Episode 9: Honor
Hi everybody!! I’m baaaaaack! Yes, this post is late due to my own inadequacy. Apologies! But, in all honesty, I think we all needed an extra week to digest the horror and heartbreak that was “Honor," the midseason premiere of our favorite show.
Let’s just get down to it. Carl was bitten when he saved Siddiqi. He has been living on borrowed time for a couple of days now. We are shown a montage of sorts of Carl, his life on the show, and how he is preparing for his own inevitable demise. We see him taking poloroids with baby sis, Judith, planting plants, and writing letters to all his nearest and dearest. This is all set to, “At the Bottom of Everything” by Bright Eyes. I went through a Bright Eyes phase in my teen years that has lasted until…well, it hasn’t ended. Needless to say I found this all exceptionally emotional. But the most important thing is this, we see Carl came to a sort of peace with knowing he would soon die. And that was freakin’ beautiful.
Watching Carl say goodbye to all the friends and fam was positively heart wrenching. Michonne and he confessed that they’re best friends. Rick and she then drag the poor kid into their burned out home. It’s charred and smoking, but it’s theirs, dammitt. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.) Carl spends his last breaths telling his dad that there will be an after after this war. That all the people on both sides still standing will need to learn how to live together and help each other. Carl wisely proclaims that his pops can go back to how he was. Living life! Making a community! Rick says he’ll make Carl’s dreams of unity real. Despite their protests, Carl convinces his father and step-mom to let him end his own life by gunshot. He does, and they bury him. Even though I knew this was coming, it was so hard to watch. It was powerful, and moving, and all the emo stuff we love about this side of the show. Over the years I have grown SO attached to Carl. I hated letting him go. Rick, don’t be a dumbass. Don’t let your kid’s final wishes be in vain. Oh, and it turns out that one of the boy’s dying letters is addressed to Negan.
Well, it seems that Carl found a keeper in Siddiq! It turns out he was a med student in his residency before the world ended. Now he’s taken it upon himself to owe the Grimes family a Wookie life debt. Cool.
Remember all those fuzzy visions we’ve been privy too? The ones of bearded, older Rick leading a slightly aged Judith around Alexandria, meeting and greeting the denizens? All those folks living in harmony? Turns out those were Carl’s dreams of the future. And sorry/not sorry, these visions included Negan. NEGAN. There he is, working in the vegetable garden and happy as a clam. After all that he’d been through, Carl was the eternal optimist. He wanted a brighter tomorrow, and he saw Negan in it.
Daryl and the other Alexandrites are headed for Hilltop. And they want blood. Rick and D share a manly touch, so I guess things are cool between them now.
Morgan and Carol are on the warpath to save Ezekiel! There are no other two characters I would want coming to rescue me. Morgan is still working through his issues and disembowels a living man. Not his best moment, but it looks really cool. Remember that grumpy Negan General who REALLY hates his job and is always complaining? I think his name is Gavin? Well, Morgan has the chance to kill him during the rescue mission. But then small child of the Kingdom, Henry, beats him to it. Henry tagged along in secret to avenge his brother. The lil dude is probably eleven years old? NOT COOL. Will this FINALLY be the moment that gets my precious and beloved Morgan to turn away from the Dark Side? I love me some crazy Morgan, but I miss righteous and spiritual guru Morgan the most.
So, there we have it! Will be kids inspire the adults to do better and live better?! Lastly, Rest in Power to our sweet Carl, who had more honor than any other.
