Another Character Is Killed Off in a Flagging Episode of 'The Walking Dead'

By Brian Richards | The Walking Dead | November 18, 2019 |

By Brian Richards | The Walking Dead | November 18, 2019 |

Previously on The Walking Dead: Negan is held captive by Alpha and the Saviors but is determined to convince them (no matter how much Beta sees him as a threat and wants him gone) of how he wants to join them and would be a valuable addition to their ranks. Daryl and Carol go out on patrol together to find and destroy Alpha’s horde. Eugene makes contact with another survivor of the Walker apocalypse via his radio, and though they do connect and get along, she is reluctant to trust him and give any further information about her identity and location. And the mysterious flu that is affecting the people of Alexandria, including Rosita, is only getting worse.

THE STORY SO FAR: Carol and Daryl interrogate a Whisperer that they’ve taken into captivity in order to learn more about Alpha and the Whisperers, and also to find out where her horde of Walkers is located. Siddiq is still experiencing PTSD and is still sleepwalking as part of it, all while trying to find out what is causing the sickness that is affecting everyone at Alexandria. Gamma and Aaron slowly become more comfortable in each other’s presence, until Alpha steps in and reminds her who and what is at stake.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THIS EPISODE?: Carol interrogating the Whisperer and quickly going from feeding him with kindness (and you know, with actual food) to beating the shit out of him as if she were auditioning to play Bud White in L.A. Confidential. Siddiq spending more time with Rosita, and finally admitting to her how traumatized he’s been since watching his friends be murdered by Alpha and the Whisperers. Siddiq putting the pieces together and realizing that everyone being sick is because of the water somehow being contaminated … right before he figured out that Dante, thanks to his tongue-clicking tic, is actually a Whisperer who has infiltrated Alexandria (enough that he’s been slowly poisoning the residents with contaminated water, and “accidentally” poisoned the kidnapped Whisperer with hemlock to keep him from talking) and that he was present during the massacre of everyone last season. Gamma finding out that Lydia was really alive all this time, and that Alpha never actually killed her. Lydia not responding very well when realizing that Carol was just using her as part of her roaring rampage of revenge against Alpha.

WHAT’S NOT SO GOOD ABOUT THIS EPISODE?: Siddiq getting his ass choked out to death by Dante before he could respond to this discovery by burying his hatchet in Dante’s skull. And despite everything that happened, this episode still felt like it had a whole lot of filler.

IS NEGAN IN THIS EPISODE?: No, he is not.

MICHONNE?: No.

CARL?: Nope. Still dead.

JUDITH?: No.

CAROL?: Yes.

RICK?: No. Whereabouts still unknown.

JADIS/ANNE?: Same response as above

MAGGIE?: No.

IS DARYL STILL ALIVE? BECAUSE IF NOT, THEN WE’LL PROBABLY RIOT IF WE HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO: Yes.

DOES THE BLACK HELICOPTER MAKE AN APPEARANCE?: No.

ARE THE WHISPERERS IN THIS EPISODE?: Not really, just Alpha and Gamma.

TO SUM IT ALL UP: As I previously wrote, much of what happened still feels very much like a filler episode despite the fact that the mid-season finale airs next week. As interesting as it was to see Siddiq dealing with the trauma of losing his friends (and Dante doing his best to help him out), it was starting to get repetitive and the fact that he was finally able to realize who was partly responsible for said trauma was a short-lived breath of fresh air. As for what happens next and how this will all conclude until the rest of the season resumes in February? I’m still very curious to find out for myself.

This episode of The Walking Dead is brought to you by “Open Your Eyes” by Bobby Caldwell, who almost every year keeps making people from Black Twitter go, “Holy shit, he’s White?!” whenever someone points out that he’s not actually Black…

…And by “The Light” by Common: