You and me both! I wouldn’t mind if the scene took up half the episode, with a lot of slo-mo and close-up shots – I hate him that much!
Which reminds me: I was surprised that Kirkman flat-out said, in last night’s Talking Dead, that Daryl was heterosexual. I’d thought that they were keeping that vague intentionally (to broaden his fanbase).
(Of course Kirkman didn’t create that character, so what does he know?)
I can just picture Shane with this new and improved group, saying, “Whoa, now, you’re going a bit too far here!”
I do like the actions becoming less and less civilized - this is pure, brutal survival, but on the other hand, if you completely lose your humanity, what kind of civilization will recover if you ever get past the current crisis?
That I would have remembered seeing!
They’ve been known to lie outright in TD.
I don’t think you’re wrong about the strain in the TWD storytelling that leads viewers to debate ‘how far is too far; how brutal is too brutal.’ I agree that those questions are being posed intentionally.
But I tend to fall on the side of believing that the showrunners do want us to conclude that 'In The Apocalypse You Have To Do What You Have To Do’ is the best and most admirable philosophy. I don’t see them guiding the show in a way that would lead viewers to conclude that some principles of humane treatment of others are worth preserving, or that erring on the side of compassion is best, or any other similarly progressive sentiments.
The fact that the first-established badasses are now showing a more humane side may be more a function of wanting to keep viewers interested: *oh, noes, Daryl has been reading books on childhood trauma–is he now a wimp? Is Daryl going to just stand there and watch Beth be killed? No, whew, he did the right thing by murdering Dawn’s killer–huzzah! * (Or so I imagine the prediction by the writers about the inner dialogue of The Typical Viewer.)
I do think they wanted us to react along the lines of ‘wow*, Beth was just driven too far, but she was right to Stand Up To Dawn*.’ Of course what they had Beth do didn’t really constitute “standing up to” Dawn, but instead something more childish, vindictive, and brutal (as you pointed out). But I suspect the showrunners do see Beth’s action as admirable and assumed viewers would, too.
However, the fact that different viewers can see different things in such a scene is a sign that the show isn’t quite sunken to the level of irredeemable schlock. 
Yeah, it sounds like there is going to be someplace 100 miles away where they can try to settle down once again, but of course this group will never settle down and live happily ever after. Carl understands their new reality is never staying too long in one place, and you better pick your favorite weapon and get good with it. Beth understood the here and now is the new reality, and waiting 'til it’s all over and tolerating aberrant behavior until then is so much delusional bullcrap. Rick is an emotional and mental wreck always teetering on the balance.
Regarding Gabriel, I’m going to go all contrarian and start defending him. You can all gloat when I guess wrong. If he doesn’t die from tetanus, he could be an interesting new addition. Like I said before, he’s a priest with a machete. It’s as cool as Crossbow Daryl, Katana Michonne, Soldier Abe and Cowboy Rick & Son. Various characters have played the role of moral compass in various ways. I’m over Tyreese. Beth is done. Let’s watch the priest struggle with his place in the ZA, and what he contributes to the ongoing question of “what does it mean to be human and civilized in the new reality? What does survival at all costs mean?”
I think Beth realized that everything that Dawn had said and done that was seemingly nice was instead just her trying to groom Beth into being her obedient and loyal ward. Dawn was much like a pimp in a pimp/ho relationship, and the more wards she had in her stable, the more power she had.
I don’t think Beth was trying to commit suicide, but she was obviously willing to risk her life to prevent Noah going back to Dawn. I think she saw that action as the only way to prevent her and the group from leaving Noah behind. Probably, the fact that she had previously attempted suicide emboldened her. Since she had previously been willing to die for nothing, it probably made it much easier to be willing to die for something.
And afterwards the camera pans up the side of the church and stops on the words scratched into the side: “You’ll burn for this”
Heh. Last week I predicted he’d die pounding on the door to be let in. That totally happened, but he didn’t die. Darn those writers and their fake outs. Now I’m down with the prediction he eventually “burns for this” quite literally.
Maybe FG got bitten/scratched by a walker in his Benny Hill-esque escape attempt, and he’s hiding the wound…
If the show runners want to be truly dark, they could then have him…
1; reanimate and attack someone who trusts him (Carl?)
2; reanimate and eat LPITA (c’mon, you know I couldn’t resist this one 
)
3; do the honorable thing and off himself
4; reanimate and get sliced and diced by Michonne
That wasn’t murder any more than stabbing Bob in the head was murder, the guy was dead either way. All Rick did was spare him the brutal death at the hands and teeth of the walkers.
Of course it was murder. Who bound the guy’s hands? Rick. Who ran him over with a car, breaking his back and leaving him helpless? Rick. The fact that rotters would have eaten him a minute later doesn’t lessen Rick’s responsibility. Rick killed Bob not to defend himself or others but as part of a larger plan to get something he wanted. A noble thing, to be sure, but that does not change the tenor of the act. If that had been, say, Glenn running and Dawn running him over, then shooting hin, in the head, nobody would see if t as anything but murder.
And could they come up with no better way of securing the main doors than nailing them shut? :dubious: Did it not occur to anyone that they may need to let the rest of the group back in a hurry?
Eh, better Beth than Carol.
I’m pretty sure the rabbit’s foot belonged to his son.
When did Darryl commit suicide? I’m confused.
Maybe she wasn’t lying to Rick and Judith is his thus conceived pre ZA.
A fat lot of good that did him!
Probably explains what Morgan was laughing at.
Oops! Yes, that should have been:
It didn’t do the rabbit much good, either (to use the time-honored joke)…
I just had a thought, if Father Gabriel dies of tetanus will he still have lockjaw and be unable to open his mouth after death? Maybe he could be a new pet for Michonne - just chop off those pesky arms and he’s good to go.
“Ox, ass, gather your things. You get two weeks severance.”
mmm