By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review contains spoilers.
We pick up this week’s episode at the stand-off in the sewers, but before things get out of hand, Mercer – along with Pamela and Carol arrive and the situation is diffused. Of course, not before Daryl gets his pound of flesh as he stabs Hornsby in the hand for good measure. “Don’t worry. He’ll live” is a great line, especially when he just walks off and mic-drops the knife. Negan loved this, and so did I! What a great start to the episode!
Carol informs the group of the deal she made with Pamela involved them giving up Hornsby, who she will use to save her son and shift the blame onto. What do they get in return? All the materials they need to finish rebuilding the settlements, including weapons and a free pass to leave the Commonwealth. Despite all they have lost, the overriding feeling is that it’s a deal worth taking. Pamela offers up Hornsby to the people and promises justice – just in time for Founders Day!
With the group splitting, some staying and the others going to prep the other settlements, it feels like our group’s time inside the Commonwealth is at an end. But not all of the group are eager to leave. Judith, Ezekiel, and Eugene all have their own reasons for wanting to stay, but the common theme is to make a difference and help those around them. Which is a good thing, as Hornsby’s assassins gun down a construction crew – so things are about to get very chaotic! Max entraps Sebastian by recording their conversation and then subsequently gives the recording to Eugene for broadcast. As the Miltons take to the stage to give their big speech, Max executes her plan. The recording is played over the PA system and the Miltons are exposed. To make matters worse, the work crew that was killed earlier have been released onto the streets and chaos rains down on the Commonwealth!
Among all the death, Sebastian chases after Max and, as the two fight, the Walker that Sebastian threw Max to is knocked away from her and onto him instead. As he grapples with the Walker, he screams for help, but his screams fall on deaf ears as the people stand around and watch the Walker rip into his throat. Judith mercy-kills the Walker, but it is too late for Sebastian. As the recording of his words continues to echo out, the episode ends. The class war and status quo of the Commonwealth are about to get one hell of a shakeup!
I thought this was a great establishing episode in terms of the final phase of the show. The groundwork has been laid to rebuild, however, the internal conflict of some characters, to rectify and save the Commonwealth also takes precedence. Hornsby has been positioned to be the final ‘big bad’ of the show and I think that is a good call given how menacing he can be within this political setup. It’s clear that the faith in the Miltons and the old ways is over, and it is fitting that a new beginning in the story will line up with the ending of the show. I really enjoyed how they examined the class war in this episode and think it chimes perfectly with real-world events right now which, unintentionally, adds extra depth and layers to the storytelling.
As for what happens next. What is Pamela’s next move? Do the people rally to Hornsby? What about everyone else who will get caught up in the crossfire? War is coming to the Commonwealth, and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
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