The Next World

"The Next World"
The Walking Dead episode

Daryl and Rick confront Jesus, after he steals the truck they found.
Episode no. Season 6
Episode 10
Directed by Kari Skogland
Written by
Original air date February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21)
Running time 43 minutes
Guest actors

"The Next World" is the tenth episode of the sixth season and the 77th episode overall of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which first aired on AMC on February 21, 2016. It was written by Angela Kang and Corey Reed and directed by Kari Skogland. It marks the first appearance of the character Paul “Jesus” Monroe from the comic books, who, in the series, is called Paul “Jesus” Rovia and is played by Tom Payne.

Background

The Walking Dead takes place in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, colloquially referred to as "walkers." Series' protagonist Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), a former law enforcement officer, has become the de facto leader of a community of survivors at the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Rick finally came to accept the Alexandrians once the people united to fight a zombie invasion, saving themselves and Rick's son Carl (Chandler Riggs) who had been shot in the eye.[1] Rick and Carl have been sharing a house with long-time ally Michonne (Danai Gurira),[2] who had been advised by Alexandria's previous leader, Deanna (Tovah Feldshuh), to consider what she wants for the rest of her life. Deanna was bitten by a zombie during the invasion,[3] and is survived by her adult son, Spencer Monroe (Austin Nichols), who has lost his entire family[4][5] and seen his community evolve significantly since the arrival of Rick's group. Enid (Katelyn Nacon) is an orphaned teenager who struggled with a fatalistic outlook during the invasion;[6][7] she has been sharing a slow-moving flirtation with Carl.[8] And Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) is another of Rick's core allies who had been a scout and recruiter for Alexandria, looking for suitable new people to bring into the community,[9] though his first three encounters with outsiders saw him: lured into a deathtrap[5] by people who later attacked the community,[6] taken prisoner and robbed,[10] and extorted.[1]

Plot

Two months have passed since the events of "No Way Out". The walls have been repaired and expanded, and the residents are living a seemingly normal lifestyle. Rick and Daryl are about to go on a supply run. Michonne asks Rick for spearmint and baking soda toothpaste, while Denise (Merritt Wever) requests a specific soft drink so she can surprise Tara. Eugene (Josh McDermitt) maps out nearby agricultural suppliers, which could improve the dwindling food supply.

Eugene's research leads Rick and Daryl to a truck that is filled with food, ammunition and other supplies including a case of toothpaste. They drive the truck along a different route to return to Alexandria, and stop at a gas station to loot a fallen vending machine. As they struggle to break into it, a long-haired masked man runs into Rick, claiming that he's running from a group of zombies. They all lie about not having a camp, and after Rick introduces himself and Daryl, the man removes his mask and gives his name as Paul Rovia, but tells them his friends call him Jesus. Rick asks his three recruitment questions, despite Daryl's objections, but Jesus runs off. Rick and Daryl hear noises from behind the gas station and, forewarned of approaching zombies, decide to investigate, only to find firecrackers popping. Realizing that Jesus tricked them and pick-pocketed the truck's keys from Rick, they sprint back to see Jesus driving the truck away, dragging the vending machine behind it. Rick and Daryl pursue him on foot, eventually coming across the vending machine. Daryl breaks it open and obtains the drink requested by Denise, Orange Crush. As they catch their breath, Rick expresses his views to bring more people into Alexandria.

Later, the two catch up to the truck and find Jesus repairing a tire. They attack Jesus, who holds his own against the two of them until subdued at gunpoint. Rick leaves Jesus tied loosely on the side of the road, believing he could free himself once they're gone. When they drive across a field at the next farm, Rick and Daryl hear bumping on the truck's roof, and Rick rapidly brakes to send Jesus toppling from the top of the truck. Jesus runs and Daryl jumps out to pursue him, while Rick parks the truck near a lake and kills a few stray zombies. Jesus gets into the driver’s seat as Daryl fights him. Jesus grabs Daryl's gun and shoots an approaching zombie, saving Daryl's life. Daryl pulls Jesus from the truck, which is set into neutral and begins rolling backwards. Jesus is struck on the back of the head by the truck's door, knocking him out, as the truck rolls into the lake and submerges.

Meanwhile, Carl and Enid venture into the woods. They come across a balloon with an illegible note, and Enid is hopeful about other people but Carl says they're probably dead already. They sit together, and Enid confesses that she doesn't like being out there anymore. On their way back, Carl spots a zombie and attracts its attention to kill it, but when they see who it is Carl stops while Enid wants to kill it. The two argue, and Carl sends Enid back to Alexandria.

As Michonne is patrolling the newly erected walls, she spots Spencer going into the woods alone with a shovel and sets after him. As they walk through the woods, Michonne spots Carl running and sees a lone zombie, which is revealed to be a zombified Deanna. With Michonne's assistance, Spencer stabs the zombie and buries it, a large "D" carved on a tree to mark the grave. That night, Michonne confronts Carl about not killing the zombie. He believes zombies should only be killed by someone who had loved them in life. When he tells her he would do it for her, Michonne embraces him.

Rick and Daryl return to Alexandria with an unconscious Jesus, who they leave tied up in a room. Rick and Michonne sit together on the couch in their living room. They laugh as they talk about their days, and soon begin holding hands and kissing intimately. Later that night, Rick and Michonne are naked, sleeping in bed together, when a voice is heard calling Rick. Michonne and Rick leap up and grab their weapons as the speaker is revealed to be Jesus, who is standing at the foot of the bed and says they need to talk.

Production

Actor Tom Payne, who plays the new character Jesus, auditioned, was cast, and began filming the role all in the span of about a week.[11]

Andrew Lincoln has said in interview that he voiced his desire for "A Butch and Sundance kind of episode, where these guys are just hanging out" over a meal with Norman Reedus and Greg Nicotero, that they pitched it to Scott M. Gimple who found a place for it in the back eight [episodes], and writer Angela Kang dialed into it with a different flavour for the show.[12]

Themes

Family

Darryl Woodard writes that family is one of the most consistent themes voiced in The Walking Dead[13] and Brian Moylan cites it as the biggest theme of the episode. It is most evident during Michonne's stories, but we also see it with Maggie, about to start her own family, trying to give Enid more of a home than she's found before.[14]

It's phenomenal what the writers did with Carl, and Carl sees her in the woods and leads her toward us, and it's this beautiful remembrance of what he had to go through in the prison with his mother, giving birth to his baby sister. And the fact that he could have the foresight and just the idea to do that so that he could bring her to me, and then he disappears into the woods and doesn't ask for any recognition — I mean, what a hero.

Austin Nichols[15]

With the unsolicited help of Michonne and Carl, Spencer ventures into the woods to find, kill and bury his zombified mother, Deanna, granting him spiritual revitalization and emotional closure after the loss of his entire family.[16] Spencer still isn't sure of his place in the new world order and it's left to Michonne to tell him that family isn't about bonds of blood but bonds of experience[14] through which they build loyalties and sympathies to form a new collective.[16]

Michonne tries to chastise Carl for the riskiness of luring the zombie, but Carl is adamant that it needed to be killed by someone who loved Deanna. Through this metaphor they say they love each other,[14] and with Carl's blessing Michonne is ready to follow Deanna's advice to figure out what she wants for the rest of her life. Rick, who has finally accepted the Alexandrians, has reached a place where he is open to new possibilities. Carl, Michonne and Rick feel their way toward a new iteration of family, one made stronger, not weaker, by its grim history.[17]

Inclusion

The altercation with Jesus evolves into a clash between Daryl's cautious isolationism and Rick's newfound compassion.[16] It was quickly recognized that Jesus was up to no good, but he also wasn't evil — merely another scavenger playing the same game.[17] While Daryl unwillingly concedes to Rick's mercy, there is no question that there exists a deep warmth and kindness underneath Daryl's cold exterior. Daryl's sense of charity may be challenged by what he deems to be Jesus' true nature: a foreign presence which will be our survivors' impetus to explore beyond their safe borders and into the hands of the much-anticipated Negan.[16]

Humor

The most fun bits were every single scene with Norman Reedus. There are a lot of outtakes on that episode. I think there's a lot of messing around and improvising ... It's astonishing, because it was the first time in six years that we were allowed to just play. Also, this kind of brotherly relationship. In any other circumstances, if there weren't zombies on the earth, I'd be arresting this sucker. Yet, we're forced together ... It's people that really shouldn't be in the same space, forced to live with each other, and making it work and finding their own little soft spots and weak spots, and just messing around.

It was also just such great timing after Rick having this realization at the end of the midseason premiere, this new hopefulness. And so much of the humor in this episode comes from the fact that Rick is in this different mindset, and Daryl is just pissed off at the world right now.

Andrew Lincoln[12]

Tim Surette of TV.com calls The Next World "the funniest episode of The Walking Dead ever."[18] The humor begins in the opening scene with Rick teasing Michonne and Carl, normalizing Carl's injury through humor while displaying a levity and sense of self-assurance that makes Rick a more engaging character.[17] Daryl lightly mocks Denise's gesticulations as she awkwardly explains an errand, which takes a turn for the absurd when Denise admits her soda request originated from her sleeping girlfriend. Eugene tries to stress the importance of his request with technical and regional jargon, completely failing to notice as it expectedly leaves Daryl looking flummoxed, his efforts to explain ironically leaving Daryl more confused.[13] When Daryl is unsuccessful at begging off Rick's rockabilly road music, he is cemented as the sympathetic comedic victim of the piece.

There is a touch of surreal humor when Rick and Daryl spot a pair of barns with sorghum painted in huge block letters as if spoofing a Looney Tunes cartoon.[13] Although we are reasonably certain that anvils aren't going to fall on their heads, Daryl is wary after being lured into an earlier trap and the scene seems at once unsettling and safe, causing comedic tension described by McGraw's benign-violation theory of humor.

Things went from quietly funny to majorly madcap when Rick and Daryl ran into Jesus, a delightfully absurd character[17] who can seemingly work miracles — or magic tricks, as he steals the truck with a little misdirection and pick-pocketing.[14] Moving effortlessly from high suspense to humor, Rick and Daryl tangle with Jesus, trading possession of the truck in a bunch of expertly choreographed action sequences[17] punctuated by the mock epic of Daryl's quest for the Orange Crush.

Particularly well-executed was the sequence where Daryl grabs Jesus in the truck cab, which rapidly builds and subverts expectations: a reverse-shot shows Daryl's gun holster conspicuously empty, a zombie creeps up on him from behind, Jesus points the revolver at Daryl but tells him to duck, Jesus shoots the zombie, and after a pregnant pause Daryl shouts, "That's mah gun!" as a literal punch line, lashing out at Jesus. It becomes a true farce when circumstances fully spiral out of control and the truck is swallowed by the lake with a final pathetic burp of escaping air. Jesus, defeated only by a slapstick strike of the truck's door, continues to suffer sarcastic jabs from Daryl.

In the final scenes we see humor used as seduction, as Rick and Michonne begin a physical relationship more happy and amused than lustful. This then turns to sexual farce as Jesus returns to get the last laugh of the episode in an unexpected cliffhanger.

Reception

Critical reception

The episode received positive reviews. It holds a 96% positive rating with an average score of 8 out of 10 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus reads: "Vintage-style action and the spark of a hot new romance make "The Next World" a gratifying successor to the shocking mid-season premiere."[19]

Lenika Cruz and David Sims of The Atlantic praise the much-needed time jump which refreshed the series from the brutal slog of previous episodes. Sims calls it, "A rather light, funny episode that ended on a surprising note — but not a bloody one, for once." Cruz called it one of the show's best hours. "Every pairing this week not only made sense, but also meaningfully advanced the story or the characters."[17]

Ratings

The episode averaged a 6.6 rating in adults 18-49, with 13.483 million viewers overall.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 Nicotero, Greg; Hoffman, Seth (February 14, 2016). "No Way Out". The Walking Dead. Season 6. Episode 9. AMC.
  2. ↑ Nicotero, Greg; Powell, Channing (March 1, 2015). "Remember". The Walking Dead. Season 5. Episode 12. AMC.
  3. ↑ Satrazemis, Michael E.; Negrete, Matthew (November 29, 2015). "Start to Finish". The Walking Dead. Season 6. Episode 8. AMC.
  4. ↑ Lynch, Jennifer; Negrete, Matthew (March 15, 2015). "Spend". The Walking Dead. Season 5. Episode 14. AMC.
  5. 1 2 Nicotero, Greg; Gimple, Scott M.; Hoffman, Seth (March 29, 2015). "Conquer". The Walking Dead. Season 5. Episode 16. AMC.
  6. 1 2 Lynch, Jennifer; Hoffman, Seth (October 18, 2015). "JSS". The Walking Dead. Season 6. Episode 2. AMC.
  7. ↑ Boyd, David; Powell, Channing (November 22, 2015). "Heads Up". The Walking Dead. Season 6. Episode 7. AMC.
  8. ↑ Satrazemis, Michael E.; Kang, Angela (March 22, 2015). "Try". The Walking Dead. Season 5. Episode 15. AMC.
  9. ↑ Boyd, David; Reed, Corey (March 8, 2015). "Forget". The Walking Dead. Season 5. Episode 13. AMC.
  10. ↑ January, Jeffrey F.; Bellson, Heather (November 15, 2015). "Always Accountable". The Walking Dead. Season 6. Episode 6. AMC.
  11. ↑ Potts, Kimberly (February 24, 2016). "Talking With Jesus: 'The Walking Dead' Newbie Tom Payne Shares Everything You Need to Know About Paul Rovia". yahoo.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Potts, Kimberly (February 25, 2016). "The Walking Dead: Andrew Lincoln Talks Richonne, Jessie, jesus, and the 'Bleak' Season Finale". Yahoo News. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 Woodard, Darryl (February 26, 2016). "The Walking Dead: Rick and Michonne's Organic Progression, and more". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Moylan, Brian (February 22, 2016). "The Walking Dead: season six, episode 10 - The Next World". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  15. ↑ Hardwick, Chris (host); Gurira, Danai; Fillion, Nathan; Nichols, Austin (February 21, 2016). Talking Dead. Season 5. Episode 10. AMC.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Nguyen, Richard (February 23, 2016). "The Walking Dead: The Next World". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cruz, Lenika; Sims, David (February 21, 2016). "The Walking Dead: For the Love of Family". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  18. ↑ Surette, Tim (February 22, 2016). "The Walking Dead "The Next World" Review: The Best Way To Get Over Someone". TV.com. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  19. ↑ "The Next World". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  20. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 23, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: ‘Walking Dead’ steady, ‘RHOA’ and ‘Shameless’ improve". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 24, 2015.

External links

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