The Walking Dead: Why so mean to Eugene, Miss Rosita?

On The Walking Dead Rosita Espinosa and Eugene Porter fought like brother and sister. Eugene walked away after she scolded him during weapons training.

Why so mean, Miss Rosita? Those who think Eugene is a wimp secretly cheered at Rosita’s dressing down of Eugene, but most of us felt bad for poor Genie as he walked away deflated and embarrassed.

We know Rosita cares for Eugene so why did she do that? Gale Anne Hurd addressed that question briefly on Talking Dead and I agree with the points she brought up. She knows Eugene. She wants to show the Alexandrians that she’s not playing favorites.

Some other things that I think that are at play here are things I recognize from my dad. Because she’s a girl, somehow I think they are less recognizable than they might be in a dad (however, I always had to point them out to my mom.)

The first one is that he’s her family. She knows he won’t abandon her. She can yell at him and take out a little aggression on him and he will forgive her. Sometimes we act out more with our family members or show our crabby, cranky moods with family more than with company.

Next, she’s mad at the world. She’s mad at the fact that she has to teach Eugene to be something he’s not. She’s mad period. When people are mad at something that can’t receive the anger, they direct it at someone who can receive it, even if that person doesn’t deserve it.

I used to tell that to my mom when my dad had cancer and he would yell at her or yell at the nurses. She would say that things were not her fault or the nurses’ fault. I would tell her. He’s mad he’s dying and he has nowhere to direct his anger.

Rosita’s mad there are zombies. She’s mad poor Eugene has to learn to defend himself when he’s the kind of person who invented an entire identity to get strong, capable people to protect him. So she directs her anger at Eugene for causing her this stress, even though unconsciously or subconsciously or some psychological term, she knows the anger is misplaced.

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And lastly, she doesn’t want to lose him. If he doesn’t learn to protect himself, he’s going to die. And she’ll still be here. She said that straight out. What she told him he should be afraid of is exactly what she’s afraid of. That he will die and it will be over for him. And she’ll still be here living with the idea that she didn’t do everything she could to keep him alive.

At that moment, in her mind, part of “everything she can do to keep him alive” is helping him to learn to protect himself.

Just a sidenote. Something to consider. Just playing a little devil’s advocate. Carol is considered badass and do no wrong. Carol taught the kids to use weapons, told Lizzie she was weak, and tells Sam disturbing, threatening tales.

Rosita loves Eugene.