The Walking Dead recap: Dead or alive
By Erin Qualey
The gang gets back together and Negan revealed a nasty secret weapon on the latest episode of The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead continues to randomly tootle along on the path to All Out War, never really delivering on the promise of the title. However, this week did give us a few genuinely human connections that redeemed the episode despite the lagging pace.
First off, this episode is called “Dead or Alive” which, obviously, makes me think of the Bon Jovi song. Since it’s been in my head ever since I saw the episode title, I gift that to you as well. Let’s all hum along, shall we?
Throughout this episode, two factions made their way through the woods, to Maggie’s Hilltop they go. We finally catch up with Gabriel (Seth Gillam) and Doctor Carson (R. Keith Harris) for the first time since the mid-season finale. Gabriel isn’t doing so hot. He’s losing his vision, but his spirits have never been higher. He seems to be actually channeling some sort of divine spirit as he and the Doc make their way back to civilization.
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The interaction between these two men is imbued with a lot of humanity. Doctor Carson goes into caretaker mode, diagnosing Gabriel’s symptoms and trying to treat them as best as he can. Gabriel goes on and on about his faith and how everything is going to be hunky dory because Jesus is his homeboy and whatnot.
The two men locate a radio outpost, and Gabriel’s blind hope makes him believe that maybe this is a sign from God. Nope. This world is dark and full of people who have committed horribly lonely suicides in back rooms. Doc finds the guy, asphyxiated and surrounded by a cache of prescription bottles.
Coincidentally, there’s also a stash of antibiotics in the cabin. Gabriel smiles, and the Doc administers the meds. A few hours later, Gabriel’s fever has broken, but his eyesight is still pretty busted. Oddly enough, that turns out to benefit them as Gabriel blindly reaches over to the counter and knocks over a giant piggy bank. Surprise! It has keys and a map in it. Other than the dead dude in the bedroom, this is truly the radio station that keeps giving.
As they leave the station, Carson gets chomped by a bear trap on the lawn, but Gabriel saves him from approaching walkers with a blind shot, giving even more credence to his faith in divine intervention.
But just as the guys get to the car and are about to escape, a group of Saviors comes and scoops them up. And round and round we go on the never ending carousel of stories that don’t actually matter on this show. Doc is now dead, but both he and Gabriel are going to be delivered right back to where they started at the conclusion of the mid-season finale. Sigh.
Back in the woods, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Tara (Alanna Masterson), and Rosita (Christian Serratos) lead the Alexandrians to the Hilltop. They’re accompanied by Dwight (Austin Amiello) whom Tara now views as expendable. In a surprise move, Daryl illustrates mercy for Dwight and uncharacteristic foresight, stating that the Savior defector might be useful along the way.
Turns out that Dwight does have some juicy info on his old buddies. He suggests that the Alexandria crew attempt to travel through a swamp land that the Saviors had deemed too dangerous to traverse on their own. Naturally the group doesn’t trust him, but Dwight says that he’s just there to “beat Negan.” This seems to assuage Daryl’s doubts, and they keep trucking on.
Soon they come upon the swamp, and it’s pretty clear that the obstacle was included on the show so that Nicotero could nerd out over some SFX playtime with water-logged walkers. To me, a person who watches The Walking Dead primarily for the character development, it’s sad that focus on story has taken a back seat to gruesome spectacle, but I do know that many people watch the show for the effects, and they’re not bad here. In particular, the vegetation growing on the skulls of the walkers is pretty gnarly.
Rosita, Daryl, and a few other guys go through the swamp like a game of whack a mole, clearing the path for the rest of the group.
While the rest of the group waits, Dwight and Tara have a mini standoff, and she tries to shoot him. He escapes and Tara pursues, wth the two of them running out into a clearing where the pair narrowly avoids getting spotted by a group of Saviors. As the double agent he is, Dwight gives away his location in order to save the Alexandrians. When they get back to the group, Daryl doubts this altruistic development, but somehow Rosita and Tara have been compelled to believe that Dwight is on their side.
There’s more flipping on Dwight than pancakes, y’all.
In the loose ends department over at the Hilltop, Morgan (Lennie James), Carol (Melissa McBride), and little budding sociopath Henry (Macsen Lintz) keep watch over the POW Saviors. Henry wants to know which one of the Saviors killed his brother, and we all know the culprit is right there. Morgan wants to tell the kid, but Carol disagrees.
Inside the Barrington House, we finally get a glimpse of the elusive Maggie (Lauren Cohan) as she speaks with Diane (Kerry Cahill), her new head of Hilltop security detail. She speaks with her for a moment, and then checks on her prisoners. One of the captives tries to argue for time outside the pen for good behavior, but Maggie flips the script real fast and tells him they’re cutting off supplies entirely for a few days so she can ration for her people.
The Alexandrians finally reach the Hilltop, spreading their story of horror and loss to the rest of the gang. Maggie comforts a stricken Enid (Katelyn Nacon) as she finds out about Carl’s death. It’s sad, but the grief doesn’t really hit until we circle back to Morgan and Carol sitting with Henry. Morgan decides to tell Henry that it was Gavin that killed his brother Benjamin. It’s a lie, but it seems to make the kid feel better.
In a lovely moment, Siddiq interacts with Maggie, spreading some of his luminous love wherever he goes. I like him, guys, I really do.
Rick (Andrew Lincoln) returns to the Hilltop as well, and they’re all one big happy family again, united in their hatred of the Saviors.
Of course the Saviors are also plotting to win, too. Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is still sitting on high at the Sanctuary, jawing on and on about vengeance and the utter disorganization of his fiefdom. He calls Eugene (Josh McDermitt) to his inner sanctum and orders him to make with the bang bang. He’s referring to bullets. Chief bullet maker was a huge story arc for Eugene in the comics, and it looks like it’s finally coming to fruition on the show, but in a much more sinister way.
Eugene requests wine for the job, and he gets it. He also gets one of Negan’s ladies to come be his own personal waitress. He confidently orders oodles of omelets, but then Negan busts in with Gabriel, offering him up as an extra set of hands in the bullet operation. It’s all so horribly sad.
Negan leaves, promising a “big day tomorrow.”
And of course, the big reveal at the end of the episode is Negan’s secret weapon. He doesn’t even really need bullets, because Gabriel gave him the key all along. His plan is to infect the Savior’s weapons with zombie gook, ensuring that the other side will die even if they’re not killed on the field of battle.
Negan’s playing dirty, folks. And hopefully, now that our gang is back together again, this war is going to wrap up sooner rather than later.
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Random Thoughts Before I Go:
- Before he realizes that the piggy bank contains keys, Gabriel shakes it just to hear the change rattle inside. Seth Gilliam is so great that just his simple knowing smile communicates an wistful appreciation for the world that once was.
- The large metal sign hanging from the water tower in front of the radio cabin feels like a nod to a very specific Gabriel storyline in the comics. Book fans, let’s all hope it doesn’t come to pass.
- Effing Gregory still calls Maggie “Margaret”. Looks like your time is almost up, Gregory.
- Just like Highlander, there can only be one doctor on The Walking Dead at a time. Watch yourself, Siddiq.
‘The Walking Dead’ airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.