The Walking Dead: The world’s not over-themes emerging

As season 6 of The Walking Dead moves forward, the word forward has become a prominent theme. While sadness and death will never go away, hope is coming back. Eyes are opening and they are starting to fight again. Not just fight the enemies, but fight the idea that the world has ended.

Season 6 has continued the theme of us and them, but it has evolved. The story moves forward and evolves as our characters move forward and evolve and the themes include moving forward and evolving. I love meta!

Most of last season us and them was about our group vs. the Alexandrians. Who would we accept into our group. Rick wondered how many he’d have to kill before they’d learn. Carol hid herself from them. They had hidden weapons in case they needed to “take” the place. Rick was on edge.

Rick’s speech on the walkie talkie altered the us and them. Us included Alexandria. Them is the walkers and any enemies. He had more confidence in us. He said the mission needed to move forward for the entire group. That turning around because they were afraid would be giving up on the group. He said the people back home needed to be able to take care of themselves. A new confidence.

When Rick returned and yelled to open the gates he addressed Alexandria as if they were part of his group, not as an outsider or a consultant.  He treated them with compassion. Not the way he treated Carter when he wanted to train him to kill walkers by tossing him in the deep end of the pool.  He told them, “The wall’s going to hold together. Can you?”

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Aaron encouraged the Alexandrians. He knew he was part of it. He wanted his neighbors to know that it wasn’t Rick’s group that brought the trouble. The trouble was always here with the walkers and he inadvertently brought the Wolves. Rick and Aaron worked together now. Aaron even called the roamers walkers. They are all Alexandrians now.

When Eastman told his story about driving to Atlanta to turn himself in, he said that’s when he found out the world had ended. Morgan told him the world hasn’t ended. Denise tells Tara it’s the end of the world and Tara says it’s not. Progress!

As much as our group was frustrated with the Alexandrians’ denial. They are worth protecting and they have contributed to our group in unexpected ways. Alexandria has provided us with much-needed rest, shelter and time away from being “out there” to start some healing and fortification to allow us to move forward and put back in our hearts the idea that the world isn’t over.

Maggie is pregnant. The world hasn’t ended.