TWD Season 8 Episode 10: The Lost And The Plunderers

Last week's episode of The Walking Dead featured a goodbye the Grimes gang probably never thought they would have to face. After all, Carl had already been shot, lost an eyeball, lost a shoe, and almost had his arm cut off in this post-apocalyptic world...so a zombie bite on a walk home is a head scratcher in this story. I bet Tyreese feels a little vindicated since his "death by bite while staring at something" is still one of the more frustrating departures I've seen on this show. Anyway, tonight we catch up with some people we've been wondering about and others that I wish would stay on side missions indefinitely. We also witness more loss and bloodshed as the war continues on. Who is on the receiving end of a Savior's wrath in this hour? Here's what went down in "The Lost and the Plunderers."

I Ain't Wasting No More Time

Negan is still mulling over how Carl duped him so the Alexandrians could escape when Simon arrives back from his Hilltop mission. Negan's right hand douchebag is beyond frustrated with the state of things and he wants Das Sound Machine the garbage people punished to the extreme for their betrayal. I mean...sure they showed up with Rick when he thought he was about to win the All Out War, but did the Saviors not see how quickly those guys bolted when they knew Rick was screwed? Bolted. The cartoon roadrunner would have had a hell of a time keeping up. Negan must agree with me a little - he tells Simon he is only allowed to kill one of the junkyard dwellers after taking all of their guns. Right at that moment a delivery from Maggie arrives. It's zombie Dean, the Savior she killed in the mid-season finale, along with her message of "We have 38 more. Stand down." More fuel for Simon's rage that the old way of doing things is no longer effective, but Negan makes himself very clear that Simon is not to cause a slaughter anywhere. 

Speaking of Das Sound Machine the garbage people, we get a little bit more of a background on Jadis tonight and how she came to be leader of the junk piles, but first we have to talk about her Simon encounter. When he arrives I'm thinking that even though he is pissssssed, Simon is going to follow Negan's orders and then go home. After Jadis agrees to turn over all of their guns, Simon compliments Jadis' artwork and asks her questions about their solar panals and helipad (you're just NOW wondering about that?). The conversation is kind of awkward and then Simon just starts acting like a dick because he is not sensing remorse from the garbage community. He shoots two of Jadis' people and she punches him! Simon forgets about Negan's orders at that point and obviously also forgets about how Negan says people are resources they need and they can't wipe out communities...and Simon wipes out the community. With the exception of Jadis, Das Sound Machine the garbage group is no more. Simon and his Saviors leave her behind and much like King Ezekiel, she is forced to put down her own people. I will say that the trash compactor/shredder thingy she uses is pretty amazing - I wasn't expecting to see a conveyor belt of Walker guts tonight!

Here I Go Again

We catch up with Enid and Aaron now in their completely unplanned and unapproved side mission to Oceanside, and to my disappointment, no one immediately kills Enid for being a dumbass. In fact, no one kills Enid at all. When hothead Rachel finds out that Enid impulsively and stupidly killed Natania, she is out for blood and I'm thinking "woohoo!" Ultimately the ladies leave the punishment decision up to Cyndie since Natania was Cyndie's grandma. Does this mean she is going to be their new leader? That's neat. Cyndie decides it's opposite day at Oceanside and not only doesn't punish Aaron and Enid, she gives them permission to leave too. Cyndie says letting these two go is Oceaside's "contribution to the cause." They are looking to remain in hiding and still will not join the All Out War. 

Aaron is determined to stay behind and hide near a tree or some shit. He's hoping the ladies will eventually join the fight so he's just going to wait it out. Huh? Aaron sends Enid back to Hilltop to report the status of their unplanned and unapproved mission to Maggie, and they share a very heartfelt goodbye. I had no idea they were BFFs. I learn something new every day.

The Only Road I've Ever Known

Rick and Michonne are devastated. After they finish burying Carl, the two have to get out of town as Alexandria is sadly overrun by Walkers. All of that hard work...all of the obstacles the existing residents and the Grimes gang overcame together...kaput. They take one last look at the sign: "Welcome to the Alexandria Safe Zone - Mercy for the Lost, Vengeance for the Plunderers" and it's all a damn shame.

Rick decides he can't read Carl's letter yet but he is none too happy when he learns there is a letter for Negan in the pile as well. He turns his focus toward Das Sound Machine the garbage people because he doesn't want them to go back to the Saviors' side. When Richonne arrives at the junkyard they are startled to see a whole bunch of Walkers inside. Well, these are Jadis' former army in undead form and Jadis is sitting at the top of a heap alone, crying, and speaking like a normal person and not some sort of European cave woman. She explains that pre-apocalypse she used to visit the junkyard to look for things to paint. She was artsy even back then. "And then after everything changed, I realized this whole place was a canvas. That we were the paint. We could create something new. We could become something new. We did. This was our world - apart from everything else in every way." I do appreciate her point of view and her story...even though I think there were probably less smelly canvases to choose from in the area. Rick, however, is not impressed. When he and Michonne make their break to escape from the junkyard Walkers, he leaves Jadis behind despite her pleas to take her with them. So...Rick. Buddy. You JUST told your dead son you would make a world where everyone works together. Like, JUST told him. This woman WENT with you to the Sanctuary where you promised her victory and you were totally wrong. She is by herself now....Carl died helping someone who was by himself. Dude. You. Are. KILLING ME.

Walk Along The Lonely Street
Back in the van, Rick tells Michonne he doesn't want Jadis dead - he just wants her gone. He is getting emotional and pulls over near a field. He reads the letter Carl wrote to Negan and I'm not completely sure what it says. I paused the screen and saw a bit of content but I think the gist of it is working together and forgiveness. Rick immediately calls Negan on one of those walkie talkies with the most amazing range ever to give him an update. He tells Negan that Carl is dead and he had written letters to both Negan and Rick asking for peace. Negan is genuine in his grief for Carl, worried that his grenades killed him. He says Carl was the future and he had big plans for that kid. Yes, TWD showrunners, Carl was the future. Way to go. Now Rick has the chance to work with Negan here....to begrudgingly start to honor Carl by building that peaceful world his son envisioned. Nah. Rick goes back to that "I'm gonna kill you" crap we've heard so many times that I'm almost longing for the days where Morgan was an "all life is precious" broken record. Sigh. Negan goes right back at him by saying: "Carl is dead because of you...because you couldn't leave shit well enough alone... You failed as a leader, and most of all Rick, you failed as a father. Just give up. Give up because you have already lost." This walkie talkie with the most amazing range ever discussion is over. The episode ends with a shot of Rick hanging out alone in the field with that crazy "I'm looking around like I'm trying to locate the sound of an ice cream truck" vibe we've become so used to.

Listen, I don't blame Rick for not wanting to abandon the All Out War against the Saviors. Alexandria, Hilltop and The Kingdom have suffered unimaginable losses and he was thisclose to Negan's surrender. But promising Carl on his deathbed that he would help create the Rip Van Rick future and then immediately following that up by leaving Jadis in the garbage dust and reminding Negan that he's gonna kill him caused my palm to hit my forehead on a number of occasions this hour. Will Rick turn it around and at least let Jadis into their group? Will Jadis seek revenge on the Grimes gang? Will Negan throw Simon into the furnace when he finds out what happened at the junkyard? Time will tell, but I will say "The Lost and the Plunderers" was frustrating. Something is very wrong when I come out of an episode and my only thought is: poor Jadis.