The Walking Dead S5E14 Preview: ‘Spend’

Jessie reacts after the kiss heard around the world from Sheriff Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead. TV screenshot from Screencapped.net

Last Week’s Highlights

Carol’s Cookies: A Hallmark of Cinema Excellence

The mesmerizing Carol cookie scene from The Walking Dead. TV Screenshot from Screencapped.net.

– Absolutely mesmerizing, a stunning tour de force display of a dialogue crafted to perfection. The thrill of emotional pull for a scene etched on any viewers mind for eternity. If Melissa McBride never did another scene for The Walking Dead, this performance would still cement her among cinema legends. The Walking Dead’s Mount Rushmore. What was exceptional about this scene is the gravity of influence beyond only fans of The Walking Dead. Its grip universal.

‘The monsters out there’ as Carol names them, represent more than just Walkers. The reward for silence, veiled intimidation rather than persuasion. Cookies, merely code language for a vision of lively roulette. Neither side truly knows if the other will stay the course. A child, less experienced in the subtext of negotiation.

Show this scene to any individual, fan or not. They’ll be instantly hooked. A captive of curiosity, whether to know what happens next or a strong sense of protectiveness. Mother’s intuition. Fatherly rescue. The connection to the naive weakness of the child and the artful, cunning adult adapt to exploit that dewy-eyed innocence. Underlying tension brimmed to the ceiling and beyond. The ink is dry, the conversation spoken, aftereffects residual in the hanging of the mind’s framed picture.

The Kiss Heard Around The World

The kiss heard around the world between Rick Grimes and Jessie. TV Screenshot from Screencapped.net.

– Desire, lust…A motive for purpose. For the first time since the prison, it’s not just about survival for Rick Grimes. Jessie personifies happiness to Rick. In his field of vision, he gazes upon a mother to his children. Other guests white noise to Jessie holding his baby girl. She’s a soft fluttering departure from the experience of a destitute, morally bankrupt world. Opposites attract. The sense of having someone who has not experienced the cynical road of violence and depravity. That’s where the thirst for Jessie resides for Rick. There is the sparkle of jubilation remaining in her eyes. Her sanity seemingly in tact rather than broken, drowning in the seas of the past.

Major Themes

The Shadow of Shane

– Time has passed since Shane viewed Rick through a scope on his rifle. Finger on the trigger. Murky thoughts of vanquishing his best friend in the unquenchable hunger to take his wife and become father to his children. This was Rick’s first true test, and he handled it with a wide spectrum of initial moral compass. Until it became too much a weight to lug around. A decision had to be made. The right one. ‘This isn’t a democracy anymore’ was a paramount moment for Rick. Showing leadership and dominance required in the world he bares. Forward in time we travel to Rick embracing the cold steel in his holster. Thoughts of taking what he longs for.

A man’s wife who offers the only glimmer of solace in the road of anguish and dolor. After Rick’s prolonged misery, both on the road and from the one who he loved the most. Not even owning a guarantee of paternal truth for his daughter Judith. Who could blame Rick for simply adapting to the world he lives in? Take or be taken.

Character Breakdown

Sasha: The Past Does Not Evaporate

– Beyond momentary lapses of self control and restraint lies a character with death breathing out of every pore. Despite not being a Walker, Sasha is stumbling upon a path of of detachment and desensitization. Practicing her shot on portraits of Alexandria’s residents in secret. Sasha’s past has inescapably predetermined her future on Alexandria and elsewhere.

Her brother Tyreese’s passing, leaving the sphere of morality out to pasture. An integration with society on the inside in conflict with the truths of the outside. A clash ‘outside’ is winning. No opposition. The past takes the form of a solid, not running water. It does not evaporate, rather lingering. Waiting for the right moment to pounce. Jolting back into life.

Episode Background

Spotlight: Melissa McBride

Melissa McBride’s range as an actress is a defining trademark. One that’s held strong through five seasons of The Walking Dead. A freight train showing no signs of stopping. From soft, gentle mother to calculating, pragmatic decision-maker. McBride can adapt on the fly in a flash. Before you even realize it. Currently credited on 64 episodes of The Walking Dead, McBride is a Walking Dead veteran. Her character progression enchanting.

She won a 2014 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA. She was also nominated in 2014 for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama series at the Critics Choice Television Awards. Last week’s Emmy award-winning performance by McBride will be spoken about years from now.

Tonight’s Episode Directed By: Jennifer Lynch

This is Jennifer Lynch’s directing debut in the world of The Walking Dead. A director and screenwriter, Lynch is best known for writing the book ‘The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer’.

Walking Dead Ratings

– Last week’s Walking Dead episode “Forget” scored a 7.3 rating, scoring around 14.534 million viewers in the 18-49 age demographic according to Tvbythenumbers.

That’s it for this Walking Dead preview! Check out more Walking Dead headlines at the news hub and previous articles by me at this link. See you next time Walking Dead fans!

More from Carol Peletier

• The Walking Dead: Melissa McBride – I feel like Carol has more story to tell
• Does Carol die in The Walking Dead?
• Melissa McBride accomplishes Walking Dead trifecta in new spinoff
• Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon rumors: Melissa McBride joins cast of season 2
• The Walking Dead 5 times Carol Peletier saves the day