The Walking Dead Season 9 Epsidose 8 "Evolution"

Zombies walking in a field. Daryl and Dog join Aaron and Jesus. He reports that the herd appears to be between 130 and 140 walkers. The zombies are acting strangely. Jesus says their behavior is not normal. Daryl agrees but says they should go because a storm is coming. One zombie stops and looks up.

Gabriel says, "You are here. Aware of yourself. Just let it go. Don't judge the distraction. Accept it, consider it, and then release it. Just let it wash over you." He uses a stick on a singing bowl. He is speaking to Negan. Helping him meditate. Negan gives up. He knows that Gabriel and Rosita are together. Gabriel knows Negan wants help. Negan doesn't see any benefit to their sessions. He knows he is never leaving the cell. He thanks Gabriel for helping him but he has everything he needs. Gabriel tells him a life needs to have meaning. Negan mentions how people forget that he is there so they stand outside his window and he hears what they say. He heard Rosita the other day. He tries to bait Gabriel but Gabriel won't fall for it. The entire time Negan plays with a tennis ball. Gabriel walks out and sees the two messengers from Hilltop. They brought news that they found Rosita injured.

At Hilltop two men on horseback shout to everyone that riders are coming. Everyone runs inside the gate. When Michonne and her group arrive everyone is inside. Luke likes what he sees. His group is suspicious. Tara, Alden, and others run to the gate. Diane tells them six people are coming but then says wait. She gives Tara a look. Magna is ready for a fight. Diane asks them to state their business. Michonne says they are there to get Rosita. Michonne says the others are good people looking for a home. Michonne takes out her katana and other weapons and throws them on the ground. Siddiq follows suite as well as the new people. They walk in and Michonne asks Tara where Jesus it. Tara says he is out searching for Eugene. Michonne is surprised to find out Eugene is missing. Siddiq asks how Rosita is doing. Enid gives them an update. Tara says Aaron told them that Eugene was with Rosita. Michonne is angry to find out Aaron was there. They tell her he went with the others to look for Eugene. Tara tells the new people they will have to talk to Jesus when he gets back and they will be expected to earn their keep. Connie thanks them. Tara just says okay. Siddiq tells Michonne it's good that they are at Hilltop.

Magna thinks it sounds like a cult since their leader is called Jesus. Connie is sure it's just a nickname and Yumiko wants to prove they are worthy of staying at Hilltop. Siddiq tells Michonne he knew nothing about Eugene and Rosita. She is mad at him for not telling him about Aaron. He says these people are their friends not a back channel. Siddiq gets a hug from Carol. Michonne says she didn't expect to see her. Neither did Carol. She asks about the new people and they introduce themselves. She signs her name to Connie. Carol asks about the kids. Michonne says they are doing well. Carol tells her that Henry is becoming an apprentice. Michonne mentions she got Ezekiel's letter but she won't participate in the fair. She says they have had their troubles too. Carol says, "But we've all lost something. You and me, we both lost children. And we kept going. For each other. We've always been a family." Michonne says, "And we still are. But Kingdom is Kingdom, Hilltop is here, and Alexandria is there, and in between, there's a whole lot of broken world, and we cannot pretend otherwise. We've got to take care of out own now. It's just the way it is." Carol says, "That's a shame." Michonne agrees. She tells Carol to give Ezekiel and Henry her best.

Aaron says Daryl has been trading with Hilltop. Jesus says he used to come a couple of times a year but never stayed. But the gaps between visits have gotten longer. He assumes Daryl just likes it out there on his own. Aaron says that reminds him of Jesus. Jesus says they used to be explorers. Aaron reminds him that they used to go out looking for people and making them a part of something bigger. "Maybe showing those people a way forward is the next step in that." Aaron thinks Jesus would be a good leader if he just stopped fighting it. He says Daryl also needs to stop fighting the need to find people. Daryl says the herd is coming towards them. He sets an alarm clock and throws it out in the field. He tells them to go.

Diane wants to go back to Kingdom with Carol. She says Kingdom needs her more than Hilltop. Alden and Henry load supplies into Carol's wagon. Henry says he got an advance on his pay which he used to get her supplies to take back. She hugs him. Alden says he will take good care of Henry. He says he'll be back for the fair. He will make her proud. He already has made her proud. She waves goodbye as she leaves.

Jesus says the herd is now double what Daryl reported. Aaron thinks it could have merged with another herd. Daryl's alarm clock goes off and the herd follows the sound in the opposite direction. Henry works at the forge. Enid checks to see how things are going. Henry looks after Enid as she talks with Alden. She kisses Alden. Negan talks to Gabriel about smells. Gabriel tells him to shut up. Gabriel keeps trying to find a person deep down in Negan. Negan asks what happened. Gabriel tells him Rosita has been injured. He can't go help her because he has to stay behind and be responsible for Negan. Gabriel walks out. Henry eats by himself. Some kid calls out to him. He introduces himself as Gage. Gage remembers him from the war. There is also Addy and Rodney. They've noticed him looking sad. He says he just needs to get used to a new place. Gage and Addy have lived there most of their lives. They invite him to hang out with them in the woods that night. He agrees to go.

Michonne sits by Rosita's bed. Siddiq apologizes for keeping things from her but he is on her side. She says, "Coming here, I knew people would still be angry, but that doesn't make it any easier." He says it's not too late to make amends. She won't make amends the way they want her to. "I didn't make the choices I made because I thought they'd be easy." Rosita wakes up and they tell her that she is at Hilltop. They tell her that others went out to look for Eugene. She says she needs to help find him because they don't know what they are dealing with.

Aaron, Jesus, and Daryl make it to the barn at night. Daryl sends Dog ahead. Dog points to a pile of straw. They kick it and call out for Eugene. Eugene replies affirmative. He was hiding underneath. He tells them he dislocated his knee. Eugene tells them that the herd that followed them is going to come back. It's not a normal herd. They are looking for him. The zombies were whispering to each other. He knows it sounds crazy but Rosita heard them too. Dog barks and they see the herd coming back. They help Eugene to his feet.

Henry and the kids play and listen to music. They offer Henry some booze and he takes a drink. They go outside of the gates and show him a zombie in a pit that has been shot with arrows. They throw ropes tied in a circle at the zombie. It is their game. Henry jumps in and kills the zombie. Gage calls him an asshole and asks why he did that. Henry says if he had to explain it Gage wouldn't understand.

The herd follows the rescue team. Eugene says that zombies are evolving. The zombies may be dead but their brain is still alive. Jesus says if they can learn to talk they can learn to hunt. Eugene says they have to leave him behind because he is slowing them down. Jesus tells him they came out there to rescue him. Jesus orders Aaron and Daryl to get Eugene back to the horses while he distracts the zombies. Daryl says if anyone is going to stay it will be him. Jesus agrees and Daryl and Dog go off while they help Eugene. A storm is coming. Negan plays with a tennis ball in his cell. It bounces out of his cell. He looks at his cell door. He walks towards it and pushes it open. It is unlocked. He walks out.

Tara and Earl walk down to their prison. She tells Earl that Henry threw up on her boots. Henry sits in the cell and apologizes.  Earl says he thought Henry was too tired from his trip to do anything that night. The guards found him outside the gate asking to be let back in. Henry won't rat out the other kids. Earl says he can go back to Kingdom. Henry says he knows he screwed up but many people are counting on him. He says he saw his mom cry that day. He now realizes his apprenticeship is a big deal. He didn't want to think about it for a while. Earl says he has been there (figuratively and literally). Earl says he will speak to Jesus on his behalf.

The herd walks down the road. Daryl lights some firecrackers to divert the herd. They move towards the sound. Dog barks so they will keep coming towards them but the herd goes back to their original path. Daryl tells Dog to be quiet. Eugene stumbles and screams in pain. They can hear the zombie herd coming towards them. They keep going. They climb over a fence into a graveyard to try to lose the herd. Jesus tries to open the gate to get out but can't. They try to push Eugene over the wall but they can't. The herd is now there with them. They get ready for a fight in the foggy graveyard. Aaron and Jesus start killing zombies. Even Eugene pitches in. Michonne calls Eugene's name. She is trying to open the rusted gate. Magna shows up with Yumiko. They are there to earn their keep. They help Eugene open the gate. Jesus orders Aaron to get Eugene out. He continues to fight the zombies alone. Aaron calls to him. One of the zombies fights back and stabs Jesus in the back. He whispers in his ear, "You are where you do not belong." Jesus falls dead. Aaron and Michonne go to help. Several armed zombies come running towards them. Daryl joins them as well as the new people. Aaron cries. Michonne looks at the zombies' weapons. Daryl calls her over. He looks at one of the zombies. It is not really a zombie. It was someone wearing zombie skin mask. They hear more "zombies" talking. They are surrounded.

Final Thoughts
- I'm glad it turns out the zombies aren't really zombies. They needed a new enemy to fight. I'm looking forward to seeing them fight The Whisperers.
- Won't the Whisperers get sick from wearing zombie flesh masks?
- Did someone accidentally leave Negan's cell open or was it on purpose?
- At least Jesus went out fighting.
- Will Tara be Hilltop's next leaders now that Jesus is dead? Will Maggie come back before the end of the season?

R.I.P. Paul "Jesus" Rovia