The Walking Dead Recap: Eugene Catfished The Group [Episode 5]

Oh hell, you knew the bus would overturn, right? If so, the first five minutes didn’t disappoint. I can’t tell if the crash happened because Abe was distracted by a herd of walkers on the side of the road, or the bullshit Eugene was spinning. The more he talks, the more it is evident that he is not what he says he is. I’m so disappointed with myself for being fascinated that people with such strong survival skills are written to be so easily duped. Someone (Glenn) FINALLY asks  about the hair (which Eugene quips his old boss at the CDC said made him look like a fun guy). They are all giddy at the thought of their hero saving the world. He warns them to not get too excited at the thought of him slaying Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.

In the confusion of the overturned sardine bus and the herd of walkers approaching, Abe has a flashback that lasts long enough for us to become curious, ending quickly enough for him to wake up and begin killing walkers.  Tara stops to rescue Eugene, who won’t leave the overturned bus out of fear.  As the group clears the herd, he finally gets his courage back and saves Tara.  Just as they think they’ll be able to flip the bus over and keep going, the bus catches fire – a true Gilligan’s Island moment.  Eugene wants to turn back, Abe – who later describes himself to be stressed and depressed, refuses, NEVER turn back he says.  Onward they go!  Something in Abe’s speech makes me think he knows something is wrong with this guy, but that he’s not ready to give up.

We’re back in Abe’s memory. He’s calling for Ellen and it’s not good.  Ellen was apparently his wife, and there are two children with her. She looks fearful. Back to the present, our survivors find refuge in a bookstore, pushing stacks against the door for safety and burning books for warmth. Rosita stitches Abe’s hand, which he swears was bleeding because a wound opened, not because a walker got him.  I’m having a “Bob moment,” watching Abe’s flashbacks.  Abe and Glenn bond while standing guard near a plate-glass window. Apparently the walkers can’t see them and bump the glass and move on. Abe thanks Glenn for sticking by them and keeping his end of the deal.  He waxes poetic about clinging to life and how strong the living are and have to be.  When he comments that he’s leaving his hand out because he’s letting it air after what happened at the church. Glenn gives a knowing “Yeah” and a side-eye as a response.

What is that? Is Glenn signaling that he knows Abe is lying and was bit or is he trying to avoid discomfort at the thought of what happened at the church?  Abe has a slight moment in which he breaks when he says that sometimes you have to be strong so you can kill “them” (walkers).  He talks about how easy killing is now.  I like the bromance. Both men agree that the world will change.  The moment is sweet, and then Abe ends it letting Glenn know that he’s going to bed, but he needs “ass” first.  TMI!

Ah…on top of everything else, Eugene is a voyeur. Rosita let’s Abe know that he’s “watching” again, Abe laughs. When Tara stops him, he tells her he watches them on occasion, it is a victimless crime, he just enjoys the female form. I’m suddenly thinking of Beth and Carol. Tara is creeped out, but thanks Eugene having her back during the walker fight. Eugene suddenly confesses that he ground up light bulbs up and put them in the fuel tank. He didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt or the truck to catch fire. He tells Tara that he can’t survive on his own and if he wasn’t able to cure the disease there is no way that they would feed and protect him. Tara tells him he’s wrong, to keep his secret and know that they’re all friends and he’s stuck with them no matter what. She is not reading his confession that he won’t be able to help anyone. He promises not to do it again. Tara ends the conversation by waiting until he walks away and taking a (very) brief peek of her own!

Maggie and Glenn talk about her guilt over leaving everyone behind. Glenn talks to her about it almost being a vacation (on a bookstore floor, with a car that exploded, and joking about all of the other problem they’ve had.) Cute. Back in Abe’s dream, Ellen and the children look horrified by the sight of blood soaked Abe, whose hand is ripped from killing attackers in a grocery store, the same hand that was ripped during the bus fight.  Abe and Rosita argue the next day when she talks about staying put one more day until everyone recovers.  Abe refuses and tells them they’ll press on taking an abandoned fire engine – which stops almost as soon as it starts. Unfortunately, moving it opens the door the fire engine was propped against. Cue the station full of walkers.  The group fights  the herd when Eugene gets on top of the truck and mows them down with the water cannon. Abe goes on top of the truck to clean the intake valve and get the truck going– thanks to Rosita making sure he knows where it is.  Season one alert, even with a wrapped hand, Abe has an open wound, cleaning walker guts off the fire truck.  Just sayin’.

Flashback: Abe wakes up, finding his family gone.  The note reads, “Don’t try to find me.” Ellen and Lori Grimes would have been great dumbass friends, I’m sure.  Maggie tellsEugene she knows why he has the mullet, it’s because he’s not the person everyone thinks he is and he wants people to know who he is – that he is different. He didn’t give up like others might have. She tells him he’s not like Samson, as someone said earlier. Samson was a hot mess. She tells him about Samson’s story. Glenn interrupts when he questions a foul stench. Not luck enough to drive on, since the fire truck has broken down again, they find the stench as they keep walking, another herd. Abraham wants to press forward. Again he says they won’t go back, no matter what. Abe flips out, grabbing Eugene, planning to take him through the herd when a melee ensues and Eugene FINALLY says what we’ve all known…he’s not a scientist! 

The crowd is stunned and silent. He simply believes that the CDC is the safest place. Rosita cries when she realizes how many people died to get him there. Eugene names them all.  Abe unloads on him, knocking him out or killing him, can’t tell. Flashback to Abe finding his family slaughtered. He was about to kill himself when he hears Eugene’s cries for help and rescues him from walkers. We find out that moment was when the lie was born. 

SPENT!

See you next week, when Daryl goes back to help Carol rescue Beth.

 

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