Anyone familiar with this era of the source material knew this was coming.  After the Hunters, there is a brief period that serves as a prelude to what is one of the more substantial arcs of the story, where things take a decidedly left turn.  But before that can happen, the sense of purpose that Abraham’s mission to get to Washington provided must be cut off at the knees.

 

By now, much of the audience had to realize that Eugene’s story wasn’t adding up.  At this point, the characters on the mission are beginning to realize it, so the fact that the truth comes out didn’t shock me.  Using this moment to also explain why Abraham is so driven was a nice touch.  In essence, Abraham lost everything, saw the remains of his family, and was ready to check out.  Eugene’s pitiful arrival gave Abraham a quest that he could use as a reason to go on.

 

There’s ample evidence that Abraham was also steadily beginning to suspect that Eugene wasn’t telling the whole story.  But since he needed that mission to keep himself focused and semi-sane, he couldn’t admit his misgivings.  Some have questioned whether or not anyone would have ever believed Eugene, but it should be remembered that all of them had experienced a great deal of loss in the past couple years.  Hope, especially the false kind, can be a powerful source of denial.

 

This is one of those episodes that is going to read very differently for those familiar with the source material than those not.  There are about a million references to items from the comic that show up in this installment: Eugene’s confession, Eugene’s penchant for watching Abraham and Rosita, Abraham’s back story, and so on.  There’s even a herd shown in the background, representing physically the wall that Abraham is psychologically backed up against.

 

All that said, those not anticipating seeing what was on the page play out on the screen seem to have been less pleased.  I’ve even seen comments that invoke the dreaded “filler episode” claim.  I think that’s short-sighted, especially if one doesn’t know what’s coming next.  Not to mention that this is not an action series, despite the many scenes of fighting the undead.  It’s about the characters.  How will these events play into the future?  If they were willing to believe Eugene, and they got burned by that hope, what happens next time someone comes to them with claims that seem too good to be true?

 

What should become clear, in relatively short order, is that Eugene’s deception shouldn’t be taken in isolation.  Everything that has happened since the flight from the prison and the final showdown with the Governor is part of a greater whole: that outsiders cannot be trusted.  Every time they put their faith in others, it comes back to haunt them.  Even Beth’s situation, something not in the source material, plays into this message.  It would be foolish to think that this isn’t planting the seeds for something important waiting in the wings.