WHAT A FANTASTIC EPISODE!!!!!
That’s it. The review is over. Nothing left to say….
What am I saying?! I have SO much to say.
This was simple one of the best episodes of the series. I can normally judge how much I enjoy an episode by how much I move in my seat. This one gave me a work out. I was sitting on my living room floor, fixated on every frame of this one.
This episode literally started with a bang! I haven’t had the feeling that we were going to lose a character so much in the history of this show. Even though we didn’t lose anyone significant (in my opinion at least) I was almost certain it was going to happen and that feeling started from the first scene. It was TENSE! I was not going to be shocked to see Abraham or Sasha get shot by Negan’s thug but then the surprise of the rocket launcher was nothing short of epic and really should have been expected. I mean, did we ever think Darryl wouldn’t do something so badass?! This is a first real taste of Negan and I feel like it’s not going to go down well. These guys approached Darryl, Abraham, and Sasha with zero concerns. They are confident, assertive, and brutal. I can only imagine these bikers are just a snap shot of how threatening Negan is going to be.
I knew that Sam was going to choke under pressure! I appreciated his bravery to continue when they re-grouped and that he wanted to stay with his mom, but that clearly was the wrong decision on Jessie’s part. She needed to insist that Sam go with Gabriel and Judith. I even think she just decided to give in, knowing this wasn’t the best choice. I appreciated that Carol’s fear speech was the trigger for Sam to break down. It makes so much sense. Sam has only seen a sliver of the dangers outside of his walls and now he is just marinating in it and he can’t handle it. It’s an interesting debate if Carol caused all this to happen but I’m firmly on the side that Carol has some responsibility in all of this. This isn’t to say that Sam wouldn’t be scared but the episode clearly makes it seem that Carol’s words have replayed in his head since she spoke them and now it just became real.
Seeing what happened to Carl was horrific and shocking but it resulted in maybe my favorite Michonne moment in the series. Watching her go from seemingly saving Carl, to furiously clearing a path for him and Rick, to getting him to safety, giving him a kiss and then going back out to help Rick was everything I expect from her character and more. Her care for Carl is one the most sincere feelings on this show and it was perfectly exemplified in these few moments. While Carl’s eye looks bad, I was certain he would be OK as soon as it happened. This injury is certainly going to set him back a bit. The loss of an eye is no joke when depth perception is essential in this new world, but seeing how Carl has adapted so well in the past I’m sure he will make a full recovery. He’s come a long way from being shot the first time.
I enjoyed everything with Denise and the wolf way more than I expected to. I thought it was very interesting that Morgan’s way of thinking seemed to seep into the wolf more than even he expected. As much as he appeared to be using Denise, he ended up protecting her and trying to save her before Carol shot him (which was quite unsurprising considering her feeling about killing but interesting considering he was making turn). I think this is a true signal that Carol is going to start going through some changes. Morgan’s contrary line of thinking is seeping into Carol as well. I think she’s fighting it, but I think she is really starting to question what she has done in the past. Carol has appeared to be pretty numb since season 4. I think Morgan’s influence is putting some chinks in her armor.
Yet again we get another Glenn death scare. Yet again my heart beat out of my chest. Glenn gave a great speech, invoking the names of some of our favorite fallen characters, inspiring Enid to fight for her new family. The deck was set for his death. In that moment, in his effort to save Maggie, I thought they would do it. But in typically Glenn fashion he showed just why he is the luckiest man in the zombie apocalypse. Darryl, Sasha, and Abraham showed up just in time and turned the tides.
The moment in which our group and the Alexandrians come out of the woodwork to protect their home gave me chills. Seeing people who have shied way from violence like Gabriel and Eugene jump right into the fray was inspiring and powerful. When Rick notices that everyone is out of the safety of their homes, defending their livelihood, it gives him an extra necessary boost. It proves to him that Deanna’s faith in these people and in Rick as a leader, was accurate.
More Than Heroes 