The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 5 "What Comes After"

  What's Your Wound?

 

Rick tells himself to wake up. "It's time to go." He is speaking to season 1 Rick lying in the hospital bed. He hears Morgan ask about his wound. He looks down and sees the blood on his side. Now season 1 Rick is telling him to wake up. Rick wakes up and sees the zombies coming towards him. He tries to get up but can't. He is stuck. He takes off his belt and uses it to pull himself free. He gets on his horse as the two herds converge. They follow him.

Anne drives an RV. It stops working. A man on the walkie asks her to confirm her location and status of the "A." She says she has an A and gives them a location. They know her people abandoned the landfill. The man asks if it's a trick. She says it isn't. She is desperate to leave. Rick rides down the road. He is bleeding profusely and struggling to remain conscious. He says to himself, "I need to keep 'em safe. I need to stay awake. Lead 'em away. Some . . ." He looses consciousness. He sees zombies and an empty hospital bed. He wakes up and looks at the herd behind him. He urges the horse on but he is in too much pain to keep up that pace.

Maggie and Diane ride their horses towards Alexandria. A zombie comes towards them and Maggie kills it with a crowbar. She hits it more times than is necessary. Rick rides on. He rides towards a cabin. On the door of the cabin are the words, "Come face me assholes." Rick walks around to the side of the house to an open door. He uses a piece of cloth to bandage his wounds. He finds a couple of skeletons. It looks like one killed the other than himself. Rick falls asleep.

Rick rides his horse towards Atlanta. The herd of zombies follow him. Rick voice over, "I'm looking for my family." Lori asks, "What's your wound?" That's the same thing Morgan asked him. He rides in the city towards a police car. Shane sits inside the car.  Shane says, "God damn, cowboy. You look like shit." They sit in the car eating burgers just like the beginning of the pilot episode. Rick asks Shane what this is. Shane responds, "What is this? Come on, Rick. Look around. You know what this is." Rick notices the overturned car with the two idiots they were chasing before he was shot. They talk about the third man. The third man changed everything (he shot Rick). Rick says he is looking for his family. Shane says, "Well, see that's not entirely true. One could argue it's my family you're looking for. Right? How is my baby girl, by the way? Got my eyes, doesn't she?" Rick responds, "She hasn't got your nose." They both laugh. They talk about how they each think the other one is an asshole. Shane talks about how he turned Rick into an asshole. Out in the field the night Rick killed Shane. Rick took a page out of Shane's book. Shane says, "I'm glad you did it. You stepped up brother." Rick says, "It had to be me. Still has to be me." Shane says Rick is wrong. It has to be Shane. Shane says, "The only way this gets done, Rick. I want you to think about how you bit that piece of shit's throat out. Asshole in the church with the red machete. That's what I'm talkin' about. That's the shit that I need from you that I always knew you had in you. I knew you had it in you, Rick, and it is time. You want answers? You wanna know what this is all about, this right here, you and me? So now I'm gonna tell you and I want you to listen carefully. It's time, Kneel down. Dig deep. Find it, Rick, the rage, the hatred. Find it. The loyalty that's in there, find it. It's in there, Rick. It's the only way that this gets done and this has to get done. You understand me? You can do it, brother." Rick says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you." Shane tells him he needs to forget about that. He yells at Rick to wake up. Rick wakes up to find a zombie going for his face. The zombies followed him to the cabin. He breaks through a wall and crawls outside. They follow him. He gets back on his horse and rides away.

Michonne makes notes while Judith makes a bracelet out of shells. Scott knocks on the door and tells her Maggie has arrived. Judith smiles and says, "Aunt Maggie." Michonne is surprised. Maggie goes to the cell and finds Michonne blocking her way. Maggie tells her to get out of her way. Michonne says, "You're willing to turn this into something else? For him? " Maggie replies, "Not for him, for me. For others. For Glenn." Maggie says that Negan should have died. Michonne tells her it's done. Maggie doesn't care that Rick decided it was done. She walks towards the door. Michonne tells her to step back. Maggie says that Michonne saw what Negan did. Michonne asks, "Do you think Glenn would want this? For you to go through me to him?" Maggie replies, "I don't know what he'd want. I dunno, because I never got to say goodbye." Michonne says, "He wouldn't want it, Maggie. You father wouldn't want this. You know this." Maggie says, "The only thing I had, the one thing I had was knowing I was gonna see Glenn's murderer die and you took it from me." Michonne asks, "So takin' it back what the hell is that gonna do?" Maggie says, "It's gonna start things over." Michonne says, "No. It's gonna start something else." Maggie says if it had been Rick instead of Glenn, Michonne would have killed Negan a long time ago. Maggie can't turn it off. She asks Michonne how. She can't keep living like that. Michonne can't help her. They both cry. Maggie says, "'Cause there's nothing you can say. There's only what you do." Michonne asks if she can live with what comes after and Maggie says she has to. "Can't live with it now." Maggie puts out her hand and Michonne hands her the keys.

Maggie walks into the cell and Negan chuckles. "She got the blade but you got the fire. My money was on you." She asks if he remembers her and he does. She tells him to get on his knees. "I remember how much I broke you breakin' open your husband's head like that." She says, "Glenn. His name was Glenn." He asks if she's come for revenge. She is there for justice. He tells her he enjoyed killing. He kneels and says, "Kill me. It was worth it." She wants to see him in the light. He tells her to kill him. He won't move into the light. He cries for her to kill him. She opens the door and throws him out towards the light. He keeps asking for her to kill him. He wants to be with his wife. "I should be dead. I have to be dead. It's supposed to be you. It has to be you because I can't do it. I can't do it. I've tried. I can't. I can't be like this. Please, please, don't make me stay like this. Settle me. Kill me. Please." He sobs. She orders him to get back into his cell. He says no and asks why. She says, "I came to kill Negan, and you're already worse than dead. That settles it." He gets back in his cell and says, "It wasn't supposed to be like this." She locks the door and leaves.

The zombies follow Rick. He says, "I need to lead 'em. Gotta find my family." He flashes back to when he woke up in the hospital. He falls forward onto his horse. We see the barn on Hershel's farm. A woman asks, "What's your wound?" We see Hershel standing on the second floor of the barn where Rick and Carl used to talk. Hershel tells him to look at the view. He says it is beautiful. They hug. He apologizes for what happened to Hershel, Beth, and Glenn. For everything Maggie has lost. Hershel says, "My girl, she's strong, and my grandson, he'll only make her stronger. You ain't gotta worry about her." Rick says, "I need to find my family. I need to keep 'em together." Hershel say, "No, you don't. You only think you do. I know it's been hard." Rick says, "It has. What she wanted for me, for Carl. It hasn't been easy. We've been tryin'." Hershel finishes, "But we'll get there. All of us." Rick says, "I'm tired, Hershel. My family. Maybe I can find 'em here." Hershel responds, "No, Rick. You have to wake up." Rick wakes up. He collapses on his horse again. The zombies keep coming.

He wakes up in the hospital from the pilot. Abraham asks, "What's your wound?" He goes to the door that says "Don't Open Dead Inside." He opens the door and he light pours in. He is standing outside among a field full of dead bodies (not zombies). He sees Daryl, Maggie, Rosita, Jesus, Shane, etc. Sasha stands up and smiles at him. Rick looks at her and says, "They, they're all dead." She knows. It's okay. He asks how can it be okay. She says, "'Cause you did your part, like I did mine, like the others did before us." He asks how. "They gave us the strength that we needed to do what we had to do for the others, and the others draw strength from us. We change each other. We help each other. We make each other better. And it never ends." He says it feels like it's ending. She says, "Little things do end, but it's never the end of everything, because we don't die. It's not about you or me or any one of us. It's about all of us. And I don't think it just evens out. I think it always crosses over toward the good, toward the brave, toward love. Your family, you're not gonna find them because they're not lost. And you are not lost. What you need to do is wake up." He falls to the ground. He has fallen off the horse and now the horse has run away. He wakes up at the bridge campsite. Dead bodies lie everywhere. Zombies walk towards him. They are people from the camp that have reanimated.

The zombie herd is beginning to arrive. Rick stands up and walks towards the bridge. The falls to the ground at the foot of the bridge. He is starting to lose consciousness again. He hears Daryl call his name. Daryl and several others show up and begin killing the zombies. Michonne goes to him and says he is going to be okay. He says, "No, you take care of them. I can't. I can't."  She says, "You will. It's not over. We don't die." He nods. She holds his head in her hands. She say, "You wanna know why I fell in love with you? Because you're a fighter and you never give up. So fight, Rick. Fight for me. Fight for all of us." They look at the others. Rick says, "You're my family. I found you. But this, this isn't real." She says it is, kisses him, and tells him to wake up. He wakes up and is alone on the bridge.

He walks onto the bridge with the zombies following. Blood drips from his wound to the floor. He crosses the bridge. When he gets to the other side he turns to look as the herd comes towards him. He says, "No, No. It's gonna hold. I can't. I can't." A zombie comes up from behind to bite him and an arrow kills it. He turns to see Daryl with his crossbow. Michonne and others join him. Rick just stands there as another zombie approaches. Maggie, Carol, and some others come from the other side. She doesn't understand what Rick is doing. Michonne calls out that he is hurt. Daryl says, "That herd that went right through Hilltop. He's trying to bring down the bridge." Michonne says no and pulls out her katana. Maggie says they will turn the herd around. Carol orders the other to fire their guns. Rick says, "No, don't do it, not for me. It's too many. No." Their plan isn't working. Daryl reloads and kills zombie after zombie. Zombies knock over a box of dynamite. The others run to help Rick. Rick nods to Daryl who has stayed where he is and shoots arrows at zombies. Rick raises his gun and fires at the dynamite. He says, "I found 'em." The bridge blows up. They look on in shock. Daryl cries. The herd falls into the water and is swept away. Michonne is held back by Maggie and Carol. Daryl stands alone crying. He walks into the woods alone.

Anne makes her way to the river. A helicopter is heard overhead. She sees Rick lying by the river. She calls over to the walkie that he has a B not an A. The helicopter approaches. She calls over the walkie, "He's hurt but he's strong. Can you help him?" The man on the walkie says, "I warned you there'd be consequences if you tried something." She's says it's not a trick. She drops her gun and says she's trying to save a friend that saved her. She asks if they have a deal. No response. The helicopter lands. She tells Rick she's going to save him. He is on the helicopter with her. They fly away. A girl fights zombies. She calls bask to others to run. Several people fight their way through a herd of zombies. They stand back to back to fight the herd. Gunshots ring out and a girl calls out to them that the way is clear. A little girl stands in the woods. She has a gun in one hand and a katana on her back. She asks them their name. When they ask for hers she picks up Rick's sheriff's hat and says her name is Judith. Judith Grimes.

Final Thoughts
- I really liked this episode. It will probably be my favorite episode of this season. I loved being able to see old characters (and actors) show up to help Rick on his way. I'm surprised Carl wasn't there. Maybe Chandler was unavailable?
- So Rick's last episode isn't the end of his story. There will be three movies which he will star in. For more detail I have provided a link to an article discussing the future of The Walking Dead franchise: https://tinyurl.com/yca996gt
- I'm not sure how I feel about TWD being made into a franchise. Only time will tell. I'm concerned the story line will suffer. I found last season very boring and frustrating. With the exception of this episode I have found this season to be very boring.  
- Can we be done with Negan already? I am done with that character. Let's move on. 
- I'm interested in seeing what happens with the time jump. I am intrigued by older Judith.

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 4 "The Obliged"

Michonne wakes up and kisses Rick. She makes breakfast with Judith. Looks over plans for a new building at Alexandria. She settles an argument between two women fighting over crops. She visits the sick. That night she can't sleep. She looks over at her katana. Zombies feast on an animal. Michonne attracts them by making noise and kills them with her katana. The next morning she plucks tomatoes with Judith. She makes notes as she reads through books (I'm assuming government and US history books). That night she grabs her katana and kills some more zombies. When she gets home she cleans her katana with a smile on her face. She goes out every night killing zombies. During the say she plays with Judith and Rick but looks upset. She goes out again to kill zombies. She finds a zombie hanging from a tree. It's hands have been tied. She cries as she looks at it but can't mourn for too long. A zombie attacks her and she drops her katana. She uses a a bat to kill it . She stares at the bloody bat and then drops it to the ground. She picks up her katana. The bat is not Negan's but it reminds her of Lucille.

Morning at Hilltop. Maggie holds Hershel as she looks out from her balcony.  Maggie grabs a crowbar and puts it in her bag. Jesus comes up to her and hands her another letter from Georgie. She says she will read it later. She tells him she just came back for a few things. He is suspicious. She tells him he's done a good job taking care of Hilltop and needs to keep doing it for a little while. He knows she's not going back to the camp. She says, "I'm going to make things right. Like we talked about." He replies, "Like you did with Gregory. Only we never talked about that." He used to agree with her. He says Negan deserved to die. "Rick was wrong because he made a call that wasn't his to make. I just want to be sure that you're not wrong in the same way that he was. And I want you to be sure." Diane asks if Maggie is ready. Maggie turns to Jesus and says, "I am. I'll be back when it's done." Jesus does not look pleased.

Rick looks at the water rushing under the unfinished bridge. He and Eugene discuss the situation. The rain washed away the levee. Eugene doesn't think the bridge will hold. Eugene doesn't recommend the bridge project continue. Especially since they no longer have labor from Sanctuary. The good news is the two large herds in the area don't show signs of merging. Eugene wishes he'd read more books so they could have fixed the bridge. Rick says, "You're not just a guy who read some books. You made something. You got us here. After everything . . . that's everything." Eugene nods.

Carol sits in her tent playing with her ring. Rick asks if she is leaving. She says she is taking her people home to the Kingdom. He asks about Sanctuary. She sent Alden to bring the group back. She says Sanctuary needs to try to stand on it's own. He wants to know what happens if the same thing that happened at the camp happens in Sanctuary. Carol says that's on them. She says they don't want them there anymore but they also don't want Negan anymore. "It's up to them to figure out who they want to be." Rick replies, "Like you did." She says, "Like we all did." He nods in agreement. He doesn't know if they are doing the right thing. "But if anyone gives me hope for how things can turn our, it's you." She says she is still trying to figure things out. She really wanted things to work. He knows. She leaves. He walks out of the tent and Jerry tells him that Maggie is on her way to Alexandria. Jesus sent him with the message. He wants to know when Maggie left and if Jesus said anything else. Jesus said that Rick knows what that means. Rick calls over the walkie to Alexandria. He says that Maggie is to be delayed. She is not allowed in Alexandria without an escort and to alert Michonne. He calls over the walkie that if Maggie can hear him he wants to talk. The girl taking the message says, "I think she's done talking." I doubt the message got to Alexandria. He asks Rick what's going on. Daryl offers to take Rick to Alexandria on his motorcycle.

Michonne hears a knock on her gate. Nora comes in with bad news. The crows have eaten most of the tomato crop. Negan refuses to eat. Michonne says she'll handle the Negan situation. She looks angry. Rick and Daryl ride down the road. Rick tells Daryl he missed their turn. When Daryl doesn't respond he tells him to pull over. When he stops they both jump off the bike. Rick wants to know what is going on. Daryl says, "You know exactly what this is." Daryl tells him the message didn't go through to Alexandria. Rick is upset he messed with their message system. Daryl says, "This time, man, it's gonna go the way it was supposed to." Rick grabs his walkie and they begin to fight. They fall down into a pit.

Michonne brings Negan some food. She tells him his hunger strike ends today. He says he's not on a hunger strike he just doesn't want to eat. She orders him to eat. She wants him to eat and he wants her to stay and talk to him. "I mean, I'm proof that you're making a civilization, right? Hard to be that if I'm dead from starvation." He's not on strike if she stays and talks to him. She's giving him 20 minutes and then he's going to eat. "You wanna talk. Let's talk."

Rick and Daryl assess their situation. The only way out are the roots sticking out but they are up too high. Rick asks Daryl if he set this up as well. Daryl says Rick is the one that had to chase after Maggie. He couldn't just let things be. Rick says, "You know what keeping Negan alive means to us." Daryl replies, "I know what seein' him dead means to her." Rick knows why Maggie feels the way she does about Negan. Daryl points out that Rick would be dead if it wasn't for Glenn. It was because of Glenn that he was reunited with his family and joined the group. "He did that. Or did you forget?" Rick says, "Of course not, I think about it every damn day. And Maggie, I hate what I did to her, what I took from her, but it's what I had to do." Daryl says she's doing what she has to do. And he is fine with that. Rick points out that Daryl spared Dwight's life after all he did to him. Daryl replies, "Man you got that guy sitting in a cell like a damn symbol to all them assholes who can't wait to see things go back to the way that they were." Rick replies, "Keeping him alive is how we make sure it won'!" Daryl says, "No, Keeping him alive is givin' 'em hope that it will." Rick says Michonne spoke to Maggie and Maggie was coming around. Daryl says she tried but couldn't. Just like Oceanside couldn't. Rick asks about Oceanside. He now realizes Oceanside killed the missing Saviors. Daryl says the Saviors got what they deserved. Rick can't believe Daryl knew and didn't say anything. Daryl can't live with the fact that Negan is still alive. Rick believes that Negan will become a martyr if Maggie kills him and the war was for nothing. "Every person who died, died for nothing. Carl died for nothing." He cries. Daryl asks, "What about the rest of us? You don't think after all the shit we've been through, we couldn't handle it? Man, you keep askin' us to have faith in all these other people. Truth is, you don't have enough faith in us." Rick says that's not true. Daryl says, "I'd die for you.  And I would've died for Carl. You know that. But you gotta hear me. You're chasin' something for him that ain't meant to be, man.You just got to let him go. Let him go." Rick shakes his head. "I never, I never asked anyone to follow me." Daryl knows. "But maybe you should've."

Negan wants to know why she is stuck in Alexandria while Rick is out with his band of merry men. "I think that I'm not meant to be rotting in this cell, just like I think the warrior in you is not meant to be planting kale and kissing boo-boos." She says they are reordering the world. Rebuilding government and creating laws. "We're at the start of everything. And nothing is holding us back. While you are rotting in here with nothing." He's grateful his wife never got to see him like this. He says his wife was an angel that deserved better. Michonne asks what happened to her. He replies, "What used to happen. Cancer. We would've loved to have had a kid. We would've loved to had a kid like Carl. You were lucky." She thinks about Carl every day. He's here in everything they do she sees him everywhere. He asks if she sees Carl in the cell. She says she sees him everywhere (so, yes). He figures out Carl wasn't her fist son. He wants to know how her son died. She says his name was Andre. "And he just didn't make it." He says he's sorry. He says it's better this way. His wife wasn't made for this world. She was weak. He was relieved when she died. He says that he and Michonne are the same. "We were built for more. We still are, Michonne. Behind walls and bars, we die. But, see, out there . . . it's like an addiction. I know that you know what I'm talking about. And that is why you're grateful, too." She asks, "Grateful for what?" He replies, "That Andre's gone. Because you know all he would've done is make you weak." She grabs the tray and throws it on the floor. She storms out.

Gabriel lies on the floor. He is tied up. Anne walks over to him and wipes his brow. She has a zombie tied to a dolly. He tells her she doesn't have to do this. She replies, "There's only one place left for me to go. And you're the price of admission." He says she doesn't have to. He knows her. She's changed. She wanted to change. She tried but she's not like him. He's moved on from his past and let people in. He says he didn't do that others did. She did. "I'm a better person because of you." She says, "Then I'm sorry . . . it was all for nothing." She lowers the zombie over him. He says he's sorry. What she's about to do is his fault. She asked him for help and he failed her. He pushed her away because he was scared. He hopes she can forgive him some day. He forgives her. The zombie chomps right by his face. Anne pulls the zombie up. She grabs a handkerchief and puts it over his mouth.

Saviors walk through the woods. Carol and Jerry lock up the weapons locker. Carol notices the Saviors walking towards them. She tells Jerry to take the trunks to the medical tent. She holds her gun out as Jed (holding a gun) and some other Saviors armed with axes and machetes come into the camp. She asks Jed where he got his gun. He took it from Alden. She says everyone should lower their weapons. No one has to die today. Jed figured out Oceanside is responsible for killing the Saviors. The war is on and Oceanside is going to get what's coming to them. She tells him to stop. He is going to get everybody killed. He says Carol isn't the boss anymore. He continues, "You're a weak little woman who got in a lucky shot. And now, listen to what I say. Now, step aside." She lowers her gun and steps aside. He grabs the key for the weapons locker and she kicks him and knocks him down. Other Saviors come out of the woods. Gun shots ring out.

Daryl and Rick hear the gun shots. Daryl says the sound is coming from the camp. Rick says the sound will draw the two herds. Shots continue ringing. Daryl gives Rick a boost and Rick reaches for a root. He misses the first time but succeeds on the second try.

Michonne grabs her books and begins writing more notes. She looks at her katana. She walks back to the cell. She brings another tray of food. She asks Negan why he said those things. He wasn't trying to piss her off. She wants to know why he cares about what she thinks. He says it's because she never comes down there. It is usually Rick. She wants to know why that matters. He says she wasn't ready to hear that they're the same. "All or nothing. You are trapped, same as me. You're connected to the dead same as me. We are the same, and you can't stand that we're the same." She says they are not the same. "Yeah, we do what we need to to get shit done. But you get a kick out of it. Me? I'm trying every day to make things better, thinking of way to bring people together, not pitting them against each other. I sacrifice, and I compromise. And, yeah, I do get strength from the dead, but I live for the living and I make no apologies for that. My sons are gone, but this world is going to be better for my daughter and for every other child that comes into it." He replies, "You're not scared that you're like me. You're scared that you're gonna end up like me, with everything and everyone that you love gone." She says he is trying to connect with her. He says, "Because there is nothing worse than nothing." She says, "Long as you're still breathing, it's not nothing. Time's up. Eat, Negan. One way or another, you're gonna have to. He bends down and grabs the sandwich and take s a bite. He wants to ask her something. "There are things in this world that we desperately hold on to when there's nothing left. " She realizes he wanted to use her to see Lucille. She says they don't have her. She's still out there. He keeps saying no. He cries. He says he is going to see Lucille. He hits his head against the wall over and over again.

Zombies fall into the pit and almost lands on Rick. Daryl kills the zombies. Rick warns him that more are coming.  Daryl piles up the zombies and uses them to climb out of the pit. He and Rick have to keep dodging more zombies that keep falling in. The pit is quickly filling up with zombies. Daryl slips and the zombies grab at his feet. Rick makes it out of the pit and tells Daryl to hurry. He grabs a tree vine and uses it to hold himself while reaching for Daryl. Their hands keep slipping. Rick says, "Brother, take my hand." Daryl reaches one more time and Rick pulls him out. Zombies start coming for them. A horse that escaped camp  runs into a herd of zombies coming down the road. When they get to the road Rick tells Daryl he is staying to lead the herd away from the camp. Daryl says no but Rick isn't giving up. Daryl tells him to lead the zombies to the bridge. The bridge won't hold. Rick won't sacrifice the bridge. They need it. Daryl tells him to be safe. Rick gets on the horse and Daryl gets on his bike.

Gabriel wakes up in a locker at the dump. He walks out and calls for Anne but gets no response. He is alone. He finds a note in his jacket from Anne. Anne in voice over ,"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. I need to go fast." He cries.

Michonne reads to Judith. She pauses when she sees a picture of a baseball bat. She kisses Judith. Maggie rides to Alexandria with Diane. She rides past a bunch of dead zombies. Daryl rides down the road. Rick leads the zombies.He gets to a crossroad and runs into the other herd. His horse gets spooked and bucks him off. He lands on a cinder block with rebar and is trapped by the rebar. He passes out as the herds converge toward him.


Final Thoughts
-  Will Maggie succeed in killing Negan?
- How long with Jesus support Maggie and her decisions. He doesn't seem too happy about her decision to kill Gregory or Negan.
- What will happen with Sanctuary? Lauren seems to work well with others but if Jed becomes their leader it will not end well.
- Is Georgie coming back? They keep mentioning her but we haven't seen her yet. Will we get to see her community?
- I'm sad to see Rick go. But I am looking forward to next episode.
- Will Daryl take over part of Rick's responsibilities?

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 3 "Warning Signs"

Zombies eat someone. They get distracted and walk away. Gunshots are heard in the distance. The person that the zombies were eating has reanimated. It is Justin. He follows the other zombies. He walks past a sign that reads "FINAL WARNING."

Rick gets dressed while Michonne sleeps. He checks on Judith who was coughing. On the wall hang the pieces of wood that have Carl and Judith's hand prints. Rick walks through Alexandria's crops. He grabs a ripe tomato. He places it on the grass by a grave marker? He comes back to find Michonne awake. He tells her she will have to finish the charter by dinner. He says he is glad that she is in charge of Alexandria. She wants to take Judith to see Siddiq because of her cough. He's going to take the day off from the bridge work to do that. Maggie will be going to the bridge. She warns him that Maggie, Daryl, and possibly others are still upset with Rick. He says it will all work out. He thanks her for everything she's done and doing. He hints that he wants a child with her. They kiss. She says okay. "For the future."

Maggie and Kal ride a wagon. All of a sudden several Saviors walk out of the woods. She asks why they aren't working at the bridge. They are looking for a friend that went missing. She says she doesn't know anything about it. She mentions the missing ethanol and they say the people delivering it also went missing. One of the Saviors steals a tomato from the back of the truck. When she asks his name he says it's mud. Laura tells Maggie that his name is Jed and she should mark him down for the tomato. Then she thanks Maggie for bringing Sanctuary the food rations. She promises that Sanctuary will make good on the fuel as soon as they can. They head back to the bridge. Ken says the Saviors can't be believed. She says they are giving them a chance. They see zombie Justin up ahead.

Rick, Michonne, and Judith are having a family day. Rick is getting examined by Siddiq as Judith looks on. They walk down the street holding hands. They play hide and seek. Michonne teaches Judith how to fight with a stick. They have a picnic. Rick reads to Judith "The Wizard of Oz." One of the Alexandrians runs up to them. Michonne goes to talk to him. He tells her about the missing Savior the others were looking for. He was found dead but his death doesn't appear to be an accident. Someone killed him. Michonne and Rick look concerned. They hold hands.

Justin's body has been brought to the bridge campsite. The Saviors are getting mad at the others saying they want them dead. Alden yells for everyone to stop. Jed says Alden is not one of them. Alden says "us" means all of them. Carol steps in. Laura steps in. The Saviors want guns to protect themselves. Daryl says no guns. The Saviors start accusing people of killing Justin from Daryl to Anne. They grab axes. The others aim their weapons on them. Gabriel steps forward but Rick rides up on a horse and stops them. Laura tells the others to let it go. Alden says he will talk to Rick and find a way to make everyone safe. Rick orders them to start the redirect and pair off to work the grid. Everyone disperses. Rick asks Gabriel if he knows where Anne was last night. Gabriel says she was on watch with him. Rick tells Gabriel to keep an eye on her. Alden wants Rick to give a couple of guns to some trustworthy Saviors to help calm them down. Maggie says no guns for any of the Saviors. She says that was a part of the deal. He says that she trusts him now and should trust other Saviors that have made a change (I'm thinking about Laura). Rick says they need to figure out who killed Justin before arming anyone. Maggie doesn't like the idea. Rick brings up the point that the deal she put in place makes the Saviors the majority of the work force and they deserve to be safe. She nods in agreement. She asks who he thinks killed Justin. Rick looks over at Daryl. Gabriel asks Anne if she is alright. She says she didn't do anything. He says he knows. He tells her he told Rick that she was with him all night but he left after they were done having sex. He asks if she saw anything that could help explain what happened to Justin. She responds, "You think I'm hiding something?"

Daryl sharpens his knife. Rick sits by him. Daryl tells him to ask. Rick says the wound on Justin looks like a puncture from an arrow. Daryl asks if Rick really thinks he did it. Rick says no but others do. Daryl tells him if he had killed Justin he would have done so in plain sight. True, Daryl isn't the kind to stab someone in the back He doesn't know who but he knows why. This was always going to happen by bringing the Saviors to join them. "Why do they get this future? And Glenn don't? Abraham? Sasha? You ever think about what they want? What they'd do, if they could?" Rick does think about that. For awhile he wanted the Saviors dead too. "But killing each other when the world already belongs to the dead? It's not the way, not anymore." Daryl begins to go back to work. Rick knows Daryl doesn't agree but he wants him to try. To let others see him try. "And maybe everyone moves past what's happened to what could happen and maybe, just maybe, it'd be one of the best decisions you ever made. Like not killing a guy who left your brother on a rooftop to die."

Maggie walks the grid with Cyndie. She hears over the walkie everyone calling in their grid. She sees a couple of zombies and lets the others know over the walkie. Cyndie says there is a house over there and maybe that's where the zombies are headed. She used to live nearby before Oceanside. Several zombies surround a boarded up house. Maggie says they have to take the zombies out. She hands Cyndie a pitchfork and tells her to head towards the roof to stop the banging from the roof tile. She whistles and calls the zombies over. Cyndie walks toward the house. One zombie stands there. She kills it. When she walks up to the house she sees several zombie hands sticking out form the  boarded up door. She falls through the porch and zombies begin to spill out. Maggie comes to her aid killing zombie after zombie. Cyndie struggles to kill a zombie and an arrow comes through it's head. Rick, Daryl, and Rosita are there as back up. Rosita asks what happened to group five. They should have arrived first. Rick calls over the walkie but nobody responds. They arrive at grid five's location. They find Beatrice on the floor. Someone hit her from behind. She doesn't know what happened to the rest of her group. Maggie says whoever attacked took Arat (a Savior that was part of the group). Back at the camp they discuss what to do. They need to find Arat. For the moment they are telling everyone she is on watch duty. One more missing Savior will only worsen the situation. Jerry pipes up. What do they do when they find the perp. "Is it gonna be a 'Gregory' or a 'Negan'?" Rick and Maggie look at each other. Cyndie says when the time comes the guilty party will get what they deserve. Rick orders everyone to pair up and look for Arat.

Rick and Carol walk through the woods looking for Arat. He asks Carol if the Saviors should be a part of all this. She responds, "It's not your choice or mine. They just have to want it like the rest of us. Today, I saw it starting again, and I just wanted to pull that trigger. End it before it begins. 'Cause if we don't find Arat, we're gonna have a fight whether we want it or not." Rick says he won't and can't let it come to that. "Every day since I put Negan in that cell . . . I have this moment, usually right when I wake up, this feeling that I should go down there and kill him. To keep going, finish them all. And in that moment, it's all I want. But, then, I remember everyone we've lost, not just to the Saviors. But the whole way. And I know I need to honor them. To build life, not take it. Because it's us or the dead. And every life counts now."

Daryl and Maggie search together. He asks if she agrees with this or she is just going along with Rick's plan to be nice. She's not sure. Neither is he. She wishes she could look forward and not back but every time she looks at Hershel she sees things the way they might have been and she can't let it go. He tells her she doesn't have to. He hasn't. She says, "What Rick's doing is right for the future. Better for Hershel." They hear a zombie growl. It is crawling towards a dead body. She kills it. Daryl looks at the body and finds an arrow in it. He knows who took Arat.

Anne returns to her former dumpster home. She puts her flashlight down and pulls out a walkie from a box. She turns it on and says, "It's Jadis. I know you're in range. I saw the helicopter last night." A man replies over the walkie, "What do you have? An A or a B?" She asks if he took the Saviors. He says, "No pickups. But the deal still stands. Will you have an A or a B." She says neither. It's just her. She's paid her share. He says she's been compensated. She wants to know what will it take. He says an A. She replies, "An A." He says, "Tomorrow." Gabriel comes up behind her and asks who she was talking to. He asks if she did something to Justin. He wants to know who she was talking to and what she did. She says she did bad things but not the killing or missing people. He wants to know the truth. She traded people. He wants to know why. She did it for supplies for her people. "It didn't start that way. It just ended up there." She tried at Alexandria but when anything goes wrong she is suspected. When the Saviors went missing everyone suspected her except for Gabriel. She asks him to leave with her to another place far away. "It can be different for us." She takes him by the hand. She tells him he can't tell anyone. "But if you could trust me, and help me with a small part of the deal, we can have a life like you can't imagine." He says he can't do it. He has to tell Rick. She wants him to choose her instead. He says, "Not like this." She replies, "And all this time I thought you were a B." She hits him on the head.

Carol and Rick walk through the now dark forest towards zombie sounds. Carol grabs her knife and finds Jed. Another Savior grabs her from behind and pushes her to Jed. Rick comes up and tells him to drop his weapon. Jed tells Rick to do the same. Jed says he will kill her before Rick kills him. Rick asks if Jed killed the others. Jed says no. They are not killing anyone unless they have to. He says this is about the guns. They are leaving the bridge project and want some protection to get back home. Rick says it doesn't have to be this way. Jed wants Rick to give the other Savior his gun. Carol has a knife hidden up her sleeve. Rick sees her take it out while Jed rambles on. Rick says, "You do this, there's no going back. Everything we're doing, it ends." Jed says it ended with Justin. Carol say, "It's over." Rick says it's over. Carol stabs Jed in the shoulder. Rick orders the other Savior to stand down. Rick says they will take him back to camp to fix his wound. Jed wants to know why they don't just kill him. Carol says, "'Cause every life counts."

Daryl and Maggie show up at the building from the beginning of the episode. Daryl wants to know how Maggie knows about it. She says she thinks it's where the Oceanside group lived before the Saviors killed all the men. They find the cans of missing ethanol. They hear someone say, "Beg, like you made them beg." They run towards the voice. Cyndie has her gun to Arat's head. Several Oceanside women are with her. Daryl and Maggie come up. Daryl orders them to drop their weapons. Cyndie tells Beatrice it's okay. Beatrice killed Justin because he killed her husband. Daryl lowers his crossbow. Arat begs Daryl for her life. Cyndie says she is the last one.  Maggie says, "With something like this is it keeps going." Cyndie says this was their home. They were  many of them then. But then the Saviors came. After Simon gave them their final warning they ran to Oceanside and tried to forget. Then Rick and his group found them and asked them to fight. They agreed because they couldn't forget what happened. "We went along because we thought we didn't have a choice. Until you hung Gregory. That's when we knew. Rick's rules aren't the only rules. You showed us the way. It was time." Maggie realized they did it because of her. Arat killed Cyndie's brother. Arat cries, "It's not like that anymore. I'm one of you now." Maggie asks her if she did it and Arat says Simon would have killed her if she didn't. Cyndie begged Arat for her brother's life. He was only eleven years old. Cyndie asks Arat to repeat what she said when she begged for her brother's life. Arat said, "No exceptions." Maggie looks at Daryl and walks away. Daryl joins her. Arat begs them They keep going and Cyndie stabs Arat in the back of the head.

The next morning all of the Saviors walk out of the bridge project. Maggie and Daryl walk through the woods. Maggie says, "Right after we agreed we'd wait." Daryl responds, "Ya, we did." Maggie continues, "Cyndie said I showed them the way. She did the same thing for me. We gave Rick's way a chance. It's time to see Negan." Daryl says, "All right." They walk down the road together. Daryl carries two cans of ethanol.

Final Thoughts

-  [SPOILER ALERT] I hope Michonne ends up pregnant before the show kills off Rick. 

- I'm interested in finding out who Anne has been dealing with. How do they have a helicopter? Military group? What is an A vs a B.

-  Are Daryl and Maggie going to kill Negan? I kind of hope they do. Maybe that would help quell some of the rioting Saviors.

The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 2 "The Bridge"

Rick sits in Negan's cell. Rick is giving him an update. Today is day 35. Rick walks around a campsite in the woods. He walks past Anne and Tara and then Rosita and some of the women from Oceanside. There are signs for the different settlements on a tree including: HQ, Alexandria, Oceanside, Sanctuary, and Toledo. Jerry comes out of a tent with Nabila and they kiss. The campsite seems to have a mixture of people from all the settlements. It appears that the campsite is for the crew rebuilding the bridge. He looks over to the bridge that is being repaired."We're not just fighting to survive anymore. We're making a new beginning."

Ezekiel tells Henry he should be proud of the work he has done on the bridge. One day he will tell his grandchildren how he helped build it. "Roads are the life blood of civilization." Carol walks over as Henry walks away. She says he is forgetting something. He comes back and kisses her on the cheek. He looks taller to her.  She needs to head back to Sanctuary. Ezekiel says, "Fairy tales end with heroes living happily forever, but in the real world, in this world, it's about finding the small moments and getting to have as many of those moments as possible." He's still not giving up on the fairy tale. Eugene gives Rick an update on what is needed for the bridge. Rosita tells him that a herd (named Horatio) with over 100 zombies is headed their way.  They make a plan to deal with the herd. Eugene tells Rick that six Saviors have walked out of the bridge building crew. Rick will speak to Carol about it. Enid sews up Cyndie's hand as Siddiq supervises. She is his student and will be left in charge of the camp when he heads back to Alexandria. Food is running low since Alexandria is providing food for the camp and Sanctuary.

Maggie trains a horse in Hilltop. Michonne is here to talk to her. Michonne tells her that she went to Sanctuary and they told her that they sent the ethanol shipment to Hilltop. Maggie says it never arrived and she believes they are lying about sending it. Michonne wants them to send Sanctuary food until things get sorted. Maggie doesn't want to because they need the ethanol for the tractor to plow the fields. She can't use the museum plow because her locksmith is locked up. She hasn't decided for how long. Michonne tries to convince her to let Earl fix the plow since they all need the food. Maggie doesn't agree. No one gets extra food until she gets the ethanol. Michonne looks over at Jesus but he looks down and says nothing.

Daryl and Aaron work on the bridge. Aaron is telling Daryl about Gracie's diaper exploding all over him. Aaron loves it. He is happy being a dad. He tells Daryl he thinks he'd be a great dad. Henry offers water to the workers on the bridge. Justin pushes Henry when he tells him he can only have one serving of water. Henry knocks him down with his stick. Justin walks off and Daryl tells him to get back to work. Justin doesn't like being told what to do by an Alexandrian. Daryl tries to stop him and they fight.

Eugene tells Rick his plan on re-purposing expired canned goods and condiments to make new food. They come to the bridge and see the fight. He breaks up the fight and orders them to go back to work. Back at the camp Daryl is mad that Justin gets a free pass for his behavior. Rick says they need Justin. He is strong and they need the workers since too many Saviors have walked away. Daryl says that some of the Saviors will never be tamed. Carol agrees with him.  The Saviors haven't forgotten what happened. Rick says, "It's not about forgetting. It's about moving ahead, all of us, together. We keep doing that they'll see we're all on the same side." Daryl asks, "Are we, though? Are we on the same side, Rick?" Rick replies, "Well you tell me." Daryl responds, "Thing is, man, I've been trying, to. But you don't seem to want to hear it." He walks out of the tent. Rick says it's complicated. Carol says he should talk to Daryl. Maybe some of the Saviors aren't ready for this new society. She leaves Rick alone in the tent. He picks up the manual "A Key To A Future."

Michonne overhears Maggie asking for Jesus to help convince Maggie to let her see her husband Earl. She says she still has her rights. Jesus seems sympathetic. He reminds her that Earl tried to kill Maggie. Let Maggie have some time to figure things out. She says she won't leave until Maggie lets her see her husband. She grabs a stool and sits outside of the basement where they are keeping him. Michonne watches and asks Jesus if he is going to talk to Maggie about the situation. He says it's not his call. She asks if he agrees with it. He doesn't know why Maggie hanged Gregory but he is not against Tammy seeing her husband. Michonne says he should talk to Maggie because Maggie listens to him. He trusts Maggie and her decisions. "No one's right all the time, not her, not me, and not you." Michonne replies, "That's why we need to build something that's bigger than any one of us."

Anne sits with Gabriel in the food tent at the bridge camp. She is drawing someone for him. She says it makes her feel like she is one of them. He says she is one of them. She says Gabriel, Rick, and Morgan reached out to her. He says the others will come around. Nobody trusted him at first. She says Rick is not the only one that is good at reaching out to people. She caresses his hand. He says his job is being there. Jesus discusses plans for the school with Maggie. He notices a letter from Georgie on her desk. He asks if she is thinking of joining Georgie. Apparently, Georgie asks this of her all the time. Maggie shakes her head. She likes Georgie's ideas but not enough to join her. "I'm plenty busy building a future right here." She plays with Hershel. Jesus brings up Tammy. She asks him if he thinks she's made the wrong decision. He says, "I think some decisions are too big for one person to make. That's why we had laws." She realizes he's been talking to Michonne. He says Michonne is right. Maggie and Tammy go down to the basement to see Earl. Earl tells Tammy he is okay and they have been treating him fairly. He's brought shame to his family. Tammy forgives him. He doesn't need her forgiveness. He misses his son. Rosita and a Savior set of an explosion with dynamite. It draws the attention of a zombie herd.

Maggie visits Earl. She wants to know about his drinking. He started drinking after he quit smoking. He was drunk when his son was born. He joined AA after that. He drove drunk with his son in the car. He called his wife and she picked them up and took them home. His wife stayed with him. He never drank after that until his son died. Maggie thanks him. He asks why she hanged Gregory but not him. She asks if she made a mistake and he says no. She leaves.

Tara looks out from a tower. She spots the zombie herd. She calls to Rick over a walkie. She tells him where the herd is headed. She calls Jerry on the walkie and he sounds off an alarm. Alden keeps trying to talk to Rick but he is distracted by the herd situation. The zombies turn to follow the sound of Jerry. Alden reports that none of the Saviors that left the bridge crew ever made it home. He says some of them had families so they wouldn't abandon them. Alden says Sanctuary is worried and they don't like that they no longer have guns. Rick says he will protect the Saviors. Alden says, "They work for you and you protect them. Who's that sound like to you?"

Tara calls over the walkie to tell Rick the second siren hasn't gone off so the zombies are headed towards the bridge crew. The bridge crew works at lifting logs. The horses start to freak out and Daryl notices. A few zombies make their way towards them. Daryl kills them and then notices a huge group of zombies headed right at them. He shouts for the crew to leave. One of the Saviors lets go of a log and as it falls Aaron pushes another work out of the way but gets pinned under the log. Daryl orders one of the crew to grab the mules as he runs to help Aaron. Aaron tells them to go when he sees the zombie approaching. Daryl kills a couple of zombies and then goes back to help Aaron. With the help of a couple of others they free him. His arm is all messed up. As they leave a zombie grabs Daryl. It is shot by Beatrice. Rick and his crew have arrived to help. He orders Daryl to get Aaron back to camp. Rick and his group begin killing the zombies. Rick shoots at the pile of logs and breaks the rope. The logs roll down and kill several zombies. Daryl takes Aaron to the infirmary but Enid is the only one there. She looks at his arm and says she has to amputate. Aaron doesn't want her to.  He doesn't have anything for the pain. Daryl will hold him down. She grabs the saw and Aaron looks at her and tells her she can do it. Daryl walks out of the tent splattered in blood. He enters a tent and asks Carol who was responsible for turning the herd. Justin says the walkie wasn't charged. Daryl punches Justin and beats him. Carol stops him. The camp looks at them. Carol says they will deal with this. He says, "There's only one way to deal with these assholes."

Michonne tells Maggie she has done something amazing with Hilltop. Maggie says they can discuss common laws. "But I'm not giving up the right to do what I think's best for my people." Michonne replies, "Neither will we. But I do think what is best for everyone will wind up being what's best for Hilltop too." Maggie hopes so. She asked Jesus to load up the food they promised to give to Sanctuary. Earl will pay off the debt he owes by working under supervision and a council will help her decide when that needs to change. We see Earl fixing the museum plow. Michonne smiles. Michonne wants to know what changed. Maggie says that Hershel used to drink. He was a good man that was given a second chance. "But Gregory he had chance after chance, and he wasted them all. I don't regret what I did, Michonne. Some people can be redeemed. But others can't." Michonne asks who gets to decide. Maggie says that's one of the things they'll have to figure out.

Justin walks past Rick at the camp and tells him he needs to keep his dog on his leash. He says Daryl almost killed him over nothing. Rick says he knows Justin. Rick used to be a cop. He used to pick up jerks like Justin and have to listen to them blame everyone else for their problems.  He tells Justin to pack up and leave in the morning. Justin says he won't wait until morning. Rick goes into the infirmary and sees Aaron. He tells Enid she did a good job. He'll survive if he doesn't get an infection. Daryl says Aaron is holding on. Aaron say, "Damn right I am."  Rick sits by Aaron and apologizes for what happened. Aaron says Rick couldn't have know this would happen. Rick says he has been pushing everybody hard. He put the project first and Aaron paid the price. Aaron says it was worth it. "When the dead started to rise, I thought I was seeing the end of everything. But you changed all that, Rick. It's not the end of the world anymore. It's the start of a whole new one." He's glad to be a part of this new world. Gabriel and Anne sit in the dark. He says the sound they hear are frog mating calls. She asks him who is the woman he had her draw. She was the organist at his church. He cared for her very much but was afraid and then he lost her. She thought priests were celibate. He's Episcopalian not Catholic. She asks what is stopping him. Is he still afraid? He kisses her.

Rick walks out of the tent and looks at the workers sitting around relaxing. Some are playing games. Others sitting by a fire. Carol asks if Ezekiel has the ring. She isn't saying yes but wants to wear it. He starts to kneel down but she stops him. He wrote a speech. She says he can read it to her later. He puts the ring on her hand.

Rick voice over: "It was a hard day. Hardest we've had in awhile. A man lost his arm. . . People were at each other's throats. Thing is, though, bad as it was, when the day was done, they came together. Not all of 'em, but enough. They chose to be together. You see what I'm getting at? No matter what happens, it's human nature to come together. That's just what we do." Negan says, "That's a real pretty picture you paint there, Rick. When do I get to see it?" Rick replies, "Never. You're gonna die behind these bars. You know that." Negan asks, "Well, then, don't I get some kind of final request?" Rick says, "Don't you ever get tired of acting like you're still in charge?" Negan responds, "Do you? When it finally goes to shit, and it will, you make sure you come back and you tell me all about that day, too." Rick answers, "We're thriving without you, building a future, just like I said we would." Negan asks, "Building it for who? For Carl?" Rick says, "You don't speak his name." Negan says, "That bridge is not the future. It's a monument to the dead. You're not saving the world, Rick. You're just gettin' it ready for me."

Anne stands at the watchtower making art with copper. She looks up at the sky and you see a plane flying overhead. Or is it a helicopter? Justin walks down a road with his belongings. Someone is watching him. He hears a noise and pulls out a machete. He recognizes the person and says he thought they got themselves killed. He is attacked.




Final Thoughts
- I get the feeling that the theme for this season is redemption. Who can be redeemed. Who deserves to be redeemed. And who doesn't deserve redemption.
- Is Daryl dating someone that Aaron hinted at him being a good father some day?
- I like Michonne's plan to create laws. The question is will everyone agree on what laws to have and will people follow them?
- Did Anne see an airplane or a helicopter? Is it the helicopter she called last season? She seems to have kept that a secret. Or at least that is what I got from her conversation with Gabriel.
- Who did Justin meet? Saviors or someone else? Alden seems to think the missing Saviors must have been attacked since they had families. Or were only some of them attacked and some are getting ready to fight to get rid of Rick and his group?