Dead Digest: The Walking Dead (SSN 8, Ep 12)

Episode 12: The Key

If you liked our swamp zombies, you’ll love our flaming-hot eaters this week.

   Dwight is nestled back into the fold with The Saviors. He, Simon, Negan and a small band head off to The Hilltop with sharp, blood tainted weapons to turn some heroes into the shambling undead. A type of psychological warfare.

   Our buddy Rick is out scouting when he sees the convoy and seizes the moment. A car chase on this show is rare thing. The chase turns into a crash and the two take their fight into an abandoned building. Walkers are simply streaming in while the two exchange blows and barbs. “Why didn’t you just let me save you, Rick?" Negan is exhausted by their cat-and-mouse. He points out that The Saviors were fine, and the children of his people were fine, until Rick came along like the boogeyman and ruined everything. Negan even wants a new deal! Rick brings up The Saviors turning on Jadis and her trash people, which is news to Negan since that was Simon acting against his orders. Whoops. Someone is going to be in trouble.

   Rick finds Lucille in all the confusion. He manages to light her on fire and lets loose a room full of trapped, “Eaters.” Negan’s devotion to the bat is borderline obsessive, so he doesn’t like Rick having his grimy hands all over her. The thing is his “wife” after all. Anyway, the two mange to escape and Negan has vanished…

    Meanwhile, Simon and Dwight go out to look for Negan after the crash. Simon lays it all out there, he wants to be in charge and would run things better. Forge relationships, explore, expand, so on and so forth. It all sounds pretty good to Dwight! He burns the evidence of Negan’s car, and agrees to collaborate the story of Negan being nowhere to be found. Despite the fact that they hardly looked and care even less. The two head back to their party and Simon gives a rousing speech! He claims they’re all still “Negan” (of course) and that the fearless leader is missing, but could be back. And until that time comes, he will lead them on a holy crusade to completely exterminate The Hilltop. The look on Dwight’s burned face speaks volumes. He may have just help put a guy in power who is worse than Negan.

   Back at home, Maggie and “the gals” find a note! It’s someone asking to meet up and exchange goods. Namely, they want food and phonograph records. It could be a trap, but Michonne is all in. After all, she’s toting herself as the lead acolyte to Carl’s vision of the future. Maggie, Rosita and Enid come along. Yay, we meet new characters! The leader is a middle aged woman named Georgie. She’s dressed for office work and seems friendly, yet a tad wacky. Her companions are Hilde and Midge, decked out in the standard post-apocalyptic gear. Georgie explains that they trade stuff for knowledge. Knowledge is The Key. Michonne wants to bargain, but Maggie decides abducting them and their van of belongings is a better idea. WTF Maggie? Like Michonne, I am disgusted! Georgie is insisting that this is what they do. They want to build friendships and get humanity back in line! We need a leap of faith here, Mags! But no! Why should we be good people when we can pillaging a-holes, right??

   Carl’s vision has become the conscious compass for the show. I guess they needed something to be since Morgan has been a little crazy lately. And yes, we all now know that Morgan is leaving the main show for, “Fear the Walking Dead.” I’m just not emotionally prepared to talk about that tonight. Michonne talks sense into Maggie and the deal is struck. Only, Georgie is so impressed and happy with The Hilltop and what they’re creating there, she tweaks it. She will take one carton of records, plus give THEM their food, and hands over The Key. The key is a giant encyclopedia of preindustrial revolution “how-to’s.” How to make windmills, silos, aqueducts, and all the good stuff to get communities up and thriving without modern accommodations. She promises they will meet again…someday. And she hopes to see progress. I am choosing to 100% believe that Georgie is legit. As Michonne reminds Enid, fighting is necessary, but there needs to be room for “after.”

   So, as if that wasn’t already a FANTASTIC ending, there’s more! Negan wakes up in the passenger seat of a moving car.  The driver, JADIS, has a gun to his head. Jadis!! The Trash lady/artist/leader/creative linguist I love! I knew she’d be back. I just figured she would go after Rick first. I’m sure she’s got a plan…

  This episode was full of so much awesome girl power, my heart is singing.  Oh, and that includes the naked lady walker. Yeah, I saw her.

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Dead Digest: The Walking Dead (SSN 8, Ep 11)

Episode 11: Dead or alive or

   I had kind of forgotten about Father Gabriel and Dr. Carson out there on the road running from The Saviors. Remember, Eugene helped the pair escape so that the doctor could get back to Maggie and help her birth her baby. Gabriel is fighting off a really nasty infection and has lost most of his vision as a side effect. The two share some great dialogue in their travels. Despite everything that’s befallen him, Gabriel wants to show this man of science that God is out there. In fact, the heavens are leading the way. The whole episode is a rather beautiful example of this person of faith remaining hopeful and optimistic against all odds. Father Gabe is so devoted, you can tell he really hopes to make a believer out of this doubter. It seems he’s going to get his wish. Even when they’re recaptured by The Saviors, the father’s confidence in The Divine is not shaken. I myself was naively fooled that his rhetoric and tireless commentary would sway Dr. Carson! But, then the doc frigging shot himself. Damn you, TWD! You got me again! Poor Father Gabriel doesn’t take this all very well. Last we see of him, he’s in some kind of traumatized state sorting bullet shells. Negan gave him a new job in Eugene’s outpost. I’m sure the work will keep him so busy he’ll soon forget all about Dr. Carson, his failing eyesight, and this little crisis of faith thing! Gabe says the escape plan was all Carson and doesn’t rat out Eugene.

   It looks like Negan is having a little crisis of faith too. He seems pretty skeptical of our mullet-haired friend these days. But, he still puts him in charge of his own little satellite location making ammunition. Negan is really laying the pressure on thick and trying to crack the amateur scientist when Eugene plants an idea of sorts his brain. The leading Savior takes this and runs with it. He ends the episode with a nice little pep-talk of what’s to come for Rick & The gang. Hint, it looks like walker-fueled bio warfare is on the horizon.

   This was certainly a Dwight-centric episode too. All of the heroes from Alexandra hate him. Despite the fact that he’s been helping them for a while now, and was really only with Negan to keep his wife safe, no one trusts a turn-coat. Tara especially hates and can’t forgive him for killing her girlfriend. She manages to get herself alone with Dwight and is going to shoot him in cold blood when they’re beset by Saviors. Rather than betray the group, Dwight joins them to lead his former friends astray. The good news is, Dwight is now back on the inside with the enemy. Now he can continue spying and leaking info to the Alexandrite/Hilltop/Kingdom survivors. More than likely, someone will spot Dwight for being a traitor and he’ll be killed. For what it’s worth, Dwight knows he’s dead but still wants to help the good guys anyway! He knows he’s done unforgiveable things. Dwight kindly reminds Daryl and the audience that his wife, Sherry is still out there somewhere.  

    Maggie is in a pretty bad mood for most of the evening. Food is low so she cuts the POWer’s rations. A Savior (name unknown?) calls her out on being mean to them and she dismisses him coldly. We can tell she secretly knows he’s right though. We must all keep in mind that many of Negan’s army are not crazy sadists. They’re just people on the other side trying to survive. Despite the Alexandrite’s arrival with bad news (aka Carl’s dead), Maggie has a change of heart. Perhaps it’s Siddiqi’s humble thanks and position as the new doctor in town. Or maybe it’s seeing all the different tribes together in one place, helping out and being friends, but our fair lady decides to let the prisoners have food and time outside the pen. They need to do chores and junk like that, but hey, it’s a start.

   Little Henry is still kind of creepy and likes to spend his time staring menacingly into the Savior’s jail area. The kid doesn’t even seemed to be moved when learning Carl died helping a stranger. Morgan seems effected though. He tells Henry that Gavin was the one who killed his brother. And since he got him already, he needs to move on. I hope these two can help each other. I don’t want Henry to turn into a complete junior psychopath. Plus Morgan is my precious and I want him to be well again.

   Last but certainly not least, we have swamp zombies now. And they’re just as gross and covered over with green growing things as one could hope for! Daryl, Rosita, and Siddique lead the pack across a dank marsh by first killing all the creepy-crawlies. Dwight tips them off that the way should be clear back to Hilltop because Negan never wanted to risk his peeps by clearing the swamp. Anyway, it’s a gnarly little adventure and totally gross. Needless to say we all loved it, right? It also seems like Rick and Michonne arrived back at Hilltop too. Time to regroup and devise a new plan…

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Dead Digest: The Walking Dead (SSN 8, Ep 10)

Episode 10: The Lost and the Plunderers

   Yikes, that is a weird episode title. However, the episode freaking rocked, so let’s talk about it!

   Michone and Rick are trying to mourn Carl in peace when a whole mess of walkers rudely interrupt. Michonne uses the heavy front gate to peel the face off of one. Yes, that’s right. The face easily tears away from the bone. Like a grape. The pair manage to save the town square gazebo from fire before escaping. I take this as a sign of hope that our heroes will one day return to Alexandria and rebuild, just like Carl would have wanted.

    TRASH PEOPLE! Damn, everyone wants Jadis and her crew of garbage folk on their side. We see Simon and Negan in a heated agreement about how to handle them. Negan sees them as a useful resource, while his right-hand general wants to blow them away. Oh, the seeds of discord are being sewn! The two receive Maggie’s “gift," one of their own in a pine box. She’s got more, and she will kill them if need be.

    Simon is supposed to go and get the Trash People back on board. Jadis claims they never sided with Rick. In fact, they delivered him to The Saviors and got shot at for their trouble! Simon goes off script and kills both of Jadis’ loyal generals! The nerve! These people are her family! Her tribe! She punches him and he orders his men to open fire. Once they get back to The Sanctuary, Simon lies to Negan and says the plan went fine. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

   Michonne and Rick go to the Dump and find a tearful Jadis surrounded by her former friends, now walkers. She gives hints to her life as an artist before all this. And how making her tribe and their unique culture was the ultimate art piece. Despite her pleas, Rick leaves without her. Jadis is left no choice but to lure her former family members into a trash shredder-thingy. Like a meat grinder, her people come out the other end a sloppy pile of bloody pulp. Now, you all know I love Jadis. Silly Rick, you will regret scorning this woman.

    Michonne points out that abandoning Jadis is exactly what the late Carl would NOT have wanted. Her man can sure be dense sometimes. Rick reads his and Negan’s letters from his son, and decides to Call Negan up on the radio. We all know that Negan actually really liked Carl, and has a soft spot for kids. Once the Big Bad Wolf gets word from Rick of the boy’s death, he CRIES. NEGAN CRIES. He tells him how he had big plans for that boy, he was the future! And Rick got him killed and will ruin everyone’s lives. And that all this fighting and death is Rick’s own fault. Rick tells Negan about the letter, and how his child pleaded for peace, but that Negan will not find it. Amazingly, Negan still insists that he could have saved everyone. The man really drinks his own Kool Aid and believes that he is HELPING people by ruling over them.

     How do you combat someone SO DESPERATELY convinced that they’re doing the righteous thing?

    In other news, Enid and Aaron are at the mercy of Cindy and her women-warriors. Despite Enid basically being forced to kill Cindy’s grandma (and former leader) before the mid-season break, Cindy spares their lives. She and her ladies will not aide in the cause to take down The Saviors. Enid is supposed to go home and tell Maggie the situation while Aaron waits on the edge of the women’s village. He is determined to get their help. He’s right. These gals are fierce, and we need them!

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Dead Digest: The Walking Dead (SSN 8, Ep 9)

Episode 9: Honor

   Hi everybody!! I’m baaaaaack! Yes, this post is late due to my own inadequacy. Apologies! But, in all honesty, I think we all needed an extra week to digest the horror and heartbreak that was “Honor," the midseason premiere of our favorite show.

    Let’s just get down to it. Carl was bitten when he saved Siddiqi. He has been living on borrowed time for a couple of days now. We are shown a montage of sorts of Carl, his life on the show, and how he is preparing for his own inevitable demise. We see him taking poloroids with baby sis, Judith, planting plants, and writing letters to all his nearest and dearest. This is all set to, “At the Bottom of Everything” by Bright Eyes. I went through a Bright Eyes phase in my teen years that has lasted until…well, it hasn’t ended. Needless to say I found this all exceptionally emotional. But the most important thing is this, we see Carl came to a sort of peace with knowing he would soon die. And that was freakin’ beautiful.

    Watching Carl say goodbye to all the friends and fam was positively heart wrenching. Michonne and he confessed that they’re best friends. Rick and she then drag the poor kid into their burned out home. It’s charred and smoking, but it’s theirs, dammitt. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.) Carl spends his last breaths telling his dad that there will be an after after this war. That all the people on both sides still standing will need to learn how to live together and help each other. Carl wisely proclaims that his pops can go back to how he was. Living life! Making a community! Rick says he’ll make Carl’s dreams of unity real. Despite their protests, Carl convinces his father and step-mom to let him end his own life by gunshot. He does, and they bury him. Even though I knew this was coming, it was so hard to watch. It was powerful, and moving, and all the emo stuff we love about this side of the show. Over the years I have grown SO attached to Carl. I hated letting him go. Rick, don’t be a dumbass. Don’t let your kid’s final wishes be in vain. Oh, and it turns out that one of the boy’s dying letters is addressed to Negan.

   Well, it seems that Carl found a keeper in Siddiq! It turns out he was a med student in his residency before the world ended. Now he’s taken it upon himself to owe the Grimes family a Wookie life debt. Cool.

    Remember all those fuzzy visions we’ve been privy too? The ones of bearded, older Rick leading a slightly aged Judith around Alexandria, meeting and greeting the denizens? All those folks living in harmony? Turns out those were Carl’s dreams of the future. And sorry/not sorry, these visions included Negan. NEGAN. There he is, working in the vegetable garden and happy as a clam. After all that he’d been through, Carl was the eternal optimist. He wanted a brighter tomorrow, and he saw Negan in it.

    Daryl and the other Alexandrites are headed for Hilltop. And they want blood. Rick and D share a manly touch, so I guess things are cool between them now.

   Morgan and Carol are on the warpath to save Ezekiel! There are no other two characters I would want coming to rescue me. Morgan is still working through his issues and disembowels a living man. Not his best moment, but it looks really cool. Remember that grumpy Negan General who REALLY hates his job and is always complaining? I think his name is Gavin? Well, Morgan has the chance to kill him during the rescue mission. But then small child of the Kingdom, Henry, beats him to it. Henry tagged along in secret to avenge his brother. The lil dude is probably eleven years old? NOT COOL. Will this FINALLY be the moment that gets my precious and beloved Morgan to turn away from the Dark Side? I love me some crazy Morgan, but I miss righteous and spiritual guru Morgan the most.

    So, there we have it! Will be kids inspire the adults to do better and live better?! Lastly, Rest in Power to our sweet Carl, who had more honor than any other.

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Dead Digest: The Walking Dead (SSN 8, Ep 8)

Episode 8: How It's Gotta Be

     Ready to commence the midseason finale blues? Grab a drink, you’re going to need it.

Jadis and her Trash People quickly ditch Rick when they see the plan to take The Saviors is not going to happen. Rick gets collected by Carol and Jerry. But then the car crashes. Great.

Daryl and Tara are back home and thinking that their plan worked. That is until Negan and his posse show up. They demand to be let in and kill someone. Because you know them, someone’s always got to be punished. They want Rick most of all. Carl was left in charge and quickly sets to work scattering the Alexandrite’s to safety. He then bravely goes to confront Negan and offers HIMSELF as a sacrifice. When did this foolhardy teenage boy become a great leader?? Carl is really just buying time to give his peeps more minutes to escape. The Saviors shoot some kind of RPG (??) weapons over the gate and make quick work of destroying the town.

Dwight aids in the Alexanderite’s escaping and kills the Savior team he’s with. All accept one lady who wings him in the arm and gets away. Cover officially blown.

Rick shows up to see their home base in flames and goes to his house thinking his family may still be there. Instead he’s greeted by Negan for some hand-to-hand combat. Rick gets out and joins Michonne and crew down in the Sewer. This is where we learn the BAD NEWS. Carl, the sweet child, has been bitten on his stomach. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUck. That is how they would have us end our night before the long, cold winter of midseason break. I refuse to end this recap on that note because I don’t want to cry for the next two months.

Eugene is still drinking himself to sleep every night. Finally his conscience is overcome and he helps the doctor and Father Gabriel escape. I’m super happy he did the right thing, but those two men are in for a shock when they get to Hilltop.

BUT first, King Ez hides out when The Saviors bust into The Kingdom. General Sad-face is in charge and demands the leader come out so he can be taken alive. Of course he needs to also kill someone as punishment. But he really doesn’t want to. Damn, this guy hates his job. Ezekiel creates a diversion to get his followers to safety and turn himself in. As he closes the gate, he thanks Carol and tells her to save his people like she, “saved him.” Please excuse me while I ugly-cry for the next ten minutes. The Saviors are only willing to take him alive because I’m sure they have some godawful crucifixion/torture in mind. THE GOOD NEWS: Morgan is lurking around the gate and overhears what is going on. Please my dear, precious Morgan, save the bloody King!

Maggie, Jesus, and a convoy of Hilltopper’s get stopped by Simon and his group of Saviors. They have Jerry!! NOOOO. They use him as leverage for compliance. The Hilltop is valued because of their fertile crops, so they are pardoned and can go home and keep providing for Negan. Simon still shoots some poor guy to move his point along. Again, someone is always punished!

When they get home, Maggie gladly shoots one of the captive Saviors to send a message that they have hostages of their own. Our badass gal assures Jesus and the rest that they need to get to work. Maggie knows that the others will be coming and Hilltop will likely be the place of the last-stand battle.

Here is a piece of some potentially important plot: Enid and Aaron go to Oceanside to try and convince the women-only town to help. Finally! We haven’t seen these ladies all season! Remember the elder matriarch, Natania? Yeah, well she sees Aaron and tries to kill him. She almost succeeds, but Enid shoots her. Dead. Natania’s uber cool granddaughter, Cyndie, rushes to her side. Oops. Maybe not the best way to start a diplomatic mission. This is going to scar Enid. Anyway, Natania wasn’t a super nice lady. And she refused to help AHK despite Cyndie thinking they should. Maybe Cyndie won’t be too mad about Enid slaying her grandma? Maybe she’ll be down to help our heroes??

Words cannot express how much I hate the midseason break. Will one of you just wake me up in February, please?

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