Normally The Walking Dead tends to spin its wheels for a number of episodes in the midst of its half-seasons, however not this time. “Stroll With Us,” the midpoint of Season 10B, was one on essentially the most thrilling and consequential episodes of the season, with two main deaths, together with one which modifications all the pieces. It felt like a season finale, and there are nonetheless 4 extra episodes to go, together with Michonne’s (Danai Gurira) farewell and the top of the Whisperer battle. I do not know the way Angela Kang & co. are going to prime Episode 12, however I sit up for seeing how they struggle.
The episode started by selecting up the place Episode 11 left off, with Hilltop beneath siege by the Whisperers, who had been attacking with fireplace and a large horde of walkers. Within the chaos of battle, Judith (Cailey Fleming) fatally stabbed a Whisperer she did not understand was a dwelling particular person. On the ripe previous age of 10, Rick Grimes’ daughter has killed her first human, and she or he’s going to be traumatized by it, and by what occurred to her later within the episode. Poor child. Earl (John Finn) noticed what occurred, and hurried her and Hilltop’s different youngsters out of the burning colony and to security in an deserted constructing within the woods after Ezekiel (Khary Payton) obtained indisposed.
The following morning, Hilltop had burned to the bottom, and the survivors had splintered off into small teams hiding out within the woods, and we’d test in with them all through the episode.
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First, although, we checked in with the Whisperers. Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was claiming victory for the Whisperers. However Alpha (Samantha Morton) would not declare victory till she had all the pieces she needed, which means her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy). Beta (Ryan Hurst) went off to search for Lydia, and assigned Negan to walker-gathering element. Whereas Negan was out cracking walker skulls with Lucille as an alternative of doing what he was speculated to, he noticed Lydia limping by means of the woods and adopted after her. Whereas carrying his masks, he bumped into Aaron (Ross Marquand), who drew his sword. “I can clarify,” Negan stated, and tried to inform Aaron that his Whisperer state of affairs wasn’t what it seemed like. However Aaron was getting flocked by walkers and needed to cope with them, permitting Negan to flee. He caught as much as Lydia and took her prisoner.
Elsewhere, Al (Callan McAuliffe), Kelly (Angel Idea), and Mary (Thora Birch), previously often called the Whisperer Gamma, had fled Hilltop with Adam, Mary’s toddler nephew who Alpha had compelled her sister to desert at Hilltop. The entire purpose Mary had defected was to see the infant once more, and she or he lastly obtained to carry him when he would not cease crying in Al’s arms. Her second of happiness was short-lived, although, as she heard a gaggle of walkers approaching. Al, Kelly, and Adam took refuge in an deserted minivan whereas Mary drew the herd away. She had saved the infant, and she or he form of zoned out and seemed up on the sky and felt the solar on her face, like her sister used to love to do. After which Beta stabbed her.
“You’ll stroll with us,” the ghoulish brute growled.
“By no means!” she cried, clawing at his face and tearing his masks. He dragged her weakening physique to the bottom of a tree and propped her there as she died to attend for her to show. One other Whisperer noticed him with most of his face uncovered. “It is you,” the Whisperer stated. Beta shushed him. “Your voice sounded acquainted,” he stated, but–” Beta slashed his throat. Beta’s secret is that earlier than the top of the world, he was a well-known nation singer. Daniel Salazar (Ruben Blades) even had certainly one of his records on Fear the Walking Dead. His movie star backstory had been hinted at, however this lastly confirmed it. (Within the comics, he had been a basketball participant. Ryan Hurst is an enormous man, however he isn’t that huge.)
When Mary lastly turned, Al put her down with an arrow to the pinnacle, thwarting Beta, who ran off into the woods.
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One other group of survivors consisted of Carol (Melissa McBride), Eugene (Josh McDermitt), Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura), and Magna (Nadia Hilker), who had survived Carol’s cave collapse with Connie (Lauren Ridloff), however had gotten separated from her on the highway again to Hilltop. Carol was avoiding Magna as a result of she felt so responsible, and Yumiko punched her within the face as a result of she would not apologize. Magna did not need her to do this. It was the newest in a protracted line of issues Yumiko and Magna simply weren’t on the identical web page about. So Magna and Yumiko broke up. How about that? Magna’s near-death expertise gave her readability that she did not wish to be in a relationship with Yumiko anymore.
Carol and Eugene then had, to my reminiscence, the primary dialog they’ve ever had on the present. The Strolling Lifeless has an enormous solid that principally will get put collectively in discrete groupings that not often overlap. You virtually by no means see Daryl (Norman Reedus) speak to Rosita (Christian Serratos), both. Eugene was depressed as a result of his radio tools burned within the fireplace and he would most likely by no means get to see Stephanie (Margot Bingham), his crush with whom he had a scheduled date in a West Virginia rail yard.
“Have you learnt what it feels wish to need one thing so dangerous and to go after it with all the pieces that you’ve got, piss off everybody, like actually everybody, perhaps get folks killed, and nonetheless don’t have anything to indicate for it?” Eugene requested Carol.
“I do,” she answered. If solely he knew! Since they do not often speak, I suppose he did not learn about Carol’s deranged, damaging vendetta towards Alpha. He instructed her about his scheduled assembly, and she or he suggested him to simply go. Hopefully she goes with him when he does. I feel they might be a part of a enjoyable group on the highway towards the Commonwealth, the situation the place the present will flip towards because the Whisperer battle ends. And what’s Carol going to remain in Alexandria for? I feel a change of surroundings in service of a worthy trigger can be good for her.
In the home the place Earl was defending the youngsters, he obtained all of them settled in and comforted them, however he seemed horrible. He had been bitten, and was dying. He was pounding a railroad spike by means of a desk to make a suicide machine when Judith got here in and came upon the reality of the state of affairs.”You are so sturdy, you are so courageous,” the blacksmith instructed her. “However now I have to hold these youngsters secure from me, please… Do not come close to me once more.” She went out, and he impaled himself on the spike. He had misplaced his organic son in an accident, his spouse Tammy (Brett Butler) within the Whisperer heads-on-pikes bloodbath, and had been separated from his adopted son Adam when he obtained bit. What a tragic life this man had.
Ezekiel, Daryl, and Jerry (Cooper Andrews) discovered the home the place the children had been hiding, and Daryl discovered Judith curled up in a seated fetal place within the again room with Earl’s physique. She had put him down when he turned. Judith had been protected sufficient from the cruelty of this world that she had been in a position to retain some childlike optimism. That is most likely gone now.
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Then it was time for the episode’s major occasion. Negan instructed Alpha he discovered the factor she was in search of. Minimize to Lydia tied to a chair in a cabin someplace. Alpha revealed that she was going to maintain Lydia together with her by killing her and having her lifeless kind stroll together with her without end. Negan responded by telling Alpha about his spouse Lucille, who he named his baseball bat after. She had pancreatic most cancers, and the best way she fought made her extra lovely to him than ever, “even when she misplaced her hair,” he stated, pointedly Alpha’s bald head.
“Be grateful,” Alpha stated. “Dying set her free.”
“The factor is,” Negan continued, “when she was gone, I did not really feel a lot of something anymore. I did not really feel scared. I did not really feel completely satisfied. I did not really feel something. I used to be simply right here. And that’s my power. Me? I’m lifeless to this world. However you? See, you might be pretending. You assume that it makes you sturdy to say that feelings aren’t actual, that we’re animals. That’s bullsh– and you recognize it. And now declare that it’s important to kill your personal daughter, your personal flesh and blood.” Negan is form of like Tony Soprano in that he has sturdy sociopathic tendencies, however he cares about youngsters.
“It’s her future,” Alpha whispered, with tears in her eyes. She needed to kill her daughter as a result of it was what nature meant, similar to nature took Lucille. Alpha needed to do it, as a result of she liked her daughter a lot. Alpha is crazier than a bag of angel mud, man.
Within the cabin, Lydia freed herself from her bonds.
Alpha kissed Negan, and thanked him. Then she approached the cabin, with Negan a number of paces behind her. She opened the door and located the room empty. Lydia was in a unique cabin. Alpha turned to Negan, confused, and he slashed her throat together with his knife.
As she gurgled and choked on the blood filling her airway, Negan held the again of her bald head and cradled her physique. He kissed her, and gently laid her down on the bottom as she died. He appeared to have genuinely grown keen on Alpha, however ultimately he did what he had been despatched there to do.
He walked by means of the woods carrying Alpha’s severed head in a bag, and rolled it like a bowling ball to somebody’s ft. The digicam panned as much as reveal Carol. “Took you lengthy sufficient,” she stated. Carol was the one who freed Negan from his cell, with the directive to infiltrate the Whisperers and kill Alpha. We’ll discover out what she promised Negan in trade for this assassination quickly sufficient, however for now, let’s simply savor the second.
How cool was that? What a stunning, satisfying finish for a terrific villain. Alpha met an analogous finish within the comics, so it wasn’t an enormous shock should you knew it was coming, however as is at all times the case, the present did it just a little in another way, particularly with that Carol reveal. I am going to miss Samantha Morton’s scary presence, however I’ve to offer her a spherical of applause for her dialed-in, totally dedicated efficiency within the season-and-a-half she was on the present. It is too dangerous she will not get a correct send-off on Talking Dead, which like everything else has been placed on maintain. Rattling you, coronavirus!
And there is much more story to go earlier than the battle is over. Beta remains to be on the market, and he isn’t going to take the lack of his Alpha nicely.
The Strolling Lifeless airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Morton, The Strolling Lifeless