The Walking Dead: 6 Things "Slabtown" Did Right (And 4 It Didn't)

1. Beth Goes Solo

The "previously on The Walking Dead" recap at the start of Slabtown was very telling. Well, usually the recaps are just obvious signposts of what storylines are going to be picked up and what characters will be involved, but this episode was a little different. It definitely set up the whole Beth situation true, but it also included a very important clip: her telling Daryl, in the middle of a training session with the iconic crossbow, suggested that she€™d be able to survive without his help before too long. Something that came full circle by the time of the episode€™s end, and about time too, The Walking Dead isn€™t particularly great with its female characters a lot of the time (partially owing to creator Robert Kirkman€™s neanderthal views on gender), and Beth has sorta been hot and cold. Sometimes she seems like she could be cool and independent; others she€™s a little too beholden to Daryl, what with her crush and all. Slabtown saw her transformation into exactly what she claimed to be back in season four: a survivor who can get by without any help, selflessly helps Noah to escape, with her smug smile at the end probably as much about being happy for him as her confidence that she€™s not going to be held captive for much longer. Beth is dead, long live Beth!