The Walking Dead S7E09: Rock in the Road
The Walking Dead has an image problem. The first half of season 7 saw the biggest ratings drop the show has every experienced. When surveyed, most people attribute that to the increase in violence, in particular that of the season 7 premiere. Either the show is taking it too far, or people simply don’t understand what they’re watching. Or, maybe it’s a bit of both.
In an attempt to regain some of their lost audience, the mid-season finale which aired on December 11 was specifically edited to remove portions of a graphic beating at the hands of Daryl upon one of the saviors at the compound in which he was being kept. It was meant to be a symbolic moment, recalling to our minds the gruesome deaths of both Abraham and Glenn at Negan’s hands, and serving as a turning point in the subjugation that Negan inflicted upon the surrounding communities. Finally, they were rising up. Only the sensitivities of the audience and the need to appease them got in the way of the full effect of that moment, for better or worse.
Now back from the mid-season break, there has already been news of toning things down in terms of the violence. It’s usually never a good things when a show allows the audience to dictate elements of the story. That’s not exactly the case here, but it remains to be seen whether a shift, however small, in graphic content will earn back their original audience, or if they’re gone forever. Either way, it’s sure to become a notable factor in the show moving forward. Episode 9 is a pretty good microcosm of that; nobody died (well, nobody that wasn’t dead already), and the themes of hope and family were continually reinforced. It isn’t that those are unique traits to an episode, but they’re more notable coming at the heels of the backlash the show just experienced. All the background of toning down the show could also distract from the fact that this was a pretty solid episode. A lot of politickin’, a lot of strategizin’, and a lot of searching for common ground among allies in order to take down Negan.
Gregory, still somehow the one calling the shots at Hilltop, wants nothing to do with yet another attempt to take out the saviors. Only he isn’t really calling the shots. Once the residents of Hilltop get word that Maggie and her Alexandria friends are making their move, they’re on board regardless of what Gregory has already decreed. His leadership at Hilltop is a paltry comparison to that of Rick’s or Ezekiel’s, and it won’t be long until Maggie assumes control. The only question is how much will he resist. Given his cowardice, he will likely go along to get along until he can figure a way to weasel himself back into leadership.
One of the more notable aspects of this episode was the ensemble cast. I was a big critic of the tactic in the first half of the season of turning each episode into a focus piece on 2-3 individuals and what they were going through. This has been done in the past but only a couple episodes at a time. Six of the first eight episodes of this season were that way! That is too much, and this episode is exhibit ‘A’ in why that is best done in moderation. We got to experience Rick and Maggie tag-teaming Gregory into contradiction. We saw Rick reunite with Morgan and discuss the awkward topic of Carol’s location. We saw Morgan’s heart sink and a bit of hope slip away as he learned of the murders of Abraham, Glenn, Olivia and Spencer. And of course Rick’s group being properly introduced to the King.
What I’d like to highlight from this episode (before I touch on Gabriel’s actions) is the influence that Morgan already has on Ezekiel. Upon hearing Rick’s plan to come together to fight Negan, Morgan’s voice is one that Ezekiel turns to for council. This surprises Morgan, and it’s clear in his reaction that he hasn’t quite yet fully thought it through. He’s still shocked to learn of the deaths of his friends, and he recognizes that none of those deaths were out of necessity, as his killing of the savior was to protect Carol’s life. He sees the potential path before them if they leave Negan unchecked. But he also see a peace agreement currently working. For a man that always looks for a way to preserve life, and is committed to the philosophy that all life is precious, this is an amazing dilemma.
Rick recognizes Morgan’s influence, and points that out to him before leaving. Daryl also stays there, under instruction from Rick to talk to Ezekiel more to convince him to go to war. This may not be an appropriate comparison, but I couldn’t help but see Morgan and Daryl as parallels to Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill in the years before World War II. Chamberlain’s signing of the Munich Agreement, conceding land to Germany and desiring peace with Adolf Hitler, and generally being unprepared for conflict can be seen as a parallel to the current peace agreement with Negan and Morgan’s desire to keep that peace and ignore the dangers in front of him. Daryl on the other hand has witnessed Negan’s ruthlessness at multiple levels and, like Churchill with Hitler, takes a lead in warning about the dangers of letting Negan remain strong and in power. We know where the historical figures fall in popularity and reverence. Will Morgan face a similar popular opinion as Chamberlain, while Daryl forces Ezekiel to face reality of join the war? Time will tell, but it could mean Morgan makes some major concessions to his own worldview.
My Rating: B+
I was very pleased with the handling of the group as a whole, working together to rise up. The meeting between Rick and Ezekiel was everything I’d hoped it would be, and including a terrific parable from Rick about the willingness and reward in removing a rock from the path. Smaller characters like Benjamin were also appropriately used in smaller moments of personal reflection for both Carol and Ezekiel. The planning was also a satisfactorily believable element, even if it did involve cutting down hundreds of walkers with a wire between two vehicles.
About Gabriel:
So Gabriel, to start the show, stole all the food and weapons from Alexandria but left a note implying he somehow knew of Rick and Aaron’s trip to the boat (from episode 8). At first I think about everyone watching the show is having yet another moment of hating Gabriel. But there has to be more to this. He’s keeping some kind of checklist in his notebook, he refers to his Bible before making his move, and while driving away another figure seems to rise up from the passenger seat in his car! Something is up. Gabriel has come a long way from the timid coward alone at his church, to the assertive and borderline brave pastor he was until this point. We should give him the benefit of the doubt. Either he’s playing an incredibly long-con (unlikely, but hey, the showrunners could be reaching for some things), or he has a plan to protect his friends that will only work if they don’t know about it.
About Rick’s Smile:
To close the show Rick, Michonne, Aaron and Tara find themselves surrounded by strangers with all manner of weapons as they search for Gabriel. Just before the screen goes to black, Rick smiles at something. Or someone! To me it seems obvious that he recognizes someone in this crown of people holding them at gunpoint. Who could it be? Gabriel? It would be strange for Rick to be smiling at him considering he stole their food and weapons. Who has been away from Rick’s group long enough to get involved with another group like this? Basically all parties are accounted for in this episode. All but one; Heath. You’ll recall that Heath and Tara were separated in the episode where they ran into the Oceanside community. Tara thought she saw him as a walker, but it wasn’t him. So as far as we know Heath is still out there. I think it’s entirely likely that he was absorbed into another group and incorporated into their “foot-soldiers” who are now holding guns to these trespassers. Honestly, I can’t think of anyone else it could be that isn’t otherwise engaged or somewhere else entirely at this point. I’d love to hear your theories on this.
