On the last episode of “The Walking Dead” the big bad wolf paid a visit to Alexandria and it wasn’t a good day for the little pigs. Now that Michonne has seen the burning mattresses, she has to decide if she’ll remain by Rick’s side. This week, Negan’s men pay a visit to the Hilltop. Will they find Maggie and Sasha? Will Jesus (Tom Payne) perform a miracle and save the day?
Hilltop
Yep! Gregory is alive and not too happy that Maggie and Sasha are at the Hilltop. Gregory is so worried about himself that he tells the pregnant Maggie to skedaddle even though Dr. Carson told her for the sake of the baby, she should stay. Yes, you heard me right. Maggie did not lose Glenn’s child, but she’s not out of the woods yet. Because the placenta had partially separated from her uterus, Maggie needs to rest, and in fact, Dr. Carson strongly suggests that she remain at Hilltop until the birth. But, I don’t think Maggie and Sasha were thinking of leaving anytime soon, especially since this is where Glenn and Abe are buried.
Glenn and Abe are finally given the proper mourning and goodbye from their loved ones and it breaks our hearts to watch Maggie and Sasha deal with their loss. At least Maggie has the pocket watch to remember Glenn. All Sasha has of Abe’s is his cigar. Curious as to why there are no other graves, Maggie asks an important question of Jesus. “How do you remember your dead?” Cool Jesus replies, “We have us.” Raise your hands if you think Tom Payne’s Jesus is kick-ass handsome. Is it a sin to think that way about Jesus?
Gregory’s injuries might have been more serious than we thought because this man can’t remember peoples’ names, or he could just be an obnoxious jerk. More and more, Gregory is displaying signs that he might not be the best leader anymore, especially when it comes to putting peoples’ lives before his own. We see just how callous Gregory really is when he has to deal with Simon (Steven Ogg).
When someone breaks through the gates and leaves an ugly green Gremlin to attract walkers with loud music, it isn’t Gregory who gives the commands to secure the perimeters. In one of the best scenes of the episode, Sasha fights off the walkers with the help of Kung Fu Jesus while Maggie’s mighty tractor compacter puts an end to the symphony. The situation gets really tense when Simon turns up the next day and has a chat with Gregory.
Michonne
We have witnessed the metamorphosis of a beloved character and we know that whatever Michonne decides, it will be a wise choice. Danai Gurira originally revealed her character as a woman who’d shut down her emotions and her dependence on others after losing her son. Michonne, having lost everything dear to her, became the ultimate warrior; surviving on her own.
Her friendship with Andrea put a dent into her armor, but it was Rick and his children that cracked open the shield protecting her heart. For a brief time, Michonne felt she had a chance at a normal life in Rick’s arms. Silly Rabbit! There is no normal in an apocalypse. How does Michonne feel about Rick’s submissiveness to Negan? Even though she doesn’t go with Rick on the scouting trip, that kiss means there is still hope for them.
Carl
I really feel bad for this kid. He not only watched his friends murdered by Negan, but he now has to watch his father play submissive puppy to the Alpha dog. Carl is young and he wants to hit back, but Enid’s leaving the compound temporarily distracts him. After Carl runs over a walker with a car, we watch as Enid and Carl get a short reprieve from the zombie apocalypse to act like normal teenagers.
I think Enid is good for Carl. She is his Maggie in a way. All is good, for a little while at least, as they kiss and hold hands and even go skating towards Hilltop. But while Enid wants to stay with Maggie, Carl wants to kill Negan. When Carl and Enid spot Simon’s men loading the trucks, Enid begs Carl not to go…but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with this kid.
Conclusion
Gregory proved himself a worthless leader. How he came to be a leader is something Jesus can’t adequately explain to Maggie and Sasha. Gregory wants Maggie and Sasha gone so the Saviors don’t suspect that they had conspired with Team Rick’s attack on their compound. Why doesn’t Jesus take over as leader? Maggie and Sasha know that Jesus would be a good leader, but I understand why Jesus wants no parts of the job. Jesus makes a better reconnaissance agent. He has a hobbit’s way of sneaking into and out of places unobserved. In reality, Jesus is the “Trump Card” for the Hilltop. If Negan even suspected how dangerous Jesus is, I’m sure Lucille would have put this threat to bed.
When Simon comes to visit, Gregory tells Jesus to hide the girls in the closet. Simon acts like a mini Negan and that makes Gregory all the more nervous. When Simon asks Gregory if there is something he hasn’t told him, Gregory leads Simon to the closet. Xander Berkeley’s character Gregory may be the next most hated man on TWD. But, Jesus did save the day by hiding the girls in another closet and Simon only finds cases of good scotch. Xander Berkeley mentioned on “The Talking Dead” that he tried to meld into the comic book portrayal of Gregory by observing how the character was drawn in different scenes. From his keen observations, Xander was able to bring the character to life.
I have been saying over and over that Negan’s end will come at the hands of the women on Team Rick. Maggie, played fabulously by Lauren Cohen, has proven herself a leader many times and Sasha played just as fabulously by Sonequa Martin Green has proven herself a true warrior. Jesus gives Sasha Abe’s necklace (the one Rosita made for him) and he hints that Maggie would be a better Hilltop leader than Gregory. Maggie proves him right when she punches Gregory in the face and takes back the watch that Gregory confiscated from the grave. Gregory is worse than a coward. He is an idiot and we all know how dangerous that can be. While Enid decorates the graves with those green balloons she so valiantly protected from Negan’s men, Sasha gives Jesus an assignment.
While Sasha holds Abe’s cigar in her mouth and sharpens her knife, Jesus sneaks into Simon’s truck and sees Carl. The game is on my little zombie snacks. There are three compounds with strong women all aching to put an end to Negan: The Kingdom has Carol; the Hilltop has Maggie, and Alexandria has Michonne and Rosita. Your days are numbered, Negan!
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