This is how the end begins — not with a bang, but a whimper. When we last saw our ever-harried survivors, things were going sideways both in and outside the Commonwealth, and the action picks up right where it left off. Lance Hornsby is on the warpath, Pam Milton has locked down the Commonwealth, plots are hatched, and counter-plots are hatched in response. There’s a lot going on. But much like chapter two’s lukewarm cliffhanger, this episode feels like part three’s engine is idling, not revving up.
Perhaps the most intriguing moment is the opening sequence, an odd bit of in-story recapping that reminds us (as if you really needed a nudge) that we’re fast approaching the finale of a story that’s spanned so many years, in real and TWD time. “I’ve heard a lot of stories about when the world fell,†says a youthful narrator as we flashback through the series: Rick and the heroes, Shane and the villains, friends and the fallen. Then comes the twist: “That was a long time ago,†says the speaker. “And it’s now. Will it be tomorrow?†Whose voice are we hearing and how long ago were these events from her perspective? I activated cheat mode and turned on the closed captions, so beware in case this is either a spoiler or a red herring: The name “Judith†appeared, but it doesn’t sound like our Judith talking. Could this be her great-great-granddaughter or some similar descendent? Perhaps this foreshadows a major leap in time for the conclusion as we see the long-away future that’s built on the foundation of whatever becomes of the Commonwealth.
If only the rest of the episode were equally tantalizing. Beyond the walls, the Commonwealth has taken over all of the other settlements, leaving the survivors with little choice but to take on the power-trippin’ Hornsby and his army, or as Negan prefers, “shithead and the dickless brigade.†(Not his best line, but Negan’s humor is still welcome comic relief.) There’s much debate over whether to go after Hornsby directly or head back to the Commonwealth and rescue those left behind — particularly the kiddos — before it really hits the fan. So Daryl cooks up a scheme to accomplish both: Since no one at the Commonwealth knows Negan, he’ll infiltrate the community and alert the friendlies, while Daryl, Maggie, and company handle Hornsby. All they need is (a) for Daryl to single-handedly go Rambo on Hornsby’s detail, (b) a perfectly timed car chase-slash-demolition derby, and (c) Negan talking his way past Mercer and the excruciatingly lengthy Commonwealth intake process. Piece of cake!
Somehow, all of this works (if you’re looking for sound logic at this point in the series, I don’t know what to tell you) and sets up a few, dare I say, poignant moments. Maggie thanks Daryl for killing his ex-lover, Leah, before she put her knife in Maggie’s chest; Daryl, of course, responds with a nod to Glenn and a swoon-worthy “You don’t gotta say sorry to me for nuthin’†assurance. Meanwhile, as Negan helps Carol with a thrilling investigation at the city-planning office, she’s surprised when his concerns for his wife and unborn mini-Neegs reveal a softer, gentler side.
It turns out Gabe was right to be concerned about the kids back home because Hornsby’s “contingency protocol†seems to be to send Fake Max and her big bald goon to round up Judith and her precocious pals. This is no easy task since Connie’s exposé on Sebastian has triggered civil unrest and some clunky protest chants. (“We want justice! Deliver Sebastian now!†doesn’t really roll off the tongue.) But it helps that Jerry apparently knows all the other large men in town, who form a human wall and buy the kids some time to hide. The protests are a problem for Yumiko, too, in her role as Pam Milton’s chief counsel, but Magna makes it clear that whenever the gang makes their move to ditch this joint, Miko and her bro will not be left behind.
All of this “down with the Miltons†business is not sitting well with Pamela, so leave it to Carol to find a way to potentially kill two birds with one dipshit manchild. After finding Sebastian in his (impressively well-hidden) hideout, Carol marches him straight to momma with a clever deal: They’ll pin Sebastian’s atrocities on Hornsby, thus clearing the kid’s name and putting an end to Hornsby’s crusade. Pam is no dummy, yet she still hopes Sebastian will straighten up and realize his familial birthright as a “leader of men.†This fuckboy lost sure seems like a lost cause, but Carol’s offer provides a path to redemption that will be hard for Pam to refuse.
Oh, and did we mention there’s a herd (a.k.a. “swarmâ€) closing in on the town? Mercer cancels Rosita’s PTO and drags her to the front lines where he pledges to have her back if — and more like when — she needs to get the hell out of Dodge. But first on the to-do list is keeping this zombie tsunami from crashing down on the Commonwealth. So far, Mercer’s defense strategy is off to a rough start: He tries to rescue a soldier who’s surrounded by walkers but in the process only succeeds in turning the guy into human Laffy Taffy: Mercer grabs the torso, the zombies grab the legs, and the ensuing tug-of-war ends with the poor dude torn in half. The look on Mercer’s face as his colleague is devoured suggests he’s not as battle-hardened as he seems.
The curtain closes with the second part of Daryl’s two-pronged plan: luring Hornsby and his soldiers into the sewers for an ambush. Down in the dark underground, zombies roam what appears to be an abandoned settlement, with tents and laundry lines as evidence of whatever poor souls decided to call this place home. Like the Negan sleeper-cell scheme, this goes a little too perfectly — on cue, the troops follow the sound of gunfire; in seconds, they’re surrounded and Daryl has Hornsby with a knife to the throat. The look on Lance’s face isn’t one of panic, though; more like a grin of the shit-eating variety. What’s the lucky coin-tosser got up his sleeve now? And who is the young narrator in the intro?