The Walking Dead Review: Here’s Not Here (Season 6 Episode 4)

The Walking Dead takes an interesting detour with this week’s episode, “Here’s Not Here.” I say interesting because, while there is a lot to complain about with this week’s episode (it’s definitely the weakest of the season), by no means is it bad. 

Interestingly (see, there’s that word again), one might actually say that this week’s episode is so cheesy and out of place that it’s actually quite good.

Bear with me.

This episode plays like it’s a The Walking Dead companion mini-movie (which, for all we know, may have been what the writers were aiming for). One of the downsides to the episode is that it feels detached from the series — not because it is a flashback, mind you, but because the tone of the episode seems completely different from the tone of the show itself. It’s like we’re watching a different show altogether — or, like… a dream sequence, or something.

Honestly, the episode is a bit ridiculous, when you think about it.

The Cheesemaker (also known as Eastman) is a Gary-Stu if I’ve ever seen one. He might legitimately be a perfect person. Eastman might be a God, you guys.

He’s a vegan cheesemaker living in a pristine, solar powered cabin that just so happens to have a cell inside of it. He’s also a peacemaking, Yoda-esque aikido guru with a dark past.

Should we just call him Gary from now on, or…?

It’s like Morgan stumbled down a rabbit hole…

But, with that being said, it kind of works. While the episode makes no sense in The Walking Dead world, and while Eastman is actually a ridiculous character, it’s all actually kind of awesome. He is awesome. And, if we want to delve a little deeper, perhaps this strange, dreamlike escape the episode provides us with is the very purpose of it. Maybe this weird detachment it has from the rest of the series is intentional so as to separate Eastman’s philosophies and peaceful way of life from the violence that we all know is waiting right around the corner.

Perhaps this episode was written in this way to reflect the sanctuary that Morgan found in Eastman’s home, because the writers wanted to show a stark difference between the world in which Rick and the others live and the way of life that Morgan is attempting to embrace amidst all the chaos and corruption.

When you break it down, it really is hard to call “Here’s Not Here” a bad episode. It easily could have been, with different writers, crew, and actors who may not have had the chops that Lennie James and John Carroll Lynch have, but because of the astounding amount of talent behind this show, they manage to pull this off.

Seriously. If anyone else attempted to do something like this, it would have been disastrous, and that really just goes to show you how skilled the people involved in this project really are.

They never cease to amaze me.

Maybe Eastman himself wrote, directed, and edited this episode and that’s why we can’t hate it…

Also, a special shout out has to be given to Tabitha the Goat for reminding Morgan what it means to be human. You’re the best, Tabitha.

What did you think of “Here’s Not Here”? Let me know in the comments below!

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The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8 on AMC.