'Consumed' ~ Caryl Edition Master Media Post #2 

TWD Season 5 - Episode 6 - “Consumed” CARYL Edition Master Media Post #2 

*WARNING - Major Feels & Flail Inducing Material After the Read More’

Why is it that the absolute best episodes of “The Walking Dead” are Daryl (Norman Reedus) riding solo with one other character? Add in a Daryl/Carol (Melissa McBride) pairing, and you have the stuff that dreams are made of, if your dreams involve watching episodes of television.

Okay, Walking Dead, how do you do it? This episode has no kissing, no romantic or sexual touching, and yet…and yet… this ship is in full sail. I know, I know, no kissy stuff, but the thing is, it didn’t need it. The sheer chemistry we saw in “Consumed” says it all without showing it all, and that, my friends, is the sign of a ship that is unstoppable.

On to the Caryl’s dynamic in this episode. Though both are clearly the strongest of the strong—as Noah pointed out before he slashed open the tent of zombies for his getaway—that doesn’t mean they don’t need each other. But more than that, neither is above accepting help and admitting weakness around the other, which is especially meaningful in a world where such vulnerability typically comes at a cost. Daryl and Carol just get each other in a way we rarely see with other pairings on the show. Their intuitive synchronicity in navigating the abandoned buildings, or the way they sat in stunned silence inside the crashed van as walker blood streamed down the windshield (maybe my favorite shot of the entire episode), says more about their deep trust and affection for one another than any brooding window-side musing could.

Daryl and Carol really are the dynamic duo of the show. I wouldn’t mind them branching off for the rest of the run. In a large group, their effectiveness is kind of lost in the numbers. Alone, forced to talk and express their doubts, though, that would work really well.

This week’s episode of The Walking Dead, “Consumed,” wouldn’t have worked with any other two characters on the series.

And yet, “Consumed” represented one of the best episodes of the season, and maybe the best character-building episode of the series.

That had a lot to do with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, two of the best actors in the cast who play arguably the two most beloved characters on the series — the two characters who have evolved the most since the zombie outbreak.

These two characters — opposites in the pre-apocalyptic world but spiritual cousins in the present — are absolutely terrific when they are together. It’s not sexual chemistry; it’s electric.

On the surface, “Consumed” seemed to be about Daryl and Carol’s desire to start again from scratch. But there is no fresh start here. They are shaped by their past, and everything that’s happened since the outbreak began has made them into the survivors they are today: Strong, smart, and above all, compassionate and selfless human beings.

These two characters — opposites in the pre-apocalyptic world but spiritual cousins in the present — are absolutely terrific when they are together. It’s not sexual chemistry; it’s electric

We see Carol’s journey in bits and pieces, both solo and with Daryl, and that’s where the chemistry leaps off the screen, into our living rooms and sticks us right in the heart like a crossbow in a walker’s skull.

…a bed is indeed shared, but Carol and Daryl are no ordinary ship, and so their bed scene is not even close to sexy, but dear gravy, is it hot.

..,watching smoke rise outside her window. She sees its source; Daryl, cremating the bodies of the walkers he put down for her. Some men know how to say it all without saying a word, am I right?

While Reedus is one of the show’s strongest actors, McBride is in a league of her own, capable of quietly dominating every scene she’s in.

But while Consumed wasn’t a “big” episode in any sense, it was possibly one of this season’s most impressive: a reflective, rather melancholy two-hander that showed its actors at their best.

There’s a scene in “Consumed” that I’d rank among the most effective sequences The Walking Dead has ever done. It’s not terrifying, at least not in the most immediate sense of that word; neither of the characters involved (Daryl, Carol) are in physical danger, and the walkers we see are more pathetic than threatening. The whole thing takes place in maybe three minutes, and it’s largely wordless (the gap between the show’s visual storytelling and its dialogue is narrowing, but still large). It references information that hasn’t been a major issue on the series since midway through the second season, and even more impressively, there’s no effort to remind viewers of what’s going on. No one says, “Oh, this is affecting Carol because she used to be a mother and her daughter was turned, and we’re seeing a zombie woman and a little girl zombie.” You’re required to put everything together yourself, based on the few bits of backstory that had come out over the hour, Carol’s history on the series, and the expressions on both actors faces.

The constant revelations on Carol’s mental state, told in part through flashbacks really got to me. These glimpses over the course of the episode are fantastic. We’re shown that Carol’s role at the prison allowed her to be the person she always thought she should be, and the utter sense of defeat she suffered after her exile. While her discovery of the fall of her former home, and the horrible loss of her adopted children left her empty inside.

It was made obvious that Carol still maintained the desire to keep her new found strength and willingness to make those tough calls, but her experiences left her with a profound fear of loss. A fear that almost made her abandon the group, if for no other reason than to spare herself from losing anyone else.

How the writers played all of this off of Daryl’s character, and the strong, compassionate man he’s become, was nothing short of brilliant. A device strengthened by some expertly crafted pacing and dialogue. The fact that a single episode could be this packed with character, while showcasing all the action, intrigue and suspense we’ve come to love, is simply stunning. I was completely engaged from start to finish.

The seriously haunting score by the incredible Bear McCreary combined with some seriously bad ass set design and the overall visual atheistic of the locals put this episode over the edge of awesome. The atmosphere practically oozed off my screen, inspiring me with a sense of loss, dread, and confidence all at once.

But as Daryl turns his back to allow Noah to become zombie chow, Carol is the one who has a change of heart. The silver-haired saint of Walking Dead badassdom wants Daryl’s help in sparing the boy’s life. It’s an extreme about-face for a woman who has famously crossed line after line after line in the name of self-preservation, and keeping her friends and allies safe.

With all that fire and brimstone under her belt, Carol can no longer ignore the stench of burning flesh. With each and every decision she makes, she feels herself moving further along the road to damnation, without a road map for how to get back. But if she saves one life — if she can help one stranger in the middle of all this madness — perhaps it’s a step in the right direction.

The two characters are essential to each other; they need each other to hang on and keep going. They each are better with the other nearby for support. Although Carol protests to Daryl that “You don’t know me,” he knows better, responding sharply (but with affection), “You keep tellin’ yourself that!”

But Carol actually fears that in the aftermath of season four, much of who she’d become had been burned up. Just as the pushover, battered Carol had been burned up, just as Sophia had been burned away, she believes all who she’d become at the prison–the leader, the nurturer is gone to ash. “Now everything consumes you,” she laments.

But again, Daryl retorts, “We ain’t ashes.” They’re both still there, still fighting for survival, still trying to stay on the human side of the line, even in the face of despair.

And in the end, after Carol is hit by a car and taken away into the Hospital of Horrors (and horrible Dawn), Daryl must go against every instinct in his body and trust Noah. Or Carol will be lost to him forever. And Beth will never be found.

Well, we don’t really know what Carol’s deal is at this point. That’s what this episode is all about. She was changed by what happened with Lizzie, then she became a crazy badass, and lately she’s been acting pretty weird. She keeps saying she doesn’t know what she was up to when Daryl found her gassing up the car, but it sure seemed like she was about to take off on her own again. Also it’s completely obvious that she’s in love with Daryl, even though the show keeps acting like it’s some deep dark secret.

Carol is not so sure we’re allowed to save people in this zombie-ridden hellscape, and Daryl, in his own quiet way, is trying to make sure she can at least save herself.

There is no doubt that Carol has become one of the most beloved characters of The Walking Dead. If you follow her trajectory from season one, you realize that the person she has become is nothing like the person she was when she was first introduced to us. In fact, I sometimes forget that season one is even related to this show, because it feels like another time in another place. The woman that was devoted to her abusive husband and submissively subjected herself to his beatings, is a born again survivor, who doesn’t take crap from anyone

Hats off to Melissa McBride who should pick up an Emmy or two for her work in this show. This actress has turned Carol Peletier into one of the most fascinating characters in the show and one that fans can really get behind. Long live Carol in The Walking Dead.

After they lose Noah, Carol and Daryl stumble across a van precariously perched at the edge of a bridge, and Carol and Daryl hop in to search for clues of where the van came from. Unfortunately, a herd of walkers approaches, pins them down, and forces them over the side of the bridge. Happily, the van lands on its wheels (physics and gravity are clearly Caryl shippers, protecting those two like that), and they are able to get to safety.

Can I just say that Carol and Daryl are so perfect together? They have a seamless, effortless way of working together, supporting one another, and pushing one another to become better. I know that, up to this point, couples who aren’t Glenn and Maggie die in tragic ways, but I’m so ready for Caryl to become canon.

A terrific, self-contained episode that still manages to ponder the question (on a character level and beyond): Can we start over?

Surprisingly, Daryl is the first to voice this not as a question, but as a statement, while using himself as living proof. Daryl’s suggestion of the mutability of those he’s built a life with is a refreshing departure from his usual reticence and what seemed to be a wavering commitment to the larger group, powered by a feeling that he didn’t quite belong. But where ‘Consumed’ finds its emotional core is once again through the season’s MVP, Carol.

I will say that I like DC United (the pairing of Daryl and Carol, not the soccer team—I’m saving my fandom for Atlanta’s 2017 MLS expansion team). Their relationship has been one of the most unexpectedly meaningful over the years as Carol was the first one to buy into Daryl as a good man, even before Daryl himself. These are two characters who’ve been through as much or more as anybody else since the apocalypse, but they’d had their share of pain long before the zombies rolled into town. She saved Daryl emotionally (in Season 2) and actually (when he was trapped at Terminus). Now it’s up to Daryl to return both favors.

…Carol was still lost. Nothing is going to help her find her way back into the group than some quality time with Daryl. We already see her softening when she decides to save Noah. And if the group comes guns a’blazing to her rescue, there’s hope she can really feel a part of the team again.

Consumed” focused exclusively on everyone’s two favorite characters. Both Daryl and Carol have grown a lot in terms of popularity and I’m surprised it took this long to give them a solo episode. So it was awesome to finally have one which, combined with answering all of our questions, gave us one excellent hour.

Carol easily stole the show this week. Seeing as she’s now the most enigmatic character of the entire bunch, it’s only appropriate that we got flashbacks to what she did when she was separated.The flashbacks were quick, but they all succeeded in presenting Carol as this woman who is prepared to make the really difficult decisions. It was appropriate to pair this up with shots of her losing it too, like when she was exiled by Rick. Behind every tough decision is a woman who is suffering, immensely, with every call. Carol is by far the most hardcore and damaged person on this show, which obviously makes Daryl’s decision to burn the bodies they found to give her a break that much better. Carol doesn’t have to carry that weight on her own anymore.

Speaking of Daryl, I can’t think of a better duo on this show. These two are perfect together. What really makes the Daryl/Carol pairing work is their soft spoken desire to just do good. They will willingly walk into the fire if it means protecting those closest to them. They’re selfless individuals who very rarely ask for anything in return. And when they get something back, like Rick repeatedly thanking Carol for saving them, it’s always met with modesty. Very few words were spoken throughout this hour too. Carol mentioned a few times that she’s open to talk about Lizzie and Mika’s absence, but Daryl simply brushes it off saying that they “have to start over.” You can’t get hung up on all the terrible things you need to do to keep living. It’s obviously not easy to just “move on,” but it’s the way that world is. Both Carol and Daryl willingly carry burdens, but only one isn’t weighed down by them

While the hard-won relationship between Daryl and Carol has grown more fascinating every season (whether you interpret it as platonic or something more), it’s rare to see the reticent pair ever truly open up, even to each other — they seem to prefer to let their actions speak for them. They’re arguably the two survivors who have the most in common, keeping their emotions hidden and pretending not to let the horrors of the world affect them, and “Consumed” perfectly illustrated how well they complement each other.

For two people who try so desperately to hide their humanity, “Consumed” was a welcome reminder of just how noble Carol and Daryl still are, despite their efforts to prove otherwise.

Caryl bunk up for the night in the refuge. The scene where they pick out bunk beds in the dorm room may be the complete opposite to Abraham and Rosita’s book store sex romp (our eyes are still burning) in terms of between the sheets action, but there’s still more delicious sexual tension between Carol and Daryl than between any other couple on the show - and yes that includes boring newlyweds Glenn and Maggie.

Scott Gimble and co know how to tease us though, prising apart the duo at the end of the episode, but with Carol set to liven up Beth’s hospital storyline and Daryl on the warpath, expect lots more Caryl fireworks to come.

We loved the interaction between Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride in “Consumed.” They are both strong actors whose characters have remarkable backstories. They are even more interesting together than when they are apart.

The episode was a slow burn without a ton of action outside of some zombie kills, but it was a therapeutic hour in many ways as Daryl and Carol got back together and found away to talk again. If you notice, when Daryl was with Beth, every word out of his mouth until they finally shared some moonshine and painful memories was like pulling teeth. He talked down to her because she couldn’t carry her own weight in the beginning. It wasn’t like that with Carol. She was Daryl’s equal just like Rick. He knows Carol is the truest meaning of the word survivor. That’s something Daryl really respects and honors.

This hour pushed the clock back a bit to reveal Carol and Daryl’s journey (I still feel like there should be some 80s or 90s sitcom theme song when saying their names together) in their hunt to find Beth.

I was OK with listening to those two get to bond and converse about who they are, who they were, and what to do now. I love their chemistry from simple things like eating chips together to a dialogue free burning of the bodies.

And there’s never any fighting about which bunk to get.

These two are entertaining to watch, and I love how there’s a certain support for each other both physically and emotionally.

I understood why the writers wanted to focus so much on Daryl and Carol simply spending time with one another; these two sizzle when they’re onscreen together, and the ‘shippers in the audience were no doubt bursting at the seams at the sight of the twosome lying side-by-side in bed, or Carol telling her counterpart, “Now you’re a man.” But I would have liked a bit more forward motion surrounding those moments, or at the very least, some other topic of conversation.

So … I can’t be the only one who would be happy to jettison the rest of the 15+ cast of The Walking Dead and just have a show starring Carol and Daryl, right?

While this week doesn’t advance the plot very much, TV watchers are treated to incredible character moments and reminders of how far these two people have come in five seasons.

And yet both became two of the most interesting characters on the show. The ones that you root for. This week’s episode, titled “Consumed,” highlights some of what they’ve been through, while demonstrating how the walker apocalypse made them into unlikely heroes.

The question is: Did anyone think that Carol would develop into one of the show’s best characters? She’s every bit the damaged badass as her grungy, crossbow-slinging pal.

Only with Carol — especially now, thanks to a few key flashbacks last night — we have more insight into both who she was and who she’s become.

There was a time when you’d think of her as little more than Daryl’s sidekick. Now they’re equals — capable not only of surviving, but saving others and making the kind of tough moral calls this new world demands.

The big theme in this chapter is identity, as Caryl struggle to reconcile past and present. The flashbacks really drive this point home, showing us snapshots of the pivotal moments that transformed this battered wife and grieving mom into the Malcolm X of the apocalypse — surviving by any means necessary.

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