The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 7 "Stradivarius"

 Rosita runs through the wood. Zombies can be heard saying,  "She's dead. But we're getting closer to her. Don't let her get away." She is alone and is bleeding form her head. She passes out.

Daryl takes Henry and Carol back to his camp. Carol warns Henry to be careful where he steps because Daryl has traps everywhere. His camp is by the river. Carol asks if he's fixed his boat. No response. A dog comes up to him and sits by him. The dog has brought back a hand. When Carol asks when he last ate he says the dog ate the day before.

Michonne takes the new group to Hilltop. Siddiq is glad Michonne changed her mind about the new people but thinks she should have let them stay in Alexandria. He says she likes the new people. She doesn't trust them. Magna complains that they still have her knives. Her people want her to chill. They want to see what this new place will be like. Magna is not happy. She wants her knives so she can have options. Yumiko apologizes for Magna to Michonne. She says Magna is still upset about losing Bernie. Yumiko asks what Hilltop is like. Michonne says she hasn't been there in a while. Hilltop appears to be prospering. Large amounts of crops. A working forge. Enid appears to be their doctor. Tara overlooks the community She has a clipboard and appears to be inspecting things. Jesus listens to a record on a gramophone. Maggie sent a letter. Apparently she is with Georgie. Tara tells him several people want to speak to him. He has her tell him what is going on. Looks like Jesus is in charge. She tells him the issues he needs to deal with and tells him he was reelected as leader of Hilltop. He refuses to use Maggie's office. She says he is pretending the situation is still temporary.

Daryl shoots a snake. He kills a zombie. Carol says he's been out there longer than he said he would be. He says he likes it. It's quiet. He asks about Ezekiel. She tells him she is taking Henry to Hilltop. He wants to know why she is there. She wants him to go to Hilltop with them. she wants him to accompany Henry. Henry is an idealist and that can be dangerous. Daryl says Henry has to learn just like everyone else. Like they did.

Michonne and her group arrive to where the new people where rescued. The zombies destroyed their rig. Their belongings are strewn all over the ground. Magna cries. She rifles through Bernie's belongings. Yumiko tells her she should take something. Siddiq finds a recorder. He tells Michonne it was his first instrument. But after a week his mom decided that he like painting better. Luke is looking for something. Connie says he like rescuing musical instruments. Connie says Luke has a musical fetish. Michonne orders her men to collect the weapons they find. Magna wants to keep their weapons but Michonne won't take them armed to Hilltop. Michonne will not be accompanying them all the way to Hilltop. She says they have a choice. They keep their weapons and are on their own or they give up their weapons and are escorted to Hilltop. Luke, Connie, and Yumiko are all for Hilltop. Magan and Kelly are not. Yumiko gets her people to agree to go to Hilltop.

Jesus rides his horse down a road when he is attacked. Aaron tackled him off his horse. They fight a friendly match. Aaron has a fake arm. He punches Jesus and apologizes. Jesus heard Aaron coming so he wasn't surprised by the attack. Jesus is finding it harder to leave Hilltop. Tara wouldn't be happy knowing he's gone that far without a security detail. Michonne would not be happy knowing Aaron is breaking protocol to be out there. Jesus is not participating in the fair. Michonne voted it down as well. Jesus says the fair is important. All of the communities need to get back together. Aaron knows but Michonne doesn't know about Maggie. Their conversation ends when they see a flare. They find Rosita sitting by a tree. She shot the flare. Aaron asks her what happened. He asks what happened to Eugene and she says she left him at a barn. Jesus point out that a several zombies are coming at that it will be dark soon. Eugene will have to wait until morning. They are taking Rosita to Hilltop.

Daryl makes a soup. The dog brings him a piece of a foot. Carol says it's nice of him to cook for them. He says there are people at Hilltop that know how to cook. Henry realizes why they are visiting Daryl. He's not happy. Later that night Carol cuts Daryl's hair with a knife. He says he knows that she thinks he is still looking for Rick. He never found a body. She tells him he has to let it go. They eat dinner. Henry asks Daryl how he got the scar on his face. Daryl doesn't respond. He just calls for the dog whose name is Dog. Siddiq and the others sleep in an abandoned building.

Michonne is on guard duty. She hears something and draws her katana. She walks towards the noise. She finds Luke rummaging through the bags and tells him to drop what he has in his hands. He says he can't. She goes at him with her sword and he screams. The others come to see what happened. She destroyed a violin.

Henry wakes up when he hears Daryl walk past his tent. He follows him but finds a zombie instead. Daryl comes up behind him. He tells Henry to go back to camp and kills the zombie. Daryl follows the sound of the dog barking. It is tied to a tree and surrounded by zombies that are stuck because of Daryl's traps. Daryl calls the dog down and unties it.  One of the zombies pulls Daryl down by the leg. Henry tries to help but Daryl tells him to stay back. Daryl deals with the zombies himself. One of the trapped zombies breaks free and is about to attack Daryl but Henry kills it before it can. Carol was in the woods ready with her bow and arrow.

Tara gives Jesus an update on Rosita's condition. She's resting and suffering from dehydration. She asks what Aaron and Jesus were doing out there. Jesus has been training Aaron, keeping the lines of communication open, and just making sure they are still alive. She asks if he is doing this to avoid being at Hilltop. He says he is doing it so that Alexandria will join the fair. Tara says they won't. He says the fair is important. She tells him people are noticing his absence because they need him since he is their leader. He says they shouldn't have made him their leader. She tells him to stop pretending that he is just temporarily their leader. Everyone's counting on him. She tells him to stay. She will go look for Eugene in the morning.

Daryl takes off his shirt and we can see scars on his back. I can't tell if they are new of from his childhood with an abusive father. He has an x on his back like Michonne. Henry reads by the campfire. Daryl tosses him something that is good for infection. He tells Henry that the dog checks the traps. That's how he knows if he has a zombie problem (hence the zombie body parts the dog keeps bringing him). He thanks Henry for his help. Henry thanks him for saving his life. He asks that Daryl not tell Carol. He says the traps are not for animals they are to keep the zombies out. There are more and more each day. Carol has told Henry that Daryl is her best friend and she misses him. She worries about Daryl. Daryl says she knows how to find him. Henry says she shouldn't have to look for him. Daryl asks if Henry wants Daryl looking over his shoulder all the time. Henry says it's not about him.

Luke looks at the broken violin. He tells Michonne it is an original Stradivarius. They've been traveling with a collection of instruments. Siddiq wants to know why. Luke says it's art. He talks about the reason humans defeated Neanderthals. A flute was found in a cave. Humans shared their lives through storytelling, painting, and music. As humans grew and spread Neanderthals died out. Music is what separates us from the animals. Michonne wants to know how he can believe that after everything he's been through. He says yes. She has no response. The next morning Siddiq asks her to come with them to Hilltop. She won't. He tells her she doesn't have to worry about Maggie. She says they can't risk it because they don't know what will happen if Maggie sees Michonne. He tells her Maggie is gone. She left with Hershel. Jesus now runs Hilltop. They are interrupted by zombies. Magna wants their weapons but Michonne runs ahead. Magna grabs a brick and kills a zombie. Michonne ignores everyone. DJ has the weapons and hands them out to everyone. They split up. The new people are good with their weapons. Michonne realizes it's the same herd that attacked the new people because zombie Bernie is there. He approaches Magna and Michonne kills him. They make it to the wagon. The new people in shock.

 

The next morning Daryl asks Carol how she slept. He tells her to be ready in ten minutes as he packs his bike. She smiles. On the way to Hillotp Michonne tells Yumiko she knows what's it like to take care of your family and protect them. Yumiko wants a safe home and Michonne tells her she will get that. Siddiq tells Michonne that Maggie is with Georgie helping at a new community far away. The reason he didn't tell her earlier was that he promised someone he wouldn't. He still wants her to go with them to Hilltop. She says she kept her promise to Judith. Siddiq asks, "What about Carl? What about your promise to him?" She says, "It's not that simple." They hear hoofbeats and two men with spears approach. She asks if they are from Hilltop. She tells them she is from Alexandria. They came to deliver a message. They have Rosita and she is injured. Connie sees something in the woods. It looks empty but they wait. She says it's nothing.  It looks as if someone was watching them from the woods.

Carol, Henry, and Daryl arrive. Henry asks if Enid is still there. He is taller and bigger now. Carol teases him. Daryl hugs Tara. Carol hugs Tara. Jesus is happy to see them. Carol tells them that Henry wants to apprentice in blacksmithing. Aaron and Daryl hug. Aaron tells him about Rosita and Eugene. Aaron asks for Daryl's help. Daryl looks at Carol and she tells him to go. Jesus says he knows where to look so Tara says she will stay. They go off to look for Eugene.


Final Thoughts
- Is this how Maggie exists the show? I know the Lauren Cohan has a new show and wasn't going to stay on but I expected a farewell episode for her.
- What happened between Maggie and Michonne to cause a rift? Is it still Negan?
- Why did the communities stop dealing with each other? Or was it just Alexandria.
- Are Aaron and Jesus just friends or something more?
- What do the x scars mean? Could it be for those looking for Rick? Who else has one?
- It's sweet and sad that Daryl is still looking for Rick. Will Daryl be in the upcoming movies with Rick?