Thank You (The Walking Dead)

Last updated

"Thank You"
The Walking Dead episode
Thank You - The Walking Dead.png
Glenn and Nicholas find themselves surrounded by an incoming herd of walkers.
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 3
Directed by Michael Slovis
Written by Angela Kang
Original air dateOctober 25, 2015 (2015-10-25)
Running time43 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"JSS"		Next →
"Here's Not Here"
The Walking Dead season 6
List of episodes

"Thank You" is the third episode of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on October 25, 2015. The episode was written by Angela Kang and directed by Michael Slovis.

Contents

The episode takes place directly after the ending of the season premiere, and is shown from the perspective of survivors dealing with an incoming herd coming in their direction, primarily focusing on Glenn Rhee and Michonne.

This episode marks the death and final regular appearance of recurring character, Nicholas (Michael Traynor). The indefinite fate of Glenn was highlighted by several critics.

Plot

Rick, Glenn, Michonne and others race toward Alexandria as the horn draws the rear half of the walker parade toward the town. Rick orders Daryl to continue leading the rest of the herd away from Alexandria, as part of his plan. When the horn stops, Rick decides to circle back for an RV, improvising to draw the breakaway herd back to the route he'd planned. He instructs Glenn and Michonne to lead the group back home, to not stop or fight anything on their way, and to keep moving. He tells them to try to save everyone, but if they cannot, leave some behind to ensure that they keep moving; this is overheard by Heath. While Rick has stopped the group to give these instructions, however, Barnes is caught by a walker and killed. Daryl ignores Rick's plan and leaves Abraham and Sasha to lead the herd by themselves.

Michonne and Glenn's group suffer attrition as Annie twists her ankle, and in a fight with walkers, David is bitten in the shoulder, whilst Sturgess panics and shoots Scott in the leg before running off. Though slowed by two wounded and encountering additional walkers, Michonne and Glenn refuse to leave anyone behind despite Rick's orders. The group finds Sturgess' hat. Barely keeping it together, Nicholas leads them through familiar territory to shelter in a pet store, finding Sturgess' dead body being devoured by a group of walkers along the way. Glenn devises a plan to light one of the buildings on fire to distract the undead, and Nicholas offers to lead him to a feed store. Annie and Scott suggest they be left behind, but Heath insists otherwise and glares at Michonne. When Michonne confronts Heath about his attitude, the latter tells her that he overheard what Rick said, while the former counters by saying they have not left anyone behind and defends Rick's brutal attitude by telling Heath that he has not experienced what Rick has. Newlywed David, knowing he is going to die, writes a farewell note to his wife Betsy, but Michonne refuses to carry it for him and assures him that he can make it home for a final goodbye.

Michonne dispatches two walkers that were hidden inside the pet store, the noise from which draws the herd to their location. They are forced to flee, though without Glenn and Nicholas they don't have enough able-bodied people to help the injured. Annie trips on an improvised crutch and falls, urging the others to run moments before she is devoured by walkers. David is eaten alive against a gate, dropping his note to Betsy. Michonne is saved by Heath and barely survives. Michonne and Heath, carrying Scott between them, manage to escape the town and arrive in Alexandria which they find has been attacked. Glenn and Nicholas discover the feed store had already been burned down. Nicholas tries to lead them away but they find themselves surrounded and trapped in a dead end, where they desperately climb a dumpster to avoid the clutches of the walkers. Nicholas calms himself and thanks Glenn before shooting himself in the head. Glenn falls with him into the mass of walkers, screaming in anguish as bloody viscera are torn apart.

Rick arrives at the RV, which he drives to another location in hopes of single-handedly intercepting the herd and salvaging his failed plan. He radios Daryl with his intentions, but he is ambushed by the Wolves that Morgan had convinced to flee Alexandria. Rick kills all five Wolves while finding one of them had a jar of baby food from Alexandria. As walkers approach, Rick is unable to start the shot-up RV which becomes surrounded by an increasing number of walkers.

Production

Michael Slovis directed the episode. Michael Slovis.jpg
Michael Slovis directed the episode.

The episode was directed by Michael Slovis and written by Angela Kang. It features guest appearances from Corey Hawkins as Heath, Michael Traynor as Nicholas, Kenric Green as Scott, Beth Keener as Annie and Justin Miles as Barnes. Despite being credited, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Alanna Masterson, Seth Gilliam, Ross Marquand, Alexandra Breckenridge, Austin Nichols and Tovah Feldshuh do not appear in the episode. The episode features only six series regulars.

Fate of Glenn Rhee

After the airing of the episode, Glenn's supposed death drew much critical attention, with several critics speculating whether he was indeed dead or not. Showrunner Scott M. Gimple made the statement, "We will see Glenn, some version of Glenn or parts of Glenn, again, either in flashback or in the current timeline. We will complete the story. That's the important thing." [1] Photos from set of the second half of Season 6 showed Steven Yeun on set in costume, further alluding to the possibility of Glenn's survival. [2]

Reception

Critical reception

The episode received critical acclaim and reviewers highlighted the fate of Glenn Rhee in particular, leading to speculation that he had survived the episode. It earned a 97% rating with an average score of 8.5 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes, whose consensus reads: "'Thank You' is an example of what The Walking Dead does best, combining gripping action with troubling existential questions in a heart-wrenching plot twist." [3]

Steve Wright for SciFi Now assessed that the sixth season is a "step in quality" from the previous one and "one thing it has been missing is an 'Oh my god, I can't believe that just happened!' moment... Well, the wait is officially over." [4] Jeremy Egner for The New York Times praised Michael Slovis and said: "The scene on the Dumpster was a stunner, the various components - performance, makeup, sound, direction - coalescing into a woozy, terrifying sequence that ranks with the series's best". [5]

Ratings

The episode averaged a 6.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 13.1 million viewers overall, a rise from the previous episode. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Grimes</span> Main protagonist in The Walking Dead

Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #1 in 2003. Rick is a small town sheriff's deputy and is married to Lori. They have a son, Carl, and a daughter, Judith. He awakens from a coma after a life-threatening gunshot wound to find the world overrun by reanimated humans dubbed "walkers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Rhee</span> Fictional character from The Walking Dead

Glenn is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, in which he is known simply as Glenn. He was portrayed by Steven Yeun in the television series of the same name and voiced by Nick Herman in the video game of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Greene</span> Fictional character

Maggie Rhee is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Lauren Cohan in the television adaptation of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michonne</span> Fictional character from The Walking Dead

Michonne Grimes is a fictional character from The Walking Dead. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portrayed by Danai Gurira. Armed with a katana and harboring a mysterious past, Michonne is introduced clothed under a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified boyfriend and his best friend. In both the comic and TV series, she has a prominent role in the conflict between the town of Woodbury led by The Governor, and the Prison group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Ford</span> Fictional character

Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Sorrowful Life</span> 15th episode of the 3rd season of The Walking Dead

"This Sorrowful Life" is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the third season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which first aired on AMC in the United States on March 24, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosita Espinosa</span> Fictional character

Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Washington, D.C. In the comic book series, she joins Rick Grimes' group after they leave the prison and go to DC. Eventually Eugene is revealed to have lied but they continue on to Washington anyway, since he was still convinced the city would offer greater chance of survival, and they eventually find the Alexandria Safe-Zone.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 11, 2015, and concluded on April 3, 2016, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the third consecutive season. The sixth season received positive reviews by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Horror Television Series, at the 42nd Saturn Awards.

Aaron (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Aaron is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and television series of the same name. He is portrayed by Ross Marquand in the television series.

The Distance (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 11th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"The Distance" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 22, 2015. The episode was written by Seth Hoffman, in his fifth writing credit for the series, and directed by Larysa Kondracki. This episode marks the first appearance of the Alexandria Safe-Zone, a prominent location in the comic book series of the same name. It also features the first appearance of Eric, a recruiter for Alexandria and Aaron's boyfriend.

Conquer (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 16th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Conquer" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 29, 2015. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul "Jesus" Monroe</span> Fictional character

"Jesus" is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Tom Payne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Time Again</span> 1st episode of the 6th season of The Walking Dead

"First Time Again" is the sixth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 11, 2015. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero. The episode aired in an expanded 90-minute time slot.

Heads Up (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 7th episode of the 6th season of The Walking Dead

"Heads Up" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 22, 2015. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by David Boyd.

No Way Out (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 9th episode of the 6th season of The Walking Dead

"No Way Out" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 14, 2016. The episode was written by Seth Hoffman and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day Will Come When You Won't Be</span> 1st episode of the 7th season of The Walking Dead

"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is the seventh season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, and its 84th overall. Written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, it originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 23, 2016.

Mercy (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 1st episode of the 8th season of The Walking Dead

"Mercy" is the eighth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 22, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, and serves as the 100th episode overall of the series.

What Comes After (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 5th episode of the 9th season of The Walking Dead

"What Comes After" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 4, 2018. The episode's teleplay was written by Matthew Negrete, from a story by Scott M. Gimple and Negrete, and it was directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, a heavily wounded Rick Grimes struggles to divert a zombie herd while he questions his legacy in maintaining his vision of the united communities.

"Rest in Peace" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of the eleventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The series finale and 177th episode overall, it aired on AMC on November 20, 2022, and was simultaneously released on the network's streaming platform AMC+. The episode's teleplay was written by Corey Reed and Jim Barnes, from a story by Angela Kang, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 26, 2015). "'Walking Dead' Boss Breaks Down Deadly, Heartbreaking Episode". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  2. ↑ "'The Walking Dead' Season 6 Spoilers: 10 Reasons Steven Yeun's Glenn May Not Be Dead Yet : Entertainment : Design & Trend". November 2, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Thank You". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ Wright, Steve (October 26, 2015). "Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 3 'Thank You' Review". SciFiNow. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  5. ↑ Egner, Jeremy (October 25, 2015). "The Walking Dead' Season 6, Episode 3: 'Thank You'". New York Times . Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ Kissell, Rick (October 27, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' Ratings Rise; 'Talking Dead' Soars to Season High". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.