Note: This post contains spoilers about the latest episode of The Walking Dead. You've been warned.
We should know better than to rest easy while watching The Walking Dead. But let's be honest, after Beth died in the midseason finale, we all thought we'd seen the last major death for a while, right?
Wrong. So, so wrong.
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By the end of the much-anticipated return episode of The Walking Dead, we were down yet another member. This time? Tyreese, whose journey to death resulted in one of the most artfully executed -- and saddest --episodes to date.
Here's what happened: Early in the episode, some of the gang peeled off to take Noah home, as Beth had hoped to do. Perhaps, some of them thought, it was a chance to start anew themselves.
Once arriving, they were quick to realize there was little chance of a new beginning: the barriers that had been erected around the small neighborhood were down and walkers had gotten to everyone living there.
As Noah broke down, Tyreese tried his best to comfort the young man, to little avail. ("It's alright; you'll be with us now." -- possibly one of the most unintentionally sad lines ever uttered on this show.)
As Glenn, Michonne and Rick peeled off to go search for things they could use, Tyreese kept watch over Noah, who soon insisted on visiting his home, where they no doubt would encounter the zombie corpses of his mother and two twin brothers.
Tyreese insisted on entering first.
While combing the home that once housed a happy family, one of the zombie twins attacked and took a hefty bite out of Tyreese's arm. (In the show's ever-growing effort to make things as dark as possible, Noah killed his zombie bro with a toy airplane.)
As Tyreese sat on the floor, bleeding out, he was greeted by the ghosts of Walking Dead past -- Beth, Lizzie and Mika, Bob(bq), the Governor, and even Martin, the jerk baby hater from Terminus who Sasha stabbed earlier this season.
The latter two took pleasure in playing mind games with him as he faded.
Perhaps this was the aforementioned Hope We're Done With Death feeling at work, but it was kind of hard to tell what future for Tyreese was being set up -- life or death.
Things became especially murky when help arrived in the form of Rick and Co., who promptly pulled another Hershel and chopped off his arm.
Hope began to fade, however, as the pieces set up early in the episode began to come together.
The first two minutes of the episode, which AMC released last week, had featured quick shots of various scenes. Half zombie bodies on the floor, a grave being dug, etc.
It then became clear that all those seemingly random shots were all from Tyreese's point of view as he was losing awareness. And the grave we saw being dug? It was his, not Beth's.
That was confirmed as Tyreese was loaded into the truck by Rick and Glenn, only to look around and find himself riding with his dead friends.
Then the truck we saw driving off came to a stop. No more need to hurry, it seemed.
What a truly devastating -- but oddly beautiful -- episode. It's left us all with many things to contemplate. Among them: How will the group cope with yet another huge loss? Will those who were clinging to hope of a better future finally let go of the thought? Or will their will to survive become the only fitting tribute to those they've lost?
We shall see. I'll think about it more after I sop up the puddles of tears on my floor.
Top 10 Tweets of the night
Submit your nominations every Sunday by sending your faves to @mashentertain
10.
I'd think after Glenn & Maggie reunited they'd never leave each other's sight. Now,taking separate cars! Come on lovebirds! @TheWalkingDead— Mary Alderete (@AldereteMary) February 9, 2015
9.
@nerdist Why aren't we discussing the bottom half of all the zombies outside the wall & the tops in truck they crashed into? #TalkingDead— BostonMaggie (@BostonMaggie) February 9, 2015
8.
The governor stuck with a singing Beth, smiling Bob, and a crazy Lizzie and her victim/sister. Guess he did go to hell. #talkingdead— mick (@mickbright14) February 9, 2015
7.
This is everything. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/s7yPQAJvtG— TheMockingDead (@TheMockingDead) February 9, 2015
6.
Ghost Bob can't even get his leg back? #TWD— Misty (@mistolee) February 9, 2015
5.
See. Tyrese knew his time was coming! #TWD pic.twitter.com/utMoqb5NH9— Cool Boy Q (@QBook0321) February 9, 2015
4.
"Okay, putting this on the list of TWD episodes not to watch again." pic.twitter.com/uFXXphnExa— AdamLovesAndrea (@AdamLovesAndrea) February 9, 2015
Excellent use of stock art.
3.
TWD Fandom pic.twitter.com/NifMlNQXTR— Tara Chambler (@TaraFknChambler) February 9, 2015
2.
What the heck was that TOY airplane made of?!? #TWD— Martin Corral (@Wiz0die1) February 9, 2015
1.
when you think tyreese is gonna live but then he dies pic.twitter.com/IZcNCepSXX— lauren (@delicatelouis) February 9, 2015