The Walking Dead: Losing a shoe to the walkers

Two characters on The Walking Dead have lost a shoe to the walkers on The Walking Dead. Let’s see what Carl and Spencer have in common.

Carl lost his shoe to the walkers in the house down the street from the house where Rick lay unconscious after taking a severe beating from The Governor at the prison. Hershel had just been decapitated and the group was split up.

Carl was acting out. He was taunting the walkers. He was taunting Rick. Telling him he didn’t need him. He yelled at a “sleeping” Rick that he couldn’t protect Judith or mom or Hershel. While Rick was still awake Carl even brought up Shane.

Carl walked way ahead of Rick on the way to the house as Rick begged him to slow down. He was doing everything he could to irritate Rick. It seemed odd when just a little earlier he was so happy to find his dad alive in all of the chaos of the prison fight and escape.

Carl was trying to prove to himself that he could make it without Rick because he thought Rick was going to die. He lost his shoe in the process. Even though he wrote his accomplishment on the door about the walker getting his shoe, but not him, ultimately he realized he couldn’t do it alone.

Spencer lost his shoe while doing essentially the same thing. Spencer lost his dad, Reg, but he took out his anger on his mother, Deanna, after making a smart speech at the food pantry.

Symbolically, he could tell he was losing the “dad” of the community, Rick. Spencer can sense that Rick doesn’t think much of the Alexandrians. He wants to do something to gain his approval.

All of the Alexandrians are trying to do things to make our group accept them now. Their eyes have been opened and they see Rick isn’t the crazy person they thought he was. And if Rick doesn’t respect them, things will reverse and they will be the ones left behind the way the Alexandrians used to systematically leave people behind.

Spencer is acting like the adolescent that he is figuratively. The Alexandrians are adolescents in the apocalypse in experience. They are just emerging from the beginning stages that our group has long since passed.

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Adolescents do stupid things. Especially when they are trying to assert their independence.  Especially when trying to impress someone. Spencer wants to impress Rick so that Rick won’t abandon the Alexandrians.

He feels like Rick won’t listen to him just like many teens feel their parents don’t listen to them.  He wants to assert his independence in case Rick does, in fact, leave them hanging. (Pun intended)

Rick had been getting signs all day about how he needed to let the Alexandrians help. Michonne told him he was making excuses. Tobin talked to him about how they were trying and how they understood Rick more now.

When Spencer was hanging, Rick considered going over the wall and using that opportunity to try to do exactly what Spencer wanted to do-make a move to save the town by himself.

Rick got mad at Tara for helping Spencer, but Tara let him know how she felt about that. She told Rick, they’re stuck with each other. Rick is trying to make up for his plan failing. He doesn’t want to ask for help or give it. He wants his group members to return home safely.

When Carl lost his shoe he realized he couldn’t do it alone. When Spencer lost his shoe, he reminded Rick that he can’t do things alone and he can’t leave the Alexandrians to do things alone.

Walkers got their shoes, but they didn’t get them.