With only two episodes left, there’s no time for subplots or subtle character development, or philosophical ponderings about what it means to be human in a world overrun by monsters of both the living and the dead varieties. No, it’s time for action (well, except for that one heart-to-heart between Zeke and Negan). There are children to be saved, a city to be liberated, and a herd of newly-dexterous zombies to be vanquished. And, it’s no exaggeration to say that both life and limb are literally at risk.
The opening flashback sequence is especially intriguing, as a crate filled with weapons triggers a montage of violence and a warning from Judith: “We’re fighting now for … something bigger, a new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost.†Judith reflects on the mother she never knew, the brother she lost too soon, and the struggles of Rick and Michonne to find both peace and mercy. She also unfurls a parchment containing the “Multi-Community Bill of Rights and Freedoms†and refers to a “secret saying†her parents, and now Judith and RJ, use as a good luck charm. As with all of these intros, it’s hard to tell what’s significant versus what’s just nostalgic, but it frames Judith as a consequential figure in this episode and makes it clear that the battle of the Commonwealth will be historic.
Speaking of consequences, Daryl will soon regret his decision to dump little RJ on Nabila and bring Judith on the train to, as Negan puts it delicately, take out the bitch. It’s a bold plan: make radio contact with Mercer en route to the Commonwealth, hope he’ll lend a hand despite his consistent refusal to do so, hide the prisoners, rescue the kids, and overthrow Pam Milton. Negan offers to team up with Maggie to go after Pam themselves, but despite proving himself over and over again, Mags stresses that “we’re not a we.†(This, of course, is little more than setup for the upcoming Maggie and Negan spinoff, which, given their still-icy relationship, is unlikely to be the “zombie-apocalypse buddy comedy†we need and deserve.)
Thanks to Mercer — who Eugene accurately notes has “joined a long line of people who’ve saved my ass†— the Milton resistance is in full swing. Princess manages to make radio contact and lay out the plan, to which Mercer responds with a hearty “Yeeeeeaaaaaahhh.â€
But there’s a fly in the ointment: Milton’s No. 2, Vickers, who’s been keeping a suspicious eye on Mercer and Miko. Pam is also so furious about Eugene’s escape that she calls Mercer by his first name, Michael. And if that ain’t serious enough, she orders the troops to direct the walker herd toward the city, just so she can lock it down and clear the streets of unrest. The walls are secure, she insists — what could possibly go wrong? If only Pam knew about the new Cirque du Soleil special-edition zombies headed her way.
Speaking of the rotter parade, Aaron and company are still doing the gutswalk and looking for an exit strategy. As luck always has it, there’s a broken-down RV in their path, but the herd is so dense that Luke and Jules get swept away before they can hop inside. Elijah gets similarly stuck, and when Lydia reaches out to lend a hand, a zombie takes a juicy bite out of her forearm. If there are any silver linings to Lydia’s predicament, it’s that her RV amputation will be supervised by resident limb-removal expert Aaron, and Jerry knows how to make a clean cut with an ax.
As Lydia passes out and ponders which weapon she’d like to attach to her new stump, the shit fully hits the fan. Pam catches on to Mercer’s betrayal and makes three decisions that will lead to mass carnage, along with her own demise. Anticipating that Maggie’s team will surface in Union Station, Pam locks the doors and orders her black ops team to execute the intruders. Her plan looks promising, until she accidentally shoots Judith in the ensuing firefight, prompting one of Daryl’s trademark gut-wrenching cries of “No!†Even Pam freezes at the sight of the child she just blasted (to be fair, Judith is no mere child — she’s a legit marksman and probably would have capped Pam if given the chance).
Pam’s other order was to arrest Mercer, which everyone will soon learn was an existential mistake. Did anyone see that zombie climb into the back of the trooper’s Jeep? Of course not. But with their leader gone, the very-not-battle-hardened troops are soon overcome by the herd and its parkour zombies. Here’s hoping history does not forget the moment when the Commonwealth guard gets his face chewed off, then accidentally hits the switch that literally opens the floodgates.
With the walkers closing in, Pam’s third mistake is directing Vickers to funnel the herd to the “lower wards†and protect her home and “the estates†at all costs — no surprise that this elitist shitbag is only concerned with saving herself and her rich friends. Unfortunately, that’s where Maggie’s gang ends up, trapped inside Commonwealth barricades as the undead stream in. Luke and Jules emerge from the herd, and for about one-eighth of a second, there’s a joyful reunion. But Judith is in desperate need of medical attention and Daryl ends up alone, frantically running through an alley with his semi-adopted and dying child in his arms. She opens her eyes for a moment and says, “Daddy,†calling back to the intro and her thoughts of Rick. No surprise that Negan sums up their FUBAR situation best, as he sees one of the zombies climb atop a truck and says, “What the fuck?!â€
With that whopper of a cliffhanger, some burning questions as we await the series finale:
• Is Judith destined to lead the new world, based on her talk of “the day everything changed forever†and the Bill of Rights she’s carrying around? And will we catch a glimpse of adult Judith in a flash-forward, or perhaps in a spin-off series?
• What role will the survivors outside the Commonwealth — Aaron, Lydia, Elijah, and Jerry — play in the final assault on the city?
• How will Mercer escape captivity to lend a hand? Perhaps Vickers has a change of heart after Pam ordered her to allow the slaughter of innocent folks.
• If Judith is narrating all of these flashbacks, she has to survive, right? Makes her gunshot crisis a wee bit anticlimactic.
• In what horrible way will Pam Milton die?
• Rick will surely return in some capacity. How? And will Michonne be with him?
• Will Judith ever learn that in addition to two moms, she has two dads and that dad two killed dad one after dad one hooked up with mom one who was married to dad two?
• Will Annie survive to appear in the Negan/Maggie spinoff?
• Will we finally see Daryl and Connie hook up?
• Could the Oceanside refugees come riding in like the cavalry to help save the day?
• Forget about the kids — where is Dog?