The Walking Dead left fans reeling with Sunday night’s “Thank You,” episode, which featured one of the more memorable and shocking scenes in the history of the series. For those who didn’t see the scene, or who want to re-live it, check it out ahead. Obviously, major spoilers ahead!
The zombie apocalypse is not for everyone, as The Walking Dead has proven time and again. And Nicholas is a prime example of someone who just couldn't handle it. It's all there in the looks on his face when he stared out at those zombies.
The events of “Thank You” make Season 5’s “Spend” seem more like foreshadowing than anything. It was Nicholas who got Noah killed, when his fear overcame him when he, Glenn and Noah were trapped in the revolving doors. Nicholas pushed his way out, pushing Noah and Glenn in in the process. So it’s somewhat fitting, in a tragic sort of way, that these two were paired up for this horrible scene.
“Thank You” seemed like Nicholas’ opportunity to truly redeem himself, and Glenn appeared determined to give him that, even going as far as to not give Nicholas an out when he offered to draw a map, rather than lead the way. If Nicholas had made it through the mission with Glenn, maybe he would have leveled up as a zombie apocalypse survivor. But he didn’t make it through the ordeal. He didn’t even die trying, as others in the episode did. He died giving up, the fear taking over him as he stared around at the throngs of walkers and seemed to snap. Or accept that this just wasn’t his scene. He thanked Glenn and put a bullet in his own brain. Worse than his blood splattering all over Glenn’s face was his body slumping against a stunned Glenn, who fell into the walkers and was — presumably — torn apart, as was the fate of others in the episode.
Of course, some are questioning whether or not Glenn is actually dead. Is it possible Nicholas fell on top of him, and that what we’re seeing is actually Nicholas being torn apart while Glenn lays beneath him, trapped. I want to believe this theory. And maybe that’s the case. But re-watching the scene in the clip above, it really does look like he’s being devoured. And it seems like it would be a major trick to fool us into thinking he was torn apart by walkers, only to show him later… what? Hiding beneath whatever’s left of Nicholas? Crawling out from under him and sneaking away? With that many walkers around? Seems like a stretch... unless he somehow wiggles his way under the dumpster? Maybe, but I'm not holding my breath.
Beyond the seeing-is-believing, for now anyway, there’s “Thank You” as a whole to consider. The episode saw numerous Alexandria characters die at the hands and teeth of the herd of walkers. If probability is taken into account, the lack of survival skills put Alexandria people’s odds for death a bit higher than Rick’s people. But even still, if a handful of people are killed off in an episode, it seems like it would be a stretch that none of them would be characters whose names we could remember, right? Glenn’s fate seems to be proof and reminder that no one is safe in this world, or on this show.
Also that Nicholas is the worst. But we knew that already. RIP Noah. RIP Glenn? I think so. But hopefully I’m wrong.
