The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 7: Recap & Discussion

“Time for After”

The episode opens with Rick still stuck as a naked prisoner at Jadis’ dump. She snaps a picture of him looking sweaty and vulnerable and explains she’ll use the pictures to ‘sculpt him after.’ More on that later – let’s check up on The Sanctuary.

Eugene, who’s struggling to solve the walker problem, accuses Dwight of being a rat but promises to conceal his plans if he stops helping Rick. Dwight grabs him and explains Negan and the Saviors are finished and all he has to do is not help them. Eugene reminds him that he’s been entrusted to find a way out for the Saviors, and plans to see it through. Soon after, Dr. Carson asks Eugene to sit with Father Gabriel, who appears to be on the verge of death. Gabriel pleads with him to help get Carson back to The Hilltop but Eugene states he has to solve the walker problem above all else. Gabriel tells him he’ll know the right thing to do when the time comes.

Morgan finally remerges and meets up with Daryl, Michonne, Rosita, and Tara to iron out their attack on The Sanctuary. Rosita’s hesitant and argues they should wait for Rick to come through with the Scavengers. After some more argument, she bails on the plan.

Inside The Sanctuary, Tanya tells Eugene she knows what he did for Sasha and that she wanted the poison pills for herself. Eugene then meets with Negan, who adds pressure for him to devise a walker distraction plan before they break through. Desperate to make Negan happy, Eugene searches the basement for answers. He takes the iPod Sasha had in the coffin to construct a noisy toy plane to use for a walker distraction. Later, he’s visited by Laura, who has sex with him. She explains she did it because she thought this was the end.

Outside of The Sanctuary Michonne tells Daryl she thinks this is a suicide mission and that she is also bailing on the plan. That leaves Daryl, Tara, and Morgan to finish it. As they get in position, Eugene’s rooftop toy plane launch is briefly halted by Dwight, who holds him at gunpoint. Eugene reiterates he’s trying to save these people and decides to launch the toy plane anyway. Dwight shoots it down and Eugene’s realizes he’s screwed.

Nearby, Tara and Morgan provide cover while Daryl places a cinderblock on the dump truck gas pedal and jumps out in time for it to plunge into The Sanctuary wall, creating a massive hole. The walkers pour in and kill numerous Saviors as the rest try to keep the dead from advancing upstairs. Eugene storms into Father Gabriel’s room to double-down on his loyalty to Negan and The Saviors. He then visits Negan and promises he has a way out along with a plan to manufacture more ammo to use against Rick. Negan’s not buying it. Out of ideas, Eugene retreats to his room and chugs alcohol.

Back to The Scavengers, Rick’s taken out of the hot box again where Jadis brings out a walker with a spikey metal helmet similar to Winslow’s. Before he can get eaten and turned into one himself (that explains the ‘sculpt you’ line) Rick bludgeons a Scavenger, punches another one, and accidentally beheads the walker. He then wrestles Jadis to the ground as the rest of her people surround them. Face-to-face with a chomping walker, Jadis is forced to agree to Rick’s terms to attack The Sanctuary.

Rick escorts Jadis and her people to an outpost where they find a man hung upside down getting consumed by walkers. Rick takes them out, scales the water tower, peers into his rifle, and notices a truck has plowed out of The Sanctuary, through the walkers, and out into the world. It appears Negan has finally escaped.

This episode is setting up an inSANE Mid-Season Finale. What do you predict will happen? Let us know in the comments!