Alexandria may seem like the idyllic post-apocalyptic community in The Walking Dead, but we saw this week that there are assholes everywhere. This week’s episode, titled “Silence the Whisperers” was directed by none other than our dearly Abraham himself – Michael Cudlitz. Let’s not forget that Negan killed Abraham – so I wonder if there was some fun behind the scenes about that.
Side note: How much did I love that Daryl is living in the Grimes house and enjoying meals with Michonne and the kids? And Daryl is trying to get RJ to eat his vegetables while Michonne is away. Too precious.
Leave That Girl Alone
Can we just give Lydia a little break? After what we learned about her upbringing among the Whisperers, the girl needs sympathy, not scorn.
Negan and Daryl are the only people nice to poor Lydia this week. Sure, she used to be a Whisperer, but that is long in the past and she is just trying to fit in now. Of course, some of those who lost loved ones to the Whisperers blame her for what happened and give her the side-eye all the time.
Negan encourages her to kill them with kindness, saying they want to get a rise out of her and she can’t let them win. Daryl says she needs to do her best to fit in. But alas, someone graffiti’s “Silence the Walkers” on their front door, which pisses her off.
Then my girl goes completely savage in a way that I love. Lydia sits down at the mess hall table with her bullies and slams a dead squirrel down. She guts it in front of them and does the Whisperer “sssshhhhh” signal. Everyone is shook.
These nasty people then decide to jump Lydia when she’s alone. Her pleas of “I’m one of you, you are my people” positively broke my heart as they are beating the crap out of her. Negan shows up and defends her, killing one of the bullies by accident when he tossed her against the wall.
Daryl arrives and takes Lydia to the infirmary. Negan has to go to jail while the council tries to decide what to do with him. Of course, the two dudes that survived say that Lydia lured them out to fight, so those in the community who were already against her now have more ammunition. The saddest part of the episode is when Lydia locks herself in the jail cell and refuses to leave when Daryl says she can come out. But she feels safer in there and says she tried really hard to blend in, but can’t.
Who freed Negan?
Speaking of Negan – how did he get out of the cage? Was it unlocked? My theory is that Daryl let him free. When the council is meeting about Negan’s fate, Daryl is on the radio talking to Michonne and she makes him her proxy when it comes time to vote. He is torn because even though he hates Negan’s past actions, he knows he was the hero here when it came to Lydia. He also knows that the community has a mob mentality and no matter how hard he argues, they will come for him.
The safest bet would be to let him go. This plotline excites me because finally, we get some more interesting stories out of Negan this season. Spoiler alert: Will he go and try to befriend (and subsequently destroy some of) the Whisperers as he does in the comics? Yes, please!
A King Without His Kingdom
Ezekiel has the sads. The Kingdom is no more. He lost his son and bae. And so, a group from Alexandria comes across him riding alone in the woods. Michonne tells the gang to go ahead onto Hilltop and she finds Ezekiel, getting ready to end his life…I think.
She talks him out of it and then they have an awkward kiss. I DO NOT SHIP IT AT ALL. They agree that they are not a match, and Michonne commiserates with his grief. Her speech about how much harder it is losing love the second time, and not having Rick around to support her and listen to her had me sobbing like a baby. She’s about as over Rick’s disappearance as I am, meaning not at all.
They have some funny banter where he assures her that he’s usually a better kisser, and she’s like “Hey, I haven’t kissed anyone in six years, so it was nice.” Then they rejoin the Alexandria gang just in time to arrive at Hilltop, which is in the middle of a Walker attack. A tree has come down, and the dead are invading.
Mother-daughter Fighting Team
Michonne and Judith’s relationship is hella cute this episode. First of all, can I say once again how much I appreciate Cailey Fleming in her portrayal of Judith? She captures the fact that she is a tough girl when she needs to be, but also a scared little kid at other times.
Judith travels with Michonne to Alexandria, and then joins in the fight against the Walkers when they get there. She goes to town with her own katana, and there is a sweet moment where Michonne gives her that proud mamma look. The two fight side by side like warrior queens and I’m here for it.
A few mysteries remain from this episode. What will Negan do next? Who put up the new “Silence the Whisperers” graffiti at the end of the episode? Did that tree fall by accident or was it knocked over?
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
