This weeks latest episode of the Walking Dead titled “the Obliged” had a lot of mixed emotions. But I can say with certainty that it was one of the best episodes in recent memory. It begins with Michonne waking up, kissing Rick, going about her day as normal. Which for her the word normal means going out, slicing and dicing some walkers and coming home to little Judith to read her a bed time story.
Maggie stands atop the balcony of the Hilltop mansion. Surveying the scene of progress being made in the form of crop fields, and building structures. Jesus comes to her to talk as she was just leaving to go kill Negan. He says “Rick made the wrong call that wasn’t his to make. Negan deserved to die.” But he than said that you’re about to make the wrong call just like Rick did’. She left anyway knowing that what must be done.
When Rick finds out about where Maggie is going, he hitches a ride with Daryl on his motorcycle. But noticing that Daryl was going the wrong way, Daryl stops the bike, and him and Rick get into a fight. They both end up falling into a nearby hole big enough to bury a car. They finally have a deep conversation about what they should have done to Negan for what he did to their allies. And Rick talks about…Coral! saying that if they didn’t try to make to make peace, then Carl would have died for nothing.
Meanwhile, Negan is on hunger strike. Or at least that is what Michonne thinks as she talks to Negan via his personal cell. They also have a deep conversation about Carl, his wife who died from cancer and even his bat. the very bat named after his wife Lucile. When he asks where you’re keeping her, Michonne says “it’s out there somewhere.” Which is true because at the start of the episode when she was going on a walker killing spree, she saw a bat that looked like Lucile, minus the barbed wire though.
Negan was saddened by that. And pissed that he didn’t have his precious bat with him. It’s his weakness clearly, an object that he refers to like he would a person. I think someone needs therapy.
Annie has Gabriel trapped. She has poor Gabriel bound and about to release a walker on him. He starts praying followed by telling her that he forgives her. She has a change of heart and knocks him out before writing a note and putting it in his pocket. He reads it and is saddened to hear that Annie is leaving and never coming back. Probably for the best as she was just using him this whole time.
As Rick and Daryl sort things out with each other, they hear gun shots from close by. The Saviors and Alexandria have it out finally. Carol knew this was coming and embraces it. Rick and Daryl try to get out of the hole there trapped in as walkers approach and then start falling into the pit with them. They fight them off and Daryl boosts Rick up and out of the hole, as Rick then pulls him up and out.
The two brother fight off more walkers up top. Afterwards, they separate when Rick says he needs to check the bridge. “Were not blowing the bridge, we need it” says Rick. So Rick rides on a white horse on a road that is teeming with walkers. Then something happens that is shocking.
The horse that Rick is on is seriously freaking out with all the undead around them and eventually bucks Rick off the horse. Rick falls, but he doesn’t land squarely on the ground. He unfortunately lands on two metal poles that were lodged in some big rocks. I can speak for everyone when I shout noooooooo!
It appears that this is the beginning of the end for Rick. An end that has been prophesied since the start of season 9. We have just one more episode to spend with Rick before he dies. It is bound to epic for sure, like a season finale or premiere. And there will plenty to talk about when that happens,
“I’m Corey, and this is my story so far.”
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