“Dead Or Alive Or”
If you’re keeping score Negan and The Saviors are currently on top of the All Out War leaderboard – and this episode showed his enemies scurrying to The Hilltop to regroup. Among them are Dr. Carson, who decides to escort Gabriel to The Hilltop for medicine after he notices Gabe’s eyesight worsening. They hear a bell in the distance and follow the noise to a fenced-off house in the woods. Meanwhile, Daryl leads the Alexandrians through a swampy forest towards The Hilltop. Tara questions why Dwight’s still alive and Daryl explains they still need him for intel. At The Sanctuary, Negan questions Eugene on why Carson and Gabriel left under his nose. Eugene plays dumb and Negan assigns him to his own outpost to manufacture weapons.
Gabriel and Carson raid the house in the woods and discover the former tenant was a radio operator. Elsewhere, Dwight warns Daryl and his team about a safer route to The Hilltop but Tara is still wary. He reminds them he killed his Savior comrades and that he couldn’t go back even if he wanted to. Daryl surprisingly agrees and lets Dwight lead them to the new path.
While Carson locates the antibiotics that Gabriel needs in the shack, Maggie realizes The Hilltop is running dangerously low on rations. She heads outside where Gregory pleads for her to go easy on him for good behavior. She threatens his life but the other Savior backs him up, saying they should be able to go out and walk around. Maggie denies him and informs him she’s cutting off his rations instead. “My people come first,” she says.
Daryl and Siddiq clear out walkers in the swamp while Tara and Dwight take care of them in the woods. Dwight apologizes to her for killing Denise and Tara pulls her gun on him. Dwight tells her he hates Negan and that killing him won’t help anything. She shoots at him and misses – Dwight makes a run for it. Tara chases him down and holds him at gunpoint yet again. Suddenly, a Savior patrol appears and the two of them take cover in a bush. Dwight decides to reveal himself to them and lies about why he was missing. To Tara’s dismay, they believe them and they all leave together. Shortly after, Daryl chides Tara for letting Dwight go.
Meanwhile, Carson informs Gabriel he will soon go blind. Gabe then accidentally knocks over a vase and Carson notices car keys and a map. They search for the car and Gabriel notices a sign that says “Traps in Yard.” He tries warning Carson but it’s too late – Carson gets ensnared in a bear trap while walkers pursue him nearby. Carson kills a few and wrestles another – luckily, Father Gabriel locates a gun and shoots it off of him.
Gabriel helps Carson into the car and they prepare to leave when they’re suddenly ambushed by The Saviors. Gabriel’s undeterred, and still believes God will save them. He’s wrong – one of The Saviors shoots Carson in the chest and kills him. Gabe breaks down in tears. Daryl and his group finally arrive at The Hilltop, where they break the news of Carl’s death to Carol, Enid, and Maggie. They’re understandably devastated – but will have to set aside their grief to focus on the war. Elsewhere, Negan brings Father Gabriel to Eugene’s outpost. Gabe spares Eugene by blaming Carson for his escape. Negan then declares that there’s a big day for them tomorrow.
Rick arrives at The Hilltop around the same time Maggie decides to grant the Savior prisoners their wish to stretch their legs. Siddiq tells her he has medical experience and can fill in for Carson. At The Sanctuary, Negan gathers The Saviors by a fence with walkers strapped to it and instructs them to prepare for their upcoming battle with Rick’s group by coating their weapons in walker guts. Negan demonstrates by covering Lucille in walker guts and (like the comics) explains this will help turn the war in their favor.
What did you think of tonight’s episode? How do you predict Negan’s attack on The Hilltop will go? And what happens next with Dwight?
Hate Tara and Daryl even more after this episode, and that whole Dr. Carson/Gabriel story was pointless. They really just don’t know how to write a good story anymore. Since the season 7 premiere, every episode has just left me feeling empty and disappointed. This just isn’t The Walking Dead anymore.
Unfortunately, this entire season has been one long suckfest. I wish I knew why I am losing interest more and more with each of the season’s episodes.
How could the writers magically make the initially incredible Negan storyline so meh, so quickly?
It is no wonder that viewership is falling off fast.
Good solid ep! Love how they’re writing this season! Each part leaves something to look forward to & there’s a bunch of exciting parts happening! I especially like the unexpected parts that deviate from the comic, which has taken a backseat in the better category lately.
That sneak peek on Talking Dead looks AWESOME! Can’t wait!
As the comic book guy from the Simpsons would say….Worst Season Ever…What a horrible episode….The stuff with Gabriel was garbage…Tara sucks…Maggie is starting to be annoying…Even Carols character is going downhill….shitty writing, character development and pacing has ruined the show…thanks Gimple
I like the way the story is going now, lots of action and more than one focus. The story between Gabriel and Dr Carson was unexpected. The thing that really bothers me is why did Gabriel get sick? He was exposed to walker blood? WTF? Who HASN’T been exposed to walker blood. In many episodes folks are wallowing in the stuff! You can’t tell me that after 8 years of characters being doused with walker blood and remaining hale and heart, now, all of a sudden the good Father gets sick? He is probably the most unlikely to get Walker Blooditis! He has killed some walkers but not as many up close and personal kills as Rick, Daryl and some of the others.
Having said that, I must now revert to my mantra …. Let it go, it is a totally made up story so they can do whatever they want. Logic does not have to prevail.
The Circle has rehashed this discussion & it’s a fun one. I don’t think we ever came to a definitive conclusion during the comic AOW debates. All we can figure is maybe the Father was coming down with something already & now the guts are complicating things or maybe different immunity systems with different times that it takes to run its course are into play. Maybe this is something entirely different that has nothing to do with guts exposure at all. Either way, my deal is that I know an explanation is coming, as it always does, & I like how this is happening to make you think about what Negan is planning. Effective storytelling!
It kinda looks like someone might have farted bare assed on his pillow….or maybe its herpes…
Maybe he took a Carolina Reaper challenge & is still losing.
I liked the episode for the most part.
1.. The Gabriel / Carson banter about faith vs. science was ok and not heavy handed. Kept it at the right level. Considering the “end of the world”, disease, famine, brother vs. brother, medical reasons for the zombies / virius…their is an underlying tone of faith meeting science through the whole series.
2. The cabin stuff was cool. The bear trap aspect was a slightly new twist on a zombie scenario. So kudos for that since we all know it has to be tough after this many seasons to offer new angles.
3. The cabin stuff didn’t go far enough. The HAM radio had potential. When Gabe was looking up at the sky before Carson steps in the trap, I thought it might be a helicopter coming. You have a guy at some base with long distant communication stuff – helicopter seemed like a possibility. They also get in a jeep wrangler and don’t even get to back it out of the garage. Would love to have seen the jeep on the road or trails.
4. I like the twist about Dwight jumping out of the bushes to the saviors and asking about the lady savior that got away from him when he switched sides at Alexandria. Liked how they left it open about whether or not the only savior that knows he is a traitor has unknown whereabouts. Also saw Dwight was quick to be the leader of the saviors he met and grab a gun from one. Not sure why he didn’t set it up so he cold shoot them in the back and return to Tara and Rosita…but I guess the twist needs to be that he goes back to the Saviors knowing he isn’t outed yet.
5. Agree on the comments about how did Gabe get sick in the first place but whatever….
6. Enough with the one-dimensional Gregory. Gabe used to be one dimensional but has come around. I don’t hate Gregory because he is slimy but because he is a broken record without adding anything to the story.
7. Really, you are going to take the savior prisoners for walks and exercise after all that has happened? Stupid writing on that thing. It’s not like they are in a cell like Daryl and Sasha were at the Savior’s place. The Hilltops prisoners are on a fairly large piece of grass with room to spread out. All the Hilltoppers running around the fort and the arrival of Alexandria people has the Hilltop more crowded than the pen with the prisoners.