“Evolution”
Daryl, Aaron, and Jesus discover a herd moving in an odd way as they search for Eugene. In Alexandria, Gabriel helps Negan meditate in his cell. Negan compliments him on Rosita and brags that he’s heard some interesting things about her from the gossip outside his cell. Gabe ignores it and heads outside, where he receives word that Rosita has been injured.
Michonne and Siddiq finally arrive at Hilltop with Magna and the gang, but Diane makes ALL of them surrender their weapons before entering. The relationship between Alexandria and Hilltop has never seemed so strained. Tara coldly greets Michonne and updates her on Eugene, Aaron, Daryl, and Rosita’s situations. She then informs Magna’s group that they’ll have to wait for Jesus to return before deciding on their future, but they can stay here until he gets back. Connie thanks her for everyone and Michonne smiles as she sees Carol briefly appear in the doorway.
Later, Magna questions why Hilltop is led by a guy named Jesus but Connie assures her it’s probably just a nickname. Yumiko suggests they work on proving their worth so they can stay. Michonne then introduces the new group to Carol, who happily introduces herself through sign language, which Connie appreciates. Carol asks Michonne about Judith and RJ and then tells her about Henry moving to Hilltop. Carol asks if she can send a delegate from Alexandria to the fair but Michonne declines. Carol pleads but Michonne remains defiant and wishes her, Henry, and Ezekiel well.
Jesus tells Aaron that Daryl used to trade with Hilltop before his trips got longer. Aaron encourages him to embrace his new leadership role when Daryl cuts them off and says he can hear the walkers nearby through the wind. Back at Hilltop, Diane asks Carol if she can ride back with her to Kingdom and she agrees.
Enid updates Siddiq on Rosita’s condition in the infirmary. Henry shows up and asks Enid for a tour but she gives him the Heisman and tells him Tara could do it. Later, Enid checks up on Henry’s blacksmithing skills and then proceeds to smooch Alden. Henry’s 0-2. Meanwhile, Negan taunts Gabriel to the point where he breaks, and Gabe confesses he’s upset he has to take care of him while Rosita recovers at Hilltop. Negan expresses genuine sympathy.
The Hilltop’s local teens see Henry sulking at dinner and decide to make friends with him. They introduce themselves as Gage, Addie, and Rodney and invite them to hang with them in the woods later that night. Henry’s resistant at first but then seeing no other options agrees. At the infirmary Siddiq apologizes to Michonne for keeping secrets from her. Suddenly, Rosita wakes up in a panic and tells them she knows where Eugene is and Daryl and the others don’t know what they’re dealing with.
That night, Daryl, Jesus, and Aaron miraculously locate Eugene hiding in a barn cellar. Terrified and injured, Eugene warns them a herd of walkers is looking for him and they need to leave immediately. “This wasn’t a normal herd,” he tells them. “They were whispering to each other.” They look at him like he’s crazy when suddenly the dog barks and warns them of the nearby herd.
Elsewhere, Henry drinks with his new friends in a shed outside of Hilltop. Gage suggests they have some more fun and takes them to a covered hole in the ground with a couple of walkers inside. They throw rope rings at it and pee on it before Henry jumps in and mercy kills the walker. Gage is pissed at Henry for being a buzzkill and Addie tries to help him out of the hole but Henry says he’s fine chilling there for now.
While on the run from the whispering herd Eugene suggests the walkers are evolving. Daryl calls bullshit when Aaron notices they’re drawing closer. Jesus demands they split up – he and Aaron will take Eugene to the horses while Daryl guides the herd away. In Alexandria, Negan discovers his cell door open…and leaves! Meanwhile, Tara takes Earl down to the jail where Henry sits in a cell as punishment for leaving the community (and being drunk). Henry explains his pathetic story and Earl promises to talk to Jesus when he returns.
Daryl sets off fireworks to re-direct the walkers, but a group of them ignore the noise and the rest follow their lead. Daryl can’t believe what he’s seeing. Aaron, Jesus, and Eugene end up at a foggy cemetery while the walkers pour in. They quickly get trapped so Jesus and Aaron go to work killing the walkers.
Whispers eerily reverberate around the cemetery. Michonne and Magna’s group arrive to help them unlock the gate and Jesus tells Aaron and Eugene to get out while he finishes the walkers. Jesus goes Mortal Kombat on their asses and sees the last walker separating him from freedom. Jesus attacks but the walker jukes him out and STABS HIM FROM BEHIND! “You…are where you do not belong” the walker whispers to Jesus before throwing him on the ground. Daryl shoots it in the head and the rest of the group run in to finish them off. Daryl notices something on the back of the walker and cuts into his neck…it’s a mask. Before they can process it the whispers get louder and the group circles up to fight them off.
Well that escalated! What did YOU think of this year’s Walking Dead Mid-Season Finale? How do you feel about Jesus?
[Throws hands up. Sighs deeply.]
The whisperer stuff has been really good…..everything else ….not so much….why do they feel the need to kill off the best characters from the show and comic?…makes no sense….
I’m too pissed to even be emotional about it. Beyond pissed, actually… becoming indifferent.
Oh look, another bullshit death. “Simba, everything the light touches is bullshit.”
I feel the need to watch it until it ends… maybe because I’ve been invested for so many years. But that & hoping that it will end soon, before it’s way too far gone, are damn near the only things left.
For me this was a great episode. The death of Jesus was unexpected and heartbreaking,even more than Rick’s death. I liked how Magna’s group proved to be a valuable asset. Teenagers remain being major pains in the butt,but I think Henry will be OK. A common enemy will be useful in overcoming whatever has happened in the last 6 years between the Hilltop,Kingdom,and Alexandria. The background story should be very interesting on both the Whisperers and the source of the tensions between the communities. Looking forward to the Mid-season opener.
This episode was great, and the character death was on point and meaningful. I’m a big fan of Jesus in the comic, but what has Kirkman really done with the character lately? Nothing of any real significance that would make it such a departure from the source material to kill the character now in my opinion (unlike what they did with Carl). Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to see more from Jesus on the show moving forward, but I think it served the show to kill him in a way that will ultimately be just as if not more satisfying. His sudden murder at the hands of the enemy elevated their menace to a crazy level and let viewers know in five seconds just what kind of villains we’re dealing with. The whisperers were ultra creepy and fantastic – possibly the coolest antagonist intro in the series. As for the teenagers…kids will be kids (that is – they will be stupid). I didn’t mind this arc because it added likability to Henry. He stood up for what he believed was right, and he saved face by not ratting the others out. I think he will make for a decent Carl 2.0 as the story progresses. Can’t wait for the second half! At least I’ll have Vikings to tide me over.
I might as well add my bit here. It was sad to see Jesus go, but considering Tom Payne’s disappointment with how Jesus was used in Seasons 7 and 8, it wasn’t hard to kill him, neither for the producer nor Payne. His death was probably one of the best in the show, if not the very best one. Easily dispatching several walkers, then moving on to finish the last one, and suddenly, a swift dodge and Jesus gets stabbed in the heart. Nobody would have survived this, because not even the best warrior like Jesus couldn’t have expected something like this. It was such a quick and certainly shocking moment for many. But it served very well, showed how Whisperers are dangerous and I’d say it was even better than their comic introduction, especially the one where Jesus got surrounded by them.
The episode had a great atmosphere and even as an avid comic reader, I got pretty nervous during the last minutes, when Eugene and co. were being hunted by the herd.
As for the other things, even Michonne smiled when she saw Carol. Time to bury the axes and join once again. I guess it’s gonna be Carol, who will follow Henry into the Whisperer’s land… And then finds her man’s head on the pike. Henry feels better than his younger version, and I’m kinda glad that he went to the prison (in order to become friendly with Lydia), for something not so serious as psycho Carl mutilating two bullies.
Maybe I am a minority here, but S9 is much better than S7 and S8, and even after Rick, Maggie and now even Jesus leaving, it is still pretty good. It looks like Magna’s group is going to get more space and even some minor characters as Laura or D.J. are to be seen. Way to go, Angela Kang. The Whisperers might work very well, and truth be told, Beta looks totally badass. So after a long time, I’m hyped for him clashing with Negan and Daryl, and for the infamous pike scene! And since it looks like the fair is going to happen at the Kingdom, it might be Kindgdom, which will feel Beta’s wrath in S10.