Happy Monday TV fans! After watching AMC’s The Walking Dead season 9 episode 11, I realized that saying “it’s all gonna work out” doesn’t always mean that it will. However, maintaining a positive outlook in the world of the dead is easier said than done. You make decisions that you have to live with it, but what if you can’t? Can you still make a difference and change it…or is it too late? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch yet. In last night’s episode, “Bounty,” Alpha and the Whisperers have arrived and they are going to cause some conflict if they don’t get what they came for. Meanwhile, Ezekiel and Carol tackle a side mission of their own and Connie winds up in a dangerous situation. My top 5 moments from The Walking Dead season 9 episode 11 are:
5
“You can’t have her.”
Alpha and the Whisperers are at the gates to retrieve Alpha’s daughter and she promises that there will not be conflict if they simply cooperate. Daryl initially tells Alpha that she can’t have her, but everything changes when we learn that the Whisperers have Luke and Alden. Alpha proposes a trade: her daughter for the lives of Luke and Alden. Before Daryl has much time to think this over, he notices that one of the Whisperers is holding a crying baby and he asks, “You brought a baby out here?” Seriously, you read my mind, Daryl. Alpha compares her group to animals, which is creepy on its own, but things begin to get more complicated when the dead arrive to break up the party.
4
“You live with it by staying who you are.”
While all the commotion is going on, Henry breaks Lydia out of her cell and tries to protect her. We get some screen time for Enid, who says that she will go after Henry. In a touching moment, Enid talks about losing people and mentions Carl’s letter to her. Henry whines that it’s not fair, but Enid tries to remind him that he needs to stay true to himself and live with it as best he can. She further explains that you “can’t let the bad things change you,” which is actually really great advice. Henry tells Lydia that he is going to miss her and she actually tells him that she will miss him too. I guess all of Henry’s whining paid off, as he shares a brief kiss with Lydia.
After watching the preview for next week’s episode, it looks like Lydia is going to be asked to eliminate Henry, but will she be able to do so now that they have the potential for teen romance? We’ll have to wait and see. When Lydia is reunited with her mother, she is greeted with a smack in the face and a reminder to refer to her as “Alpha.” Alpha is definitely not up for mother of the year, but she did break her own rules to retrieve Lydia.
3
“It’s movie time.”
So, I absolutely loved that the show gave us some fun in this episode. Sometimes the episodes can drag a little and feel heavy and we need some comic relief or moments of fluff to keep us connected to the characters and to be entertained. Carol and Ezekiel get some screen time, as they head off with Jerry and friends for an important side mission. As they approach a movie theater filled with the dead, Jerry hilariously comments, “It’s movie time!” Ezekiel is all about creating and maintaining community and he wants the children to be able to experience watching a movie. We even get a fun “mission mix” soundtrack to accompany them, as they lure the dead out of there. It seems like everything is going according to plan until Jerry drops the bubble wrapped projection bulb, but all is not lost. Carol makes the decision as the “queen” to retrieve it and they take out the walkers and successfully complete their mission. Yay!
2
“Natural selection.”
During the episode, the dead break up Alpha’s talk with Daryl and the others, as Alpha signals for the Whisperer mother to put down her baby. Alpha explains that it is “natural selection” and that if the mother cannot quiet the baby, the dead will. I found myself shouting at the television at this point, as Alpha is proving to be extremely dangerous and ruthless. I actually feel bad for Lydia now. Luke and Alden are being held captive and Luke uses sign language to inform Connie what is going on, who has been hiding nearby. Connie courageously rescues the baby and ends up in an extremely dangerous situation. She heads into the corn fields and we see everything from her perspective, as the sound is cut, which was a brilliant decision. Connie tries to take out the Whisperers one by one, but they keep coming and I was even startled several times, as they continued to pop up out of nowhere. This moment was eerie and terrifying, but so well done. Luckily, Daryl shows up to save the day and Connie makes it out of there with the baby. Talk about suspense!
1
“I can’t live with it either.”
Toward the end of the episode, Henry confronts Daryl and asks him how he can live with what he did. Daryl explains that “the world is just shit sometimes and you live with it.” Daryl knows that he did what he had to, but he still has some guilt lingering. Henry continues to be naive and impulsive, as he takes off after Lydia and leaves Daryl a note, saying that he can’t live with it. Daryl decides to go after Henry and Connie wants to tag along. When Daryl asks her why, she writes down, “I can’t live with it either.” It looks like Daryl and “Dog” have a new companion, as they all head out together. I am really liking Connie, played by Lauren Ridloff, and I think that she may be able to help Daryl turn a corner. While I still ship Daryl and Carol together in the end, this may be a chance for Daryl to truly connect with someone. Daryl is used to being on his own, but he can’t do everything by himself.
Overall, I thought this was a solid episode and the corn field scene was captivating and intense. We are still left with some questions, however. We see a mysterious symbol on the back of a sign after Carol and Ezekiel leave the movie theater and we still don’t know about the “X” marks. Are these symbols connected or are they separate threats? The symbol looks like an upside down “V,” which could relate to dominance or power, but there could be endless possibilities. I would love to hear some of your theories on this. Stay tuned!
I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Walking Dead below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!
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