I'm so glad Angela Kang has saved this show from the brink of collapse. She's not perfect, but she's doing a mightily better job than Scott Simple. Take the scenes with Rick and Daryl, for instance. Daryl has been transformed into a three-dimensional character at last, and it feels totally natural. Now, it's true that their wonderful exchange happens after an idiotic moment in which they fall into a pit, but hey, don't expect TWD to not have stupid moments, ever. TWD has always had a bit of stupid. Both Rick and Daryl are developed incredibly well this episode, and when they're attacked by walkers I felt genuinely anxious, the first time I've felt like that when watching TWD for ages. Rick's blunder at the end actually makes sense too, thematically speaking. He's become too ideological in chasing this dream of a civilised world that he's gotten too attached to things like the bridge. When he's told it won't work, he doesn't listen. He makes a mistake. If this cliffhanger truly leads to Rick's death, it'll be the first time I can remember that a major character has died as a consequence of a mistake they made, and that mistake was a product of their development over the course of the series. What I mean to say is, Rick's mistake doesn't fell like a dumb plot device, it's a mistake you can actually understand. But it's still a mistake, and mistakes have consequences.
In other areas, this episode still messes up. Seeing Michonne's similarity with Negan implied the way it is in the cold open is good, but this subtlety is ruined when Negan flat out explains it later on. Someone needs to tell the writers, show, don't tell. Don't treat viewers like idiots. Other gripes I had included the introduction of yet another generic Savior who'll probably be killed off soon enough to progress the plot, and the continuing Gabriel/Garbage Lady subplot that I can only describe as utterly bizarre. But on the whole, I liked this episode a lot.
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