The Walking Dead S9E4: Obliged
The Walking Dead has certainly made the most of the “leak” that Rick Grimes would meet his end in the first half of this season. Here we are, ¼ of the way through, and the last two episodes have ended with a tease about Rick Grimes’ last episode(s) coming in the following week(s). Last night we watched what appeared to be the lead up to Rick Grimes’ demise.
With Obliged, Rick’s call for peace and mercy is meeting its greatest challenge yet; resistance from within. We knew this would come eventually. Season eight ended with this tease and the show has wasted no time in getting there. Maggie has confided in Daryl and Jesus, and many others apparently to arrange a scenario where she is able to reach Negan unabated. Jesus, however, is voicing his reservations. He tells Maggie, “Rick was wrong because he made a call that wasn’t his to make.”, as he tries to stop her from being wrong for the same reasons. He has a fair point. Negan’s crimes were against a multitude of people. The entire premise of the war was to take him out. Yet Rick made the unilateral decision to spare him. I could argue from a position of mercy and seeking revenge that this was the right decision, yet Jesus’ claim still stands. He had taken justice out of the hands of the wronged, and established for them the means of punishment which they had to be okay with. Rick’s actions, though perhaps reaching the right conclusion, were the furthest thing from the picture of the consent of the governed that he tries to paint.
Two subplots saw primary screen time last night; Jadis (Anne) dealing with Gabriel, and Michonne speaking with Negan. While Jadis’ connection with the helicopter is intriguing for the future, I can’t seem to make myself care too much about this pairing. The saving grace was Gabriel’s plea for forgiveness while forgiving Jadis and speaking about God’s love as she lowered a walker onto him. Though he had little choice – he was strapped to the ground – Gabriel remained steadfast in his expression of love and forgiveness, and ultimately changed Jadis’ heart. This was a small development in the episode. All it saved was Gabriel’s life, and Jadis still left after drugging him, but it was a beautiful moment none the less. Gabriel the priest finally acts like one.
The conversation that proved most intriguing to me was between Michonne and Negan. Michonne is responding to Negan’s fast. He won’t eat unless someone talks to him. And talk he did. He managed to pry details from Michonne’s private life out of her that we haven’t heard before. And as though he was peering into her soul, he appealed to her warrior nature. Previously in the episode we see her growing restless. The daily tasks and chores aren’t fulfilling her. She looks to her katana to fill a void, and she heads into the night, every night, to feed that warrior in her. It seems that the tranquil, peaceful lifestyle doesn’t suit her. And Negan taps into that.
“We were built for more. Behind walls and bars we die. Out there, it’s like an addiction… you’re grateful that Andre’s gone because he would’ve made you weak.”
The sting of this line hits home. Negan tries relating to her loss with his own – his wife – and claim they are each stronger because of it and should be grateful. When Michonne got wise to what he was doing, he finally asked directly for what he wants; his precious Lucille. Upon hearing it was left to the wilderness, Negan becomes enraged and knocks his head repeatedly against the wall after Michonne leaves.
Meanwhile, when Rick learns that Maggie is headed to Alexandria he fears the worst. Daryl offers a ride back, which serves to divert Rick. Despite a somewhat major clash with Daryl that led to a life-threatening fall into a conveniently placed pit – which served as the MacGuffin to get them talking rather than fighting – Rick remains committed to his call for peace and mercy. This episode piled on the dialogue in the form of one-on-one discussions, Rick and Daryl’s standing out among them. Daryl is bluntly honest with how Rick has brushed aside Maggie’s claim against Negan and how he has diminished the memory of Glen and so many others by keeping him alive as a symbol. Rick’s stance is the exact opposite…
Rick: If she gets to him and kills Negan he becomes a martyr and all these people died for nothing. Carl died for nothing.
Daryl: You’re hanging onto something for him that ain’t meant to be. Let him go.
Rick remains devoted to the community. As evidence, he risked his own safety to try and divert a herd of walkers away from the camp building the bridge. “I’m not risking the bridge!”, he yelled to Daryl before jumping on his horse – also conveniently nearby. When another herd catches him by surprise, his horse panics, sending him onto a pile of rebar-laced concrete – also conveniently placed. Though the contrivances are aplenty, we’re left with the cliffhanger of Rick lying pierced through the side as two herds of walkers descend on him. What’s interesting is that the show immediately cut to trailers of next week’s episode, which claims to be Rick’s last, showing him riding out of danger on his horse.
My Rating: B-
While the means to push the primary plot forward were blatantly contrived (placement of the pit, the horse, the rebar in concrete), I thought the depth of discussion this episode outweighed those negative marks. Specifically Negan trying to manipulate Michonne, and Daryl being blunt and honest with Rick. Without that content this is probably a stinker of an episode. As it is, we’re getting a lot of character depth and motivation behind their actions. That goes a long way in my book.
