If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: With things looking up for Rick and the group, an argument breaks out at the Hilltop, where the consequences of the decision are life versus death. (IMDB)
Writers: Angela Kang and Corey Reed
Director: John Polson
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 45mins
The first five episodes of this season were dedicated to the onslaught by all the communities against Negan and the Saviors and this episode was dedicated to the aftermath. Everyone is back home and reeling and we spent time in all the communities except for the Sanctuary. Each got a letter from Rick with a progress report, containing what’s happened and what will happen next. He believed that the end may be sooner than they think.
At the end of the last episode, Rick was headed to the Scavengers and this episode featured him make a deal with Jadis to switch sides and join them or be destroyed. She said no then Rick became their prisoner.
At the Hilltop, Maggie wasn’t exactly with Jesus’ plan of keeping the hostages. Luckily for her, Gregory was there to provide his unsolicited advice which just got him imprisoned with the rest of them in the Hilltop pen. Maggie’s plan was to use them as bargaining chips to trade for their people back. Aaron was still processing losing Eric but he wanted a win and took Enid with him.
At the Kingdom, Ezekiel isolated himself from everyone, including Carol. They were supposed to meet Rick and the others but he wasn’t answering the door. Carol decided to go alone but Benjamin’s brother Henry (Macsen Lintz) wanted to join her and fight. She told him not to follow. Of course he did and Carol saved him and gave him a gun. That didn’t last long, however, as Carol went back to the Kingdom and barged in to try and cheer Ezekiel and ended up getting to the root of their relationship. Carol made Ezekiel feel real. Ezekiel ultimately couldn’t be the person that the Kingdom wanted him to be anymore.
At Alexandria, Daryl and Tara discussed who got to kill Dwight and Michonne and Rosita went on a road trip to see the Sanctuary. They stopped at a storage facility where they encountered a few Saviors and were saved by Daryl and Tara. Then they all took a trip to the Sanctuary to end it. Meanwhile, Carl caught up with the stranger he encountered that Rick scared off, a man named Siddiq (Avi Nash). Carl gave him the Alexandria viability quiz that he appeared to pass. He said he killed Walkers so he can release their souls. On their way back, they got attacked by Walkers.
Overall, this was a decent episode that gave us a much needed break from the action-heavy first few episodes of the season. It did get stretched a little thin as it tried to show us as many perspectives as possible while not necessarily allowing them to have the desired impact. While the last few seasons had been driven by questionable character decisions, this episode was no different. Rick returned to the Scavengers after they betrayed him, Jesus brought back hostages (despite them trying to set up the fact that there may be good ones), Carl bringing Siddiq back to Alexandria, and Daryl “finishing” it. Maybe they just seem questionable now and will eventually work out. While all of these working out appears unlikely, we have 2 episodes left until the midseason finale to find out.
Score: 7/10
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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.