Aside from the fact that it took another full episode for Ezekiel to come to grips with the fact that they need to fight the Saviors, tonight's episode worked really well for me. Occasional zombie action with plenty of human drama made for an eventful trip to The Kingdom.
I didn't agree with Ezekiel's decision at the time to not join Alexandria, but I understood that it would take a little more motivation for him. I figured Benjamin's death would be the one to put him over the edge, and I was right. Only, I did not expect Richard to be the one to stage the death and consequently die at the hands of Morgan. That was certainly a welcomed unexpected twist. Even though his plans for Carol a few episodes ago and his plan tonight that got him killed were deeply flawed, I thought Karl Makinen did some really nice work here. His back and forth with Lennie James' Morgan was easily the highlight of the night.
Speaking of which, I love when Morgan has moments of desperation. James is so good in the role that he can make walking down an abandoned road and kicking a crate seem devastating. The character has been frustratingly subdued in the past, but after tonight, I'm not sure there's any chance of going back for Morgan. Similarly, Carol seems to be returning to blood as well. It was only a matter of time before a life of solitude wasn't going to suit her and hearing what really happened to Glenn, Abraham, and company was the final straw. Am I the only one craving a scene between her and Negan?
So the episode as a whole was very self-contained, but it felt deservedly self-contained. Personally, it didn't feel filler, but I can see if people see it that way. The actual war isn't going to start until next season, so I've accepted that by now. This episode served as one more reminder as to what can happen when people aren't fully transparent with their allies. Richard paid the price for his plan, and I think we can assume the same will happen with Rosita & Sasha. Knowing The Walking Dead, Sasha will be the one to bite the bullet, not Rosita.
+Emotionally driven
+Love it when Morgan goes off
+Ezekiel agrees to fight
+Carol's back
-Richard's plans are so flawed
9.0/10
I didn't agree with Ezekiel's decision at the time to not join Alexandria, but I understood that it would take a little more motivation for him. I figured Benjamin's death would be the one to put him over the edge, and I was right. Only, I did not expect Richard to be the one to stage the death and consequently die at the hands of Morgan. That was certainly a welcomed unexpected twist. Even though his plans for Carol a few episodes ago and his plan tonight that got him killed were deeply flawed, I thought Karl Makinen did some really nice work here. His back and forth with Lennie James' Morgan was easily the highlight of the night.
Speaking of which, I love when Morgan has moments of desperation. James is so good in the role that he can make walking down an abandoned road and kicking a crate seem devastating. The character has been frustratingly subdued in the past, but after tonight, I'm not sure there's any chance of going back for Morgan. Similarly, Carol seems to be returning to blood as well. It was only a matter of time before a life of solitude wasn't going to suit her and hearing what really happened to Glenn, Abraham, and company was the final straw. Am I the only one craving a scene between her and Negan?
So the episode as a whole was very self-contained, but it felt deservedly self-contained. Personally, it didn't feel filler, but I can see if people see it that way. The actual war isn't going to start until next season, so I've accepted that by now. This episode served as one more reminder as to what can happen when people aren't fully transparent with their allies. Richard paid the price for his plan, and I think we can assume the same will happen with Rosita & Sasha. Knowing The Walking Dead, Sasha will be the one to bite the bullet, not Rosita.
+Emotionally driven
+Love it when Morgan goes off
+Ezekiel agrees to fight
+Carol's back
-Richard's plans are so flawed
9.0/10