“The Key”
Negan visits Dwight to thank him for returning home. Dwight’s not sure if Negan knows about his double-crossing so he continues to play coy. It seems like Negan knows something, but he allows him to feel safe. Outside, The Saviors coat their weapons in walker guts and Simon instructs them to hurt but not kill the people of The Hilltop with them. “Let them turn,” he says.
Daryl tells Rick he’s sorry about going rogue and attacking The Sanctuary and that they’ll keep fighting until he’s ready. Rick says he is ready, despite the grief he’s keeping in following Carl’s death. Meanwhile, Simon hits the road with Dwight and casts doubt at Negan’s Hilltop plan.
Back at The Hilltop Rosita spots a crate with a note in it right outside their gates. The note instructs them to fill the crate with food or phonograph records in return for a key to their future. Despite their skepticism, they decide to check it out. Elsewhere, Rick plans an ambush on Negan and the Saviors’ trip to The Hilltop. Rick T-bones Negan’s car and chases him through an abandoned town. Simon takes the opportunity to rally the Saviors and improvise a new plan. Just outside of town Rick fires at Negan’s overturned car. Somehow, Negan escapes inside a building with Rick hot on his tail. Rick corners him on a stairwell and causes him to fall down the bannister.
Down the road from The Hilltop Maggie and her crew meet the mysterious folks who left them the crate. An older lady with short blonde hair and a pantsuit hops out of a van and introduces herself as Georgie. She’s joined by her two female guards Hilda and Midge. Georgie politely requests the records the note mentioned. Rosita and Enid flank them at gunpoint and they pat them down them for weapons. “I come bearing knowledge to trade,” Georgie calmly informs Maggie. Maggie’s still skeptical, but Georgie promises they can trust her. She then decides that Georgie is coming back with her to The Hilltop.
Simon, who seems to have an agenda, asks Dwight what happens if Negan’s killed. He assumes that he would take over and asks Dwight to be his hypothetical second-in-command. Dwight scoffs at the suggestion, but Simon is dead serious. Nearby, Negan searches for Lucille while getting hunted by Rick. He yells out that if Rick and his allies decide to bow down to him again all is forgiven. Rick asks why he should trust him considering what he did to Jadis’ people (Negan is still oblivious the extent of Simon’s mission). Rick then finds Lucille.
Simon presses Dwight on his allegiance to Negan, suggesting the war isn’t worth it and they should branch out to other locations. Suddenly, they discover Negan’s overturned car covered in blood (from the walker gut bucket he brought). Simon’s desperate for him to be dead and suggests they return to The Sanctuary as the new leaders. Dwight takes a long drag from his cigarette and flicks it onto the car – lighting it on fire and effectively answering Simon’s question.
Elsewhere, Rick yells to Negan that he can’t save anyone, including his bat. He then lights Lucille on fire and gets tackled by Negan. The two wrestle while walkers pour in. The walkers catch on fire and overwhelm the two of them. Negan retrieves Lucille and the two of them battle back the walkers.
Back at The Hilltop, Maggie, Enid, and Michonne debate what to do about Georgie. Enid thinks they should take their stuff while Michonne tells her to step back. They decide to comply with the deal, and Maggie hands her a crate of records. Georgie then changes the deal – saying she’ll now exchange food since they appear they need it. She then hands Maggie a book called “A Key To A Future,” which includes instructions on farming and other community building techniques. She then tells Maggie to “build this place up” and she expects the crates to be filled when she returns. Maggie smiles and seems happy for once that something good happened. Georgie and her team leave and then Enid confesses to Michonne she killed Natania.
Simon and Dwight inform the Saviors that Negan’s gone. He then affirms they’re all Negan and they need to now expunge Rick’s people once and for all. Elsewhere, Negan wakes up in a moving car to find Jadis holding him at gunpoint. He laughs and she knocks him out.
What did you think of this action-packed episode? Do you think Georgie could be a certain major comic character? And is Simon now in charge? Let us know in the comments!
Damn good ep! That is all.
Well, I thought the action was good. The introduction of Georgie was a little… cheesey. I mean, there just wasn’t anything interesting about her. We’ve seen kindness come from people like her, and we’ve seen betrayal from people like her. Also the whole negan scene… cocktease! I mean really? REALLY RICK??? First you waste your bullets and then with you don’t even kill him??? YOU JUST PISSED HIM OFF. THAT’S IT. Now he might not forgive you so easily…
Why does so much of the action in this season take place at night or in a darkened room? It’s very frustrating to watch because you can hardly see a thing. Rick and Negan have had a couple of fairly good encounters in season 8 yet both have taken place in near darkness. Bad decision by the director or writers or both. Also, the Heapsters/Trash People are gone so we get ANOTHER new weirdo group? And they want to trade for record albums?? So lame. Is Georgie just Deanna Monroe redux? Season 8 is limping towards the finale. Let’s hope season 9 is better.
Not sure why, or where Georgie came from but it was an interesting twist to an already great episode.
I voted your comment up because it deserves it.
Man….I can not get over how lame this season has turned out….complete failure by the writing team….I also agree with snotgirl…so much of this season you could barely see what the hell was going on…how can Rick unload 2 clips of ammo at somebody right in front of him and completly miss???….Also the SJW issues that the writers implant in the episodes are obvious and lame…Georgie is already annoying me…..I wonder who thought this season looked good on paper…
Agree the bullet frenzy by Rick was annoying.
I keep the lights off when watching always because a lot of cool things happen at night / in darkness in the show.
Georgie’s van is a nice set up for the apocalypse. Hope it gets some “The A-Team” action.
Also, three new people introduced in this episode. Between this series and Fear, doesn’t anyone have the same name? I work on a floor with with about 35 people and there are 3 “David”s. I get why they do it from a television standpoint – but there has to be around 200 names used so far and not one repeat? Some kind of Noah’s arc thing with 1 of each name for a boy or a girl can be allowed after the end of the world? Don’t know why this bothers me.
Good filler episode.
Great episode 10/10. This ep shows why I love show Rick just as much as comic Rick now. This show NEEDS more episodes like this please.
Like actually some action, Seriously I hope they can make next season a little better please more budget.
I’m really digging Simon as a character and actor. Nice departure from the comics.
But Jadis…why do they insist on cramming her down our throats? Just make her go away. Please.