The Lost and the Plunderers

"The Lost and the Plunderers" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on March 4, 2018. It was written by Angela Kang, Channing Powell & Corey Reed and directed by David Boyd.

Plot
Groups unite their forces and converge on the Hilltop; Aaron and Enid search for allies; Simon takes matters into his own hands.

Synopsis
MICHONNE.

Michonne and Rick continue to mourn Carl. Rick hangs Carl's Beretta on his grave marker and ponders before taking the gun back and holstering it.

As Michonne surveys the damage inflicted on the town, she dispatches several walkers that have made their way inside the walls. She notices that more walkers are making their way towards an open section of the wall and makes an attempt to seal it, to no avail.

Rick finds a dead Savior and acquires his walkie-talkie. Both head back to their house, with Michonne noticing two blue-paint handprints on the porch - Carl's and Judith's. She becomes emotional, touching Carl's print, before being forced to retreat inside at the sight of more walkers approaching the house.

As the two prepare to leave the sanctuary in the van, Michonne notices one of the gazebos burning, lamenting that Carl used to sit on the roof. She and Rick take fire extinguishers and attempt to stop the burning, but are forced to escape from an onslaught of walkers and leave the burning structure. They drive away from Alexandria, with Michonne taking one more look at the plaque hanging outside the gate.

Rick, showing concern, asks what is going through Michonne's mind. Michonne proposes they stop to read Carl's letters, but Rick refuses, still grieving. To her surprise, Michonne finds a letter addressed to Negan.

Rick reveals his plan to talk to Jadis and sway her back to the fight, knowing that since she and the Scavengers were witnessed following Rick into the Sanctuary, they have become targets themselves. They arrive at the junkyard, but find themselves trapped inside after triggering a trap, causing a large pile of garbage to fall and seal the door. Michonne and Rick desperately dig at the trash pile as the reanimated corpses of the Scavengers begin flooding in toward them.

NEGAN.

Negan recounts to Simon the situation that unfurled at Alexandria, impressed with Carl's efforts to assist the residents. He inquires Simon of his handling of the travelling Hilltop residents - Simon reports that the situation was settled and asks about Gavin's group, from whom neither of them have heard.

Negan seats Simon and tasks him with handling the Scavengers. Initially delighted at the thought of wiping out their traitors, Simon is shut down by Negan, who reminds him that they are still a valuable resource. He orders Simon to only deliver the standard "kill one, spare the rest" message, as a reminder that their earlier alliance is a deal made final.

Simon argues that their methods are not working, in that Alexandria, the Hilltop, the Kingdom and the Scavengers do not seem to realize how serious the Saviors are. To this end, he proposes they cut their losses and find other communities who would join their cause rather than bring Rick's people to submission. Negan, not happy with the idea, retorts that while their current methods prove difficult, they are still effective. He affirms his belief that once Rick is disposed of, everyone will fall back into line.

Before the conversation can continue, Gary, D.J. and Norris haul in a large crate - the same box Maggie requested from Simon following their encounter on the road - and set it on the table. Negan and Simon open the box to reveal a zombified Dean, who is quickly put down. Furious, Simon realizes that the remaining 38 Saviors mentioned on the crate cover are those stationed at the satellite outpost. He flies into a rage and vows to eliminate the Hilltop Colony, but Negan angrily shuts him down, leaving him silent.

ENID.

Enid and Aaron are handcuffed in Natania's house by Cyndie, Rachel, Kathy and Beatrice. The Oceansiders decide to leave the decision on what to do with the two Alexandrians to Cyndie, who, after some convincing from Enid, decides to let them live.

Taking them to the forest, Cyndie refuses to join the fight, feeling that what they've already contributed was enough. She gives a warning for them to never return to the community. Enid briefly confronts Cyndie about their community's killing of newcomers, but is only met with the same warning.

Aaron insists on staying at Oceanside, despite their warning and reluctance to fight, to try and convince the community to join their forces - he believes he has a chance to successfully enlist their help due to Kathy and Beatrice showing interest during an earlier visit. He orders Enid to return to the Hilltop and inform Maggie of his plans, imploring her not to return for him. Enid, while adamant that Oceanside has made their minds up, allows Aaron to continue with his plan and leaves for the Hilltop.

SIMON.

Simon rallies his men for their trip to the junkyard. Their arrival is met with extreme caution from the Scavengers, who ready their guns. Simon demands an apology from Jadis due to her presence alongside Rick at the Sanctuary. Jadis claims that she brought Rick to the Saviors as an offering, but this claim is rebuffed by an irritated Simon. He explains that Negan is willing to forgo any action against the Scavengers should they side back with him and honor their earlier deal, but iterates that they will require all of their weapons.

Tamiel argues that the guns are needed for any arising issues in the future, but Simon fires back that they wouldn't need to worry about anything with the Saviors watching over them. The reluctant Scavengers are relieved of their weapons while Simon questions their choice of lifestyle and accommodation.

Jadis asks if their problems are resolved, but Simon still insists on receiving an apology from Jadis for her transgressions, feeling that their deal "lacks remorse". Jadis gives a half-hearted apology, prompting Simon to shoot Brion in the chest. Alarmed, Jadis repeats her claim with apparent sincerity, but a still-unconvinced Simon draws his gun on Tamiel, killing her as well. A distraught Jadis punches Simon in the chest, knocking him to the ground and spilling paint on his shoe, insisting that "there is remorse". Simon, rejecting her apology, issues the command to mow down the entire crowd (save Jadis), and the Saviors open fire on the Scavengers in front of their horrified leader.

Returning to the Sanctuary, Simon and Negan discuss the fact that Gavin has still not reported back. On Negan's inquiry of the Scavengers, Simon reports that his mission was a success, lying that he delivered the standard message and adding that "there was remorse". Negan is called by another Savior, informing him that Rick is calling from a walkie. As Negan leaves, Simon inspects the paint stain on his shoe.

JADIS.

Rick and Michonne fight through the zombified Scavengers before they are forced up a mountain of trash. They find Jadis at the top, dressed in mourning and speaking clear English. Asked for a way out, Jadis simply directs them back where they came from.

Jadis confides in the pair, recounting how she used to visit the junkyard in search of crafting materials before the apocalypse, as well as how her community formed a home and a life of tranquility out of what was formerly a sea of garbage. Rick, however, blames her people's current fate on her.

Rick grabs a discarded car door and fashions a weaponized shield out of it. Jadis insists on joining them, but Rick rebuffs her, deciding she's of no use to him anymore.

Rick and Michonne push through the incoming walkers, putting down several with their shields before resorting back to their weapons. They manage to clear out enough garbage to open the exit. Jadis catches up to the pair, desperately seeking a way out. Rick points his revolver in her direction before turning his hand up and firing, warding her off. Jadis manages to squeeze out from the herd as they try to overwhelm her. Rick witnesses her sprint down a separate alleyway before leaving.

A disheveled Jadis starts banging a staff against the top of a large piece of machinery, drawing the attention of the undead Scavengers towards her. As they get closer, she activates the machine that she is standing on top of, revealed to be a large grinder. Jadis unhooks the chain that separates the walkers from the rolling metal teeth and watches as everyone falls and is shredded to a pulp. She watches in sorrow as a zombified Brion and Tamiel also fall into the grinder.

Stopping the machine, Jadis stumbles over to a hidden box filled with cans of apple sauce, which she proceeds to eat from.

RICK.

On the road to Hilltop, Rick explains to Michonne that it was not his intention to kill Jadis, but rather to drive her away. Michonne draws similarities from this to Carl's words before his passing.

Rick stops the van on the side of the road, having to take a break to collect himself. He picks up Carl's letters and the walkie before leaving the vehicle and traversing to an open field. Taking the letters, he singles out his own, as well as Negan's, reading both. After a pause, he makes contact with the Sanctuary, asking for Negan. Hearing his voice on the other end, Rick reports his son's death, much to Negan's obvious shock and grief. He reveals the contents of their letters - Carl wishes for the both of them to end their war and make peace. Rick, however, believes that peace is now impossible to achieve.

Negan asks if Carl's death was of the Saviors' doing, but Rick angrily denies this, explaining that he died trying to help someone. Negan reveals his sincere remorse, expressing that Carl represented their future, but also iterates that Carl's death was because Rick, in leading the revolt against the Saviors, was not present to keep Carl safe from doing something that would bring harm to himself.

Negan condemns Rick's decisions and insists that he stop the war, lest he lose more of his loved ones and have to live with the fact that they died fighting a losing battle. He explains that all of his losses could have been avoided had he just submitted. Negan deems Rick a failure as both a leader and a father and implores him to surrender, seeing that the war has caused him to lose more than he has gained.

​Co-Stars

 * Briana Venskus as Beatrice
 * Nicole Barré as Kathy
 * Mimi Kirkland as Rachel
 * Mike Seal as Gary
 * Adam Fristoe as Dean
 * Aaron Farb as Norris
 * Matt Mangum as D.J.

Uncredited

 * Marisol Correa as Oceanside Sentry
 * Lisa Shirley as Oceanside Sentry
 * Jessica Prichard as Oceansider
 * Cindy Strickland as Oceansider
 * Candace Griffith as Oceansider

Deaths

 * Dean (Zombified)
 * Brion (Alive and Zombified)
 * Tamiel (Alive and Zombified)
 * At least 93 unnamed Scavengers (Alive and Zombified)

Trivia

 * Last appearance of Dean. (Zombified)
 * Last appearance of Brion.
 * Last appearance of Tamiel.
 * Last appearance of The Scavengers.
 * Jadis is the last member of the Scavengers to still be alive.
 * Furthermore, Winslow is the only member of the Scavengers who has turned and not been put down yet.
 * The title is a reference to the line on the Alexandria Safe-Zone sign as Rick and Michonne drive away: "Welcome to the Alexandria Safe-Zone. Mercy for the lost. Vengeance for the plunderers."
 * This episode is 66 minutes long, with commercials, according to AMC's schedule.
 * It is the seventh extended episode this season and the twenty-fifth overall.
 * With a total of at least 96 deaths, this episode has the largest death count among episodes of the series so far, beating "Monsters", which has at least 89 deaths.
 * This is the first episode of this season, where Daryl does not appear.
 * Rick tells Jadis that it's her fault that her entire group was killed by the Saviors. Later, Negan tells Rick that it's his fault that his son, Carl, died.
 * Rick tells Michonne that he shot over Jadis' head because he "just wanted her gone". Rick tells the exact same thing to Carl in the episode "Mercy" when Carl complains that Rick shot at Siddiq.
 * Simon's killing of two high-ranking Scavengers and Jadis' response by punching him in the face bears similarity to Daryl's retaliation against Negan for his killing of Abraham Ford. In both cases they lived, Daryl's actions caused Glenn Rhee to be executed, while Jadis' led to the slaughtering of all her fellow Scavengers.
 * The transitions between each character are similar to Quentin Tarantino's chapter transitions in film, particularly The Hateful Eight.

Goofs/Errors

 * In the first scene when Rick pushes the weapon almost to the back of the branch, in the next scene the weapon is suddenly in front of Rick.
 * When Jadis punches Simon in the chest, he appears to be hit in the face, as he is touching it.