I’m going to be real with you here The Walking Dead family…’New Best Friends’ is my favorite episode of Season 7, hands down! The Walking Dead has suffered greatly in the past couple seasons by separating our survivors and making us wait week after week to connect their stories because each episode has been focused on one group alone.
This episode brushed away the notion/impulse that The Walking Dead is going to continue doing that. It gave us multiple stories and the reunions we so desperately wanted. (Cue crying over Carol & Daryl reunion.) We were introduced to a new group of people and didn’t spend an hour figuring out how to get Rick out of that junkyard hole he was pushed into by the gang of bad haircuts.
It felt refreshing to not focus solely on one part of this grand world. We were given a little bit of everything in ‘New Best Friends’ with a side of action, feels, and the start of a grand war against Negan. Here’s hoping The Walking Dead continues to mix things up from here on out!
The Reunion We’ve Been Waiting For
A Caryl (Carol & Daryl) reunion hurts so much because only with each other can these two characters show vulnerability. It’s like every time they reunite their gruff exteriors crumble and you can see that they feel joy, love, loss, and fear, just like everyone else.
Daryl’s, “Why’d you go?” and Carol’s heartfelt confession after, are raw and powerful. They depend of each other to tell the truth and not lie like everyone else does. Walls don’t exist between them and that makes their bond stronger.
This episode saw a shift in their relationship. Right now, Carol is healing and Daryl can finally see it. She’s trying to do better, to accept herself, to find some ground in her life, that she’s never had. And Daryl loves her so much that he’ll help her anyway he can, even not telling her the truth about Glenn & Abraham.
Daryl’s lie doesn’t come from a place of malice and he doesn’t sit on a throne of lies because of it, despite what people have been saying online. It comes from a place of love that he’s only experienced for a few people. And sure she’ll be mad when she finds out, she’ll be pissed, but she’ll understand. She’ll see that someone put her first above the rest.
When Daryl walked out of that house, it wasn’t to get away from her or his lie. It was to protect her. If he can give her just a few moments of peace in that little house so she can figure out who she wants to be in the apocalypse, he’ll do it. For her. And when she’s ready to come home he’ll be there waiting there too.
Junkyard Weirdos & Silent Hill Zombies
Despite the hideous hair cuts, the junkyard weirdos were pretty interesting. They have their own culture, signature look, and language, something that’s emerged in the short time the apocalypse has actually been around. They’re fascinating and I wouldn’t mind knowing Jadis pre-apocalypse and how she built all of this.
They’re different from any other community we’ve faced because they thrive in being left alone, pride themselves in their seclusion, but know what must be done to fight and survive the apocalypse. They’re creative, smart, and know when to strike.
Throwing Rick in that junk hole was a test. No doubt they’ve had others come upon them in this world. Rick’s the first one to truly impress them by killing that beautiful, yet horrifying, walker straight out of Silent Hill. They’ll help Rick with whatever comes next in their fight against Negan, but I’ve got a feeling that they’d throw Rick & Co. under the bus or in another hole if a better deal comes around.
After all, they’re patient and know a good thing when they see it. What if Negan offers them something better?
Richonne Being Goals, Yet Again
Great romances aren’t made of sweeping moments of grandeur with declarations of love left and right, despite what movies and TV might make you believe. It’s in the small moments. Like holding your loved ones hand and with one look asking if they’re sure about this because you’re ready to kick ass and take names at the flip of a switch.
It’s in the moments where you’re ready to crawl through a tube to get to your significant other but you can’t because “science.” So you yell out tips and try to help them out anyway you can, because you’re partners and that’s what you do. Love is even in those small moments where you present your love with an ugly metal cat and enable them to keep that collection going.
Rick and Michonne trust the other and will continue to build on what they have in small moments like the ones we saw in ‘New Best Friends’. They are what great romances are made of and what we should be demanding more of on our screens.
Additional Notes:
- Sorry for not having faith in you Father Gabriel. I threw you under the bus way too soon. My bad.
- Still can’t get over that Silent Hill walker. That thing was a piece of art! At least they have hobbies right?
- Maybe the reason they slick back their hair is to keep flyaways clear from their metal work?
- Richard had no chance in this episode. As soon as he HINTED at Carol being the woman nearby, Daryl was out. He’ll do anything to protect his bae (BFF’s forever), even if it means trouble by taking Richard down.
- Morgan needs to step it up and try to find his place in this world. Carol’s doing it. Now it’s his turn.
Favorite Scene from The Walking Dead’s “New Best Friends”:
Jerry being…well, Jerry. Who can be mad at that jolly face? We must protect him AT ALL COSTS!
Check out the trailer for next week’s episode of The Walking Dead ‘Hostiles and Calamities’:
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.