If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: Things don’t go as planned, when a group of Kingdommers delivers goods to the Saviors during a routine supply drop-off. (IMDB)
Writer: Scott M. Gimple
Director: Alrick Riley
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 44mins
None of the episodes since this season have come close to the premiere until now. It was only a matter of time until everything will be set for a battle against the Saviors and this episode served as the start towards this. This step was inevitable but it did not take anything away from its emotional impact.
The Kingdom has had it pretty decent up until this point but things started to change for the worst. These last few exchanges with the Saviors have grown tenser and something was eventually going to happen as a result. Richard was desperate in trying to convince Ezekiel that the Kingdom should join the other colonies to fight the Saviors. He and Morgan have been hesitant to join so they just needed a push in the right direction.
Carol, on the other hand, is starting to ask questions about what was going on for some reason. She wanted to know from Morgan why Jesus brought Rick and the others to the Kingdom and what was going on between the Saviors and Alexandria. Morgan refused to answer and told her to ask Daryl. He offered to escort Alexandria to talk to them and asked her if her current set-up was still what she wanted, to be away from everyone, but she got upset and stormed off. On her way back to the cabin, Richard appeared to be plotting something.
The Kingdom has always had a large garden full of fruits and vegetables but those were about to go away. They were faced with a parasite which threatened their many crops. They would have to burn what they had before it reached the royal garden. Ezekiel seemed unfazed by this news as he was confident that it could all grow back. This news came from a frightened Kingdommer who was still used to Shiva.
Morgan and Ben have grown very closer over their time together at the Kingdom. Ben was almost like a son to him. They spent a lot of time together. Ben had become very familiar with the aikido book Morgan gave him and he was implementing its teachings within his life.
On their way to one of their exchanges with the Saviors, their path was mysteriously blocked by a line of shopping carts, forcing them to take the time to move them which made them late. Things did not obviously start on the right foot for them and it just got worse from there. Jared (that tall, long haired guy) was there once again to stir things up and that he did but also their shipment of cantaloupes was one short. This did not sit right with the Saviors so they also demanded their guns. Jared being Jared pointed a gun at Richard but instead of shooting him, he shot Ben instead. Ezekiel offered to bring them the remaining cantaloupe the next day and they left. They took him to Carol’s cabin to try and save him but they were too late.
This set Morgan off the edge, making him angry while turning him back to “clear” mode where he then went back to all the bad things that have happened to him, including his wife and son. Morgan, knowing of Richard’s plan, confronted him about what had happened earlier, with an angry look on his face, and he admitted to setting up to the roadblock to make them late and also hiding the cantaloupe to cause a conflict with the Saviors. He knew it would have probably gone the way it did but he fully expected to be killed instead of Ben. He wanted to use his death to make a point to Ezekiel.
He explained his frustration with them doing nothing for all this time and related it to a story from his past from the beginning of the apocalypse. He lived in another colony. It wasn’t perfect and had its problems but he had a more passive approach. This approach led him to lose his wife and then his daughter. Since then, he vowed to not do it again. Richard still believed that they could use Ben’s death as a rallying point against the Saviors. He also promised to tell Ezekiel and take whatever punishment he would get.
During their makeup exchange, Morgan asked Richard if he had told Ezekiel and he said he would do it later. This didn’t set right with Morgan so when his back was turned, Morgan knocked Richard down with his stick and killed him. He then told everyone what Richard did and used this to prove their commitment to the Saviors. Instead of going back with the others, Morgan took Richard, buried him, and took out some of his anger on nearby Walkers.
He also stopped by Carol’s and told her what happened and the truth about Alexandria. He then vowed to kill them all, kind of similar to where Carol was. She made him the same offer to go and not go but he appeared to refuse. She then went to the Kingdom and told Ezekiel that she was going to stay there and help them prepare to fight. Ezekiel agreed but not today.
Overall, this was the best episode since the premiere, featuring amazing performances by Lennie James and Melissa McBride. Morgan’s pain and sheer emotion was compelling to watch and Carol’s surprisingly calm acceptance was great. Everything is going in the right direction and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Score: 8.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
