#TeamDelusional Account, Beth Greene is coming! Daycare worker by day and fulltime TWD Fangirl by night! This is a place for all my thoughts/feelings about TWD, with a heavy emphasis on Beth's return. To learn more, click on my Theory and Edit Index below to get started. I recommend starting with the Basics! Theory and Edit Index
Emily Kinney’s three back-to-back Instastories from August 20th that promote the release of her Beth Greene-centric release of her “Hold On” single… 🎶
And perhaps maybe more…?????? 😏
She’s being so cheeky these days when it comes to the subject of her much beloved character on The Walking Dead. 🤭
The panel that she did at Multi-Con with TWD’s showrunner—Scott Gimple—in LA on August 8th, the upcoming release of the “Hold On” single plus that of the Beth Greene-themed EP, her appearance as Beth in an alternate reality/dream sequence-type scenario with her sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) in the future episode of Dead City…
I just can’t help but think it all means… something… MORE. 😏🤨🤔
And who else wants one of these amazing Emily-Kinney-as-Beth-Greene “I Cried When You Died” 😭 long-sleeve tees she shows off in the video here??? 🙋🏻♀️
They will be available for sale in her online store(?) tomorrow—August 21st!
For a character who is supposedly “dead,” Beth Greene is certainly having quite the resurgence nearly a dozen years later! 🤪
The Grady Paradox, Pt. 2: Lunar Cycle Theory + Timeline of The Prison Flu Disaster + the Governor's Demise (TD)
This is part 2 of my Grady Paradox Series. Read Part 1, which chronicles my timeline for "Slabtown," here.
This timeline is the first part of a larger timeline that I will construct over a couple of posts. It uses the 29.5 day lunar cycle (referenced heavily in Dead City 3.04 written by Matthew Negrete) as a baseline for understanding the passage of days/nights/weeks between 4.01 "30 Days Without an Accident" and 5.11 "The Distance," ie: one major arc revolving around Team Family's upheaval from the prison, their adventures on the road, Terminus, Atlanta, Rick's descent, and Beth's observable arc at Grady. The lunar cycle as I've observed it in these seasons is heavily symbolic, but also logistical. Remember the rule: Use everything you can use.
In this first part of my overall timeline, I'm going to go over what I'm calling the Prison Flu Disaster and The Governor's Demise, ie: 4.01-4.08. Most of the events in seasons 4 and 5 are told out of order or in nonlinear fashion, with multiple POVs, which is not unusual for TWD, but these seasons are particularly exaggerated in this effect. This type of nonlinear storytelling can make the timeline difficult to track upon first, second, or even third glance. In fact, time in these seasons, if you're not paying attention, feels straight up disorienting. But when one watches specifically for tells that time is passing, whether it be via the environment, dialogue, wardrobe, etc., then the timeline becomes entirely trackable, even manageable, especially with the lunar cycle as a greater, structural guide.
This timeline begins with a full moon, or the start of the lunar cycle, as is shown in the opening shot of 4.02 "Infected." Note that there are three full moons that appear between 4.02 "Infected" and 5.11 "The Distance," holding that no more than two lunar cycles, or sixty days can pass over the course of this arc. The first full moon, as was already stated, appears in 4.02 "Infected." The second full moon appears in 5.03 "Four Walls and a Roof." The third full moon appears in "The Distance."
Note that the first full moon appears the night before Patrick attacks D Block. It is my first argument here that the title "30 Days Without an Accident" is actually a reference to the lunar cycle, ie: that night, a full moon rises, and the next day sparks the beginning of disaster. Zack is not the true accident. He is a regular casualty. His death was outside the prison, during a supply run. The true thematic accident is Patrick, as his death will set off the beginning of the end. In this, I believe the use of "30 Days" in the title of 4.01 is not incidental as a time period, and is instead greatly symbolic, a major reference to the lunar cycle. We could use the events of this episode, including Rick's encounter with Clara, Daryl's intimate meeting with Beth, Michonne's decision to abandon her search for the Governor, and Carol's deceptions to establish a sort of thesis for the coming arc, which will be underscored the whole way by the literal and thematic lunar cycle.
The Lunar Cycle as a Symbol
The full moon is the culmination of a cycle, but it's temporary. And yet, the cycle repeats, without fail, every thirty days. The full moon will always return. Consider that seasons 4-5 especially ask whether people who disappear can return. Beth disappears, and Daryl searches for her. She's gone from the narrative for a long time, but then she returns. Carol leaves the narrative and is absent for the Governor's assault, but then she returns, and not a moment too late. Judith is another character who is presumed dead by Carl and Rick for a long time, but she is not dead. She returns. Glenn is missing. Maggie is missing. But both return to one another in time. All of Team Family itself fragments after the prison falls, but it eventually reforms, even if in a new shape. This thesis of cycles and its relationship to the moon is central to Scott Gimple's overall narrative tendencies, which can be succinctly summed up by Eastman in episode 6.4 "Here's Not Here": Everything gets a return. This mantra will be repeated by Morgan, Gimple's "prophet," if you will, in the seasons to come, and then in Fear. It is also reflected by what Team Delusional frequently refers to as "Sirius Imagery."
This is why it makes sense that in his first season as showrunner, Gimple uses the moon as both a symbol as well as a time stamp. This is also why it's important and very interesting that the lunar cycle was referenced again and this time, specifically defined, in Matt Negrete's Dead City episode 3.04 "Found/Lost," pictured above. Note that I haven't tested this theory against other full moons in the franchise. That may, perhaps, be my next project, but it will certainly be a lofty one. Note that the regular repetition of full moons in seasons 4-5 feels singular, and in such both thematic and utilitarian. Because as you'll see, the placement of the moons actually vibes quite nicely with the observable passage of time in each episode, and from beginning to end. While it is, of course, just a theory, it's still extremely convincing.
Important side note: There is a moon in "Still," as we all know. In the past, it's been casually regarded as a full moon, because it sort of *codes* as full, which does serve the greater themes of season 4 and Beth's arc as one preoccupied with return. This moon also makes the episode feel "inert," or disconnected from the greater universe, tucked away and separate, and this benefits the edenic atmosphere of Daryl and Beth's stand-alone adventure.
However, in reality, and when reading the passage of time in these seasons, we should acknowledge that this moon is mostly obscured by foliage. Based on the timeline, which projects from the visibly full moon in "Infected," this moon cannot be full. It is likely a waning gibbous, with a small part of the right side in shadow, and so of course, it's no coincidence that the foliage here obscures the right side. The writer for "Infected," "Still," AND "Four Walls and a Roof," Angela Kang, would certainly have knowledge of this and the placement of the moons (which she wrote). In fact, and not coincidentally, according to director Julius Ramsay in the "Still" commentary episode (info credit to @wdway), this moon was added in post-production to hide a spotlight over the trees. It wasn't in Kang's script at all. The "Still" moon is also heavily aesthetic compared to the visibly full moons in seasons 4-5. It looks like a comic book moon, and per all of this, I believe it's mostly aesthetic, and a little symbolic.
Anyway, this timeline, which tells the story of the Prison Flu Disaster, will be the first of three. The second will take us through the rest of season 4b. The third will take us to "The Distance" and the discovery of Alexandria.
Note that "30 Days Without an Accident" is not included in this timeline, as it functionally takes place on Day Zero. It is, essentially, the calm before the storm. It is the end of something, the culmination of a previous cycle. It's a thesis episode.
The timeline will instead begin on the first day after the full moon, or Day 1 of the new lunar cycle.
Everything that happens after this full moon is on the timeline. Note that to make this timeline, I closely followed observable day/night cues, ie: light/darkness, as well as things like wardrobe changes and implications in character dialogue.
The Timeline (Duration: 2 Days and 2 Nights, with the Governor attacking on Day 3)
Day 1 is very busy. The morning starts calmly enough, but soon, walkers begin to encroach on the fence, setting up the background conflict for episodes 4.02-4.05. Then, there is chaos in D Block where multiple community members have died and turned, terrorizing and killing the others while they sleep. After Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and a few others stop the madness, Dr. Subramanian and Hershel agree that whatever killed Patrick is some sort of aggressive flu strain, which is causing pneumococcal pneumonia and a rapid build up of pressure in the lungs. This pressure causes an infected individual to essentially drown in their own blood and fluids.
It's unknown how the disease spreads, so while Hershel treats patients, those exposed isolate themselves while the rest quarantine, including Beth, Carl, and Judith. Eventually, walkers cause chaos at the fence, which lures Maggie, Glenn, Rick, Daryl, Sasha, and Tyreese outside. This is likely when Carol kills Karen and David out of misguided caution, as we see the other characters preoccupied with their own tasks: Michonne, who is injured, is accompanied by Beth and Judith, and Carl is making a wooden cross for Patrick's grave. It's unclear as to whether Carol killed them before or after she goes to talk to Carl, but she is the only idle character at this point. Eventually, Rick and Daryl use the piglets to lure the walkers away. After the piglet scene, Carol will give Lizzie her knife in a hindsight moment of heavy symbolism. Tyreese then finds the bodies of Karen and David burned outside, and that's the end of "Infected."
"Isolation" opens with Glenn digging graves, Dr. S examining patients, and finally Tyreese's emotional breakdown. After subduing Tyreese physically, which leaves him with a sprained hand, Rick investigates the murders while Daryl, Michonne, and Bob prepare for a supply run to a veterinary college in Macon, where Hershel assures them, there will be antibiotics and other tools he needs to treat the sick. Tyreese joins the supply run, and they head out, only to hit an obstacle on the road, their car swarmed by walkers. Meanwhile, Rick solves the mystery of who killed Karen and David, confronts Carol, and she confesses.
Important: The night of Day 1 is not shown. We don't see the sunset or scenes where it is obviously dark outside; however, the passage of the night is implied by Tyreese's dialogue in "Indifference" and also the fact that, between "Isolation" and "Indifference," multiple characters at the prison, including Rick and Carol, change clothes. The end of Day 1 is implied to happen at the end of 4.03 "Isolation."
Day 2 begins with 4.04 "Indifference." The episode begins with Rick preparing to drive Carol out and Carol's concurrent conversation with Lizzie at the infirmary.
The events of "Indifference" take place over the course of about half a day, or a little more. Rick takes Carol on a supply run that begins in the morning. They meet Sam and Ana at the apple house, and Carol repairs Sam's dislocated shoulder. As Rick considers her utility, she suggests they separate, which gets Ana killed, and Sam disappears (for now). After they talk extensively about Rick's leadership and Carol's actions, Rick informs Carol that she's being exiled. Though she's aggrieved, Carol doesn't fight him on it. He drives away, back to the prison, without her. Carol leaves the narrative for the remainder of 4a.
Meanwhile, Daryl, Tyreese, Michonne, and Bob find a new car and a battery in an old auto body shop. Daryl replaces the battery, and they finally make their way to the veterinary hospital. While they're there, they find all of the things on Hershel's list; however, they run into more walkers infected with Prison Flu and only barely escape. After Daryl reprimands Bob for risking his life to save a bottle of whisky, they leave, heading back to the prison.
"Internment" begins the same day, during Rick's drive home. Once he arrives, he, along with Carl and Maggie, helm the sub-plot involving the walkers at the fence. The episode, however, mostly chronicles Hershel's harrowing actions as the situation at the infirmary devolves into chaos. As patients get sicker, Sasha and Glenn help Hershel with intubation, but soon, patients begin to die, including Dr. S.. Overwhelmed, Hershel must overcome his unwillingness to kill his patients, as the dead become a danger to Lizzie and the others who are still alive. Soon, Glenn collapses, and Maggie must interfere to save his life. Rick and Carl are left on their own to deal with the situation at the fence. More and more walkers have come and begin to bear down, eventually breaking inside.
By now, it's night. With the fence overwhelmed, Rick and Carl take dramatic action and gun down the walkers together. Once they're down, Carl tells Rick that "It's all gonna be okay," as Daryl's group arrives with the antibiotics.
Day 3 begins at the end of "Internment."
It feels like everything really is going to be okay. The antibiotics are working to save those who survived the chaos of the day before. Rick gives Carl his gun back, and Michonne tells him she doesn't need his help disposing of the walkers. She asks Hershel to come with her instead. It's celebratory in nature.
But this proves to be a calm before the storm, as, while they're out, Hershel and Michonne will be taken prisoner by the Governor. That same day, The Governor will try to use them as a bargaining chip during his assault on the prison, but it'll all go south, and the events of "Too Far Gone" will ensue.
"Too Far Gone" takes place on the same day as the final moments of "Internment." It will feel like more time has passed, however, as these two episodes will be separated by 4.06 "Live Bait" and 4.07 "Dead Weight," which are flashbacks that chronicle the Governor falling prey to his own cycle.
The Governor's Descent (and the nature of "Too Far Gone")
"Too Far Gone" is a strange episode. It will, in some ways, feel repetitive to events of season 3. This is purposeful. It falls into Gimple's thesis and in such, is almost a mundane ending for the prison arc. "Too Far Gone," as it is a culmination for the Governor, is actually not a culmination for Rick or Team Family. Their culmination will come later. For them, and for the audience, "Too Far Gone" feels abrupt. It's sudden, and it seems to arrive out of nowhere, foreshadowed only briefly in 4.01 when Michonne arrives home empty-handed from her search. The events of "Live Bait" and "Dead Weight" have served to lull the audience into a false sense of security after the chaos of "Internment." Everything seems okay back at the prison. The drastic shift in POV to the Governor feels like a brand new beginning, not the beginning of a rapid end.
In "Too Far Gone," written by Seth Hoffman, Rick becomes the object of another character's cycle, not his own. This is probably why it feels like neither a beginning nor an ending to us but just a massive and deconstructive detour. In fact, 4a can really be separated into two parts: 4.01-4.05 are a single narrative arc, focused around Rick, while 4.06-4.08 are a whole other narrative arc, focused around the Governor. "Too Far Gone" is the third act of the Governor's descent, and it only foreshadows the first act of Rick's, ie: The Governor is the subject, while Rick is the predicate. In fact, it is not coincidence that, in the end of "Too Far Gone," Rick is physically bested by the Governor. He only survives because Michonne impales the Governor with her sword, saving Rick's life.
Remember, though, that even THIS, narratively speaking, has less to do with Rick and more to do with the Governor. Of course, I'm not talking about Michonne's motivations. I'm talking about narrative catharsis. Killing the Governor is a culmination for Michonne, leftover from her arc in season 3. It's an act of retribution for Andrea, who died back when Michonne barely knew Rick. The Governor's definitive death, which comes right at the end of the episode, also has nothing to do with Rick. He's killed by Lily, Tara's sister, in her culmination, and in retribution for her daughter. Nothing about the Governor's demise has anything to do with Rick's actions, only his own actions. Notice that we only return to Rick's POV after we see the one-eyed king, discarded.
Basically, "Too Far Gone" is The Governor's ending. The prison is, quite literally, collateral damage and the conflagration to accompany his demise. Rick will rise from the ashes, but at what cost?
Note that Rick's true descent has not yet even begun at this point. It will really not begin until "Four Walls and a Roof," when he leads Team Family's vicious execution of the Termites in Father Gabriel's church. This is, not coincidentally, when we will also see the next full moon, and thus the next lunar cycle will begin.
In my next post, I will go over the timeline of events that follow the fall of the prison and the Governor's death, ie: the entirety of 4b. For now, here's a breakdown of the timeline so far:
Day 0 - The events of "30 Days Without an Accident" take place. A FULL MOON rises, and the new lunar cycle begins.
Day 1 - The entire events of "Infected" and "Isolation" take place. Daryl's group leaves for Macon and is hung up on the road for one night.
Day 2 - The entire events of "Indifference" take place, and most events of "Internment." Carol is exiled. That night, Rick and Carl defend the prison from walkers and Daryl's group returns.
Day 3 - Events begin with "Internment" and progress through "Too Far Gone." Glenn made it through the night. Michonne and Hershel go out to dispose of the walkers, are taken by the Governor. The Governor initiates a stand-off, kills Hershel, and an all out assault begins. The prison falls. The group fragments into the following sub-groups:
Rick and Carl
Michonne
Tyreese, Lizzie, Mika, and Judith
Beth and Daryl
Sasha, Maggie, and Bob
Glenn and Tara (escape the following day)
The end of Day 3 will be shown in "After" and then "Inmates." I will start with Day 3 in the next part of my timeline and extend the timeline through 4.16 "A". If you see any anomalies here, or you think I missed something important, please let me know! Otherwise, I'm interested in your thoughts. More soon! 💫
Could Dead City’s next episode, “Imperialis,” explain what might have happened during the missing 17 days after Beth’s “death?” This is a somewhat long post lol.
Okay, I’ve been putting some things together from the latest episode and the preview for “Imperialis,” and I’m starting to wonder if there could be a connection back to Beth and the 17-day gap that we never saw.
First, Maggie mentions Eugene in the latest episode.
That immediately caught my attention because I’ve been noticing some interesting parallels between Eugene and Beth. They are obviously very different characters, but both were initially underestimated. Beth was seen as the innocent, sheltered Greene sister, while Eugene was viewed as awkward, cowardly, and someone who needed other people to protect him. But both eventually showed that there was much more to them than people initially assumed.
They also both had strengths that weren’t necessarily physical. Beth had her music and her emotional strength, while Eugene had his intelligence and knowledge. Both characters grew into people who were capable of making incredibly brave and selfless choices.
So why bring up Eugene now?
Because that leads me straight back to Coda.
In Coda, Eugene arrives with Abraham’s group in the fire truck at the church. And this happens right around the time Maggie finds out that Beth is alive and the group is heading to Atlanta to save her.
I also find interesting that Eugene was unconscious when they arrive at the church when Maggie finds out that Beth is alive. Anyway, That makes the fire truck incredibly connected to Maggie, Eugene, and Beth.
And now look at what we’re seeing in Dead City…
There is a fire truck connection that seems to disappear after Coda.
Then, in the preview for “Imperialis,” we see a member of the Dead City group dressed as a firefighter. (YELLOW FIREFIGHTER HAT! And this is the same guy that had on the YELLOW BEANIE when we first saw him arrive)
Then we see the group dealing with a massive herd of walkers inside the building. And from what we can tell from the preview, they come up with some kind of plan to get inside the building. I’m not completely sure what their plan is yet or exactly what they’re trying to accomplish, but we know they intentionally go in.
Then something happens that REALLY caught my attention:
A woman from the group becomes trapped inside the building with the herd.
Maggie and Renata want to save her.
But Negan doesn’t think they should go back in because he believes they will all die if they try.
And THAT is where my mind goes back to Beth.
Because after Beth’s death, there is that 17-day period that we never actually see.
We know what happened at the hospital, and we know Daryl carried Beth’s body out. But what happened after that? What happened during those missing days?
We have theorized that the group may have been delayed or held up by a herd of walkers during that period.
So what happened to Beth’s body during that time?
We don’t know.
And now we potentially have another situation involving:
Maggie + a herd of walkers + someone trapped inside a building + Maggie wanting to go back and save them + Negan telling her that they could all die if they do.
Could this situation somehow trigger memories for Maggie? Could she find herself thinking back to Beth and what happened after Coda?
Maybe the situation with the woman trapped in the building reminds Maggie of the helplessness she felt after losing Beth — especially if Maggie has to make a choice about whether to risk everyone else to save one person.
And then we have Negan right there with her. Could Maggie end up talking to Negan about Beth. Could that conversation bring up memories Maggie has buried for years?
And could THAT ultimately be what leads us into the upcoming alternate-universe episode involving Beth?
when you put all of these pieces together, it feels interesting:
Eugene is mentioned.
⬇️
Eugene and Beth have parallels.
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Coda connects Eugene, Maggie and Beth with the fire truck.
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The fire truck disappears from the story.
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Dead City shows someone dressed as a firefighter.
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A herd of walkers is inside a building.
⬇️
The group makes a plan to enter.
⬇️
A woman becomes trapped inside with the herd.
⬇️
Maggie and Renata want to save her.
⬇️
Negan says they could all die if they go back.
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Maggie could potentially be forced to relive that feeling of losing someone and being unable to save them.
⬇️
Beth.
And then we have the 17 missing days. Could “Imperialis” finally give us another piece of Maggie’s past that connects back to those days?
Could she finally talk to Negan about what happened?
And could that conversation be the emotional bridge that takes us into the alternate-universe episode? 👀
I’m super excited for this upcoming episode and to see if this theory checks out or not! I could be wrong on some of this, of course lol Thoughts???
Ooh! Really love this! Even if we don’t get flashbacks, this would, at the very least, be a callback or hint at the missing 17 days. I don’t know that I think we’ll get the entire story of the missing 17 days, but I could see a small flashback or two, as we’ve seen of Glenn and Hershel, and then her talking about it. I really like that idea. And it makes sense for why Negan might know stuff about Beth.
I also want to point out that the word over the door they’re entering says “Haven,” but someone has scratched “Hell” over it. That’s reminiscent of the gas station in S4a that Michonne and Daryl go to, as well as the basement Rick and Negan enter in S8 with the “Abandon all hope ye who enter here” sign.
Hmm. Must think on this more. 😉 Thanks for a great post! I’m even more excited for this next episode! 🙌🏻
The Red Machete Webisodes (Analyzing the episode titles + why they were chosen)
These titles were chosen very specifically and carefully. They all tie back to a volume of the comic. I wanted to explore and find out what these comic volume titles have to do with the red machete webisodes. So I will be going over these volumes and seeing how they correlate to each other and how they connect to Beth, which many of us think is the "Legs" in the coda scene at the end of the webisode series. Some of these titles share names with episodes from the show, but I will be strictly talking about the comic volumes here as I feel they are what they are pulling from and most important.
Here's a link to the webisode's playlist on YouTube.
Webisode 1 : Behind Us = Volume 2 : Miles Behind Us
This volume is where Carl gets shot by Otis and survives his gunshot to the chest. It is also the introduction to the Greene family and their farm. We also see Wiltshire Estates here which is the community where it is overrun by walkers and have to leave in a hurry. This was later reused for Noah's community in 05x09 - WHAWGO which was named Shirewilt Estates.
So here we have somebody surviving a gunshot, the Greene family first appearence and the Wiltshire Estates used later on for season 05 since they skipped over this arc in the early seasons of the show.
Webisode 2 : Sorrowful = Volume 6 : This Sorrowful Life
This volume is where we meet Dr. Stevens and Alice Warren, a nurse from Woodbury. Possibly the idea where they got Dr. Edwards and the hospital arc as Alice is very similar to Beth. Here we also get Martinez's death with Rick running him over rehashed for the show with Rick running over Evil Officer Bob instead in season 05. Again here we have something happen earlier on in the comic reused for season 05. They go back and go over everything they missed during the other showrunners time on the show in some way, shape or form.
Webisode 3 : Made to Suffer = Volume 8 : Made To Suffer
This volume we have Andrea receive a non-fatal gunshot to the head in Issue 44. We've seen the number 44 referenced in the show a few times before, such as the top 44 magazine we see Morgan stumble upon in the coda scene in 05x08. We also have the Governor get shot point blank by Michonne clipping his head and still surviving. We also have Billy Greene get shot and die at the prison battle. A lot of shooting this volume... I just wanted to emphasize that we see people in the comic get shot and survive many times, but when it comes to Beth it's not logical to the general audience... Anyways, these events take place in the show for episode 04x08 - Too Far Gone, but not everything is a one to one adaptation. This is where Hershel takes comic Tyreese's death and the fall of the prison where everyone escapes into their little groups on the road. The Volume Too Far Gone takes place during the Alexandria arc, but the show used the title much earlier. I'll get to this arc later.
Webisode 4 : What We Become = Volume 10 : What We Become
I have a whole post dedicated to this arc and how it all could possibly tie into the 17 missing days. You can read it here. We see this name pop up in TWDU series as in 10x13 where Michonne finds clues to Rick's whereabout and his boots. And we have TOWL episodes 04 and 05 which shows solving their issues like in Still and then the aftermath and moving on like in Beth and Daryl in Alone. Then they make their way home.
Webisode 5 : Gone = Volume 13 : Too Far Gone
While the webisode title is called "Gone" I believe it is referring to the comic Volume 13 : Too Far Gone as it follows the pattern of the volumes we see above underlined in red. I don't have much to say about this arc as it's when they reach Alexandria, but this arc's theme is that the group may be too far gone to live in a normal society again as they have been out in the apocalypse for quite some time. We see the title Gone used again twice throughout TWDU. First in FTWD 07x16 where Madison Clark returns. And TOWL 01x02, where Michonne finds and reunites with Rick after many years after his disappearance. Also in this webisode we see the return of Mandy after what is presumed to be a few years later. We have a lot of returns going on here and we had Daryl refer to Beth as "gone" as well in season 04. Again, this was the title used for the prison battle and Hershel's death for episode 04x08 and is referring to the Governor being too far gone as he proceeds with attacking the prison.
Webisode 6 : We Find Ourselves = Volume 15 : We Find Ourselves
In this volume we have the aftermath of Carl's gunshot wound to the face and them not knowing if he will survive or not. I think this is the most important part of this volume as it is how we believe Beth was after her shot to the head. With her being unconscious in a comatose state showing signs of life like comic Carl did. With him eventually waking up and surviving. That's the only thing in this volume that sticks out to me. I like what @twdmusicboxmystery said about this title in her post. "Based on what happens in the Red Machete, it’s about nostalgia, reunions perhaps, and going back to make sense of and peace with what we’ve lost." Sounds like what Daryl needs to do in order to find love again. Make sense of what he's lost. And a reunion perhaps?
Here is a link to @twdmusicboxmystery's Index about the Red Machete series if you would like to read her thoughts on it too. Wonderful observations here!
I'd also like to go over some things mentioned in this interview with writer Nick Bernardone and director Avi Youabian of the Red Machete series.
Youabian: "The Red Machete narrative is completely over. We can’t say a lot more than that, but there is more to come. There is a plan."
This statement seems pretty tight lipped as they say they can't say a lot. We still never got the "more to come" out of this series. If the Red Machete narrative is completely over then why is there a plan for more to come? Especially leaving it on a cliffhanger with somebody grabbing the Red Machete. Very suspicious.
We also have this comment under this interview comparing the Red Machete to a film called "The Red Violin." The premise seems exactly like the Red Machete's purpose about how whoever owns it something terrible happens to them. We see Mandy have it and her whole family died while having it. She finally decides to move on at the end and leave the machete by her family's graves. The "Legs" comes along sometime later and grabs it out of the ground.
If "Legs" is Beth we know something terrible happened to her like getting shot and left behind by her family. Her finding the Red Machete makes a lot of sense as she would need to do things she initially didn't want to in order to survive.
To sum up, the comic volumes contain the Greene family introduction, multiple survivable gunshot wounds i.e. comic Carl and Andrea. We have the "gone" theme multiple times and we have someone in a comatose state showing signs of life. I'm not sure why these titles were chosen, but it is possible they are trying to hint at something with these titles. And I hope they are pointing to it being Beth surviving her gunshot wound to the head. Also, some of these arcs had some things used for season 05 as well, so we know they were looking back at these to incorporate missed story beats and mixing them up for the show.
At the end of the day I don't know if this is Beth or not. But I think it's a possibility. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But it would be cool narratively if it is. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
So cool! To me, this is them doing what we always said they would. They've come up with something that allows them to promote her without it seeming like Beth is actually alive. A convenient small part she's playing so they can call attention to her without being suspicious. Now, they're promoting the crap out of it, trying to get people to watch her in the show.
And of course they'd promote the return of any beloved character. We knew Shane would be in 9x05 when Rick left, etc. But between all the European cons she's been doing and how often they're promoting her small role in a single episode of Dead City, it seems like overkill. Which just proves to me that it's about more than just the AU episode of DC. There's something bigger on the horizon that they want people watching for, but don't actually want to reveal.
This has my TD senses tingling and my hope soaring! 🎉🎉🎉
Okay… wow. This new interview that just dropped two days ago is an absolute must-watch for everyone on Team Delusional! 🤯
The things Seth Hoffman said in this interview were honestly something!!
The interviewer asked about the new sibling dynamic between Renata and Luis this season, and Aimee talked about their characters and the trauma that Renata and Luis bond over. The interviewer then said, “When I hear about these important relationships, I immediately start thinking about how tragic it might be if that was ever broken or lost.”
Scott Gimple quickly jumped in, joking, “Why would that happen? Why are you going there?”
The interviewer replied, “Because I watch the show!” which got everyone laughing.
Then Seth Hoffman said something that really caught my attention:
“But I’ll say the magic thing about The Walking Dead that we are exploring this season is that even when there are sibling relationships that get severed like that, they can sometimes, in unexpected ways, come back. I mean, her…” (pointing to Lauren) ”…her sister died in Season 5 of the original show, and hey, she comes back this season. Nothing is permanent.”
The interviewer then repeated, “Nothing is permanent.”
They also went on to talk more about the alternate universe and the “What if Beth didn’t die?” concept.
Such an interesting interview and definitely a must-watch!
Dead City S3 Ep1: Is Renata a Beth Proxy? | Full Breakdown
Posting this early tonight. *SPOILERS FOR DEAD CITY, SEASON 3, EPISODE 1: TRILLIUM. DON'T WATCH THIS VIDEO UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THE DC SEASON PREMIERE!!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!*
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