Sunday night’s episode of “The Walking Dead” may have been the most depraved hour of television, ever.
As Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the rest of the Alexandria gang
geared up for war, they came face-to-face with a moral dilemma they’ve
thus far avoided: killing fellow humans for no reason.
After pledging to the Hilltop group that Alexandria would help
eliminate Negan, Sunday’s episode kicked off with Rick making his case
to the people of Alexandria. He explains that, since Daryl (Norman
Reedus), Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) had
already encountered a group of Saviors, that it was only a matter of
time before Negan and his men discovered Alexandria — and that their
odds were better if they were the ones to make the first attack.
With just one dissenting vote from — who else? — Morgan (Lennie
James), it was official: Alexandria would attack the Saviors that night.
In the meantime, “Walking Dead” used much of its airtime to dissect
the relationships between Alexandria’s most notable citizens. Carol
(Melissa McBride) has been enjoying a blossoming relationship with Tobin
(Jason Douglas); Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) both opt
to go on the offensive, rather than keeping Maggie in Alexandria;
Abraham dumps Rosita (Christian Serratos), telling her that the only
reason he even got with her was because he thought she was the last
woman on Earth; Tara (Alanna Masterson) tells Denise (Merritt Weaver)
that she loves her — but only because she wants to cover up the fact
that she enjoys committing these attacks.
And they all spend the journey to the Saviors camp thinking: Do I
have what it takes to kill an innocent civilian before they kill me?
“The Walking Dead” is no stranger to violence. But, in most cases,
the most brutal deaths were well-deserved. Rick and the others were
simply getting revenge for crimes that had been committed against them —
overtaking the Governor and Woodbury, massacring the cannibals at
Terminus, slaughtering the Wolves after they attacked Alexandria. This
would be the first time they attacked a group unprovoked, with no
first-hand knowledge of whether or not their victims are deserving of
death.
Halfway through the episode, the attack commences.
Never before has the “Walking Dead” raised the stakes so high. The
unknown lurks around every corner — and it keeps you on the edge of your
seat, heart pounding, for 60 minutes straight.
Rick, Daryl, Glenn and the other attackers begin slipping into the
Saviors’ bunks, stabbing the men through their heads while they sleep.
Glenn and Heath (Corey Hawkins) eventually overtake the Armory, a strong
sign that they will be able to outlast their opposition. Just as
they’re starting to take inventory of their winnings, thinking they’ve
killed most of the Saviors, they’re informed via radio that that’s not
the case — and that the enemy has captured Maggie and Carol as
collateral.
Alexandria may have won the battle, but it appears they have not won
the war. And regardless of what happens next, it’s likely they will
continue to suffer the consequences of the horrendous acts they
committed in Sunday’s episode for weeks to come.
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