The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Recap: 6 Ups & 4 Downs From "Years"
6. Up: It's Seriously Dark
For all its issues bringing its various plotlines together, "Years" does have one remarkable constant, and that's the sheer darkness of Rick's development.
It's staggering to see, really, how far Rick has fallen since his disappearance, how weak and unprepared for his changed fate he tragically is. During the episode, over six years, he tries to escape the CRM four times - going to extreme lengths to remove himself from their shackles - to no avail.
It's a hopeless situation, one the episode sells to a gruelling degree. Rick is so distraught that he even contemplates suicide, and writes a final letter to Michonne telling her he needs to start over and forget her if he's going to live any longer.
The episode isn't entirely despairing, of course - The Walking Dead has always left the door open for hope - but even so, watching one of the strongest characters on TV fall so dramatically makes for a horribly gripping watch, imbuing his story with a depth of feeling never really seen before.