Spoiler content ahead.
First, let’s break a few rules. There is no recap. I’m going to speak as if you’ve seen the episode because what I really enjoy is the post-game analysis. That means that if you’re looking for spoilers, they’re here but not as a storyline that can be followed. You’ll be able to follow it as long as you’ve seen the show. If not, turn back now.
I loved the opening scene. I also found it a bit too melodramatic, but it still worked. It’s a bit of a magician’s trick. You are distracted with Abraham and Sasha so when the entire biker gang blows up in pieces, you are not expecting it. The problem is I don’t quite buy Daryl silently aiming an RPG launcher without nobody realizing it. Much less the fact that somehow the RPG neatly describes a damage area surrounding the biker gang. Still, it was an over-the-top effect that would’ve easily been part of a typical Robert Rodriguez / Quentin Tarantino flick.
Only Daryl would upgrade from crossbow to RPG launcher.
We say goodbye to Jesse and her kids. Here’s my take on that. It was awkward, it was messy and I think it’s a miracle they didn’t take anybody else with them. Ok, so Carl loses and eye. I think he fared better than in the comics where you could see part of the back of his head blown off. But the thing is, those kids had zero fans. Jesse was going to be nothing but trouble for Rick. I also wasn’t a fun of the red flash scenes that I guess were Rick’s memories of Jesse. It’s literally an eye from Carl as a price, but I still think they got off light just losing the entire family in one sitting. If they had stuck around we’d probably still be thinking who they’ll get killed next.
Morgan’s wolf got killed. It’s a miracle we didn’t lose Denise. Now, combine that with Jesse and her kids and it does seem like in this part of the show they simply erased all the possible problem points left behind just so that we could focus on the oncoming Negan threat. The remaining Alexandrians join the fight and there seems to be unity after surviving that invasion. With all known threats erased, all remains is wait until the new big bad comes along.
Highs, Lows and Plotholes:
- We’re deep into season 6 and it does seem like we’re taking a little too good care of our survivors, doesn’t it? We’re too close to everyone right now. That’s not a good thing. There’s going to be a shakedown eventually when the first big cast name drops.
- Sorry, that whole biker gang exploding with an RPG… That was way too convenient. Yeah, Daryl’s cool. He’s not that cool. That shouldn’t have worked so cleanly considering he at some point had to come out and point the thing at them. Distracted or not, at least one of them would have said something. Also, all of them? Not even one survived? Too clean, even for Daryl.
- Glenn doing the whole “I’m going to sacrifice myself for Maggie.” Worst plan ever. It could’ve easily turned into getting killed in front of her. I did like Abraham and Sasha appearing in the neck of time, but at least tell Glenn to duck. It was way too ideal for them to show up and machine guns are not that precise to kill all surrounding walkers leaving Glenn unscathed. Besides Tusken Raiders ride in a single row to disguise their number… Ok, ok, I’ll shut up.
- The whole thing about everyone going out and just killing the horde… I understand that the lake took out most of the crowd, but it still way too… Action-film-esque. A few seasons back, and anybody in that situation would’ve been done for. As much as I enjoyed this episode, and I did – it did felt a little too positive (yeah, positive even with two kids and their mother biting the dust) for the Walking Dead universe. We can’t have everyone becoming immortal. As much fun as this episode was, it was light on realism. And I know I’m saying that of a zombie TV series.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 