Tonight's episode of The Walking Dead circled back with just about everybody in the Grimes gang as our heroes try to figure out the next steps to defeat The Saviors. Losing Ezekiel's entire army was never part of the plan, so it's time to regroup and check in on everyone...even if they are not making good decisions. There are no major deaths in this hour and some characters that have been long overdue for screen time finally get their chance. Here's what went down in "The King, The Widow, and Rick."
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
The episode opens with Maggie, Rick, and Carol all reading letters from one another regarding the state of things in their locations. Word is traveling very quickly for a land of no phones or email. Maybe Ezekiel also has some connections with the owls from Harry Potter. Anyway, even though The Kingdom's warriors are finished, Ezekiel won't face any of his people, and Hilltop has a hostage situation and Dumbass Gregory issues to deal with, Rick says the plan is working and they must move forward. He makes no mention of the helicopter. At all.
Rick's next stop is garbageland where
The last time we see Rick in this episode, he is a captive in a dumpster/cell. Jadis writes a big letter "A" in chalk on the outside, much like the Terminus captive facilities. Huh? Were the garbage people once affiliated with Terminus? Are they cannibals? Is that why they're not concerned about maintaining fresh food in a dump? Are they looking to have a Rick Rump Roast? Ramen Rick? Rick Risotto? I could go on (I'd like to) but I won't.
You've Got The Future In Your Hand
Maggie has quite the stressful situation on her hands at Hilltop. I think Aaron showing up with baby Gracie is well timed for Maggie's nerves...and to remind us that Maggie is pregnant because she still doesn't look like she is. Maggie has temporarily allowed the Savior prisoners to sit just outside the gates at gunpoint while she figures out what to do with them. She finds Jesus feeding them part of the turnip supply (which Jesus says is excess) and somehow Dumbass Gregory is right by her side. He suggests building a gallows for these guys instead of protecting them and Maggie shoos him away. She's not happy with the situation Jesus has put them in and he tells her that when all is said and done "we have to make sure what's left is worth what we lost."
That night the prisoners hear some construction going on inside the gates and they assume Maggie has decided on hanging them instead of feeding them. Jesus tells them not to worry and one Savior in particular, Dillon, is super chatty and friendly. He's also kinda dreamy. Dillon mentions that the Saviors asked him to help build a fence and now he's sitting against one waiting to die and Jesus says no one is innocent. Could love be in the air here? I'm still hoping for an Aaron romance but this exchange has been very interesting.
When morning comes and Enid beckons for Jesus to bring the prisoners inside the walls, Jesus looks worried. Maggie hasn't built gallows - she's built a holding pen for these guys. She tells Jesus that she may need these prisoners to trade to the Saviors in case some of their people get captured. She's not guaranteeing she will let them all live, but for now they are going to be taken care of under lock and key as long as they cooperate. Dumbass Gregory is livid and tells Maggie she can't let people they can't trust run around inside the walls. Maggie agrees....and she has Gregory thrown in with the prisoners. HA! That's fantastic. This is all still a lot for Aaron and his grief though, and he takes off on a side mission (not part of Rick's plan that he says is working) that isn't really explained, and he lets Enid go with him.
Not Ashamed To Cry
The community members of The Kingdom are deep in grief. Ezekiel will not come out of his throne room, even when Carol bangs on the door and says they need to gather everyone who can fight. Are there still people there who can fight other than her and Jerry? Young Henry is nearby doing his best Morgan impression with a stick (where is Morgan?), and he tells Carol he wants to go with her and help. She shuts him down immediately, just like she did with Benjamin. Similarly, Carol finds Henry out in the woods by himself trying to take out Walkers. She scolds him, saying kids who wander around in the woods by themselves "never get seen again, and if they do, they're monsters." Awww. My brain just immediately went back to season 2 and Sophia's little Walker legs coming out of Hershel's barn. Henry just wants to be trained so he can avenge his brother's death, and Carol ultimately hands him a gun with the safety on and tells him to stay close as they make their way back to The Kingdom.
Fun fact - the kid who plays Henry is Macsen Lintz...younger brother of Madison Lintz...who played Carol's daughter Sophia! Isn't that awesome? I've been thinking lately that this boy looks familiar, and it's pretty much because he and his sister have the same face. The fact that Carol looks at him and says what she did about kids becoming monsters is brilliant...and really sad all at the same time.
Carol and Henry arrive back in The Kingdom and Carol is ready to blow through the door of Ezekiel's throne room in order to finally get him to talk to her. Jerry tells her the door is unlocked and I laugh out loud. Carol enters the room and finds the king sitting slumped against his throne, holding onto Shiva's chain. He tells Carol he can't be a king anymore and says she needs to lead the people. He asks to be left alone and Carol turns to leave...then she turns back and asks Ezekiel why he came to visit her when she moved into the little house nearby. "You just make me feel real. Not fiction. Real." Carol tearfully tells Ezekiel that he is real to her and to The Kingdom and says his people need him. "And if you can't be 'the king,' then do what you do best and play the part." Ezekiel whispers... "I can't" and this bums me out. Do it for Shiva!
I've Done A Lot Of Foolish Things
It's been quite a while since we've seen Michonne, one-eyed Carl, and Smokin' Hot Rosita, and we finally have some time with them this evening. Michonne is restless and wants to be part of the All Out War that seems to be happening without her. She takes Smokin' Hot Rosita and her resting bitch face on a mission to see The Sanctuary, which by the way is also NOT part of the plan Rick says is working. Both women are still healing from the big fight in Alexandria last season, so I'm not sure how this is a good idea...but what do I know? During their drive they hear opera music (you read that right) coming from the woods and they take a detour to check out the source. Turns out two Saviors in the midst of strapping a speaker to a truck to play loud music and lure the Walkers away from The Sanctuary. Well there you go, ladies! Just when you thought you were useless in this big plan.
Michonne and Smokin' Hot Rosita follow the Saviors into the random building they are using as a workshop, but they're a little rusty on this attack and kill thing. Michonne accidentally kicks a tennis ball, alerting the Saviors that they are not alone, and Rosita drops her pistol. Good grief. Eventually Rosita picks up a missile launcher and blows one of her enemies to pieces, but the noise distracts Michonne's fight with the other Savior and that bitch hops in the singing truck and takes off.
Just as we think the truck is getting away, Daryl and Tara come speeding in with a garbage truck and crash through the Savior's vehicle. The speaker mission is destroyed and Daryl's interception game has been pretty amazing lately. His current attitude might be dangerous but at least he told Tara they could both kill Dwight when the war is over. Sharing is caring. The four friends regroup and head toward The Sanctuary, where it seems like Daryl is going rogue. He tells the ladies when they arrive that he's going to end this.
I Went And Stayed Too Long
Meanwhile Carl and his inexplicable haircut are wandering through the woods (Carol's speech would never work on him anyway) and he finds the guy that was looking for food and water in the season premiere. You know, the guy Rick shot at but only over his head. Carl feels bad about what happened and he has brought this man, whose name is Siddiq, food and water. Carl also asks him the standard 3 questions people must answer before joining the Grimes gang. Turns out Siddiq has killed 237 Walkers and one person, but only because the person was attacked by Walkers but didn't die right away. Siddiq kills as many Walkers as he can because his mom told him that maybe killing the Walkers would free their souls. He says "you gotta honor your parents, right?" and Carl accurately points out that if he was honoring his dad, he wouldn't be there giving food and water to Siddiq.
On their journey back to Alexandria, they have a close call while trying to put down some Walkers, and given Siddiq's combat tactics, I have no idea how he's survived so long by himself. Siddiq doesn't want to become a burden on Carl - after all, Rick didn't want anything to do with Siddiq, but Carl tells him, "sometimes kids have to find their own way to show their parents the way." Welp, Rick could sure use someone to show him the way out of garbageland right now.
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| The look on their faces says it all. |
The episode ends with a shot of the "A" container holding Rick and while it seems like a lot happened in this hour, we're really not any further along in the war than we were at the end of last week. Or the week before. My biggest takeaway from the episode is Rick thinks shit is working, but somehow his people are participating in opposite day. Michonne and Rosita? No, don't stay and protect Alexandria like you're supposed to. Go to the Walker infested Sanctuary instead "just to see it." Daryl? No, don't take losing the dynamite as a deterrent for doing your own thing. Go rogue anyway and take revenge-driven Tara with you. Aaron? Though Maggie could really use your help right now, go ahead and leave Hilltop to do something that probably won't help given your right hand is Enid. And Carl? You should totally ditch Alexandria as well (poor Judith) and offer protection to a guy who likes to stop and kill every Walker he sees. Sigh. Going into the final 2 episodes of 2017, I'm wondering when what's happening in The Sanctuary and what's happening in the communities will all come together again. Will Daryl somehow blow a hole in The Sanctuary walls to let the Walkers inside the building? Will Ezekiel move past his "I'm no king" nonsense and lead his people? Is Jesus going to stop whining and be helpful? Is Morgan going to reemerge batshit crazy? And finally, who is going to save Rick from what I assume is a very smelly itty bitty living space? His reserves are all doing their own thing at the moment and obviously did not heed the messages in the Harry Potter owl mail.
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