltrating the hospital? Is she really hurt? We have to assume that Noah is the one who was in the woods with Daryl in episode three. Hopefully, the group will find the girls, or they will fight their way out of the dysfunctional hospital.
