The Walking Dead – S8E12 – The Key

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Previously on The Walking Dead, “Dead or Alive Or”

Did anyone read their letter from Carl? Did they read it and not understand it? Or maybe they read it, but instead of repeating his dying words, he just left them clever haikus or sketches of cats. I don’t know. And I don’t care, because everyone was behaving so batshit crazy that it made for a very entertaining hour.

The Librarian

The episode’s title comes from the representatives of a new, mysterious community Hilltop encounters. Maggie notices some empty milk crates and a note near their gates. If they fill the milk crates with food and albums, and then travel to the coordinates listed in the note, they will be given the key to the future.

Of course, there’s debate about whether or not this is legit, or a trap by the Saviors or someone else. In the end, Maggie, Rosita, Michonne, and Enid head out to the meeting spot. They’re met by Georgie (Jayne Atkinson) and her twin companions Hilda (Kim Ormiston) and Midge (Misty Ormiston). Georgie repeats the offer in the letter: food and music in exchange for vital info. Even though the trio make no moves to harm them and even allow their weapons to be taken, Maggie decides they’re going to bring them (and their van full of food) back to Hilltop instead.

There, Maggie wants to send them back home minus the supplies in their van. Enid, still grieving and processing her encounters at Oceanside, agrees. It takes Michonne’s level head to convince Maggie that being just like the Saviors isn’t the way to go. Because of this, Georgie decides to give them a considerable amount of the food in their van and the information she promised: hand drawn plans and schematics for windmills, aqueducts, and other agricultural tips.

Maggie thanks them for the farmers almanac and probably feels a little bit like an asshole for being so mistrusting.

Boys. Boys. Stop It. You’re Both Pretty

Rick assures Daryl he’s fine or that he will be. He doesn’t hold it against Daryl that he went off script and ambushed the Sanctuary because Daryl was right: They should be concerned with their own people and fuck everyone else. Even if Rick hasn’t read his letter, this proves he didn’t hear a word Carl said. *sigh* Okay. Fine. We get Crazy Rick for another five episodes.

Rick goes on lookout duty and when he sees the Saviors on their way to Hilltop to carry out their biological warfare, he doesn’t give the signal like he should. Because after years of this, acting on emotions and never sticking to the plan has worked out so well for them. Seeing Negan riding solo, for reasons, Rick hops in his car, chases the Saviors convoy down, and T-bones Negan’s freshly detailed ride.

A crash and a foot chase later, Rick and Negan find themselves alone in a building with Rick out of bullets and walkers everywhere. What follows is a game of cat and mouse fueled by testosterone and poor decisions. There’s a role reversal when Rick finds himself in possession of Lucille while Negan hides. Insults and accusations fly, and in the process, Rick dry snitches on Simon. Now Negan knows Simon lied and massacred the Scavengers.

Rick does his best Beric Dondarrion impression and sets Lucille on fire, and with it he lights up a few walkers. Eventually, Negan makes his escape with his beloved Lucille and Rick (as far as he knows) let the convoy continue on to Hilltop without doing his damn job to warn them.

Et tu, Simon? 

Luckily for Rick, Simon ain’t shit. He saw Rick coming and did nothing to warn Negan. Then he instructed the other Saviors to hang back so that he and Dwight can find Negan on their own. This is really just to waste time 1. hoping Negan dies and 2. convincing Dwight to join his brewing rebellion.

When they find the crashed cars and no signs of Negan, it appears Simon’s words worked. Believing Simon when he said the Saviors would “move on,” Dwight torches Negan’s car and the two head back to the waiting Saviors. But then Simon riles up their group and tells them they’re headed for Hilltop to kill everything breathing to avenge the missing, presumed dead, Negan.

Dwight didn’t realize that Simon meant the “scorch the entire fucking earth” way of moving on.

You know who hasn’t moved on? Jadis. And she’s now in possession of Negan. Yeah, I don’t know how that happened, either.

What did you think of the episode? Leave your brief thoughts below, email them to feedback@projectfandom.com, or leave them on our Facebook post for this review and we’ll read them on tonight’s podcast.