Things seem to be heating up as Sasha and Abraham come back to Alexandria from their patrol together. Abraham is telling Sasha a story from when he was in the army; a camel ate the keys to his platoons truck and they had to wait for the camel to defecate them so they could leave. Abraham is being his charming self and using his wit to flirt with Sasha. “Brave new world” he proclaimed as he looked around the community and mentioned he couldn’t believe Maggie was going to have a baby. The secret is out and seems like everyone knows that Glenn and Maggie are going to have a baby. Abraham thinks it’s unrealistic to have a baby in the word they live in but Sasha doesn’t see it that way, she thinks things can be better. Seems like Sasha is being more optimistic since the death of her brother Tyrese and boyfriend Bob.
Sasha let’s Abraham know she will no longer be on patrol with him and that Eugene will be on his shift from now on. He seems crushed by the news and it seems like Sasha wanted to back away because of his and Rosita’s relationship. Sasha is all about girl code and perhaps she’s catching feelings also but doesn’t want to hurt Rosita.
Abraham has Sasha on the mind, even when Rosita and him are being intimate. Abraham mentions to Rosita that Eugene is going to start patrolling and she explained that she was teaching him how to field strip automatics and the chemistry. “You can’t teach chemistry” Abraham says before kissing Rosita. Everything seems fine but Abraham is distant; seems like he fell for Sasha and is falling out of love with Rosita. Rosita made a necklace for Abraham; from the broken break light of the fuel truck. The last time someone in the show gave a necklace as a gift was when Andrea got the mermaid necklace she took from the shop downtown Atalanta,. It was for Amy’s birthday present but she wasn’t able to give it to her in time. Amy died before she could give it to her.
Like father like daughter, Maggie is working away in the garden like her father Hershel taught her growing up living on a farm. She’s figuring out how to double their growth of vegetables, specifically tomatoes and is worried about their food supply because they already are rationing their food. Maggie is worried but Glenn believes everything will grow and it’ll be ok.
Jesus is waiting for Rick and Michonne to get decent but Carl catches him waiting in the hallway and asks what he’s doing in their house. “I’m sitting on the steps, looking at this painting, waiting for your mom and dad to get dressed, Hi I’m Jesus.” Carl seemed really confused by what he said Until half dressed Rick and Michonne stumble into the hallway armed. Carl gets an eyeful and puts the pieces together. Abraham, Daryl and Glenn seemed just as surprised by Rick and Michonne being a couple, the cats out of the bag.
Rick was finally ready to have the talk with Jesus. “Knots untie, locks get picked entropy comes from order right?” Jesus is a very well spoken and an observant person. He is always calculating and assessing the situations that involve and surround him. He made sure to check out all of Alexandria and see what they had before he went to talk to Rick. He was impressed by their Arsenal but knows that their previsions are low. He seems to think that they only have 54 people but Maggie assures him there is more of them but he isn’t buying it. Jesus seems to be another fan of carols cookies but she wasn’t there to take the thanks in person, I would be careful Jesus; those seem to be a dangerous thing to receive as a gift from Carol. Jesus assures that they are on the same side, the living side and that its his job is to find other communities that they can trade with and trust. Jesus knows he misjudged Rick and Daryl when he took the truck and now knows they are good people. He knows Alexandria is a good place and that they could work well together. It seems like Jesus’s community has been stable for a lot longer when he explains that they have livestock, farms and they scavenge. His community isn’t that far away, by car only will take a day. That way Rick and everyone can see his community for themselves and can judge it when they get there. Maggie realizes that Jesus said his job was looking for other groups to trade with, discovering that there are many settlements like Alexandria. “Your world is about to get a whole lot bigger.” Jesus says as he gives the group and cheeky smile.
“This, this is different.” (I don’t think Rick thought Jessie and his relationship was deep or meaningful). Carl seems to be OK with their relationship and declines to go with them but instead wants to stay back and protect Alexandria.
“Let’s chew up some asphalt!”
Abraham, again had some of the greatest lines in this episode but by far my favorite had to be when he was talking with Glenn in the RV. “When pouring the Bisquick, were you trying to make pancakes?” And Glenn’s reaction was classic answering yes and then he realized he was talking about Maggie’s pregnancy. Abraham doesn’t understand why anyone would decide to have a baby in the world they are living in now. Glenn continues to be positive and says that they are trying to build a future but Abraham would double up so to speak. Rick continues to show his affection for Michonne but it’s interrupted as they pull up to a crash on the side of the road. Jesus sees that it’s one of his people’s vehicles and rushes to go out to see up close. Rick is still reluctant to trust Jesus and thinks that he’s trying to trap them or set them up. He reassures Rick that there isn’t many good fighters in his group and to trust him and see it play out.
Daryl spots tracks and they track them to a near by house. They decide to trust Jesus and go inside to look for his people. Rick cuffs him and let’s Maggie know if he whistles it means to kill Jesus. Rick and Michonne clear the first area of walkers and find the first two survivors. Glenn and Daryl clear two more walkers before finding another one of Jesus people and Abraham goes to kill what appears to be a walker but turns out to be the last of Jesus’s people. Before Abraham could stab the guy he realizes it was a human and not a walker. The group gets out and back on the road in the RV, continuing their trip to Jesus’s community. One of the men that they saved introduces himself as Harlan and that he’s a doctor and better yet a obstetrician. Glenn asks if he has any prenatal vitamins in the bag of pills he has and Harlan asks if Maggie is pregnant and when she tells him he agrees he will help them out.
Jesus checks on one of the guys that got hurt during the crash: Freddy. Freddy tells Jesus that right before he thought Abraham was going to kill him he saw his wife. She died before the apocalypse and she appeared before him just as he thought he was going to die. The RV gets stuck in the mud and Rick can’t get it to budge but luckily they have arrived at their destination.
The Hilltop! Comic book fans rejoice! Another big story arch from the comics is unfolding before our very eyes and we can’t get enough! Exactly as it happens in the comics the group is armed with homemade spears because of running out of ammo a long time ago and challenges Rick and the group to drop their weapons. This group doesn’t trust easy and who’s to blame them, it’s hard to trust strangers in this new world. Harlan and Jesus vouch for the group. Jesus let’s Rick know that they ran out of ammo months ago and to trust them, he likes them and trusts them and wants Rick and the others to do the same.
The gates swing open and yet another scene from the comics spill on to our tv screens. The Hilltop is just like it was in the comics, the layout and detail were identical. It’s amazing to see such a well running community that is so close to the way things use to be. The Hilltop has everything you could need to keep a community going. A small farm/livestock area, gardens and crops, a blacksmith, trailers as living quarters and safety behind huge sturdy walls. You can tell our group is impressed by the way they have things set up and are starting to think they made the right decision on trusting Jesus and his people. Jesus explains to them that a near by power company had a material yard and that’s how they were able to build the walls and that a lot of the people came from a FEMA camp and the trailers came with them. Michonne asks how people knew to come here for safety and Jesus gives a back story of the historical building/Mansion. The building is called the Barrington House and it was eventually turned into a living history museum. The place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it and he thinks people came there because they figured it would keep running after the modern world broke down. The top floor windows are perfect for seeing what’s all around them and can see people coming from miles around. The group is impressed by the size and stability of the historic house. Still in tact and good shape, Jesus tells the group that they also utilize the space and families also live inside the mansion; as well as the trailers. He even says that they plan to keep building and expanding because there are babies being born.
Enter Gregory. Another pretentious leader that thinks he knows everything and likes to throw his weight around. Before Rick can even introduce himself to him he tells them all to go get cleaned up and refuses to talk until they do. Rick is angry and tells Maggie that she should be the one that talks to him and it’s her time to step into that role finally. It’s her time to be more of a leader and this will be a good start and will test to see if she can handle it.
While everyone is getting cleaned up Abraham asks Daryl how long he thinks Michonne and Rick have been “Uggin Bumplies” and that if he ever thought about settling down. “You think shit settles” Daryl replies.
Maggie goes to talk to Gregory and he calls her by the wrong name, Natalie and you can tell already this isn’t going to go well. Gregory lays it on thick as he tries to impress Maggie while trying to flirt with her. He tries to get her to sit beside him but she sits across from him and smiles at him as if she was saying not going to happen but nice try. He thanks her for saving their doctor and she makes sure to let him know that it was her husband who saved him. She gets straight to business and asks how they managed to survive this long and he tells her they are just good at it. He begins asking how much food they have and that Jesus said they didn’t have many crops. Maggie tells him they are just starting out but have plenty of weapons and ammo. She wants to talk trade and he brings up that they don’t have much food and he knows they don’t have much to offer like they do. He wants to help but nothing is for free but he says they can work there and earn it that way. Maggie let’s him have it and tells him to stop calling her honey. She tells him she knows he has no ammo and that they are low on medication and that they both need things. She knows that they can help each other but he is being stubborn and insults Maggie by calling her Natalie again; Gregory insists that they are doing fine and asks Maggie if they are. The meeting didn’t go as planned.
Jesus insists he’ll make Gregory listen and he wants to make it work between their communities. Jesus will make him understand that they will eventually do well like they are now. Jesus just asks for a few days to get through to him and they agree to it. One of the Hilltop groups come back from their drop off of supplies and Gregory is told two of their people have been killed by Negan. Negan said it was to light and that he had to make a point. They are holding Craig and said they’d release him if Ethan gave Gregory a message. Ethan stabs Gregory and Michonne and Rick pull him off of Gregory. Ethan yells in a fit of rage and Rick and him begin to brawl. Abraham is being strangled by one of the people who came back from the drop with Ethan and as he’s losing consciousness he starts to hear the voice of his wife. Daryl gets the guy off of Abraham by bending his arm backwards and Ethan gets the upper hand on Rick. Ethan has a knife placed to ricks throat and threatens anyone who comes close, Michonne tells Ethan to drop the knife as she goes to pull her Katana out of it’s sheath; giving Rick enough time to stab him in the throat as he was distracted. Once again Rick is covered in blood and is back to “crazy Rick mode” after killing Ethan Rick looks around at the onlookers and says “What?” Acting as if what happened was nothing. Crazy Rick never really went away, he was always there laying dormant waiting for his time to be used once again.
A women punches Rick in the face for killing Ethan and Michonne instantly goes and knocks her down, protecting her man and having his back. “Don’t” Michonne tells her as she stands over her and Jesus comes to break up the fight and says it’s over. Things aren’t as simple as they may seem and Jesus just needs time to fix this. Daryl helps Abraham off of the ground and Abrahams necklace that Rosita just made for him was left behind. Perhaps a sign of what their relationship may have in store, Is Abraham moving on from Rosita.
Gregory is going to live and Rick wants to know who this Negan guy is he keeps hearing about. Jesus finally lets out the name of Negan’s group: The Saviors! Jesus fills them in on how they arrived when they finished building the walls and demanded and made threats and killed one of their men to make a point that they meant business. They killed a 16 year old boy by beating him to death right in front of everyone and that they need to understand right off the bat… Look at all the clues and foreshadowing to come (comic fans will know what I’m talking about). They demanded half of everything – supplies, crops and livestock goes to them and in return they don’t get attacked or killed by them.
Daryl asks why they don’t just kill them instead but Jesus says that most of the people here don’t know how to fight and that they don’t know how many people they have but have seen groups of 20 at a time. Daryl seems to think Negan is bluffing and that Negan is just a bogeyman, a good story. Daryl suggests to Jesus that they will go get their guy and kill Negan and take out his guys if they hook them up with supplies. Food, medicine and one of the cows specifically. “Confrontations never been something we’ve had trouble with” Rick tells Jesus and Jesus will go ask Gregory if he’ll take the deal.
Rick gives the group a speech about them not having food but they do have their skills and that is a trade; Their abilities. Maggie seems to think it’ll come with a heavy cost.. More foreshadowing.
Gregory is awake and wants to talk to Maggie. Rick tells Maggie that Deanna was right about her, to give her some encouragement and Jesus apologizes in advance for Gregory, “sorry in advance Gregory can be a real prick.” I know Maggie answers. Maggie goes to talk to Gregory. He asks how they plan on taking care of Negan and his men if they couldn’t and she lets him know that they have dealt with people like him before and got through it. She was referring to the Governor and his men. Gregory doesn’t think Craig is worth all the trouble since it was his brother who stabbed him to send the message. Maggie brings up something her dad Hershel used to say to her, “Forgiveness takes more strength then anger.” Gregory then says well he does cook really well. Maggie tells him that they’ll get rid of Negan and his men permanently for exchange for supplies. When Gregory tries to throw his weight around again with Maggie and say he got what he wanted the whole time, Maggie tells him they want half. Half of everything and she knows he can’t refuse it. She tells him they know they need them to protect them or they’ll end up having nothing. She shows no mercy and gets what she wants. She has all the leverage. He agrees to the deal but she wants another RV since theirs got stuck in the mud.
The group loads up the RV with all the supplies from the deal and wants to head back to Alexandria to regroup before they go take on Negan and his men. They ask the guy who was with the others when Craig was taken to help them locate Negan’s compound and get him back. Rick needs his help and he agrees to it. Jesus wants to help Rick fight Negan and also mentions he wants his knives back. Rick asks Michonne if she’s ready and is up to it and she says it’s going to be a fight and it won’t be easy either. It’s going to be a battle.. A war. She tells Rick that they will win.
Maggie and Glenn see their baby for the first time on an ultra sound screen. The group heads back to Alexandria, hopeful and with a purpose. Everyone is melting over the ultra sound of the baby as they pass it around to each other. Glenn can’t seem to stop smiling.
Nothing ever stays peaceful for long and there is never any happy endings in the walking dead.
Was agreeing to take on Negan a good idea for the group?
Will Maggie be right and will the risk be to high?
Tune in next week and find out!
