‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: Season 5, Ep. 11 — ‘The Distance’

Ross Marquand as Aaron in ‘The Walking Dead’ (AMC)

Trust isn’t easily earned on “The Walking Dead.”

After encountering the well-dressed Aaron in last week’s episode, Rick’s gang tried to figure out if he was friend or foe in Sunday night’s episode.

Here’s our blow by blow recap of “The Walking Dead” Season 5, Episode 11 – “The Distance”:

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Aaron Explains His Mission

The Group, At The Barn: It’s still morning when Maggie opens the door to the barn and leads Aaron (the stranger at the end of last week’s episode) inside. After rushing over, Daryl pats Aaron down. “Hi,” Aaron says, looking around at everyone. Many have their guns pointed at his head. Sasha explains Aaron told them he has a camp nearby and they can “audition” for membership. Yes, the word does make his group sound like, “some kind of a dance troupe,” Aaron notes. “That’s only on Friday nights,” he adds, attempting a second joke. “I think you all would make valuable additions, but it’s not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home,” Aaron explains. Going through some crudely developed photographs from Aaron’s backpack, Rick sees reinforced walls. They need the right kind of people to keep it safer, Aaron explains. After exchanging a glance with Michonne, Rick storms over and knocks the stranger out cold.

“That look wasn’t a, ‘Let’s attack this man look’. It was a, ‘He seems like an okay guy to me,’ look,” Michonne tells Rick. Adrenaline running, Rick tells his gang to get ready. “They’re coming for us,” he says.

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“Hell of a right cross,” Aaron says after regaining consciousness, but his joke falls flat. Rick’s group is on edge. “How many of your people are out there?” Rick demands to know. “No matter what I say you’re not gonna trust me,” the stranger shrugs. “It’s hard to trust a guy who smiles after getting punched in the face,” Rick spits back. “How about a guy who leaves water bottles for you in the road?” Aaron asks. Looking over at the bottles, Daryl figures something out – Aaron and his people, however many, have been watching them. “You’re survivors,” Aaron notes of his observations. “And, you’re people. Like I said — and I hope you won’t punch me for saying it again — that is the most important resource in the world,” he says. Pressed again about his numbers, Aaron reveals there’s just one person with him. Parked a couple miles away, they have enough room in their separate vehicles to take Rick’s group back to their place. Rick doesn’t buy it, but Michonne is going to go and see if the cars are there. Maggie too (Glenn to accompany Maggie). At Rick’s request, Abraham and Rosita tag along as backup. Prepare for an attack, Rick tells those who remain. Hide in the woods.

Rick, Judith and Aaron, in the barn: Trying to make small talk, Aaron explains he knows the difference between good and bad people. “Just because we’re good people, doesn’t mean we won’t kill you,” Rick says. If his friends aren’t back in an hour, Aaron’s dead.

Is Aaron Telling The Truth?

Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Abraham and Rosita, in the road: “What if Aaron’s telling the truth?” Michonne asks as they walk. From across the field, a figure (in clean clothes) watches them from behind a tractor.

Rick, Judith and Aaron, in the barn: Hungry, Judith cries loudly. “You did see the jar of applesauce in my bag, right?” Aaron asks. “This isn’t a trick. This isn’t about trying to make you like me. It’s about self-preservation, because if the roamers hear her, and come this way, I know I’ll be the first to go,” he says, using a new word for walkers/biters/rotters. Opening the jar, Rick puts some sauce on the spoon and brings it to Aaron. “I hate applesauce. My mom used to make me eat foods I didn’t like to make me more manly,” Aaron says, before finally giving in and eating the applesauce. As Rick walks over to feed Judith, Aaron explains his group has so much space, Rick can live somewhere where no one will hear Judith crying outside the walls. “You got 43 minutes,” Rick says, looking at his watch.

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Michonne, Maggie, Glenn, Abraham and Rosita: “He was telling the truth,” Michonne says as they see a motorhome and a large car parked in the road. Inside the motorhome, Abraham and Rosita make sure it’s clear and then open the cabinets. Gorbelli Spaghetti rings are in one of them (someone needs to get those to Tara!).

Everyone, in the barn: “It’s ours – whether or not we go to your camp,” Rick tells Aaron of the food his group members brought back. “Why wouldn’t we go?” Carl asks his dad. “We need this. So we’re going. All of us,” Michonne tells the group. No one says anything different. They’ll drive, though, something Aaron gets concerned about. He has friends too and he doesn’t want to put them in danger. But, he gives in, telling them to take highway 16. That won’t work for Rick. They’ll take North Highway 23 – at night.

Rick and Michonne, at the car: “I’m thinking you, me and Glenn drive with that guy. Carl and Judith are safer in there,” Rick says, motioning toward the motorhome. After a pause, Michonne asks Rick if he meant it – if they’re going? Yes, but he’s being cautious. Rick asks what she heard when she got to Woodbury and Terminus. “Nothing,” is her reply to both questions. “Sometime tonight we’ll be outside his camp’s walls, and without seeing inside, I’m gonna have to decide whether to bring my family in,” Rick tells her. “Truth is, I’m not sure if anything could convince me to go in there. But I’m gonna see.”

The Journey To Aaron’s Camp Begins

Rick, Glenn, Michonne and Aaron, in a car, on the road: Looking inside the glove compartment, Rick finds old license plates. Aaron’s trying to collect one from every state for a wall inside his house. “You have your own house?” Michonne asks, surprised. “See for yourself,” he says, motioning her to look at his photographs. She does, and finds something strange – no people in the pics. “Did you ask him the questions?” Michonne asks Rick. He didn’t, so she does (and the ominous music starts). “How many walkers have you killed?” Aaron is confused, but says, “a lot.” “How many people?” “Two.” “Why?” “Because they tried to kill me,” he says. Just then, Rick finds a device used to listen in on conversations. Someone could have learned of their plan!

Smash! Before they can interrogate Aaron again, Glenn plows into a pack of walkers, bloodying up the windshield. But he can’t stop. The motorhome is behind them. Must. Clear. The. Road. But it’s too much for the smaller car Glenn’s driving and it skids to the side. Rick jumps out. They can’t see the rest of the gang. They probably got through. Jumping back in the car, it’s terror. Walkers approach the vehicle, which won’t start. “We gotta get out of here,” Aaron says, as Michonne tries to tear walker limbs from the front of the car. “Hold on!” Glenn screams, spotting a flare gun go up in the sky. It terrifies Aaron. Kicking out the door of the car, he bolts. They run after him.

It’s a battle for life in the woods. Walkers, everywhere! In the dark, Glenn shoots until his bullets are gone, killing the last of the walkers with a rock. Trying to find his way back to his friends, he sees Aaron (hands still bound) using his feet to fend off a walker. He saves him, killing the walker and cutting Aaron’s hands lose. Glenn tells him to run, if he wants. “We can make it together. But we can only make it together,” Aaron says, the same words Glenn told Daryl. “You said that. I was listening.”

In the woods, Rick and Michonne are outnumbered. It’s looking bleak, but shooting a flare into one of the walker’s eye sockets helps give them light. And then the cavalry arrives – Glenn and Aaron – with guns. Eventually, they make it to highway 16. “If this is a trap to get us back where you want us, your people are gonna die tonight,” Rick tells Aaron. They head toward a water tower in the distance, where the flare gun light came from.

The Gang, at a building: A whistling Daryl gets the attention of his friends, and there’s hugs as they reunite. “Eric,” a worried Aaron says. “Yeah, in here,” a man shouts from inside the building. Aaron runs in and we meet Eric, whose ankle is bandaged. Maggie apparently helped patch it up. “I like her,” Eric says about Maggie. After looking over Eric’s ankle, the two kiss. Aaron reveals he thought the flare meant something bad. “This is your fault, you know,” Eric says, of his injury. “Because I love you, and because when I’m worried I do stupid things.” In an incident with roamers, a tire rolled on Eric’s leg, the injured man explains. But, he got Aaron another license plate out of it. Too bad Aaron lost the others getting here.

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Walking into the other room where the group is gathered, Aaron thanks them. “You saved Eric. I owe you. All of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community, when we get to Alexandria,” he says. Maggie smiles. But Rick wants Aaron to sleep in another room. He still doesn’t trust him. It’s Glenn who steps in. “He told us where the camp is, and he really was only traveling with one other person. They’re both unarmed,” he explains. Rick gives in.

Everyone, on the road: In the back of the motorhome, Noah comes to give Aaron some medicine – not for Eric who is sleeping, but for Aaron (his wrists look bad from being bound). They have a gifted surgeon named Pete, Aaron tells Noah. Maybe he can help Noah’s leg at Alexandria.

“Low voltage” reads the motorhome dashboard light as they’re driving. Abraham thinks they can make it, but a short while later, they’re out of juice. It’s okay. There are extra batteries! While the others change them, it gives Michonne and Rick time to chat. The fight’s “over,” she tells him. “Before we get going, I’ve gotta take a moment,” Rick says, wandering into the woods to hide a gun.

Pulling up to the gate, Rick is terrified. And then, he hears what he was waiting for – the sound of people, of children. “Ready,” Michonne says, reaching over and touching his hand. “Yeah,” he says.

“Should we go?” Rick asks Judith, kissing her forehead.

“The Walking Dead” airs Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT on AMC.

— Jolie Lash