Tuesday, March 21, 2017

The Walking Dead S7E14 "The Other Side" 3/19/17

Yawn.  Boring.  A whole lot of nothing much goes on until the very end.  If this show wrote better dialogue, that would help.  But no.  We get a little bit of character development for Rosita - apart from her usual angry and sullen affect - a nice moment with Maggie and Daryl and some solid weaselishness from Gregory.  Other than that?  Yawn.

On the plus side, this recap will go quickly because for the first seven minutes there's no dialogue.  Up at Hilltop, everybody makes and sharpens weapons, practices throwing knives, draws maps of the Saviors' compound for more efficient infiltration.  Maggie works hard, building her cred as the community's de facto leader; she gets a sonogram of the baby even though her stomach is as flat as can be.  Sasha weeds Abraham's grave.  Gregory sulks and drinks alone in his office.  Rosita shows up and asks Sasha for her help.  Jesus opens up to Maggie a little bit (he's gay!)  He also tells Sasha that he thinks she and Rosita should stay and not try for Negan on their own, but he knows they won't.  He says that they need to talk to Maggie before they go.

But the Saviors show up unexpectedly and (a) Sasha and Rosita sneak out of Hilltop via a secret tunnel under a woodbox and (b) Maggie and Daryl - both of whom are of interest to Negan for different reasons - have to hide in the root cellar.  When Savior Simon saunters into the Hilltop mansion, Gregory is all, I've got gin! Let's talk about why you're early.  Simon isn't here for drinking or collecting, however.  Hilltop has personnel that he has been sent to bring back to the Sanctuary.  We're led to believe that he knows Daryl is onsite but it's actually Hilltop's doctor that he's here for: ever since Negan killed their own doc, they need a replacement.  Gregory acquiesces, of course, but he does bend Simon's ear a little, saying that there may be some insurrection issues - nothing serious now, but what happens if something comes up?  Simon's all, come see me directly and we'll talk.  I was sure that Gregory was going to give up Daryl and/or Maggie but he actually keeps his mouth shut about them.

Meanwhile, one of the Saviors is skulking around, looking to see if there's anything interesting to bring back to Negan.  Enid tries to distract him away from the root cellar but she just gets her knife confiscated.  The Savior goes down in the root cellar and it's supposed to be all tense, like he's going to find them or Daryl is going to kill him.  Daryl does make a move in that direction (despite the fact that it would be immediately discovered, bringing ruin down on Hilltop), but Maggie stops him. The Savior grabs a bunch of food and leaves without discovering them.  After he's gone, they come out.  Maggie's all, Daryl, will you look at me please?  He doesn't want to, because he blames himself for Glenn's death, and when he finally raises his head, it's with tears streaming down his face.  "I'm sorry," he mumbles.  She grabs him into a hug, telling him that it wasn't his fault, and that Glenn - and she too - considered him one of the good things left in this world.  Aw!

In an extended segment, Rosita and Sasha try to find a working car to help get them to the Sanctuary faster.  Rosita is all cranky, still sore about Abraham leaving her for Sasha; Sasha keeps extending the olive branch, despite getting a constant brush-off.  Rosita's all, I don't want to talk about anything but the plan.  So the plan, as Sasha sees it, is to set up outside the compound and take Negan out with the sniper rifle Rosita has.  Rosita thinks that's too risky, that they need to get inside and get him up close.  Sasha thinks Rosita has a bit of a death wish and she's likely not wrong.

Back at Hilltop, a crossbow-bearing Daryl finds Jesus.  "Where's Sasha and Rosita?"

The two women set up in one of the buildings across from the Sanctuary, taking turns keeping watch for Negan.  They observe Eugene out there, ordering people around.  Rosita chuckles, assuming that Eugene is playing some angle.  As they wait, Sasha manages to get her to open up a little.  Rosita talks about her past, how she learned to be so capable by hooking up with different guys post-apocalypse - a survivalist, a mechanic, etc. - and then dumping them after she'd learned everything they had to teach her.  Except with Abraham it was different:  he immediately saw she could take care of herself.  Both of them cry a little over Abraham but it seems like Rosita has moved on from any resentment she had for Sasha.  Finally, when Simon's crew shows back up with their captured Hilltop doctor, Negan comes out into the yard.  But they can't get a clear shot since either the doctor or Eugene is in the way each time.  The women decide to move on to plan B: they will infiltrate the compound and take Negan out up close and personal.

After dark, they move to the fence.  Eugene is there, checking on the defenses he has set up.  Rosita's all, we're here to get you out!  He is shocked, a little tearful, but he backs away, saying that no, he won't go with them, he's staying here.  Rosita is all UNGRATEFUL LYING COWARDLY MOTHERFUCKER.  Eugene goes back inside and they start cutting open the fence.  Sasha tells Rosita to watch their perimeter while she cuts the fence.  But when Rosita turns around to climb through, Sasha is already inside and has refastened the fence, locking Rosita out.  Sasha smiles gently, saying, "Go, they need you, it's not your time."  Then she runs into the Sanctuary, shooting a couple Saviors en route.

Rosita bangs angrily on the fence for a moment, then takes off running.  When she pauses for breath, sobbing, there is a figure shown in silhouette in the shadows.  We're meant to think that Rosita's in for it but the silhouette looks an awful lot like Daryl.  (Yes, I suppose it could be Dwight, in which case she IS in for it.)  We'll have to wait to find out what happens ...

Previously on The Walking Dead / next time on The Walking Dead

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