The zombie apocalypse is rough. Add in an unrelenting war and you get Season 8 of The Walking Dead. The allies have made it clear that they’re after Negan and are willing to take out anyone who supports him. But he’s the only one who has to die. They’re not monsters, after all.
King Ezekiel spins his magic on the Kingdom forces. They will not lose. They have already won. His velvety voice and Shakespearean cadence convince his army and those of us watching at home. The Kingdom strides into battle with the swagger of the undefeatable and we believe. But we’re only granted a moment of optimism. Before we know it, they’re surrounded (and outmanned) by the Saviors. All hope is lost. We kick ourselves for trusting, once again, that good could prevail. Over and over, we’re plagued with images of King Ezekiel’s rallying cry interspersed with their capture. What once inspired hope now looks like naive buffoonery, on their part and ours. Even the King finally accepts his fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude is a joke. Or is it? Shots ring out and Saviors fall. What looked like defeat was a ruse, a well planned maneuver. And just like that, our hopes soar again. They will not lose. They have already won. We’ve traveled from triumph to despair and back to triumph in two minutes flat. I’m emotionally exhausted and we’ve only just begun.
Rick finds himself in a decidedly darker place than the Kingdom. Morales has a gun to his head and the Saviors are on the way. Any attempts at reconnecting with Morales are futile. Both of them have changed so much in their time apart that they’re practically strangers. Morales sees Rick as the monster the Saviors claim he is. He’s a man who kills the innocent and guilty alike. As Rick stares into Morales’ disturbed eyes, he’s forced to reckon with the part of himself that matches those traits. Morales tells Rick that they’re the same. They both do whatever it takes. If Rick was the one holding the gun, Morales would be dead by now. Officer Friendly died a long time ago. As Rick struggles with the truth of his words, Daryl shoots Morales and steps over his dead body. He doesn’t care that they knew him. Morales was in the way.
Aaron pulls a wounded Eric away from the battle. His only agenda is saving his love. But Eric knows this fight is about more than the two of them. He denies Aaron’s guilt and urges him back into the fray. He promises to wait. They have time to get to the doctor. After. His words are convincing. One of them actually believes he’s going to survive.
Tara, Jesus and Morgan lead a caravan of shackled Saviors to the Hilltop. Jesus feels sure of their decision; Morgan isn’t sure they’ve actually made a decision. It doesn’t help that Benjamin’s killer continues to needle him. A passing horde rolls down a hill straight at them. The allies clear them as quickly as possible but the trussed Saviors are easy targets. In the excitement, a chain gang of Savoirs run into the woods. This changes everything. Morgan follows them, a hunter after prey. He starts shooting but Jesus knocks the gun away. Their argument increases in intensity. Morgan hears the words he used to say coming out of Jesus’ mouth and it physically hurt him that he can’t be that man anymore. Jesus touches his shoulder in solidarity but it trips a wire in Morgan’s brain. He attacks Jesus. It’s Morgan’s staff against Jesus’ ninja moves. First Morgan is down, then Jesus, then Morgan. Jesus tries to make peace but Morgan has to keep going. Finally, Morgan snaps out of his fugue state. He seems confused by his own actions. He explains that he knows he’s not right but that doesn’t make him wrong. Even the crazy make sense sometimes. With that, he wanders into the woods. Morgan is done. For now at least.
Gregory arrives at the Hilltop in Father Gabriel’s stolen car. He’s whiny and demanding and can’t understand why they won’t let him in. This is Maggie’s house now. He lost his spot when he colluded with Negan. Gregory wheedles and pleads. He tries every excuse in the book but Maggie is resolute. Eventually he settles on the truth: he didn’t think they could win and he was scared. She relents. Enid is dumbfounded. After everything he’s done? Maggie looks at him with scorn. He’s not worth killing. Not yet anyway. When Jesus shows up with his prisoners, Gregory is the loudest voice screaming to keep them out. Maggie sends him away like a puppy that peed on the carpet. His opinion is meaningless. But Maggie has her own reservations about the captured Saviors. Jesus points out that they can’t let them go and they can’t kill them. It’s a quandry.
The Saviors arrive before Rick and Daryl can run. Now they have to fight their way out. There’s a gun battle in a hallway. They hold the Saviors off but bullets run low. Rick shoots a fire extinguisher, creating a smoke shield that gives them the edge in hand to hand combat. As the smoke clears, their allies find them and escort them out. Rick takes polaroids of the damage. Aaron goes to get Eric but all he finds is a bloodstain. Heart breaking, he watches walker Eric join a horde. He knows what he has to do but he can’t. A friend leads him away. It’s not Eric. Not anymore.
As Aaron sits, staring at Eric’s blood on his hands, Rick carries out baby Gracie. Aaron offers to take her to the Hilltop. He needs to do it. His world just crumbled and now he’s holding new life in his hands. Eric gave his life so Gracie could live free. And Aaron is going to make sure she gets to.
Rick and Daryl are the last to leave. While saying goodbye, shots ring out from behind a tree. Ricks warns the shooter that a horde is coming. He offers a deal: drop the gun, tell them what they want to know and Rick will let him take a car and leave. It works and they learn that the armory was sent to another outpost the day before. It doesn’t bode well for Dwight that he didn’t know about it. Instead of letting the man leave as promised, Daryl shoots him in the head. All he cares about is getting the guns. Rick is perturbed. Was Morales right? Are they the monsters?
The Kingdom continues from outpost to outpost. They clear without losing a single soldier. The King is pleased. This is really happening. They are winning. At a compound they’ve seized, Carol decides to sweep the interior. The rest of the crew stays in the field, making sure all of their kills are headshots. King Ezekiel reviews the carnage. He’s not happy about the deaths but he knows it has to be done. And then he spies something inside the compound. He yells for everyone to get down but it’s too late. They’re mown down with machine guns. Bullets fly and the survivors run to protect their King. And just like that, hope bleeds away.
Next week: A new weapon in the Savior arsenal proves to be a giant hurdle as fighting continues between Rick’s forces and those of the Saviors.
This consistent theme of sparing lives vs killing your enemies, ie retaining your humanity in the worst of circumstances, is appropriate, even though it’s often a redundant delivery.
But seriously? You make this war plan and don’t have a clue what to do with your POWs? Why bring them home?? Why not have a neutral location, like say, an old county jail, ready to receive?
And “Peaches?” Hahaha.
It was nice to see Carol smile.
This season is not great.
Yea, they could have done that battle in one episode and gotten on with it, but looks like they are dragging it out half the season.
I agree. I’m just not into it.
great recap !! this season is finally moving is this show gonna go so far into the future Gracie gets revenge on Rick for killing her parents sorry that was my first thought when Rick had the baby she is cute as a button.
Is the king dead ? I never read the comic but him and his tiger gone would suck.it looked as if Rick and Daryl were booking it fast to the outpost to warn the others of the weapon Gatlin gun. .
previews look as if Carol gets captured. of course they will get her out.
I think enough people piled on the King to protect him but I might just be fooling myself because he’s one of my favorites right now (I’m shipping him & Carol HARD). Also, I don’t know if I could survive losing Shiva. I still haven’t recovered from losing Eastman’s goat.
I am totally over Jesus’ do-goodery. These are not people who are able to be rehabilitated, they are savage killers who do it for fun, not just to survive. How are they blathering on about being “the same”? Rick doesn’t run around smashing people’s heads in with a bat for shits and giggles, or raiding and taking from innocent people because he can. Killing is not for pleasure.
Rick and his people would’ve been happy to be left the hell alone in alexandria to feed and take care of themselves, they weren’t going out to enslave and bully other groups into paying them tribute or else they’d execute their members. This whole bit is bullshit.
Rick is the “same” as the saviors because he will do whatever it takes to keep him and his people safe? Ah, no. The saviors weren’t acting in self defense, Negan is sick, he enjoys torturing and enslaving people, he’s not just doing what he needs to to survive.
The argument Jesus and Morgan had was far more believable, about whether or not you can kill people who surrender and if people can change. I see their point, but given the situation and what the saviors have done and are capable of, and what is at risk, I’d kill them all. Sorry, Jesus, but not risking my neck hoping your average savior is going to repent their sadistic ways and kumbaya over to the good side.
He’s going to get a ton of people killed, just like Morgan did when he was acting this way.
Clearly, Rick is no Negan. They can’t even be compared. But I think Rick is constantly struggling with his dark side. This new world has forced him to do things that Officer Friendly would never do. Even if he’s not on the level of Negan, he sometimes scares himself. And I think that self-awareness shows his humanity.
That is definitely true, that part is worth considering and I think is a valuable point in the show. I think the fact that he even cares to reflect on things like that speaks to his character. Especially with everything he has been through.
I’m with you re: Shiva, ever since I laid eyes on her I’ve been dreading how things will end, given how this show tends to be.
I have no idea what is going on, but I presume that baby is the baby of the woman who has been pregnant for the last six years? 🙂 Cute baby.
LOL No, not at all. She’s still got 6 more years of pregnancy ahead.
lmao
that was some random baby rick found in the savior’s compound, Gracie, and that he took with them. He only knew the baby’s name because it was written on the wall above her crib.
I get this episode. I actually understand the similarities between the two groups. I always defended Rick’s actions because they were self defense imho. But when I saw that baby in the crib, ugh, my heart just dropped and I realized that there are families involved and they are all just trying to survive. I felt like Rick felt afterwards when he looked in the mirror. That man WAS Rick. He was fighting to survive and protecting his child from this “monster” Rick. Morales sees rick as a monster because he saw him kill a man with a baby to take care of….he has also heard about rick killing men in their sleep. I have a feeling this fight with Negan will drag on all season. It’s good to remember that some of those men are like Dwight that feel like they don’t have a choice. Of course reason takes over and it’s like..NEGAN HAS A BAT…they have guns. How come one of them unhappy men hasn’t slit his throat of something??? How can one man lead this group with a barbed wire bat with a jim jones complex no less?? That’s not intimidating if I have a gun..lol I have to suspend reason a lot for this show. I like this episode though…1 out of 3 ain’t bad? They are all still terrible shots though and where did all the bullets come from?? What’s Eugene’s purpose now?? ok, shut up Pam. Thank you Lady C for a very good review.
Thanks for the love!
I am digging this season. Thanks for the recap.
A fantastic recap! It’s horrible but I don’t think there is a viable alternative to killing the Saviour warriors. One could never trust them enough to just let them go or to become truly rehabilitated. It would always be a danger to the “good guy” communities to have them exist. But what about all the “non-warrior” saviours – the women,the elders, the non- fighters? That’s more difficult. However, bottom-line I think Jesus was wrong. As Maggie said, “there are families” here. Protection of those communities must come first.
It’s a tough call. I think Jesus is being foolhardy but if they just kill everyone, how are they better than the Saviors? There’s no perfect solution.
I know Lady C!! I want them all to sit down and talk it out….like that man with the baby and rick. It’s frustrating that they can’t talk to each other. They just shoot. Rick did things for Negan because he had too….he wasn’t asked to kill for him yet but he did kill for Gregory. I know at least one of those saviors Jesus saved needed to be killed. pronto. How could he see hope in him?? Dwight wasn’t as douchy as that guy.
The question would be how are the Saviors any better than the Walking Dead .
The show seems to have proven time and time again that if they let bad people go, it comes back and bites them on the ass. Saviors need to be put down, they can’t be trusted.
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Kill them all and let God sort them out would be my motto,
These are the same people that watched Negan bash heads to bloody bits of brains with his barb wire bat and watched him toss the doctor into the furnace.
Considering that there were hundreds of Negan followers and only one Negan and they never fomented a revolt to take him down means they aren’t worth sparing imo. The only ones I would exempt would be children .
And that little moral poseur Jesus makes me ill…..sometimes you do have to be a monster to defeat monsters….a lesson a lot of dead people no doubt learned too late.
When will they get around to settling the score with those trash pile girls?
I hate to admit it. I’ve been in this one from the get go.
I hate it now. We spent 10 minutes with a guy from the first 3 episodes. And then Daryl kills him. Then there’s a bro party. NEGAN!
Then there’s Jesus and Morgan leading the weak into battle.
Y’all just fill me in.
Oh. Let me know if Negan shows up and says “pussy”.
And WHY is Maggie the end all be all?
I’m really looking for reply’s.