Following six episodes of separate storylines this week’s Mid-Season Finale finally brings all of the characters together. We start at the lake, where Rick and Aaron miraculously survive water walkers and collect a treasure trove of ammunition and supplies in the cabin. At The Sanctuary, Daryl heeds the note’s warning and escapes his cell. At The Hilltop, Enid calls Sasha out for lying to Maggie about Jesus And outside of The Kingdom, David begs Morgan and Carol to convince Ezekiel to attack The Saviors.
Rosita confesses to Father Gabriel she doesn’t mind dying if it means killing Negan in the process. She claims everyone has a loved one but since hers is dead, she doesn’t have a purpose outside of killing Negan. Father Gabriel implores her not to carry out her plan and instead to work together. Meanwhile, Spencer cleans up and tells Rosita he wants to warm up to Negan and The Saviors. Spencer cleans up, make up with Rosita, and heads to Rick’s house to introduce himself to Negan.
Back at The Sanctuary Fat Joey catches Daryl stealing a bike and immediately tries to surrender, but Daryl BEATS HIM TO DEATH with a metal rod. Jesus shows up after and Daryl hops on a bike. Elsewhere, The Savior takes Michonne to a random spot and tells her to kill her and ditch the car. We see a gunshot and the car drop a body.
Rick arrives in Alexandria and a Savior informs him Negan’s in his house waiting for him. Before Rick can go the Saviors pore through his and Aaron’s supplies and beats Aaron after finding an unrelated note they found in the cabin. Negan begins a round of pool as Spencer trash-talks Rick, claiming he’s an inefficient leader. Negan feigns sympathy and Spencer suggests he be put in charge instead. Negan scoffs and reminds Spencer how gutsy Rick is to please Negan. Just like the comics, Negan tells Spencer, “You got no guts” and STABS SPENCER IN THE STOMACH, allowing his literal guts to spill out! The Alexandrians reels with shock as Negan asks if anyone wants to finish his pool game with him. Rosita whips out her gun and pulls the trigger.
Rick drags a bloodied Aaron towards the scene as it’s revealed Rosita missed and shot Lucille instead. She’s immediately tackled by a Savior and an ENRAGED Negan questions where her bullet originated from. Negan demands answers and Rosita lies and admits it was her. Negan doesn’t buy it orders his Savior to kill somebody…so she unholsters her gun and SHOOTS OLIVIA IN THE FACE!
Infuriated, Rick storms in and reminds Negan they had a deal. Negan calmly catches him up on Carl’s adventure and Spencer’s coup, both of which Rick was oblivious to. Trying to contain his cool, Rick asks him to leave. Negan agrees but demands he find out who manufactured Rosita’s bullet. Tara falsely confesses but Eugene interrupts and admits it was him. Satisfied, Negan agrees to leave but takes Eugene with him and notifies Rick he’s still in deep trouble. Later that night, Michonne returns to Alexandria and tells Rick they must begin fighting The Saviors.
The next morning Rick, Michonne, Carl, Rosita, and Tara arrive at The Hilltop and inform Maggie they’re ready to fight The Saviors. Daryl and Jesus emerge from the big house and are warmly welcomed back by the group. Daryl hands over Rick’s gun to him and the group, together for the first time since the Season 7 premiere, head inside to plan their battle.
Bonus Scene: We see those same muddy boots from the lake, spying on Gabriel in the watch tower at Alexandria. Friend or foe? We shall see.
How did you feel about this shocking episode? What sort of ramifications do you think it’ll have on the latter half of the season? Tell us in the comments!
Slow clap. Great. Fucking. Episode.
I’ll add my thoughts tomorrow, but I really enjoyed this. And the feels at the end with Michonne and Rick and then Rick and Daryl.
Ok… so now that I have digested the episode, so to speak, here is my analysis.
The Good: Well… there was a lot of good. In fact, this was the best episode since the first of the season, despite being a touch slower paced. So much to like. The dinner scene… most awkward dinner scene ever. Loved every awkward moment. Rick’s attempts to get the guns. That added a little excitement and some of the walkers that have been noticeably absent as of late. Spencer. Oh Spencer. I am so glad they kept this very similar to the graphic novel. “I have never been so wrong in my life”. It was a great scene. Unexpected to have the entire town watching. Spencer got what he deserved. I was completely unnerved watching Daryl trying to escape. I really wasn’t expecting Jesus to pop out, but I’m glad he was there. The Michonne and Rick scene was very sweet and moving. I couldn’t help imagine Andrea saying those lines though. We don’t die. Lastly, the scene with Daryl at the end really got to me. That embrace with Rick. The feels. You’re my brother. What a great cap to the season, all of them getting ready for all our war.
The Bad: This season follows the tried and trued Walking Dead methodology. Kick ass season opener, long lull in between with a focus episode on a single character (Though Tara was far worse than Morgan’s) followed by an excellent penultimate episode and a great finale. I wish it could be more consistent. Aaron’s beatdown was completely unneeded. Yeah. We get it. The Saviors are Dicks. Interesting how they suck up to Spencer, who got a little dirty stealing a bow from a walker stuck in a tree. Meanwhile, Rick and Aaron swim across a zombie infested river to steal numerous weapons and they get the stink face nasty treatment. Whatever. Rosita, Rosita. Now she has blood on her hands. And Eugene’s capture on them as well. Last bad is Carol. I really am tired of this hermit attitude. I’m sure they are just saving up to have her break out of her shell, but its old, and boring.
Random Thoughts: Character of the month goes to Gabriel. I really think his character has developed the most out of almost everyone. I loved his talk with Rosita. He has become the voice of reason in Alexandria. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and no longer is he the sniveling coward he used to be. Negan’s shave… it took a while to get used to seeing this. Now, instead of Hipster Negan we have Greaser Negan. Still, I like the look as it gets us closer to the graphic novel. Now he just needs to bulk up real quick.
Overall, a great episode. All at war is coming, but I suspect next half will be the lead up with it kicking off next year. I hope the show makes it to the whisperer war.
YES, YES, YES!!!! Rick is back! Daryl is back! The group is together! (mostly). Overall a good episode. I’m so pleased about the last 20 or so minutes especially, that I’m going to overlook the few questionable issues with the episode (for now), but I agree with most of your comments.
Agree about Carol. Getting really annoyed about the direction they are taking her.
And one last observation. When Rick got his Colt Python back. I was grinning. Rick isn’t Rick without it.
A nice, rather surprising mid season finale!
It feels like it’s moving a little fast tho.
What surprised you?
Not Spencer’s death but how everything else surrounding that went down & how the ep ended on a lighter note instead of impending doom.
Oh yeah, I thought you meant the deaths. Actually, I didn’t expect the ending to be so positive either and it was very nice to finally see a glimmer of hope. I think we were owed that.
I missed Negan saying, “Let the slaughter begin!”
Story has been sped thur, because they focus on minor characters too much. It is turning into supernatural.
The walking dead is the BOMB!!!
Hello, stranger. I am digging your Sans profile picture.
Thx?
That ending gave me feels… ;_;
Wow… I really liked This episode!
I think it would be really neat if the guy stalking them turned out to be Davidson who the ASZ exiled.
Left off the part about the mystery figure in the boots.
Also, what was the point of Aaron getting beat? Was it that hard for him to spit out that the note was left by the person who had the supplies before they arrived?
Just didn’t seam to add anything to the plot for Aaron to get beat up before the went to see Negan.
I wondered about the boots, too! I wonder if it was the guy from the Kingdom that it showed going into the camper?
I was thinking Boots is Simon. That guy has to be lurking somewhere.
I thought it might be that Kingdom guy too, but Simon’s a possibility as well.
Why Simon? Doesn’t make sense at all, why would he be lurking around Alexandria? He knows it is already Negan’s dominion.
Well, people could be keeping an eye on their investments. Or they could have other motives we don’t know about. But I changed my mind… I like BillyHo’s idea (below) that it could be an Oceanside chick… probably the rebellious one that helped Tara.
Aaron’s beating was just a vehicle for Rick. First he sees Aaron taking one for the team, then Spencer and Olivia dead, learns that Carl and Rosita tried taking matters into their own hands then finally Eugene is taken… these illustrations bring Rick to the realization that he has no choice but to fight because things will never get better under Negan’s rule.
It also demonstrates that Rick can technically do everything correctly and follow the rules basically to a T and it still won’t stop Negan from just doing whatever he wants. Rick can’t be around 24/7 to babysit and make sure that nothing goes wrong, because it’s a situation that is no longer in his control.
Thinking the point was to show that Negan’s followers take things in their own hands and have a sense of evil without him ordering them to do so.
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And of course adding a more intense feel to the Negan follow-up seen with more battered people being in the mix. Just showing everyone that every dealing with Negan and his group is likely going to be intense and threat on life.
well we already knew that from their 1st encounter with Negan’s biker group which stopped Abe, Daryl and Sasha on the road. But you’re right about adding more intensity to the follow up scene.
Not thinking the biker scene actually added any thought to what to expect once Rick and his group fell under Negan. The encounter with them was pre-Negan alignment with Ricks group. And previous showings of Negan’s men with Hilltop and such never really had a ‘we are going to beat the crap out of you for looking at us wrong’ type attitude.
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Oceanside added some story to Negan and his band on how they deal with a group when they go full force against them… thinking Tara might need to share that story soon… seeing they are about to do that exact thing?
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And we now have a few more fleshed out bad guys and gals to look forward to Rick and his group taking out in the future. always better to know a little background on people before we see them killed. FatJoe would have been a boring scene had he been just another savior taken out by Daryl, but we got enough interaction with him to feel like he was an actual character instead of an extra being killed.
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All a part of setting things up for future impact.
Negan being in Alexandria with Rick gone was unnerving to say the least, but Spencer got what was coming to him. I actually thought this was the best episode of the entire season. Finally we see everyone coming back to themselves and back together to fight, like they always have before. Nothing but good feels for the scene with Rick & Michonne and the reunion of everyone at Hilltop. It did hurt me to see Daryl beat fat Joe to death though. That’s just not our Daryl, but his is still broken and will have to heal. Down the road I see the 3 communities coming together to form some type of plan to try to take the Saviors down and of course in the process things will not go perfectly and people will be lost. I just hope it’s not those we love. Overall, KUDOS!!!
yeah, Daryl’s beating of Joe wasn’t characteristic but w/his guilt over Glenn and captivity horrors, it’s understandable that he needed and was due for an emotional outburst.
I totally agree! At that point Daryl is ready to lash out at whoever happens to be in the way. It just broke my heart to see him do it.
Daryl is awesome Is that Norman reedes also known as Daryl in the picture
Yes, that is Norman Reedus in the picture. My daughter and I went on a cruise with a bunch of the cast last year and this was a selfie he took of me and him 😀
AWESOME!!!!!!
Lucky
Thank you!! It was a lot of fun and he was super nice!! All of the cast that we met were really nice, positive people. It was like A Comic Con but on a ship for 3 days with lots to do. Panels, games, meet and greets and that kinds of thing and the cast was out and about quite a bit on the ship so it was a great experience.
Cool photo
I can’t wait for the next episode I bet it’s gonna be better than this one
Taking a look at the ending of the show again. the person watching them with the boots appears to be female. My assumptions are that it is someone that Tara ran into from Oceanside.
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I like that idea!
I was thinking that also. They will need another ‘community’ to join in the war and pissed off women with guns and ammo will be a good addition.
I hadn’t thought about that, but that could be a distinct possibility. The girl that saved her and wanted to go back with her!! Great thought!
hadn’t thought about that, but that could be a distinct possibility. The girl that saved her and wanted to go back with her!! Great thought!
Possibly her but her boots don’t match up. Was thinking could still be her but was leaning towards Beatrice as her boot laces and style matches up with boots shown in scene. (though missing signs of the design aspect from any pictures I could find)
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Thinking Beatrice was sent out to hunt for Tara and deal with her so she could not bring anyone back. Rick and Aaron were the first group she ran across (that were not obvious Saviors) and led her back to Alexandria maybe?
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Thinking her spying on the group allows her the chance to see they are looking at fighting Saviors and that Tara kept her word to not bring up their location? (a bit far fetched seeing she little but to suppose that thought based on no travel attempts towards Oceanside)
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All of this could still be Cyndie who did have a natural draw to wanting something outside of Oceanside and was the very interested in protecting Tara and could be looking for something more than what she has in Oceanside. (she was looking at the map in her episode to determine where Tara possibly could have came from?)
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All up in the air but thinking it is too early for Alpha and needless setup for whispers this early. Looking to see what happens come February.
The episode was amazing even though Alexandria lost people like Olivia and Spencer at least it wasn’t Rick or Daryl.. ? when will negan stop?
I don’t think he will
I have slowed down reading the comic. I am hoping that the tv show will soon catch up and then go its own direction. I love both but I am tired of knowing generally what will happen and think that each should go their separate ways.
Yes, I know this is a minority opinion. Comic Negan is not translating well for me as TV Negan. I would like to see Negan dispatched on TV. But maybe my opinion is not as minority as I believe because this season’s ratings have slipped significantly and possibly that is one of the reasons why?
At any rate, I find myself stashing the comics to read them at a later date so that I don’t compare the two anymore. Call me crazy {and I know you will 🙂 }
I did that with “Outcast”. Love the show so much that I completely stopped reading the comic (still collect the issues tho). I couldn’t do that with TWD… the comic is just too damn good.
It may be embarrassing to be Negan. But, boy, is it badass! Great episode! I thought Rosita’s face would have been cut more. Curious who’s in the boots. Eugene must be shitting himself. I imagine he’ll be making bullets nonstop for the Savior’s. Not a good thing for everyone else. Daryl is back. His pipe smashing was nice. It was a relief after all he’s been through. I found the scenes at the Kingdom blasé. I get Carroll wants to be left alone. I keep getting this feeling that Jesus is going to do some major thing. Also, I’m starting to seriously like Father Gabriel. I meant to talk about it when he dug the false graves. I strongly disliked that character. I still wish we could have uninterrupted TWD. Fucking fuck suck midseason finale!
Were both sets of boots the same person?
1. The set of boots that watched Rick and Aaron at the lake had the toes cut out of the front of the boot. Or am I seeing things?
2. The set of boots with the binoculars after the credits had a pattern on top of the boots (i.e. possibly a woman)
If 2 is a woman, yes, likely from the woman colony at the beach.
If 1 is a man, but unlikely he could keep up with Rick and Aaron’s truck from the lake, if he is on foot.
Seeing things. Same boots.
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It is definitely a woman or a very feminine man.
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The scene at end could have been any amount of time after Rick and Aaron got back. Could have just tracked their general direction of travel and started looking for communities on map within that general direction. Checking each while traveling. We also don’t know how long Tara was out and walking back from her location? Not thinking too much in the whys and hows on that aspect myself.
Was there any significance to the room Daryl ducked in after getting out of his cell, where he got the new clothes?
He opened a back door to a room which appeared to have the bed and the camera cut to it like it was significant. Did I miss something? Was there something special about him being in that specific room? Or is that where he got Rick’s gun? Otherwise, how did he get it?
Were we supposed to know who’s room he was in?
Not sure about the room but Daryl took the gun of fat Joeys after he killed him.
Awesome, diverse episode. I was wondering what they would be focusing on since there are so many sub-stories. It seems they touched on all of them and wrapped it up in a nice package for us.
I liked how the ending was positive, but we still know that bad things are just over the horizon.
I was super worried that Aaron would be killed and relieved that he wasn’t. I admit I have looked forward to the gutting of Spencer for a long time.
I thought the last half of the season was all about taking Carol and Daryl out of the limelight and putting Negan, and now Rick back in the drivers seat.
Hmm first I didn’t like the fact that Negan had a beard. Now I don’t like that he shaved it off! Bad me.
I liked, I think the best, how Spencer turned at the end and Rick finished him off himself. Poetic. Odd that no-one has commented on that as much?
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Shaved Negan takes some getting used to but I like it.
It seems to me like they are setting up the finale of this season to end similarly to last season, with Rick and some others on their knees waiting for Negan to pick his victim. However I doubt they’ll do another cliff hanger, and instead end it with Jesus bringing re-reinforcements that end up chasing the saviors away. The last lines will be Negan talking to the saviors saying “WE’RE GOING TO WAR!”
Yeah, unfortunately. I’m quite pissed off by this, cliffhanger or not. The second half will be full of filler episodes until the finale. Then what, the whole following season will be about war, or just the first half and the second will happen after a time jump, ending with an infamous border-pikes scene?
I hope at least in a progression with Dwight, I think he actually released Daryl. Jesus looked a bit surprised, when he found him, plus he would have hardly been able to secure the keys so quickly, and even if yes, then why wouldn’t he release Daryl right away?
Poor Aaron and Fat Joey, the guy was just trying to get by. At least more food for the others, with Joey/Olivia dead.
And also go to hell Spencer, the ladies’ man. I like that his comics’ legacy was fulfilled. If he had guts, he might have scored with Laura. Even Carl was more successful 😀
Yeah, I doubt that Jesus slipped him the keys. Otherwise I don’t think the writers would feel the need to make Daryl state to Jesus that he had them.
Why was Jesus even scripted in the scene then if he didn’t really do anything? Daryll could have gotten the bike after killing FatJoe and been on his way if it was Dwight that freed him.
Wait! Just realized after reading your response again. Those were BIKE keys and not the ROOM key?!
Spencer scored with Rosita. Sorry but I count that as a much bigger score than Carl and his little thing. Was glad to see him turned and taken out by Rick in the end though.
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FatJoe I had no sympathy for… I see how others might but he deserved what he got.
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Could have been Dwight giving him the key but the match throws me off as he already knew he had sufficient light in the room to read the note. (as he likely spent some time in there himself and tossed Glenns picture on the wall right where the light shown in previously)
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Jesus, he seems to just be that sneaky guy that is able to move in shadows and get anything done. Thinking his shock was more of Daryl’s beating on FatJoe’s head than anything. And the back door was jimmied open with a card for easy opening. thinking that was more Jesus type than Dwight. But we should find out later if it was indeed Dwight that allowed it all to happen. But thinking Jesus was there for not if Dwight is the one that actually did all the freeing. Gives zero reason for Jesus even being in the setup for it other than to bring him to hilltop instead of Alexandria. Still leaning towards it was Jesus that did it all.
Fat Joey was an idiot, he had a gun in his belt but it appeared he didn’t want to let go of his sandwich!
I seriously hope Eugene grows a set, instead of being the sobbing mess he was when Negan was looking for the bullet maker.
I think Father Gabriel is getting creepier, did you check out his moves after Olivia was shot? Brrrr!
I had a D’oh moment when, the next day, it occurred to me that Daryl had the BIKE keys and not the room key. Jeepers! I bet it was Sherry that slipped them to him,
I thought this was a great episode!! Negan knows a bull$hitter when he meets one!! So glad he gutted Spencer. But I still think he underestimates our group.
You should be glad he gutted spencer because spencer got bit I mean right when everyone else left rick was the only one there and spencer turned right when they left
You’re forgetting that in TWD universe people turn regardless of whether or not they’re bit. No matter how you die, you come back as a walker.
Well sorry dude maybe I just forgot
Definitely underestimates our group because he probably hasn’t experienced much defiance w/other groups, certainly not with the hilltop or the kingdom. But he doesn’t know this group… yet.
Good episode. I love Carol, but this Morgan/moral crisis storyline is pure stale turd at this point. It’s not a personality crisis if it lasts 3 seasons. Rick got his guts back, can we please have killer instinct carol back already?
Why does Daryl legitimately look like he hasn’t showered at all. Like, for the entirety of season 6 he looked greasy and sticky. Then he gets tortured by the Saviors. He’s SAVED then has enough time to settle in to the Hilltop (at least enough time for a change of clothes) but apparently he still didn’t take a shower? How can I even tell this guy has been tortured if he looks the same going in as he did going out? One big greasy sweaty sticky biker punk.
And I knew Rosita was going to get someone killed. Her line “I’ll pull the trigger” made me roll my eyes. Negan doesn’t kill those with a death wish. He kills the ones those heroes care about so they know they can’t even have the nobility of a heroic sacrifice. He wants strong people. Those who seek to hurt him have so far been largely spared. Negan isn’t crazy. At least not to an unstable degree. He knows if you take a swing at him you’re ready to die. Carl, Daryl, Rosita. That’s why he always kills someone else. So they know the real price. I mean, I get wanting to fight back. This man has taken everything from them and essentially castrated their community. But trying to get at him in broad daylight when you’re surrounded by his armed people? Even if Rosita’s attempt was successful she would have, in that single moment, brought a war down on Alexandria before they were ready to fight.
Because that’s who Daryl is & people love him that way. More of them than us. I bet if Negan made him clean himself up, that would have done what that goofy song didn’t do & totally broken him to pieces.
That’s true and if you notice, even when he does “clean up” he never really looks it. Ever since his hair grew out long he’s maintained this gruff, unwashed, unkempt appearance. The only difference since his escape is he has dark circles under his eyes like he hasn’t slept for weeks.
Was there more to the wolves in the comics? I am not looking for spoilers but seemed like with there could have been more to the Wolves.
The truck full of “live” heads and torsos, the semi full of walkers with disco, etc…
No, the Wolves were merely a byproduct of the show. Some people compare them to a very small group of scavengers that showed up in the comics once but those guys weren’t actually a problem. I feel like the existence of the Wolves sort of undermines the full ferocity of Negan’s reign over Rick’s group, though, to be honest. At this point in the comics Rick’s group was ON TOP. They were the heroes. They could get shit done. They were no strangers to confrontation. But since the show loves to invent drama and drag out existing drama it always sort of undermines the next conflict. I never felt our heroes were all that powerful in the show because they are CONSTANTLY in trouble from fucking someone.
Those are Carol’s boots!… at the end of the episode.
Check out her boots when she’s talking to Morgan in the beginning of the episode.
I think she tells Morgan not to visit her again, or anyone else, so that she can come and go as she pleases.
Well, not really. She was still talking to Morgan and Richard, while the person with boots was observing Rick and Aaron.
Na. If she was creeping around, she’d know about Negan & the Saviors & they’d all be dead by now. Good speculation tho.
Hogg Head is right, but would have been really intriguing if it had been her.