Are you still recovering from this week’s episode of The Walking Dead? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There were so many twists and turns in “Walk With Us” and many heart stopping moments. Pretty surprising, considering it wasn’t a season premiere or finale. The second half of this season has been better than expected.
There is so much to unpack from this episode, and the showrunners found a way to hit some very interesting character beats, despite the action.
Magna is Alive, but Where is Connie?
We’re not going to lie – for a moment there it looked like Magna was a part of Alpha’s herd. It wasn’t until later when she was talking to Yumiko that we see that she is alive. We’ll get to that punch the latter landed on Carol later, but first, how awkward of a time was that for a breakup. Yumiko was so happy that Magna was alive and she dropped the “we need to talk.” You can’t just let it sit for a while?
At least they both seemed to handle it okay.
So, what does this mean for Connie? They were together, but Magna let go of her hand. Did she get out of there? Will she show up later alive or as a walker? This brings up all sorts of questions about what will happen with Daryl when and if she returns.
Gamma’s Walk
Tonight we said a final farewell to Thora Birch’s character Alpha. It was completely unexpected. First of all, crying babies in The Walking Dead give us all anxiety. You have one job, baby, be quiet so you don’t attract walkers.
It was sweet that Gamma still knew how to comfort the baby, and their family reunion came just in time before her death. She did what she wasn’t able to do for her sister – she sacrificed herself to save little Adam. When she was smiling and enjoying the sunshine after taking out the walkers, we knew something was coming.
How fitting that Beta should be the one to kill her, when Gamma had heart eyes for him not long ago. And her statement of “never” after he demand that she “walk with us” was so badass. Gamma’s character arc on the show was short lived, but watching her grow and change was a joy.
And what was the deal with Beta not wanting anyone to see his face? Does he think he will get less respect if they know he was a celebrity in his former life?
Uncle Daryl and Judith
We got to see our Little Ass Kicker in battle tonight and we couldn’t be prouder. Judith used her katana to take care of business, but there were moments when we got a reminder of what a little girl she still is. Thankfully, her Uncle Daryl came in the end to give her the comfort that she needed after her ordeal.
Honestly, Daryl’s drive to keep the children safe (and partnering with Jerry to find them) made us love him even more. We shared his moment of panic when he got to the rendezvous point and they were not there.
With Carol finding a katana in the woods and next week’s episode being all about Michonne, RJ and Judith are going to need their Uncle Daryl more than ever now.
Let’s Talk About Carol
Yumiko punching Carol left a lot of people conflicted. First, after what she had done to risk the lives of others in her quest to kill Alpha, many think she deserved it. None more so than Carol herself. We all know Carol is a badass and could have knocked Yumiko flat for that punch, but she didn’t.
Carol is a survivor of abuse. Sadly, her years of trauma taught her how to take a punch. Carol was very pragmatic in her approach to the Magna situation. Her “you go through shit to go through shit” is not entirely inaccurate.
Though she seemed very cold-hearted when dealing with those two, her conversation with Eugene a few minutes later revealed that she has been wrestling with all her choices were worth it. With Daryl and her on the outs right now, her divorce from Ezekiel, the loss of her son and others…Carol is very alone right now. She hasn’t really opened up to anyone, even Daryl, about her doubts when it comes to her plan to take down Alpha, so this was interesting to see.
In an earlier piece, we said that we trusted that even though Carol was driven by revenge, we trusted that she had a plan in place. And it was proven to be true when Negan killed Alpha and brought Carol her head.
Carol’s response? “It took you long enough.” This moment was shocking but it also brings up a lot of questions as to her behavior this season. Why did she pursue Alpha so doggedly, risking others, when she already sent Negan to do the job? Was he just her plan B?
It will be interesting to see this fleshed out more in upcoming weeks.
Negan’s true colors
Negan’s walk with the whisperers has finally come to an end with his assassination of Alpha. As we guessed, he has been secretly planning this all along.
We got an insight into his character when he talked about his wife having cancer before the world fell apart. This conversation set him and Alpha apart, his decisions in the past have come from his pain from losing his wife. Alpha’s decisions come from her cutting herself off from the world emotionally. Are the writers trying to convey to us that this might be the difference that makes a character redeemable or not?
Negan still has a long road ahead when it comes to gaining acceptance from the group, especially now that he had to burn some bridges in order to fulfill his mission. Lydia was glad to see him, but he had to tie her up and away from where Alpha could get to her. Aaron didn’t believe him that his purposes were good, so Negan left him on his own with a bunch of walkers.
Negan may or may not be redeemable, but he’s going to have to learn to play nice if he wants to be part of the group. Bringing them Alpha’s head may not be enough, especially when we know Maggie is coming back.
With Alpha’s demise and Beta on the run, the course for the rest of the season is unclear. Will Beta take over the rest of the Whisperers and bring about a war? Were Negan’s conversations with Alpha about Lydia foreshadowing of her taking over the Whisperers?
Only time will tell, but killing the main villain at this point of the game changes everything.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
