Spoilers The Walking Dead: the 11th and final season

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Walking Dead
Season 11 - Episode 20 - "What's Been Lost"

Judith's narration focuses on Carol & Daryl--from her early days, to her anguish at seeing the reanimated Sophia, rescued by Daryl at the Greene farm, Carol detonating the propane tank at Terminus, etc.

Judith: "My mom once told me that the only thing more dangerous than the dead, is the living. But without the living, you might as well be dead. The only people we can count on--and that's not just about words--but action. Having the strength to put someone's else's life ahead of your own. If we're willing to do that, then maybe we can get back some piece of what we've lost."

The Commonwealth: Carol is at the bakery, gathering food for the trip, when Ezekiel stops by. He's still determined to remain in the Commonwealth, but as Carol's back is turned, Ezekiel disappears. Before she can process what's happened, two plainclothes Commonwealth thugs attempt to take Carol prisoner. Having none of that, Carol pulls various carts over to block their path as she races from the bakery, headed to the location where her people were loading a wagon supplies, only to see overturned crates and fresh blood stains on the ground.

In the building nearest to the wagon, Daryl is on his back--fighting for his life against yet another thug, the latter trying to strangle Daryl. Although Daryl had buried his knife into his assailant's shoulder (and killed a second thug nearby), he's close to losing the fight...and the dead thug is reanimating.

Carol runs in, knocking the thug away with a plank--just in time for the walker to bite him. After Daryl knifes him in the head, the duo flee the scene, trading notes on the disappearance of their people--including the children and even Dog. With the entire Commonwealth security looking for them, Carol reasons the only way they will escape is with the aid of the one person who would know his way around...Hornsby.

Yumiko and Pamela: As Pamela is promising a restoration of order to her supporters, a fiery Yumiko barges in, slugging Pamela's guard in the jaw, and demanding to know where her friends are. Expecting Yumiko to fall into her trap, Pamela explains that the heroes have been removed from the Commonwealth, and to show its citizens that law and order still exists through an impartial trial, Yumiko will prosecute Eugene for Sebastian's death, and if she refuses, not only will she never see her friends again, but there's no guarantee of Tomi's safety, either.

Yumiko confronts her brother, bringing him up to date on Pamela's removal of her friends, and assigning her the job of prosecuting Eugene. She begs for advice...only to have Tomi warn her than there will be no justice to be found at the Commonwealth, and her best option is to give Pamela what she wants. Disheartened by her brother's stand, she questions how he can accept this. Tomi says his position is a matter of survival--not acceptance.

On her way out of the hospital, Connie--peeking out of a storeroom--catches Yumiko's attention. Connie signs that she escaped one of the kidnappers by stabbing him. Knowing that he would seek medical attention, she tracked him, in the hope he might lead her to the whereabouts of Kelly and the others. Yumiko thinks the plan is far too dangerous and elects to go in her place (assuming she's safe as a Commonwealth attorney), but both acknowledge that from this time forward, they cannot see each other again...

The prison: Infiltrating the prison, the duo find Hornsby's cell--the floor almost entirely covered in smeared blood and entrails from Hornsby feeding the still wallowing Sebastian-walker, which Daryl kills. Hornsby is visibly shaken, playing with his coin while mumbling:

"Always a path...always a path. There's always a path..always a way out..."​

Daryl inflicts pain on the man, but it fails to snap Hornsby out of his mental collapse, but Carol gets through, demanding a way out of the city, and to their friends, capping it off with the threat that they cannot leave him in the cell..alive. Daryl notices a radio frequency tracking device strapped to Hornsby's ankle, but it cannot be removed without amputating Hornsby's foot, so tripping it off will be a risk they need to accept. Before they leave, Hornsby has one last thing to do..

In the prison hall, Daryl (armed with a Trooper's rifle) holds off advancing Troopers, giving Hornsby and a worried Carol time to make their escape.

Pamela: Alerted to Hornsby's jailbreak, Pamela heads to the cell, where she gasps in horror at the sight of Sebastian's head crushed..with Hornsby's coin lodged in the brain matter. Pamela retries the coin....

Carol and Hornsby: Plowing through the woods outside of the Commonwealth, Carol constantly demands to know where the deposed con man is leading her, and how she can get to her friends. Hornsby's mind easily slips back into manipulator mode, even going so far as to hope Daryl is safe. Clearly, Carol does not believe him, but the sight of a Trooper patrol forces Carol to accept Lance's offer to show her an alternate way out...

Yumiko and Eugene: Yumiko visits Eugene's cell, informing him of kidnappings...and her job to prosecute him. Eugene is close to being broken, accepting his fate, but mentions that if their friends are "gone", the few hours he has left would not be worth living. As resigned to death as he is, Eugene asks the crying Yumiko to hold out for some sort of hope...

That afternoon, Yumiko shows up at the Commonwealth press conference, prepared to read a knife-twisting Pamela's script regarding the prosecution of Eugene, only to flip the script and announce he will defend Eugene (SEE NOTES).

Carol, Hornsby and Daryl: That night, Hornsby leads Carol to an abandoned Commonweath infrastructure tunnel project deemed too dangerous to complete. Carol is hesitant about following Hornsby, but has no choice. Hornsby rattles on, acting as if he admires the way Carol & Daryl will do anything for the other, once hoping he'd have the same relationship with Pamela. Still trying to work an angle, he asks her what happens after she finds her friends? Don't they want a better life for their kids than the one they have? Will they let the Commonwealth burn? To the last question, Carol curtly replies that its not her problem. In the tunnel, they discover sheets of human skin...and a foul odor just as a walker grabs Hornsby's ankle; pulled to the ground, the panicking Hornsby, grabs Carol for leverage--almost as if he wanted to drag her down. Dropping her flashlight, Carol is forced to use the rifle to mow down a number of walkers, while Hornsby pulls himself to safety.

Running out of the other side of the tunnel, they face a waiting Trooper unit; the commander gives an order for another to radio in a report that Carol and Hornsby fought, so they had to be killed...

A moment later, the Troopers are all cut down by Daryl (who hitched a ride holding on the underside of the chassis). Carol is--of course--pleased at the sight of her friend, while Hornsby simply stares wild-eyed.

Hornsby reveals they can reach the trains--working trains--which were part of, as he put it, the effort to connect communities. ..or conquer them, adds Carol. Urging Carol and Daryl that they need to move on, Hornsby is chilled by Daryl saying they will--be Hornsby will not. Panting at the implication of Daryl's statement, Hornsby chatters away about his building the Commonwealth--giving a chance to the heroes' children, etc. The duo gives him one chance: he can run away. Hornsby argues that he will not make it on his own, but its either walk away, or be killed.

Slowly, Hornsby walks near the Troopers' jeep, then grabs a rifle, spinning around...only to have one of Carol's arrows tear into his throat. Daryl and Carol watch the mortally wounded Hornsby drop to the ground, gurgling blood as he stars at the nighttime sky. The duo drive off in the jeep...

The kidnapped heroes: on what appears to be the interior of a prison van, several of the heroes sit shoulder-to-shoulder, hands bound with canvas sacks over their heads. Ezekiel tried to get his bearings, but he's soon injected with a sedative, along with the rest of the kidnapped...

NOTES: Yumiko appeared to not have much to do on the back end of this season, but the showrunners more than made up for that in this episode, with Yumiko completely turning the tables on Pamela--for the moment.Calling out her brother--and what he means for the community was a tactically sharp move; by drawing attention to Tomi--and the onlookers' positive response, Yumiko deflated Pamela's threat, as now she would not dare kill a person so much a needed part of the Commonwealth (which--in light of the recent conflicts with anyone aligned with the heroes--would seem more than suspicious). Tomi picked up on his sister's scheme, and was not at all pleased with it.

Once again we hear the Commonwealth has 50,000 residents, with other people in positions of influence / control, including so active a financial system that donations can be made to Pamela.

Pamela's thugs kidnapped Dog. Daryl has had enough trauma in his life than to have his pet tortured and/or killed. I'm hoping the writers are not going in that direction.

Next up on the ladder of antagonists is Hornsby. With his death, Pamela no longer has any calculating lieutenants to rely on (or that appears to be the case), so I'm guessing between learning of his death, and Yumiko's public betrayal, she will become reckless in the next episode.

Slight error: Carol and Daryl leave in the Trooper jeep, but are not seen collecting the rifles from the dead Troopers.

The Walking Dead has been a textbook example of how to build on character and raise the stakes, as a production heads toward its finale. If the next few episodes keep up this level, TWD will end with the reputation it earned years ago: the best fantasy TV series of the century.

GRADE: A+.

 

[Admiral2]

One of the most controversial walker-related subjects since the 1st season of TWD has been the idea of walkers being "intelligent" enough to use tools or weapons. In S1/E2 - "Guts", a walker used a brick to crack the glass doors of the department store. From that moment, a certain part of the fanbase howled in protest, arguing that zombies cannot use tools. This group took their "rule" from Romero zombie films, as if any other production had to base the behavior of their zombies on whatever Romero created. Others reminded the "no tools" crowd that in the original Night of the Living Dead, a zombie used one of the burned out table-leg torches to pound on the farmhouse, and of course, there was Day of the Dead's "Bub" quickly learning (or recalling) how to aim and shoot a gun. Whoops.

Thankfully, the showrunners of TWD did not handcuff themselves to the "rules" of another filmmaker.

I, for one, welcome the rise of Homo Sapiens Mortis. Smart zombies raise the stakes.

 

[crookeddy]

I, for one, welcome the rise of Homo Sapiens Mortis. Smart zombies raise the stakes.

What if the zombies start evolving their old consciousness, including memories? It would be unethical to slaughter them. Of course then we are just doing the I am Legend plot.

 

[Admiral2]

What if the zombies start evolving their old consciousness, including memories? It would be unethical to slaughter them.

Not if they still require a diet of living human flesh to keep walking. I don't care if they start pining over lost loves if they're eating somebody alive while they pine. Us or them will still apply.

Of course then we are just doing the I am Legend plot.

And in every version of that story, the common thread is the vampires/rage zombies are dangerous to humans...genocidally dangerous. Ethics be damned. Us or them will still apply.

 

[crookeddy]

Not if they still require a diet of living human flesh to keep walking. I don't care if they start pining over lost loves if they're eating somebody alive while they pine. Us or them will still apply.


And in every version of that story, the common thread is the vampires/rage zombies are dangerous to humans...genocidally dangerous. Ethics be damned. Us or them will still apply.

Do you support wiping out all lions?

 

[Admiral2]

Do you support wiping out all lions?

I don't eat lions, and I've never hunted one. Zombies eat humans and they do it by hunting and attacking them. Just giving the walkers their conscious minds back is not enough. If you don't also cure the virus, then the only difference between a dumb walker and a smart one is that the smart one knows he has to engage in cannibalism to survive, and both dumb and smart walkers will do just that until their only food source, living humans, go extinct, because they won't have a choice in the matter.

You act like the walkers will become vegetarians as soon as they start reciting their ABC's. Please. Us or them will still apply.

 

[crookeddy]

I don't eat lions, and I've never hunted one. Zombies eat humans and they do it by hunting and attacking them. Just giving the walkers their conscious minds back is not enough. If you don't also cure the virus, then the only difference between a dumb walker and a smart one is that the smart one knows he has to engage in cannibalism to survive, and both dumb and smart walkers will do just that until their only food source, living humans, go extinct, because they won't have a choice in the matter.

You act like the walkers will become vegetarians as soon as they start reciting their ABC's. Please. Us or them will still apply.

Obviously you have a right to kill a walker trying to eat you. The ethical question is whether you can go out and hunt them en masse.

 

[Admiral2]

Obviously you have a right to kill a walker trying to eat you. The ethical question is whether you can go out and hunt them en masse.

Your ethical question is moot, because the nature of walkers means I will never have stalk them. Just being in their vicinity means they will eventually come for me, in which case I will cheerfully kill all of them I damned well please.

 

[137th Gebirg]

I recommend an M2 .50 caliber machine gun (a.k.a. "Ma-Deuce"). The explosions of pink (gray?) mist are likely to be quite satisfying, particularly with the larger walker herds, using incendiary or explosive rounds.

 

[The Wormhole]

I quite liked the scene between Darryl and Eugene in this week's episode. What starts as absurdly comedic (Eugene acting like he can fight Darryl) very quickly turns touchingly poignant with the whole "you're not stopping me" "and you're not leaving" scene. Little character moments like this truly are this show's strength.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I quite liked the scene between Darryl and Eugene in this week's episode. What starts as absurdly comedic (Eugene acting like he can fight Darryl) very quickly turns touchingly poignant with the whole "you're not stopping me" "and you're not leaving" scene. Little character moments like this truly are this show's strength.

Agreed. Most fantasy series will run for years and never have such a quiet, yet weighty moment where both characters--even in conflict with one another--have built so much mutual respect. Eugene knew Daryl would not fight him, while Daryl respected Eugene for wanting to risk his own life to rescue Max.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I, for one, welcome the rise of Homo Sapiens Mortis. Smart zombies raise the stakes.

They do, but they still have limits, such as not moving faster, and generally being physically weaker than the living. That, and if they think, their own heightened awareness can be used to lured into traps / kill zones just as one would do to move the living in a desired direction.

 

[Admiral2]

They do, but they still have limits, such as not moving faster, and generally being physically weaker than the living. That, and if they think, their own heightened awareness can be used to lured into traps / kill zones just as one would do to move the living in a desired direction.

True, and it's likely they will all collapse to dust before any significant number develop truly lethal intelligence. Still, taking away bits of conventional wisdom about walkers one or two at a time means the survivors will have to shake off some complacency and get smarter themselves. I'm fine with that.

 

[Starkers]

God I'm glad Hornsby is dead!

Yumiko turning the tables on Pamela was fun, but did rely on a heck of a contrivance with her hearing the radio reports that suggested not everyone had been rounded up.

Still think Mercer is going to wind up being the one who swings things the right way, although I'm not sure how I feel about that, military coups rarely work out well.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

God I'm glad Hornsby is dead!

Yumiko turning the tables on Pamela was fun, but did rely on a heck of a contrivance with her hearing the radio reports that suggested not everyone had been rounded up.

Still think Mercer is going to wind up being the one who swings things the right way, although I'm not sure how I feel about that, military coups rarely work out well.

It seems clear that Mercer--after his conversations with Princess and Rosita--is being prodded into a life-changing moral decision, and that gives me the unpleasant feeling it might lead to his death, if he has to take on too many of Pamela's loyalists.

 

[Starkers]

Yes, though I'd like to see him come out of this alive, he's the kind of individual the Commonwealth needs.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Walking Dead
Season 11 - Episode 21 - "Outpost 22"

Hershel's narration focuses on Maggie---from the group breaking into the prison (S3A), trapped in a barn during a storm (S5B), to the heroes reuniting after deciding to fight the Saviors, etc.

Hershel: "The only thing I've ever known is the fight. There's so much we've done. So much more to do. But I want to believe there's hope. That together, there's hope. Isn't there?"

Maggie, part 1: Tied up in the back of a truck heading toward another labor site, the drugged Maggie frees herself, Rosita and Father Gabriel while a lone Trooper snoozes. Dangerous as it is, Gabriel and Rosita leap from the truck and disappear into the night. As Maggie attempts to do the same, she is attacked by the Trooper. During the struggle, the Trooper's rifle shoots into the cab, riddling the driver's head with bullets, causing the truck to crash, sending one Trooper's twisted body into a tree. A shaken Maggie tries to grab a rifle, but has to flee into the woods when the rest of the Trooper / slave convoy pulls up to investigate.

Father Gabriel and Rosita: The next morning, the exhausted couple lay in the woods, but are greeted with walkers on the hunt; Rosita kills a Trooper walker, and both soon learn (from a walkie) about the truck crash. Later, Rosita is Hell-bent on finding her daughter, but has to fight a off two walkers (with Gabriel's help, of course) but she drops to the ground in agony, and is rescued by Father Gabriel. It turned out that Rosita dislocated her shoulder when jumping from the truck, requiring Gabriel to pop in back into place. Misdirecting her frustration at Gabriel, she needs to be reminded of her own words of shall we say, "encouragement" she uses on Gabriel whenever he's down on himself. Hearing the movements of a Trooper convoy, the two vanish into the woods.

The "exiles" truck: That morning, the truck convoy comes to a stop, just as Ezekiel, Kelly, Negan, Annie and others come out of their drug-induced sleep. Ezekiel notices the children are not among their number, while Annie and Negan hear about the crash, and considering that Maggie, Gabriel and Rosita were on the truck in question, surmise that they were responsible for the crash. A purposely nameless Commonwealth Warden enters the prison van, informing the new "exiles" that they--at the bottom rung of society--should be happy to work for the benefit of the Commonwealth's restoration of the Old World. From this point forward, he adds, no one is to address each other by name, and if they cooperate, they will see the children again.

The nameless man selects a number of exiles--including Annie--to leave on another truck. Negan promises he will get all three of them out of this situation (meaning Negan, Annie and their unborn child-- SEE NOTES). As the trucks depart, Negan, Kelly, Ezekiel and other exiles are forced to clear out a railway site...

Daryl and Carol: Carol and Daryl have followed the slave convoys all night, and by morning, their tracking leads them to discover the fully-functioning train, loaded with jeeps, motorcycles...and captives, including Connie. Listening in on the walkie, two Troopers discuss Connie:

Trooper one: "She's not gonna be a worker. She's Designation Two."
Trooper two: "Oh, shit."
Trooper one: "Yeah, exactly. Get her there safely."
Trooper two: "Copy that."

Realizing a direct rescue attempt would be foiled by the Troopers radioing ahead, Carol and Daryl decide to follow the train, in the hope that they will be led to the children (who were not part of the exile convoy). Sometime later, they have arrived near a junction, waiting for the train to arrive. Impulsively, Daryl thinks of attempting a rescue, until an understanding Carol draws a parallel between the danger of trying to run into a dangerous situation involving Connie, and her own actions--when chasing Alpha into the cave--which endangered Connie's life, and in fact, led everyone to believe Carol caused Connie's death or disappearance.

Carol reminds Daryl of Kelly's statement that they cannot rescue anyone if they're dead--meaning if they try anything with the train, they'd risk making the same mistakes (similar to the cave incident) again.

Maggie, part 2: Wandering through the woods alone, Maggie is obviously distraught over the Troopers kidnapping Hershel. She notices a child-age walker following her, but due to its age--and thinking about her own son--cannot bring herself to kill the creature. Crossing train tracks, she hears a Trooper on a motorcycle heading her way; Maggie hides off of the road and watches as the Trooper spots--and draws his gun to shoot--the walker child. Maggie grabs a sharp-edged rock and attacks the Trooper, stabbing him in the upper chest, then knocking him out. The walker-child reaches Maggie and tries the expected, but the anguished Maggie struggles to--but eventually kills the walker, just as Daryl and Carol pull up in their stolen jeep.

Reunion, part 1: Parked at an abandoned building, Daryl interrogates the mortally wounded Trooper. Maggie sobs over not being able to protect Hershel, but Carol gently tells her that she should not place all of that on herself--she's only one woman, adding:

Carol: "You know, I barely saw Daryl when I got my new job at the Commonwealth. I barely saw anyone. Just doing our own thing. It was like the old world. Back then, we never would have spoken to each other. But after the fall, we were forced to become family. That's a good thing. It's a gift that's held, even in that place. they had to come at us when we were separated. What does that say to you?"

Maggie: "That we scare the shit out of Pamela."

Carol: "Exactly. And she failed. We're not alone anymore, and we're gonna make it right."

Somehow, Father Gabriel and Rosita find their way to the building, and their friends. Meanwhile, Daryl tries to get the dying Trooper to use his last minutes to reveal all he knows about the train, but the Trooper's resistance leads Daryl to prepare to kill him..until Father Gabriel walks in, and recognizes the Trooper...

Father Gabriel: "I know you. Every Sunday, back pew. You'd always come in a little late and leave a little early. Seemed like you wanted to talk about something."

Trooper: "Does God forgive people like me?"

Father Gabriel: "I don't know. I wish I did."

Trooper: "It's like--torn up all the time with this guilt...and shame."

Father Gabriel: "Because you're a coward. It's okay. You're trying not to be. Fear can make us do things that..that bring shame, could also push us into the light. And you're trying to do the right thing now. He sees that. I see it too. We all do." (SEE NOTES)

Trooper: "I wish I'd talked to you sooner."

Father Gabriel: "I wish you had, too. People remember the last thing that you do. The end of each story is very important. How do you want yours to end? "

Trooper: "They punish exiles by making them do hard labor. Your friends are on railway duty."

Father Gabriel: "Where?"

Trooper: "I don't know. They called me out when you escaped. You'll have to follow the train to find out where your friends are. I've only heard rumors about Designation Two. They're taken somewhere far away. They're never seen again." (SEE NOTES) Will you help me? And pray with me while I go?"

Father Gabriel agrees to pray with the man, and eventually has to put him down to prevent reanimation. Daryl--learning that Connie may be spirited away for good--moves out...

Kelly and Ezekiel: At the railway site, Kelly counts only three Troopers, and tries to get Ezekiel to join her (and others) into making their escape. Ezekiel refuses, imploring her to get back to work. As if she needed a forceful reason to listen to him, she sees the price of trying to escape as three exiles are shot trying to run away.

The train: Maggie takes Wilson--the conductor hostage, as Daryl and Carol wait for the opening to strike against a number of Troopers, while Rosita and Gabriel capture another Trooper in the woods. After a brief firefight, a Trooper holds Connie at gunpoint, forcing Daryl to disarm, but Connie breaks free, only to be knocked down by the Trooper, who tries to make his escape on a motorcycle, only to be hit by Daryl's bike, then executed.

At the abandoned building, the other interrogate the train conductor, who fearfully reveals his family is also being held hostage. Wilson nervously agrees to show the heroes a map, but he breaks away, pointing a knife at his jugular, convinced that his aiding the heroes will lead to his family's death; Carol offers to injure him, so once he's found, he can claim he was hurt trying to make his escape, but the conductor is sobbing in fear, finally driving the knife into his neck, killing himself.

Negan and Ezekiel: Ezekiel studies a dejected Kelly, wondering if his decision to simply accept their fate had any bearing on her state of mind. Negan whispers to Ezekiel, trying to convince him to aid in making their escape. Ezekiel is openly hostile toward Negan, mentioning all of the Kingdom residents Negan (and the Saviors) murdered (along with forcing women to marry him, and burning faces with irons). Negan knows they cannot break the Warden, who uses fear to control the exiles. He reasons that Ezekiel's talent is inspiring hope--a talent he does not possess. Ezekiel believes hope may not work on the defeated exiles, but they need a spark, which Negan promises to deliver...even though he imagines he will not survive. Ezekiel agrees to join Negan's cause--for the moment.

That evening, the Warden calls everyone in at the end of their shift, ordering them back on the prison bus. Back at the abandoned building, Rosita--using her training as a former Trooper--pretends to be one of the lost
Troopers, and learns that a convoy of exiles is headed toward Outpost 22 for "reprocessing", with the dispatcher noting that some of the exiles used to live there when it was called Alexandria... Maggie vows to rescue their kids, take Alexandria back, and notes that Pamela will never see their attack coming...

NOTES: For a moment, it appeared Connie would be taken away, and that serve as Daryl's motivator for the spin-off.

Father Gabriel's talk with the dying Trooper was the first of two standout scenes of this episode, with Gabriel achieving far more with faith and compassion than Daryl ever would have with the threat of death (which would not work on someone who knows they are already dying). Of course, his mentioning cowardice was a reference to himself back in the period where he locked his congregation out of the church (Atlanta--right after the ZA began).

The second standout was the emotional tightrope conversation between Negan and Ezekiel, their history immediately coming to mind, and how Negan has become so diplomatic--a far cry from the Lucille-wielding maniac of old. That these two polar opposites--the abuser and abused--can work together was fascinating to watch.

Next week: Eugene's trial, and three episodes left in the series.

GRADE: A.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Walking Dead
Season 11 - Episode 22 - "Faith"

Judith's narration focuses on Negan's evolution, from his early days with Lucille, to the height of his time as leader of the Saviors (including the infamous line-up), to his years as a prisoner, and Judith being kind to him, etc.

Judith: "The world is dark and broken, but we're not. Not yet. We stare into the face of darkness every day, until one day, that face is our own. How do you come back from that? My dad wanted mercy to prevail over wrath. If we lose that, we lose everything."

The train tracks: Princess spots former Trooper / bumped down to waiter / bumped down to exile Tyler Davis (who took Max hostage at the Southern rail yards as part of his protest against Pamela's class system in "New Haunts"), suggesting (to Ezekiel) that he might be an asset.

Negan asks a Trooper to give Annie a break, but his question is seen as "mouthing off", which is rewarded with a rifle butt to the stomach. Annie tries to intervene, but is thrown down on the tracks. Annie is taken to what appears to be a makeshift infirmary, while Negan is brought before the Warden. Before he starts in on Negan, he informs Trooper 197 that his request for a transfer (to see his terminally ill brother) has been denied--and he been assigned to an extended six-month term, all thanks to Trooper 197 "going around" the Warden to seek said transfer. 197 clenches his fist in anger (noticed by Negan) but he walks away.

The Warden questions Negan about a piece of fabric containing information about Troop numbers, shift rotations, etc. Negan feigns ignorance, and listens to the Warden give a self-aggrandizing speech about leadership:

"A real leader separates. They cleave themselves off from everyone else. Because the things that real leaders do? Most people just don't have the stomach for it. But the ones that do? They're the real threats."

Negan has the slightest smile across his lips, with a disrespectful "been there, done that" look in his eyes. The Warden is convinced one of Negan's people is plotting a rebellion, and demands Negan uncover the identity of the person. Negan refuses, but the Warden tells him refusal is not an option--if he ever wants to see his wife again. Burdened with the threat to his wife, Negan sees and promises Annie she--and their child--will survive.

Back on the tracks, Ezekiel tears into Negan for thinking of himself, but is really set off when Negan flippantly complains about Ezekiel's grumbling, angrily telling him, he does not forgive him for all Negan took from him--including lost lives such as Benjamin. He adds the cryptic closing that in the event the group makes their escape, Negan does not deserve to live a brand new life with a wife and child. Negan pushes back, telling Ezekiel he can live in the past, but he's working for the benefit of his child.

Aaron, Jerry, Lydia and Elijah: Elijah questions Lydia attacking a walker which could have been one of the evolved "Climbers". Lydia seemed to to the creature was not, but the group is interrupted by approaching footsteps--which Lydia's heightened senses (from life with the Whisperers) tell her belong to humans, not walkers. The humans are Luke and Jules (who migrated to Oceanside), now being tracked by Commonwealth Troopers. Aaron explains his group were headed to Oceanside, but Luke warns them off, informing them of their escape from the Commonwealth's hostile takeover of the community.

Daryl / Connie / Gabriel / Rosita / Maggie and Carol, part 1: In the woods outside of Alexandria, the sextet agree on their plan to infiltrate their former home and avoid direct conflicts; Daryl, Connie, Maggie and Carol will enter through the sewers, while Rosita and Gabriel--their best sharpshooters--will wait outside in case the entire operation goes south.

As Daryl and Connie navigate the sewers, Connie senses there's something wrong with Daryl, as he's not forthcoming with information, but allows her to think he's as fearful as she is (SEE NOTES).

Maggie and Carol exit their end of the sewers, enter one of the main houses and apprehend a Trooper who spotted them. With Hershel still missing, Maggie is more emotionally fragile than ever:

Maggie: "I keep thinking I can hear Hershel's voice. I want to be better...I want to do better. But...sometimes...sometimes I thin it wasn't even fair to bring him into this world. Was I being selfish?"

Carol: "Maggie..."

Maggie: "Is it true?"

Carol: "No. After Sofia and Henry, part of me felt that way, too, but I didn't believe it for a minute. I don't believe it for a minute. Is that selfish of me to miss them so much I want them to come back?"

Maggie: "No."

Carol: "You will always try to make the world better because of him--and for him. That's hope. We're gonna find him. We will."

Eugene's trial: Despite Yumiko's best efforts, the judge is Team Pamela throughout the proceedings, allowing Pamela to sob about "enemy of the state" Eugene's "murder" of Sebastian. The pampered, upper class witnesses buy Pamela's every word, while the regular citizens--allowed to watch from the second story walkway--murmuring their support of Eugene. Yumiko picks up on this, and questions Pamela about the lottery and what it means only to interrupt the governor by reminding the witnesses of Sebastian's own revelation about the fraudulent nature of the lottery--which everyone heard over the loudspeaker the day Sebastian died. Pamela's rattling mouth spins a story, accusing Eugene of "doctoring" the tape, which Yumiko dismisses.

Back in his cell, Eugene levels with Max, asking her to accept his fate. Mercer's name is brought up--exploring the idea of trying to gain his support, perhaps armed with the knowledge that Princess had been apprehended. Max cannot talk to him, but Yumiko marches off to try. Confronting Mercer, Yumiko learns that Mercer was aware of Princess' fate, but refuses to do anything about it--or trying to save the life of the man her sister loves. His internal struggle creeps to the surface, but he returns to business as usual.

When the trial reconvenes, Eugene is resigned to the inevitable, but he's not quite ready to be carted off. Exchanging what might be a last look at Max, he asks the judge if he can make a statement. She allows it, but no one present was expecting the following:

"The way I see it, I've been living on borrowed time for well past a decade now. By all rights, someone like me should've met my maker on the very first day things started to fall apart. And the thing is, I would've, were it not for the aid of friends. Friends who have not only changed me, but changed the hearts and minds of so many others. I am beyond certain that my fate will not discourage them from keeping that going, from helping others to find the courage to do what's right."

"I was not always a good man. Some time ago, I fell in with a posse who thrived on doing some downright unseemly acts on the reg. And I looked the other way. I placed value on order and safety above all other things. But I soon realized that, while I wasn't the one swinging the bat, I nevertheless had blood on my hands. I knew what was happening. My inaction made me culpable, and I hated myself for that."

"So I did something."

"In my own little way, I changed the world. And I learned that one person can do that. And sometimes, all it takes is one person to do that. Thank you."

Throughout the course of Eugene's speech, Pamela stares with hatred, while Mercer--observed by Yumiko--cannot look away--only he's taking in the gravity of Eugene's hints about his past.

As expected, the judge sentences Eugene to die by execution later that day--delight scrawled across Pamela's face.

The Warden orders Negan's execution: That night, the Warden orders the exiles to gather near a wall caked with blood stains and bullet holes--the wall's use becoming clear. He makes a speech about a suspected leader of a rebellion needing to be made an example to prevent additional insurrections. The audience assumes Negan--still angry with Ezekiel--placed the blame on the former Kingdom leader, but its Negan who is hustled to the wall, his mouth bloody. The Warden orders his Troopers--including the betrayed 197--to execute Negan. Annie violently protests, leading the Warden to push the psychological torture by adding, "there are no martyrs here" and "you will feel this punishment" (SEE NOTES), grabbing Annie and placing her next to an outraged Negan, who yells for the Warden to honor the "deal" and only kill him. In a last ditch effort, he pleads with Trooper 197 about family--a reference to the dying brother...

Ezekiel's mind is racing, until he's moved to stand in front of Negan & Annie, attempting to stop the execution, or test the brutality of the Warden. Ezekiel's plan dawning on the other heroes (along with Tyler Davis' group), they all stand in front of Negan. The Warden--in case anyone wondered--was not moved by this show of solidarity, and orders the Troopers to kill everyone. Ezekiel appeals to the guards about trying to mend a broken world, but it is of no use, as they all prepare to open fire...until Trooper 197 shoots one of his fellow soldiers down. Due to the inaction of the other Troopers, The Warden sees the handwriting on the wall and grabs Kelly, holding her at gunpoint, until Daryl emerges from the darkness to stab the Warden in the back.

Daryl / Connie / Gabriel / Rosita / Maggie and Carol, part 2: Hearing Hershel's voice, the women follow the sound to a room, where the boy is guarded by a Trooper who is shot dead. While Maggie is visibly relieved to have her son back, Rosita's anger grows when she learns Coco is not in the house--the last building searched...

Aaron, Jerry, Lydia and Elijah: Using more of her Whisperer skills, Lydia leads the group--all camouflaged with walker guts--and a sea of the dead toward Oceanside. They are met by two jeep-loads of Troopers using spotlights to lure the walkers into a selected area. Lydia is bumped by a walker, causing her to drop her knife...which is picked up by a walker (SEE NOTES).

The Warden: Kelly is reunited with Connie, while Rosita prevents Negan from crushing the Warden's skull, so she can beat him for information about the whereabouts of Coco. Even while dying, the Warden takes pleasure in assuring Rosita she "...will lose everything". Pushed to the brink, Rosita grabs the now reanimated Trooper, and forces the biting creature into the Warden's face--the walker's first meal being the Warden's eye.

Eugene: The time for his execution has arrived; three Troopers escort him from his cell, with a burlap sack over his head. Eugene's breathing indicates his panic as he's marched though the prison corridors. Suddenly, Mercer and two Troopers stop Eugene's group. Removing the sack, he gives a stern look at the crying Eugene, who does not not know what to think, until Mercer nods, saying:

"Time to fuck shit up"​

NOTES: Most of the episode was the past informing the present, from Negan listening to the Warden give the kind of speech he used to in the Savior days, to being forced to his knees to be executed as an example to the other captives. More past/present parallels were in Eugene's speech, as his mentioning "order" and "safety" was as much a commentary on the Commonwealth as his reference to his stint with the Saviors.

What a turnaround for Ezekiel and his behavior toward Negan. His anger over Negan causing the deaths of Benjamin and others from the Kingdom is justifiable, but when one is a prisoner and are thinking of escape, the last thing you do is spit such venom (as quoted in the Negan section) at one of the people you will need to partner with. Ezekiel's acting as a hopeful human shield to Negan should--in theory--melt the ice between them, but bigger picture idea of hope rarely eases the pain of being a survivor of the murder of a loved one.

Yes, Mercer hearing Eugene's speech was the final push needed to make him do what he always knew was right. One can understand his hesitancy, as he realized many of his Troopers and the citizens were firmly supporting Pamela, so he had to fear being outnumbered or killed. His final line was a great punctuation mark to the episode.

The knife-walker: either that's one of the evolved walkers (Aaron doubted were not common) who might attack one of the heroes, or it could be a living person--a plant--who also knew the face mask/guts camouflage technique. In any case, he's set up to make someone's life miserable.

Rosita not knowing where Coco is being held--or if she's alive teases danger for Rosita and Father Gabriel. Many viewers have theorized that one or both of the couple will not survive the series, but as always, i'm hoping they are not killed off.

Next week: two episodes left in the series.

GRADE: A+.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Walking Dead
Season 11, Episode 23 - “Family”

Judith narration: Judith picks through a crate filled with weapons, finally finding her katana, Rick’s gun, and the charter Michonne created, juxtaposed with clips of various characters fighting for their lives.

Judith: “For the longest time, we were just fighting to survive…trying to get back what we lost. This family…my family? We would do anything to protect each other. And we’re fighting now for something else. Something bigger. A new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost.”

“I never got to know my mom Lori. My brother Carl dreamed of a day when we’d all live together in peace. My mom Michonne tried to hang up her sword. My dad Rick, was searching for mercy. And me? Well, I guess I’m a Grimes, too.”

“I keep thinking about something my mom once told me: a secret saying she used to share with my dad. It was like a good luck charm. For me and R.J., too. I was afraid to say it out loud. I was afraid to say so many things out loud. But we didn’t know when we started this, that this would be the day everything changed forever.”

R.J. walks in and Judith pauses, considers her brother, then places the hat heirloom on his head (SEE NOTES).

Alexandria: Judith argues (to Daryl) that she should accompany the others on the mission to the Commonwealth, adding that the world is not yet the place her parents and Carl had envisioned. Daryl strains against his better judgement, but relents, instructing Judith stay close to him.

Rosita is both angry and anxious for the group to get moving; some will take the prison bus loaded with supplies, while others will take the train back to the Commonwealth. Negan sees a pensive Maggie, approaches her with the idea that they will never be safe as long as Pamela lives; he suggests that together, they could get the job done, only for Maggie to reject the idea of a partnership.

Eugene, Mercer and Company: Outside of Pamela’s office, dozens of citizens protest, making their feelings known about the death sentence handed down against Eugene. Inside, Mercer (with Trooper Vickers in attendance) offers the facts—it was clear Eugene must have had help in order to escape, but he gets his own digs in—

Mercer: “It’ll take time to narrow down the suspect list. There have been reports of people going missing in the Commonwealth for a while. We don’t have many answers, but maybe this time we get lucky.”

Pamela: “Just do your job, Michael, before more people get hurt.”

Mercer leaves the office. One out of earshot, Pamela orders Vickers to watch Mercer, and conduct a door-to-door search for Eugene, with orders to kill him on sight…

Later, Mercer takes Porter to an empty apartment where Yumiko and Max are waiting. Mercer had planned to turn on Pamela for some time, but the window for that opportunity had not arrived until now; he warns Eugene and Max to stay put…

Max and Yumiko leave the apartment for more business with Mercer. It is during this time that the Troopers conduct their door-to-door search. Eugene--knowing he could be seconds away from death--unchains and hides behind his door, allowing a Trooper in long enough to beat the man into unconsciousness with a flashlight. Now armed, Eugene leaves the apartment...

Aaron’s group: It turns out that the horde of walkers Aaron’s group joined was purposely Trooper-directed at the Commonwealth as a common scare tactic designed to force dissenters into a position of needing / relying on the security of the Commonwealth.

The heroes slowly make their way to an abandoned camper to wait out this maneuver, but another group of walkers march across their path, splitting the group up; Aaron, Jerry and Lydia are able to make it into the camper, but Luke and Jules are not so fortunate, and cannot move against the walker tide, instead, moving off in the crowd. Lydia desperately tries to hold on to Elijah, but he too is forced to move in another direction—but not before a walker sees her exposed arm and bites into it…

Aaron and Jerry pull the hysterical girl (fighting to go after Elijah) into the camper. Aaron has to convince to settle down so her forearm can be amputated before the walker infection spreads.

Aaron—being the first Alexandrian to ever reach out to Lydia (when she was a Whisperer) tries to comfort her by telling her how loved she is, and draws her attention to the fact he survived an amputation.

Jerry is all nerves as he chops off Lydia’s forearm…

Sometime later, Jerry elects to find the rest of their party, stressing that Aaron needs to watch over Lydia…

The train: Rosita and Gabriel go over the plan to enter through the lower wards (as that section of the city is not as well-funded or patrolled as the Estates), so they can maintain some anonymity working their way to the children’s house (assuming Coco is being held there). Gabriel assures her they will rescue their daughter. Rosita asks if that’s his faith talking, which he replies it is—his faith in her. Despite Rosita being tensed up, she admits she’s glad Gabriel is with her.

Tyler Davis sets up the antenna for the radio, still in an apologetic frame of mind; while Princess is no really in the mood for his apologies, Connie gives him a reassuring acknowledgement.

Elsewhere, Negan studies Ezekiel, who notices, thus opening a dialogue (with Maggie overhearing it all):

Ezekiel: “What?”

Negan: “I never thanked you for getting in front of those rifles. Thank you. Why’d you do it?”

Ezekiel: “A lot of reasons. Dying a martyr is too easy. You living, making something positive out of your days, not that…that’ll keep me from giving in to anger. Over what I lost. I don’t want to live out whatever days I got left in bitterness. You know? I’m not even supposed to be here, man. The dead came for me, and I smile. War came for me, yeah…and yet I smile. Cancer….yet I smile. I try to, anyway. I try. So…why’d you tell the Warden your name instead of mine?”

Negan: “For my wife, my kid…to leave a better story about me than the one you’ve been telling. That when it mattered, I did something right. And it wasn’t to prove anything. It wasn’t to get anything in return. Hell, it wasn’t even to save my own ass. It was to save all of you. You all are better than me. And if you think I don’t know that, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

Maggie sits nearby, letting Negan’s honest remarks sink in.

Judith sits next to Daryl, clearly with much on her mind--

Judith: “Haven’t heard from my mom in a long time. Tried a few times, but nothing came back.”

Carol: “Could be a lot of reasons for that. But she can take care of herself, better than just about anyone I’ve ever known.”

Daryl: “She’d be real proud of ya. Your dad, too.”

Judith: “Carl, too?” Daryl (nods in the affirmative).

Carol: “You two are a lot alike.”

Judith: “He died saving people.”

Daryl: “Yeah, he did.”

Judith: “I wish I had more time with him. I just wish we had more time to just remember them.”

Carol: “We will, Judith.”

Daryl: “And when this is over, I’m gonna tell you every story I remember, about all the people that loved you.”

Daryl pulls Judith in close, being every bit the uncle she needs.

Mercer and Vickers: at trooper HQ, Mercer and Yumiko stage a phony interrogation for Vickers' sake. As Yumiko is allowed to leave, Mercer asks for privacy as he receives a radio call from Princess, who informs him that her group is headed back to the Commonwealth with the rail yard prisoners. Mercer asks that they remain safe as they could serve as witnesses against Pamela.

Mercer instructs Princess to use a soon-to-be unguarded tunnel to enter the city and into Union Station. Later, as Mercer and his men load jeeps for the defense procedures, Max shows up, asking what the next move will be. Although Vickers cannot hear the siblings' conversation, she's observing body language...

The Commonwealth walls: Mercer receives reports of the walker threat growing beyond control, and from his binoculars, he sees a jeep unit overturned & smoking. Mercer has no idea why or how the walkers are causing this kind of trouble (SEE NOTES). As Mercer and his Troopers move to ground level to address a hot spot, Trooper Vickers followed by a squad of plainclothes gunman arrive, aiming their weapons at Mercer, with Vickers announcing he—and his men—are under arrest, promising to meet with any resistance with life in prison or death. Mercer stoically accepts the situation, but warns Vickers that there is something bigger going on—much bigger than Pamela’s BS.

Union Station: the heroes use the tunnel to enter Union Station, finding it empty. Despite the heroes’ suspicions, they are ambushed by Pamela’s plainclothes gunmen standing on the upper walkways. Tyler Davis’s insurrection ends early, as he’s cut down first. The heroes scramble to take cover / exchange gunfire, while Father Gabriel gives cover to Rosita as she discovers every door has been chained shut. While the heroes find themselves penned down, they manage to kill a couple of their would-be assassins, leading Pamela to emerge to pick up a rifle to join the fight. Maggie is nearly shot by Pamela until warned / pushed aside by Judith—who in turn is shot in the upper right chest.

Daryl is enraged / horrified as he scrambles to cradle Judith; Maggie stares in horror, but Carol does not hesitate to shoot a gunman in the head, as an apparently disturbed Pamela (SEE NOTES) rattles out ”They did this!”

Elsewhere, Yumiko and Max watch guards outside of Union Station, but spot a cloaked, armed figure running alongside the train car. The figure happens to be Eugene, who knocks a guard out before rejoining the women.

Frantic about their chances to escape, Daryl spots a fire extinguisher near Ezekiel, ordering him to toss it. Ezekiel, knowing exactly what Daryl’s thinking, hurls the extinguisher high in the air—in the direction of the Commonwealth gunmen, just as Daryl shoots, rupturing the tank, which creates a powdery explosion akin to a smoke bomb. Using the distraction, Daryl picks up Judith and with others in tow, race out of the station—and right into Eugene, Max and Yumiko.

The Commonwealth wall II: A Trooper calls for additional help as his sector of the East wall is swarmed with walkers—including one climbing a girder—an ability shocking the Trooper. He kills the walker, but is attacked by another climber, and during the struggle, the Trooper accidentally activates the main gates, allowing the sea of walkers into the Commonwealth (SEE NOTES).

Vickers reports to Pamela, informing her of the dire situation; Pamela nearly reveals the invasion was part of her scare tactic, stopping mid-sentence. Vickers’ idea to concentrate troops to stem the flow of walkers is disregarded—instead, Pamela orders Vickers to divert the walkers to the lower wards—the area where Rosita’s part of the plan would take the others on their way to the children’s home—while sending additional troops to her mansion and the rest of the Estates (read: where the rich people live). Vickers tries to protest, predicting innumerable citizens would be left unprotected, but Pamela is not hearing any of Vickers’ concerns.

In the streets, Ezekiel leads Daryl and the others down the nearest street to the hospital, but are repeatedly cut off by Trooper vehicles. Carol sees that the Troopers are not after the heroes, but putting up barricades to keep the walker horde in the lower ward. Spotting an alleyway, Carol leads Daryl through it as the others try to fight off the walkers. Judith, in and out of consciousness, says one thing:

“Daddy?”

NOTES:
The stakes have never been so high, with Judith--the future of the WD world--is hanging to life. The showrunners were sending up fireworks telling longtime viewers that something was up the moment Judith gave her hat to R.J., almost as if she would no longer need it. The teaser shows Daryl and Judith both laid out on the floor, almost suggesting Daryl was knocked out...

Now that the heroes all know Pamela shot Judith, who gets the honor of ending her life? Daryl would seem to be the first choice, considering his longtime uncle status with her, but the rest of her extended family would likely be just as fueled with a sense of vengeance..unless Eugene ends up being the executioner, since he was the one Pamela sentenced to death.

The Grimes family must be the most unlucky of all when guns are involved as every member has met the bullet--

Rick: by criminals (in the pilot) and a member of The Governors' 2nd army (4th season attack on the prison).
Michonne: by Merle (when he worked for The Governor).
Carl: by Otis (while searching for Sophia) and Ron, who intended to shoot Rick for the deaths of his mother and brother.
Judith: by Pamela.
I cannot count Lori, since she her gunshot was the result of Carl preventing her from reanimating.

Maggie listening to Negan's confession perfectly book-ended her earlier rejection of Negan's partnership offer, and of course, it sets up at least one part of how their spin-off will be possible.

Mercer--and just about all other humans--had no idea the walkers were evolving, but as often as humans have been dealing with walkers and this to be a surprise, strongly suggests they are a recent development (from World Beyond's finale sub-plot), and that probably spells doom for some of the unaware heroes fighting the walkers on the Commonwealth streets.

If I had to criticize one part of this episode, it would be--to quote Pamela--the incompetence of the Troopers--namely the Trooper who was so overpowered by a rotting corpse that he was not only bitten, but flailed his hands around enough to open the city's main gates. Whether the showrunners ever admit it or not, this was a scene right of Romero's awful Land of the Dead (2005), where armed guards just fall over and forget all of their gun / guard training all to allow shambling, leg-dragging zombies overwhelm the "fat-cat" citizens.

MVP award has to go to Eugene, who knocked out two Troopers and valiantly fought the walker horde without an ounce of fear. At long last, the cowardly Eugene has been shed in favor of the heroic model.

The teaser hints at a number of high-risk, potentially tragic events, but i'm hoping the showrunners subvert expectations and have the heroes end the series alive and well.

Next: The Walking Dead's series finale.

GRADE: A+.

 

[Starkers]

Only up to 22 in the UK but "Let's fuck shit up." Man it's been worth waiting for Mercer to grow some balls to hear him say that!

Liked the fake-out that Negan had turned Ezekiel in, loved the Spartacus moment (I'm Negan." er maybe not).

Can't believe there's only two episode left! (from my perspective!)