Boy, were we ever. Carl has been bitten by a walker, and what little shred of hope the determined leader against Negan’s forces had lies in tatters. The real impact of Carl’s death is going to be seen courtesy of the ratings for subsequent episodes; we’re going to have a very good chance to see just how the majority of the Walking Dead fandom feels about the death of Carl in terms of their viewing commitments. Riggs gets several big emotional moments, and he sells them with more ability than he’s often given credit for. With Carl’s death, the show found a voice that has been scarce of late, both in Carl prodding his dad to reconnect with his humanity, and Rick wondering if that’s feasible, while lamenting what the youth sacrificed in his short, violent life. “Sometimes kids gotta show their parents the way”, he told her.
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If you’re like me, then you were pretty peeved about going through 99 percent of the midseason premiere of The Walking Dead without even a glimpse of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the show’s most interesting – and most hilarious – character. Guerira does a creditable job as Michonne tries to remain stoic and strong for Rick while still betraying her inner sadness, and looking upset and distracted is Andrew Lincoln’s stock in trade these days.
CR: I kind of expected the last shots of the series to be Rick handing Carl the gun and the hat and everything, and Carl kind of walking into the sunset after his father dies or something like that.
Do you think Rick Grimes will die? Rick and Michonne will stay with him, and they entrust Judith to Daryl. Sobbing doesn’t quite describe the emotions. Walking around a thriving Alexandria, with a 10-year-old Judith. Jerry and Siddiq are working together; Eugene has rejoined the group with a smile.
Turns out, it has been Carl’s vision of the future all along. “It’s gonna be.” Rick says he’s sorry for not protecting his son, as a father should.
The episode also included the return of the hazy future visions and Old Man Rick-except the visions came with a twist. He still has his kingly crown on, and tells Gavin he, too, can take a step in the right direction and not do Negan’s bidding.
Alpert told us he didn’t believe Carl was aiming with the patch and dismissed the tweets as “pretty amusing”. However, she did tell me, “It was always about protecting and staying by the side of Ash and Pablo because they are not her family by blood but they are her family by bloodshed”.
Meanwhile, Morgan (Lennie James) met up with Carol (Melissa McBride) at Hilltop to take out the Saviour squad who were presently holding King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) hostage.
Morgan and Carol (Melissa McBride) meet up at the Kingdom in an attempt to save Ezekiel, who had been taken captive by Negan’s goons.
Gavin tried making a run for it, only to have insane Morgan chase him down.
Do you think that the fact he had to kill his own mom had something to do with his decision to end his own life? Rick desperately wants to get Carl into a house, a bed, but he settles for the decimated remains of the church.
Still, that’s not the most troubling moment of the whole show.
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The flawless future ends with Rick opening his eyes as he lies against a tree after burying his son. Oh god, is this what we have to worry about now?
