So far, this was the best Walking Dead episode of the season, at least in this review’s opinion. Exploring a few different points of view, it gave us some character perspectives that I never thought we’d get to see on the show. So let’s get on with it because I’m really excited to talk all about this latest episode with you guys!
1. The sound was almost a main character of this episode (and I just loved it)
Sound always plays a particularly important role in the horror/suspense genre, whether it’s a hair-raising score, a terrifying effect, or just a noise that gives it away a character’s location. But The Walking Dead’s “What Is Always Is” takes this a step further, making sound itself a key element of Kelly’s scenes.
Kelly’s hearing problem has worsened throughout the season, and yesterday’s episode we had a clear vision of what she has to face every day. Imagine you, in a zombie apocalypse, having a hearing loss in the middle of a mission without knowing what or who is lurking you simply because you can’t hear what happens around you? An open door for zombies, who would come near you without the least effort and catch you off guard. That’s what (almost) happened to Kelly.
The episode begins with her hunting a pig, but the difference of these scenes to all the others in the show is that in this one, the viewer emerged in the feeling of helplessness of the character, making the scenes where they show her perspective, have no sound, just a muffled hum that leaves those watching in agony of what’s going on around it.
Kelly hits the pig. One moment you’re sad with her reaction of having to kill the animal so she won’t see him suffering – and all this without the slightest sound making the viewer apprehensive – in the other, you got startled by the sudden grunt of the animal with Kelly’s last blow, the sound of the room suddenly comes back and almost at the same time Kelly is surprised by a zombie who is lurking and attacks her. All this leads the girl to flee to some unknown place in the woods being at the mercy of some walkers that roamed the region, in her condition, without being able to hear anything around her, is scary at the very least.
But in the end, when I thought Daryl and Connie (who came to her rescue when they found out she wasn’t back at the camp) would found her dead, everything was fine. Kelly was rescued, weak and with some injuries, and without the dinner.
2. Brandon’s weird obsession with Negan
OK, this really bothered me.
You know that little cousin you have that doesn’t go out of your way for a minute, wanting to know everything about your life all the time? Yeah. This is Brandon with Negan. Taking out the little cousin part, and adding a little bit of bizarre.
Apparently, someone still unknown released Negan from prison. But that didn’t stop Brandon from following the old villain without his consent until he reached him in a specific part of the woods and followed him along the path as if they were both old friends. By this time, I’ve already felt a certain discomfort from Brandon’s obsession and apparently Negan as well. All Negan wanted was to be alone and make his way to a new life with no one in the way, but Brandon made a point of preventing Negan from having his long-awaited quiet without anyone remembering who he was. And worse, Brandon opens his bag and gives Negan a “gift”; his old jacket and his dreaded old mate: the Lucille baseball bat.
Negan has already felt the discomfort of seeing something he has left so hard in the past that has terrified so many people in his villainous age. Negan asks Brandon to keep his things back, saying he doesn’t want to be recognized by anyone. On the way, Negan, who was almost getting used to the annoying boy’s presence, finds a woman and her son being attacked by zombies and they helped the family, killing the zombies and ridding them of a imminent death. Negan quickly creates affection for the little boy and made me hopeful. Would Negan join the woman and son, start a new family and leave the past behind? Brandon, who is so obsessed with The Saviors and wanted so badly to prove he could do so much evil such as Negan had done in the past, suggested that they kill them both, Negan immediately scolds him for sending him away.
Continued belowNegan had a calm and relaxed conversation with the young child, and still subtly talks about his late wife’s past, which makes man and child create affection for each other quickly.
But since nothing good is short-lived in <i>The Walking Dead</i>, on his return in search of firewood, Negan stumbles upon Brandon once again, clearly off balance saying nonsense, and when Negan notices, Brandon have killed the child and mother trying to prove once again that he could be a disciple of Negan.
Okay, that was not cool at all.
Negan in a fit of rage takes the nearest stone and strikes Brandon until he dies.
Later, in the final scene of the episode, Negan appears with his old jacket and Lucille in his hands, showing that every effort to become someone else was in vain. And so, he crosses the Whisperers territory and meets Beta.
3. The chaotic Hilltop
Ezekiel has a tumor. People are exhausted. The falling tree is still making trouble and Earl wants to fight the Whisperers.
Ezekiel finally revealed to Siddiq the reason of his problems. In the past episodes Ezekiel was really weak and debilitated, but every time someone questioned him and asked why he was behaving this way, Ezekiel had a tantrum and didn’t say a thing.
But in this episode, in a conversation with Siddiq he finally gave in and took off the scarf that protected his neck, revealing a swelling in his neck that Siddiq soon identified as a tumor. Hopeless, Ezekiel said that because they live in a post-apocalyptic world, there is no way for him to treat his illness and that his life was numbered. He just didn’t remember that he was talking to a doctor, right? Siddiq soon tries to comfort him and says that there are several ways to deal with his problem, trying to reassure the situation. Now we have to wait to know if Ezekiel finally gets rid of the problem or if he will just be another wronged character in the show that will die soon.
Meanwhile, outside, Earl argues with Yumiko that he is exhausted from working helping residents remove the tree that destroyed the wall, while having to fight hordes of zombies that appear every two hours on Hilltop, suggesting that they counterattack The Whisperers, because he’s absolutely certain that the villains are the cause of so much trouble. But once again he is silenced for the reason when Yumiko reassures him. For now.
4. “Why don’t we cut the enemy down all at once?”
Alpha has a strong answer for this.
In a conversation with Gama when she asked for another guardian, some Whisperer showed up and questioned Alpha (stupidly putting his own life at risk) and asked her why don’t they just kill all the enemies at once instead of release an army of thousands of walkers. Beta immediately goes towards the audacious Whisperer for questioning the leader but Alpha stops him and tells the man to keep talking, pretending to be interested in what he says. As usual, Alpha leads a tense scene and strong dialogues leaving us apprehensive of what is coming; Alpha tells them to vote, looks around and asks if everyone agrees with what he said, but overwhelmed by fear the small group of Whisperers lowers their heads and doesn’t say a word. And then Alpha begins to strike with a dagger the Whisperer who questioned her, quite calmly saying; “Human body is fragile. All it takes for it to collapse is a few nicks in the right spots,” making an analogy to the strategy of their attacks. That was dope! Pretty scary if I must say.
And to end it all, Alpha just gives Beta the dagger, and he monstrously finish the poor men.
5. The man with the metal-arm
While Lydia struggles to get her space in Alexandria and leave her connection with her mother and Whisperers in the past, Gama increasingly gains Alpha’s trust, even if it’s a problem to Beta.
On a mission for Alpha, Gama has a sudden encounter in the woods with Aaron, who unsuccessfully attempts to approach the Whisperer. He throws away bandages to cover the cut in her hand, and Gamma just took the object and walked away. When I thought this was over, Gama goes back to the camp and tells Alpha what happened.
Continued belowThe leader sees a potential in Aaron’s desire for approach and surprises Gama, who until then was afraid to tell her what happened. Alpha says that the “metal-arm man” might be helpful to them, and suggests Gamma wear a “new mask,” deceiving Aaron into possibly infiltrating Alexandria and other camps.
“We’ve all have to wear different masks at different times,” Alpha says. And so, she convinced Gama to infiltrate. But Alpha didn’t think of the most important thing: If Gama infiltrates Alexandria, she’ll know that Lydia’s still alive, and the biggest reason of Gama following Alpha is exactly the supposed sacrifice she had to make: killing Lydia.
What happens now? Is Gama going to find out what Alpha’s hiding? And what if she tells Beta? Tell us in the comments and stay tuned for the next weeks!
