SEASON 10; EPISODE 14
Last week we said goodbye to Michonne in a rather underwhelming episode. Not only was the episode a bit hit and miss, it also felt a bit mistimed too. The decision to slot it in directly after the death of Alpha was an odd one. We were expecting a reaction from Beta and The Whisperers but any sense of momentum or impending danger was put on hold. This week we did return to our central group but it looks like we're going to have to wait until next week (the penultimate episode) before we see any potential repercussions...
It's probably worth starting with the fallout from Alpha's demise. She may have not been everyone's favourite villain but she was possibly the most frighteningly deranged baddie we've had on the show. How she didn't see that Negan was a man who couldn't be trusted is a bit baffling, but hey – he's a charming man. So we already had the reveal that Carol was the one who released him and sent him out on a mission to redeem himself. If he brought her Alpha's head, it would be enough to erase his sins in the eyes of the community. It's a no-brainer for the former head of The Survivors, the only slight surprise is that he didn't do a runner as soon as he was out of his jail cell. Saying that, he's had the chance to ditch them before but decided to stay around to guide Judith to safety. It's a really intriguing character arc and I still find it quite astounding that most viewers (myself included) seem willing to overlook his past actions. The guy killed Glen and Abraham for God's sake! Carol however is pissed off that he took so long. Why couldn't he have done it quicker? It only took him three days, Carol! That's not that bad really is it?! She doesn't really keep up her end of the bargain and just wanders off into the woods by herself (as she usually does) and leaves Negan standing there like some idiot. He heads back to check on Lydia but is soon apprehended by Daryl. Daryl has never been his biggest fan (for obvious reasons) and was initially unwilling to believe that he had killed Alpha. Negan led him to the site where her head had been put on a spike but as Beta had already nabbed it, it wasn't there. Daryl looked set to put Negan down once and for all until a trio of Whisperers turned up and proclaimed the latter as their new Alpha, as he had killed the old one. Surely no one believed that Negan was going to do anything but kill the Whisperers – and that's exactly what he did. It was enough to convince Daryl he was telling the truth and to gain his trust – although not his cordiality.
Carol meanwhile seems to be having some kind of break down. New showrunner Angela Kang hasn't been afraid to play around with the psychological horror within The Walking Dead and once again, we saw Carol being haunted by someone's ghost. This time it wasn't Henry however, it was Alpha. The thing is, these visions just seem a bit off. They're too literal, too clear. Is Carol stark raving bonkers or is Alpha's ghost really roaming around offering titbits on her inner psyche? Either answer throws up a whole host of questions. It's obviously the former but it still seems rather extreme for a character who is merely 'conflicted'. Either way, after Carol is trapped after a roof collapses and she is faced with a stark choice. Give up or fight on. She left it pretty late before reaching a decision. The last time we see her she is back with Daryl and the gang, albeit with a clear distance between her and her bestie. It's going to be interesting to see what they do with Carol because it sort of feels like she could go in a number of directions at this point...
Elsewhere Eugene, Ezekiel and Yumiko head off in search of Eugene's new friend (who he's never met). I wouldn't fancy Eugene's chances by himself so it's probably good thing he's got some back up. Unfortunately Ezekiel is deteriorating at a rapid pace and it feels as if he might not be here beyond the end of this series. He is looking for a last adventure, a final act to give meaning to his life. And that may well come. The three of them enter a city and we are treated to a rather absurd sight of walkers who have been chained up and dressed up. Like animatronics dolls in a shop window or something. It's pretty creepy but a bit over the top. Speaking of over the top, the trio encounter a brightly dressed young woman who seemed awfully excited to see them. I'm guessing we'll learn more about her next week.
Anyway, back to Alpha's head. Beta wasn't too keen on being told that he was the new Alpha by one of his followers. Honestly, why would you want to piss that man off? In a state of shock, Beta bagged up the head and wandered off with it. But what was he going to do with it? Keep it as some kind of little mascot? Make it a little wig? Nope. After revisiting an old stomping ground, we discover that Beta was once a famous country music singer. After gathering a horde of walkers by blasting out his music, Beta surveys them from a balcony, like a rockstar at a concert. However, what we're really witnessing is the death of Beta and the birth of someone else. He uses a part of Alpha's face to patch up his own mask and joins the horde that he has summoned. The Walking Dead has a new supervillain now.
