By the end of the fourth episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Rick and Michonne mended their differences, teamed up, and drove toward happiness. The show is not called The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Leave, so, of course, they ended up together. Their bliss is on full display in the opening scenes of this fifth episode as this couple is seen driving and eating noodles. It's honeymoon; it's heaven. But then, by saying, "Luck's holding up," Rick jinxes things up. His words start hovering ominously in the air.
At first, they come across three people who don't kindly react to being helped by this couple. After spending a night in each other's arms, Rick and Michonne wake up in the presence of Anne/Jadis Stokes. She tells Rick to tie his hands as well as Michonne's, and if you are familiar with Jadis, you know she is not looking forward to a BDSM session. Jadis wants to kill Rick and Michonne, but the former thinks that Anne is present somewhere inside this warrant officer of the CRM and that part of her is good. Can they really "save" this character?
The episode smoothly shifts between the past and the present. During the former portions, we see Anne having conversations with Gabriel. She opens up her heart, sheds tears, and appears vulnerable. We are initially led to believe that Anne killed Gabriel. This only underlines how Episode 5 likes to play with your - as well as the characters' - perception. When you see a zombie from between the legs of a mysterious figure, you think this figure is Jadis, who has come to hunt for Rick and Michonne. Well, this character turns out to be Gabriel. When someone else quietly enters the house where Rick and Michonne rest together, you conclude that this stealthy character is Gabriel. Well, you are again proved wrong. Rick and Michonne follow and try to catch a woman they naturally think is Jadis, but they find another face in the outfit.
Jadis is undoubtedly the highlight of Episode 5. Pollyanna McIntosh goes out with a bang, delivering a performance so emotional, so smashing, she makes it almost difficult for you to see anything else in the frame. You are transfixed by the pain in Jadis' face, by the poignant inflection she gives to her final sentences. Watching McIntosh, I once again realized how blessed this show is as it has an army of wonderful, dedicated actors. They infuse life into this show, which also has an army of the dead.
Final Score - [7/10]