“The world is ours and we know how to take it.” ~ Rick to Michonne
With those words, Rick is showing a sense of arrogance that was usually reserved for such characters like The Governor, Garret at Terminus and what we’ll probably see with Negan’s introduction next week. So much is happening before next week’s 90-minute finale. Warning, spoilers ahead…
In the previous episode, we saw Carol pack up and leave Alexandria, leaving Tobin a letter urging him to not follow. We see what happens the day before as she prepares for her departure and the morning of with a montage of “normal” life between Glenn and Maggie. Abraham and Sasha and Rick and Michonne. Yes, life behind the wall looks to be a happy one or as happy as it could be given their situation. Things go quickly south when Daryl storms out without telling anyone why or where he is going. Glenn, Michonne and Rosita soon follow as Rosita claims to know where he was headed. After 12+ hours, Tobin finally shows Rick the letter Carol left. Rick immediately heads to the gate where Sasha was on duty and said she saw or heard nothing. Morgan offers to find her and he and Rick go off to try and locate Carol and bring her back home.
Carol drives on an endless and empty road till she spots an incoming pickup truck full of armed men who take a shot at her and causes the car to lose control and come to a stop. The men evaluate her condition and order her to exit the car. She claims to be Nancy from Montclair. The men don’t buy her story. They believe she’s from Alexandria. As they were about to grab her, she unloads with a machine gun she kept concealed in her coat. She then takes care of the driver who comes after her and she drives a spear into him through the open window of her car. She takes his gun. She knows that there is still one more Savior alive. She orders him to come out and he refuses. Instead, he draws out a knife and tries to attack her. Carol fires her gun and all we see is blood dripping from the car. This is the last we see of Carol the rest of the episode.
Morgan and Rick arrive at the scene and go looking for Carol. They spot the man who had lunged at bloody but alive lying on the ground. Carol is nowhere in sight. Rick demands to know what they did to her but when it’s clear that he doesn’t know, Rick drives his own knife thorough his skull. They have no idea where she went or if she’s still alive but they follow a trail in hopes of finding out the truth. I think Rick comes to the realization that the war with the Saviors has only just begun.
As for Glenn, Michonne and Rosita, they arrive at the train tracks where Denise had died in this previous episode. Glenn wants to know what happened because he fears for Darryl’s life. Rosita for some reason is reluctant to talk about it. An arrow comes out of nowhere and strikes the tree next to Rosita. It was Daryl. Daryl feels responsible for Denise’s death. Glenn tries to get Daryl to come around but he doesn’t seem want to listen and walks off. Glenn and Michonne go on ahead and suddenly men armed with guns surround them. One such person turns out to be Dwight once again. The decision of letting him live looms larger and larger.
The scene shifts back to Morgan and Rick as they continue their search for Carol. Rick doesn’t seem to believe in redemption and Morgan does. He tells Rick about his encounter with the Wolf. He talks about how he had imprisoned him at Alexandria. How he and Carol had a literal fight over the Wolf. He points out that it was the Wolf who had saved Denise and in turn, Denise had saved Carl after he had been shot. “It’s all a circle. Everything gets a return.” His words speak to Rick in a way that no one has since probably season one and two. Morgan vows to find Carol and urges Rick to return to Alexandria. Morgan warns Rick, that if he doesn’t return, he doesn’t want Rick to try and find him. The two men part as Rick heads back to Alexandria. When Rickk returns, he finds Abraham and asks about Michonne. Abraham tells him that that she and Glenn have yet to return. Rick is concerned for Michonne.
The final scenes show both Glenn and Michonne being held hostage in the woods. Daryl and Rosita quietly try to approach them but Dwight sneaks up behind them. Dwight tells Daryl “Hi” just before shooting him and blood fills the screen and fades to black. All we here is Dwight saying, “You’ll be alright.”
Remember, if Daryl dies, we riot. This is just the tip of the iceberg as next week we come face to face with Negan and his barbed wire bat called Lucille.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
