The Walking Dead S6x03 “Thank You”

WARNING! SPOILERS!

Well, I think it’s safe to say that The Walking Dead might be entering its best season yet. Obviously there was that big moment at the end of the episode, but wow, this season is really strong so far. I’ve left the word “might” in there because Season 1 so far still stands as the reigning champion for me, but Season 6 has been incredibly strong, giving us another bloodbath of an episode. It quickly became apparent as to just how doomed Rick’s “Heard the Zombies” plan was, ending in a potentially tragic moment for one of the show’s best characters.

Thank You was one of the most devastating episodes of the season so far and it was the first real time where I’ve not been spoiled about a major character’s death because Season 6 is the first real time that I’ve been up to date with everybody else. That is, assuming Glenn’s dead, of course, because this could be a major fake-out which they’ve pulled before concerning his character. However, that didn’t stop this hitting like a punch to the gut especially as to just how simple it was. There were thousands of ways that the writers could have picked for Glenn to go out like a hero, but instead, it was a simple twist of fate that potentially (and you have to remember, potentially here, but to save me writing that every time I’m going to assume that he’s dead for now), had drastic consequences. If Glenn hadn’t saved Nicholas’ life, would he not have found himself in this situation at all? Because if so, the message that the show is setting across is a pretty bleak one indeed, and if nobody is going to have to show mercy at all, then The Walking Dead will get even more depressing then it already is, and that’s saying something. It’s also worth noting that Glenn’s torso may not be the torso that was getting ripped to shreds though, because it could be Nicholas’ – remember, back in Season 1, the characters tried to hide from the zombies by using others blood to mask their scent. It’s something that could work, but again, we won’t know about these things until next week which is something that I’m now really looking forward to.

And of course, it was made even more brutal by the foreshadowing at the beginning. The fact that Rick warns Michonne and Glenn that not everyone will make it back to Alexandria could have just been talking about the Alexandrians (because there were a fair few of them that didn’t make it back) but also, Glenn. And the decision to call Rick a dumbass like he did when they first encountered each other in the pilot may not have been the wisest decision there, because it was another example of darker things to come.

The unpredictable nature of the show has struck hard again.  It’s doubtful that they’ll kill off Rick or Daryl, but when it comes to Rick, this was the closest we’ve come to worrying whether or not he’s going to make it in a while. Especially as The Walking Dead has made it clear that, if the show does choose to stick with the fact that Glenn may be dead, all bets are virtually off now given that he’s the only character apart from Rick that has been here since the start. One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be another hellish season for Maggie, who’s lost both her father and her sister, and I can imagine that losing Glenn would be absolutely devastating.

A few final thoughts to close this downer of an episode off with: Michonne actually got a fair amount of things to do this week, more so than in a while. Her scenes with the Alexandrian were strong and effective and worked well as she decided to get him back to his bride. It will obviously be overshadowed by everything else that’s going on in this episode, but it still allowed Danai Gurira to deliver a solid performance as the character.

What did you think of this week’s episode of The Walking Dead? Do you believe Glenn made it out alive? Or is he dead, for real? Let me know in the comments section below and catch the next episode of The Walking Dead next Sunday at 9pm on AMC.