The Walking Dead Recap: A Series of Unfortunate Decisions

The Walking Dead

The King, The Widow, and Rick

Season 8 Episode 6

Editor's Rating 2 stars

The Walking Dead

The Male monarch, The Widow, and Rick

Season viii Episode 6

Editor'southward Rating ii stars

Photograph: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC/AMC Film Holdings LLC.

Let's close out this holiday weekend past giving thank you to this episode'southward highlights: the sight of Gregory weeping in the fetal position, Ms. Spock'south curious trash-sculpture-making attire, Rick joining Junkyard Hot Spa, and 2 jaw-dropping activity sequences that redeem an otherwise slow hour. The Walking Dead is becoming more and more like an NFL football game — an hour-long special with a lot of huddles, talking, and commercials with roughly four minutes of quality action.

It's some other ping-pong matter every bit we bounce between Hilltop, the Kingdom, the three Alexandrians who defy Rick's order to stay put, and Officer Friendly's last motion before the real final movement. Two days — that'due south the timeline for the completion of Rick's master plan, which lines upwards perfectly for the midseason finale in two weeks. In a globe without email or snail post, sometimes you have to Ricksplain your strategy via voice-overs and hand-delivered notes (and use an sometime microwave equally a mail box). With the Saviors surrounded by undead and cut off from supplies, Rick is counting on an offer they won't refuse: Give up or die. Are they on the verge of ending this, equally Rick declares? Hopefully. Information technology'southward fourth dimension to bring the Negan story line to an stop. Will this be their "last fight," though? No chance. (The distant laughter you heard after that line was courtesy of Robert Kirkman and AMC's executives.)

As expected, Rick's solo gambit brings him to the Scavengers. As not expected, nosotros observe Jadis expressing her artistic side while wearing a long smock and nothing else. Whatever chance for more uncomfortable sexual tension with Rick disappears when Jadis puts on a negotiation-appropriate outfit and engages in her bizarre conversational haiku. Credit to Rick for trying to speak her language — remember, folks, she didn't shoot him, she grazed him — and for using those Polaroids to prove he really has the upper hand on Negan. Just talks go due south when Rick delivers his ultimatum, which is substantially the same offer he's giving the Saviors. Well, yes or no, Ms. Spock? "No," she says. "Talks too much." Amen, sis! To the shipping-container sweat social club you lot go!

The goings-on at the three settlements are a mix of story lines that proceed to slowly play out and reintroduce characters we haven't seen in a minute. Life is slowest at the Kingdom, where everyone is in mourning except Benjamin's niggling bro, Henry, who's so hungry for vengeance that fifty-fifty Carol'southward trusty scare speech communication can't curb his bloodlust. (I admit, this is a trivial wishful thinking that Henry turns out to be a preternatural killing machine.) And then Henry gets his showtime firearm, Jerry stops Ballad from blasting open an unlocked door (fifty-fifty depressed Jerry is practiced for a express joy — love that guy), and poor Zeke can't even muster the strength to speak in his Shakespearean accent. My cold TWD heart thawed a bit as Carol and Zeke kinda, sorta admitted they're catching feelings. Carol confides that she's just like him, playing a role every day because that's what their people need. Just Zeke is cleaved. Even if the King returns, who'due south left to fight for him besides Lil' Henry the Merciless?

Over at Hilltop, life seems relatively at-home, but in that location's chaos swirling underneath the surface. Every time Needle-D Gregory pops up to dole out advice to "Margaret" or trash her "hippie dippie kung-fu friend," information technology'south a reminder that he's easily the most annoying character left standing. (Yep, Negan butchered Glenn and the Sarge, simply if I could simply toss one person in a walker pit, it would exist Greg.) Maggie decides to jail the Savior captives rather than execute them, much to the relief of Jesus and the mouthy Savior who tells Jared to finish beingness an asshole for once. (Jared is currently my No. 2 in the "Walker Pit" rankings.) Thankfully, Greg's speech nigh wolves among sheep hits Maggie like information technology hits us — Greg is the wolf! So Mags tosses him in the clink to wild flailing, protests, and tears. She likewise makes it articulate that the Saviors are only alive because they may be useful, but information technology'due south difficult to imagine she'd actually execute them all. Meanwhile, Aaron decides it's fourth dimension to become rogue and that bringing teenage Enid along for some unspecified action is as well a good idea.

More bad decisions are made at Alexandria, starting with Officeholder Dopey, a.k.a. Carl, who makes an always ill-brash solo trip exterior the gates to bring supplies to his mystery friend. Luckily for Coral, Siddiq seems to be adept people, albeit a wee fleck zombie-shocked. His impressive impale count translates to some handy combat skills when he and Carl end upwards in a completely unnecessary and gravely outnumbered walker battle.

Then there's the dumbest move of all: Injured Michonne and Rosita go total Thelma and Louise simply because Michonne has spent less than 2 days on the sidelines and needs to see the Sanctuary first-hand. (Rick takes a lot of heat when his plans autumn apart, merely these people are the absolute worst when it comes to following orders. Current AWOL scroll call: Aaron, Enid, Michonne, Rosita, Daryl, Tara, Morgan, Rick's ain son.) Notwithstanding their poor judgment leads to a whopper of a throwdown. Turns out 2 Savior scavengers have assembled a rig of speakers, nicknamed "the Fat Lady," that would make Metallica proud. Their plan: Drive the mobile opera to the Sanctuary, draw the herd away, and gratis Negan'due south ground forces. A skirmish ensues and a weakened Michonne is in trouble, until Rosita finds an RPG and scores the best kill of the season by vaporizing that Saviordude at point blank range. Saviorgal makes a break for it with the Fat Lady blaring at full volume, and it looks like Rick'due south plan is about to crumble. UNTIL DARYL AND TARA Appear JUST IN Time TO T-BONE THE Fatty LADY WITH A GARBAGE TRUCK.

Despite Rick's insistence that his people are winning, victory looks annihilation but sure. Daryl's new crew is preparing to launch a preemptive end strike that's sure to backlash. Zeke and the Kingdom are in disarray. And no one seems concerned virtually Rick'due south solo trip to negotiate with a bunch of weirdos who live in trash and already betrayed him one time. Peering through a hole every bit Spock marks his container with an "A," the sight of Rick's eyeball (and his sweaty, naked captive state) suggests his program won't come together.

The Walking Expressionless Recap: A Series of Bad Decisions