Negan’s got a hit list, and Ezekiel, Maggie, and Rick are on the top. We check in with each group and see how they are dealing with the aftermath and how they’re gearing up for the next round in the all-out war with the Saviors.
The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 6
‘The King, the Widow, and Rick’
Writer: Angela Kang, Corey Reed
Director: John Polson
Network: AMC
What you need to know:
Things have calmed down a bit, and Rick, Carol and Maggie exchange letters to update each other at the Kingdom, Alexandria, and Hilltop. During the fight, several people were injured, some were captured, and some were killed. Each group is dealing with a lot of hard choices, some of which may lead down some very dark paths.
What you’ll find out:
At the end of the last episode, Daryl had left Rick to walk back home. On the way, Rick sees a helicopter and follows it to the Scavengers. Rick approaches Jadis with an offer to re-establish their alliance, to everyone’s surprise. Her reaction is perhaps a little less surprising and Rick quickly finds himself in an uncomfortable position.
At Hilltop, Jesus has brought prisoners from Sanctuary and Maggie struggles with their fate. Gregory offers his two cents regarding how enemies should be treated within their walls, advice that he no doubt regrets by the end of the episode.
Meanwhile, Carol attempts to extricate Ezekiel from his seclusion while also preparing what remains of the Kingdom for the battle to come. Ezekiel encourages Carol to take up leadership instead, and the community continues to struggle to rebuild itself in the wake of so many losses.
We check in with Michonne who is still recovering from her injuries, worried over Rick and the conflict she urged him into. As she and Rosita head to Sanctuary, they encounter a random bit of opera that leads to the bulk of the action in the episode.
Finally, we also check in with Carl, who has gone looking for the man that his father ran off in a previous episode, intent on making amends. It’s unclear if this brand-new cast member will end up being another ally or a big problem for Carl. Or both.
What just happened (minor spoilers):
This season seems to be drawing subtle (and not so subtle) parallels to the first season, and creating a sort of full circle return to some of the themes. The helicopter that Rick follows recalls back to the chopper he kept seeing in Atlanta. And like then, it leads him to a big metal box and a whole heap of trouble. His offer to the Scavengers was a surprising move. I’m very interested to see what, if any, his plan was there, or if he truly is as reckless as he appears.
Carl continues to become more independent, and I don’t think we’re too far off from him becoming a full-fledged leader in some capacity. He’s in desperate need of a haircut though. I know it’s the apocalypse and all, but some things just can’t be tolerated, and that hair is one of them.
Maggie was probably the biggest development, at least in my eyes. Rick, Carol, Daryl, they’ve all gone through dark times, and in turn, we’ve seen them in various stages of recklessness. Maggie’s starting to show a harder edge that she didn’t have before, and she’s coming into her own as a leader. With a baby on the way and a community looking to her for guidance, plus a load of prisoners to deal with, Maggie’s going to be tested in a number of ways in the coming episodes.
There is a bit of activity here and there, and some tense times in each community, but the bulk of the action occurs to the tune of some opera and great big truck. The Saviors have a plan for drawing away the Walkers, and it takes two badass women, some seriously high-powered arms and a few surprises along the way to protect Alexandria. Overall, this was another episode with not a lot of sustained action, but a good balance of development and explosions.
Score: 8/10
Final Thoughts: We touched base with the King, the Widow, and Rick. Each of them find themselves at a turning point by the end of the episode and on the edge of decisions that may change how they define themselves and how others see them. We also get a nice dose of action and a brand-new character added to the mix to serve up another solid episode. We’re just about finished checking in on everyone and putting pieces into place. This quiet time has been a great chance to stop for development before we head full-on into round two of the war, which is no doubt just around the corner.
