Season 10 of AMC's The Walking Dead consists of sixteen episodes. On January 12, 2019, AMC announced the show was renewed for a tenth season.[1] It premiered on October 6, 2019. Angela Kang continued as showrunner for the second consecutive season.
This season adapts material from Issue #145 onward of the Comic Series.
Plot
"Lines We Cross"
At Oceanside, the Coalition trains to fight in case the Whisperers return. They are alerted when R.J. discovers a Whisperer mask, and radios Alexandria. While Michonne tells them to simply stay on alert, Gabriel decides to go on lock-down after Negan advises him to do so.
Meanwhile, Michonne and Aaron lead a scouting mission and debate on how to best proceed, when they discover more evidence of Whisperer activity. Back on the beach, Daryl welcomes Carol from months on at the sea and the two have a heart-to-heart conversation. When a Soviet satellite crash-lands in the nearby woods, the survivors are forced to cross into Whisperer territory in order to put out the fire. Later, Daryl and Carol investigate the location of the Whisperers' herd. While the herd is now gone, Alpha emerges from the trees and stares down Carol.
"We Are the End of the World"
In a flashback to 7 years ago, an injured woman wakes up in a crashed car as several walkers start approaching her. She tries to escape but is surrounded and devoured. Among the herd, Alpha walks with a younger Lydia, covered in blood to blend in. When a walker bumps into Lydia, she drops her ear muffs and screams. They are forced to run and seek shelter inside an abandoned hospital, where they find a man wearing a ski mask.
In the present, Alpha and Beta talk about their enemies and the fear they possess on them. He says they should return so they won't forget about them, but Alpha questions his loyalty towards her decisions. Beta says he would never question her and is sent to collect walkers for their herd with the help of two sisters.
Back in the past, Alpha explains to the masked man that she and her daughter don't mean harm. He allows them to stay for the night. In the present, Beta lures walkers from a gallery. As he and the sisters lead the herd, Frances looks at the sun and starts acting odd. Her sister declares that she needs to focus, claiming she should have left her behind.
In the past, Alpha cleans Lydia in a bathtub. Lydia is scared by the sound of walkers but Alpha insists she just listens to it. They look through supplies and eat. The masked man explains to Alpha that he doesn't want to hear her singing and that the sound of the dead is the only sound he never wants to end.
In the present, Frances starts crying in the middle of a herd and causes some walkers to try to attack her. Beta kills them and says she will pay for this. At their camp, Beta throws Frances to the ground and orders a Whisperer to kill her. As she starts screaming that her son is in a better place, Alpha demands they leave her alone. Beta follows her and says she needs to punish Frances. Alpha angrily tells him to not question her and claims he would never understand what it feels to lose a child. She then orders him to send Frances to a tent where she will be waiting.
In the past, Lydia tells Alpha that she wants to be like her. Alpha is thrilled by this but tells her to stop calling her mama. Back in the present, Alpha meets with Frances in a tent. She orders her to remove her mask and kneel. Alpha grabs Frances' head and prompts a scream heard throughout the camp, but ultimately pardons her. As Frances goes to talk to her sister, another Whisperer questions whether they should go back to the other communities.
In the past, Alpha walks around the hallways of the hospital and encounters some walkers. She starts killing them and is joined by the masked man. Afterward, he helps Alpha open the walkers' carcasses so she can use the blood later on. She jokingly decides to call him "B" and claims that makes her the "A". When she tries to see his face under the mask, he demands she leave at sunrise and not come back. In the present, Frances tells her sister about Alpha showing mercy and how it felt to talk with her. Frances' sister says she should forget about her son like how Alpha sacrificed her daughter for the pack. She also hopes Frances starts behaving better.
The next day, Alpha leads a group of Whisperers to a field to gather more walkers. Suddenly, the satellite crashes through the sky and the herd starts to scatter. Frances witnesses a walker with a strapped baby carrier and starts having flashbacks to when she abandoned her son. She runs towards Alpha and jumps on her causing the herd to get riled up. The herd closes in and Frances is pulled off Alpha by her sister and thrown to the middle of the herd to be devoured.
Back at their camp, Alpha questions Frances' sister on whether or not she regrets letting her sister die. She confesses she will always be loyal to Alpha. Beta approaches and questions Alpha about why she is calm after losing three of their people and their herd. Alpha, however, claims she is proud of the woman. That night, Alpha anoints the woman a "Gamma" and the group praises her. Beta watches with jealousy from behind. The next day, Gamma questions Beta's feelings about her. They both claim to be empty as Alpha wants. Beta then heads off to look for Alpha at their old camp.
In the past, Lydia wanders around the hospital on her own. Alpha wakes up and looks for her. She enters a room and finds photos of Beta with his face scratched out of all of them. Beta finds her and is mad that she wandered there. She then kills a walker wearing a smiley face t-shirt after it comes out another room. Beta loses it and starts wrecking the place. Lydia arrives and ultimately stops him from killing Alpha. He kneels by his friend's side as Alpha approaches him and declares "We are the end of the world." She lifts his mask to look at his face and chuckles, seemingly recognizing him. Beta doesn't want to leave his friend behind and she declares he won't have to, giving him a knife. Beta then proceeds to peel his friend's face off.
In the present, Beta discovers Alpha has made a shrine to Lydia and lied about killing her. Alpha breaks down and says she couldn't kill her daughter. She then destroys the shrine and pleads with him to keep Lydia's life a secret. He promises he will and informs her that the enemy has crossed the border. Alpha smiles and says they will return to teach them a lesson. Later, the Whisperers move around the woods with their herd as Alpha notices something in the distance. She wanders off and looks at Carol watching her from a distant cliff.
"Ghosts"
Over the next 49 hours, the Alexandria residents face against waves of walkers pouring onto the community gates. The group is exhausted but they manage to kill all the walkers. After prevailing from the exhausting battle, Michonne checks on her children even though Judith reminds her it's not safe to go to sleep. She gets a call on her radio and discovers that a new herd of walkers is approaching from multiple directions.
In the morning, the residents clean up the community from the corpses while Eugene warns that it will be an hour until the next wave hits. Michonne is tired and Daryl feels her frustration. Suddenly, Gamma arrives at the gate to tell them to go to the north border, lay down their weapons, and wait. Michonne asks her to call off her walkers but she swears they're not theirs. She instructs them again to go wait for Alpha at the border.
At an emergency council meeting, Lydia backs up the claim that her mother isn't behind the attacks because she would've sent the whole herd. Margo speaks for the Highwaymen and demands justice, while Gage wants to put the Whisperer's heads on spikes. Siddiq has a panic attack and exits. Daryl reaffirms he saw tens of thousands of walkers in Alpha's herd. Michonne tells everyone instead of retaliating, she and a small group will meet with Alpha at the border to work things out.
Michonne then divides a plan: Gabriel will lead a group against the northern wave, Aaron will handle the southern wave, and she will take a group to the border. While Aaron screws a mace onto his arm, Gabriel decides Negan's going to fight alongside him due to a lack of soldiers at the moment. Meanwhile, Carol hides a revolver in her pants and takes some pills before heading with the rest to the border. In the woods, Negan and Aaron kill some walkers. When Negan finds a crowbar, Aaron demands him to put it down. Negan says he's not the guy he thinks he is but Aaron makes him continue to use the broomstick to kill the incoming walkers.
Back in Alexandria that night, Eugene and Rosita fend off a small herd of walkers at the gates. He claims he can keep killing them despite her suggestion that he could go back inside and rest for the rest of the night. Meanwhile, Daryl, Michonne, Carol, and a few others arrive at the border and lay down their weapons. Alpha arrives with some Whisperers and reminds them to stay off her land. Michonne explains the fire would have wiped out Oceanside and they only crossed one time, but Alpha reminds her of two other times they trespassed. Alpha declares that there will be no bloodshed, and instead announces she's moving the border up as punishment. Carol says they don't have to listen to her bullshit.
Daryl tries to get her to leave but Alpha says not until Carol lowers her eyes to her feet. Alpha tells Carol she should fear her but Carol says she feels nothing at all. Alpha reminds her how Henry feared her before she beheaded him, causing Carol to pull out her gun and shoot. Daryl manages to hit her arm so she misses as the Whisperers draw their weapons. Michonne apologizes to Alpha for Carol's behavior and Alpha says she forgives her "mother to mother." Back in their camp, Carol tells Michonne, "Bitch has to die." Daryl tells Michonne she hasn't been the same since the boat. Suddenly, Carol spots some Whisperers nearby and takes a shot, but misses. Michonne orders the group to capture, not kill them.
Elsewhere, Negan takes out a walker with the crowbar which prompts Aaron to demand he heads back. When Negan tries to dismiss him, Aaron pushes him to the ground. "I did what I had to do back then," Negan claims about his past actions. Aaron asks why Eric had to die and Negan tells him if he doesn't protect what belongs to him then it belongs to someone else. Aaron shoots back that if he failed Eric then Negan failed his wife and she died hating him. Suddenly, Aaron gets attacked by walkers as Negan escapes. He kills them, but the blood causes his eyes to go blurry.
Meanwhile, Michonne is dubious over Carol's claims and suggests the pills she is taking is affecting her, but Carol brushes it off. The group then arrives at an abandoned school to rest. While inspecting the place, Carol finds a textbook where she hallucinates seeing herself at the head of the table with Sophia, Lizzie, Mika, Henry, and Sam sitting at the table. She decides to keep watch while the group sleeps. Daryl accompanies her and tells a story about how his dad was a trucker and he once hallucinated seeing a girl on the road. He says that being awake for several hours can make someone see things, but Carol brushes him off. Suddenly, her alarm goes off and she takes her pills despite his pleas.
Back in the woods, Aaron searches for Negan but he is struggling to see. He stumbles into a cabin where Negan is patiently waiting and hiding behind him. Aaron's blurry vision causes him to bang around the cabin as walkers storm in. Negan saves him with the crowbar and tells him the flowers growing out of the walkers are called hogweed and can lead to blindness. He hands him water and tells him they'll leave in the morning.
At the school, Carol continues looking around. In a dark hallway, she hears Henry before turning around and getting stabbed by a mysterious figure. She wakes up to realize it was a dream. Daryl finds her and she claims to be fine. Carol insists that this isn't like the story of his trucker dad but a confused Daryl says he never told her anything. Her alarm goes off and she is surprised to see her pills in her pocket, thinking she had thrown them away earlier. She tells Daryl she wants to keep watch one more hour. As he leaves, Carol sees a Whisperer walking by the hallway and follows them.
Carol enters the gymnasium and falls into a trap that catches her upside down from the ceiling. The Whisperer leads a group of walkers towards her and she takes them out while freeing herself. After killing all the walkers, Carol cuts herself down and rises up as her alarm goes off and everyone enters the room. In Alexandria, Siddiq and Dante tend to Carol's wounds. Siddiq's vision blurs again as he struggles to grab the equipment to stitch her up. Dante tells him he’ll do it instead. Afterward, they tell Daryl and Michonne she's doing well, so they take her home so she can sleep.
At dawn, Aaron regains his vision and tells Negan he can finally see. Meanwhile, Eugene and Rosita argue about him trying to protect her. She yells that he isn't Coco's father and they will never be together. Eugene confesses he thinks their whole friendship was based on his beliefs that he could've changed her mind one day and leaves heartbroken. Outside, Siddiq sees him leave the house upset before Michonne approaches him. He claims he's just tired, so she leaves. Dante brings Siddiq a drink and explains that he was a field medic during combat in Iraq. He says he understands what he is going through since he also suffered from PTSD.
In an idyllic dream, Carol wakes up to the sound of music and finds Daryl cooking in the kitchen. She then sees Henry at the kitchen table asking her where she's going. In reality, Carol wakes up and holds up her now empty pills bottle as a tear rolls from her eye. She comes downstairs to find Michonne waiting for her. She swears she saw those Whisperers, but Michonne says no one else saw them.
Michonne returns to her house to rest alongside her children. Judith is looking after R.J. as Michonne lays in bed with them. She explains that it is safe for now. Later, Carol asks Daryl if he believes her about the Whisperers and he says he does. Back at the school, one of the Whisperers is among the corpses and wakes up reanimated.
"Silence the Whisperers"
In Alexandria, Daryl joins Michonne and her children as they dine together. He then leaves a tray of food outside Carol's room and leaves as she retrieves it shortly after. Meanwhile, Lydia walks outside the streets passing by Rosita and Gabriel as they stroll Coco. She smiles at a shaking Siddiq from afar, but he runs back into his house upsetting her.
At Hilltop, Magna and Yumiko make love as Ezekiel has trouble sleeping. Suddenly, a giant tree falls through the wall over the fence onto one of the trailers, injuring nine residents. As the Hilltop residents help the injured, Connie suggests the Whisperers are to blame as the others figure out where to put the injured. Yumiko orders to put them in Maggie's office, ignoring Magna's suggestions. The group then realizes that a small herd has arrived at the community and are banging outside the walls. Yumiko proceeds to lead a group outside to fight them off.
The next morning, Aaron gives the Alexandrians combat training while Gage, Margo, and Alfred taunt Lydia and angrily order her to leave. On the road, Michonne leads a convoy towards Hilltop. She advises Judith never to take enemies by their word. Judith suggests the Whisperers are probably trying to tire them out like R.J. does before he goes to sleep, impressing Michonne. Suddenly, Michonne spots Ezekiel riding into the woods alone and orders the group to continue while she investigates. She rides into the woods and finds Ezekiel on the edge of a cliff pondering suicide. Michonne hugs him and tells him it's ok, prompting him to kiss her. After a few seconds, he pulls away and apologizes.
In Alexandria, Lydia visits Negan and tells him about her bullies, with Negan advising her not to react. Daryl suddenly arrives and orders her to leave. "She's just trying to fit in," Negan says. Daryl tells him that won't happen with him around her. He then catches up with Lydia to scold her for talking to him, when they notice a "Silence the Whispers" message graffitied on their house door. Back in the woods, Ezekiel jokes to Michonne they could have been together in another universe and reminds her how much he lost. She admits she was once jealous of walkers, wishing they would bite her. She also tells him that everything gets better in the end as she remembers Rick, causing her to tear up. They then return to their horses and Ezekiel thanks her for her advice and support.
At the Alexandria dining hall, Lydia sits at the table of Gage, Margo, and Alfred. She skins a squirrel in front of them to their disgust and mocks the shushing motion. Later, Daryl tells her to not do that again but she defends herself and storms out. That night, Lydia walks around and is ambushed by her bullies. Margo blames her for putting her friends' heads on spikes but Lydia reminds them she wasn't involved and says she's one of them. They throw Lydia into the ground and start violently punching her. Suddenly, Negan arrives at her rescue and throws Margo into a wall. As he protects Lydia, a frightened Gage claims they were just trying to scare her. Brandon arrives and they realize Margo dead.
Daryl and the residents arrive to assess the situation. Alfred blames Negan for Margo's death but Lydia screams it wasn't his fault. Daryl believes her but orders Negan back to his cell. Siddiq starts hallucinating again and runs to the infirmary to wash his face in a bowl of cold water. At the infirmary, Dante finishes up bandaging Lydia and Daryl checks on her. He tells her he's sorry this happened, and she claims that her father would've protected her. Daryl hugs her and she tells him Negan saved her.
A while later, Daryl visits Negan at this cell to talk with him. He tells Negan people want him dead but Negan claims it was an accident and Margo was an asshole anyway for beating on a kid. Daryl asks why he helped her and Negan says he believes in their way of life. Daryl promises he'll get a chance to tell his side and leaves. He encounters Carol outside his house in a better state. She asks what he's going to do about Negan. "I believe her," he says. Carol reminds him the real enemy is still out there, and says that they should have gone to New Mexico.
Back at Hilltop, the group kills as many walkers as they can to protect the walls. Suddenly, Michonne, Ezekiel, Judith, and the others arrive to join the battle. While fighting, Michonne takes notice of Judith taking out walkers by herself and smiles at the tough her daughter following her steps. In Alexandria, the council holds an emergency meeting with Gage and Alfred, who lie and say they were attacked. Gabriel asks why Lydia's the one in the infirmary. They claim to them how their friends got beheaded by the Whisperers and now Margo is dead.
Meanwhile, Daryl radios Michonne at Hilltop to update her on the situation. Michonne asks if she should come home but Daryl tells her to stay as long as Hilltop needs her. Michonne tells him Lydia has to be protected regardless of the outcome because she believes Alpha will be harsher with them if Lydia's gone, reminding Daryl was chosen by Alpha to be Lydia's protector. She also asks Daryl to be her proxy on the council's vote regarding Negan. Before signing off, she receives an emergency call from Oceanside. While the council discusses their different opinions, Daryl arrives and says he believes Lydia, which ties the vote. Gabriel announces he'll take the night to make his decision by tomorrow.
The following morning at Hilltop, Michonne announces in a meeting she will head to Oceanside to help out due to Whisperer activity while Eugene chooses to stay and help fix the wall. She also decides to take Judith with her after she proved herself in the battle. As Yumiko checks on Magna, she angrily claims Yumiko has to stop making the decisions for everyone and reminds her she isn't her lawyer anymore. Later that day, a group prepares their convoy to head out towards Oceanside and Luke says goodbye to his close friends as he decides to go check on Jules.
Back in Alexandria, Gabriel finds Negan is gone from his cell and runs to inform Daryl. Later, Gabriel and Aaron discuss Negan's escape when Lydia walks by and tells them she is responsible. Daryl rushes over and finds Lydia has locked herself in the cell. He says he knows she didn't do it as she didn't leave the house that night. However, Lydia chooses to stay in the cell because she feels safer. Daryl leaves and starts to wash off the graffiti off the walls.
"What It Always Is"
Kelly hunts a wild boar in the woods while struggling with her hearing. She hits her target and puts the boar out of its misery when a walker approaches her. Kelly kills it as more arrive and devour the boar. She sprints away through the woods until she trips and falls down a hill injuring herself. A walker silently creeps up behind her as Kelly starts passing out.
Elsewhere, Negan washes his face in the river as Brandon pretends to hold a knife to him. He reveals he is joking and tosses Negan a canteen. Negan drinks from it and then flashes a smile. At Hilltop, Eugene has people salvaging every inch of the tree as Alden tells Yumiko they need to build up their defenses. She says this is not the time as Earl complains about their lack of retaliation against the Whisperers. Suddenly, Brianna tells Yumiko that someone stole the crate of fish from Oceanside.
Inside the Barrington house, Magna is pouting as Yumiko arrives to tell her to be better at watching the food, but she only turns up her music and ignores her. Daryl and Siddiq arrive at Hilltop to tell Ezekiel they couldn't find Negan. Ezekiel coughs and asks Siddiq to help in the infirmary. The Hilltop hunting team also returns and Connie expresses concern about Kelly's whereabouts. Oscar informs her that she volunteered to stay back and she would return later. Connie looks concerned as Daryl listens nearby.
Back in the woods, Negan gets annoyed at Brandon as he mimics the Saviors' whistling. Brandon starts fantasizing about the Sanctuary and reveals he is mad that Rick Grimes killed his parents. He then claims he heard that Negan shot Carl Grimes. Negan gets angry and corrects him, showing respect to Carl, and saying he would never kill a kid. "We're both Negan", Brandon says seemingly understanding him.
They continue their journey and find a Whisperer border. Before they can investigate, a walker attacks Negan. He uses the wire around its neck to rip its head off and stomps its head. He sarcastically thanks Brandon, who reveals he was making him another Lucille and he had also snuck his leather jacket from the community. Negan smiles but asks him to put it all back in the bag because he doesn't want to be recognized.
Meanwhile, Aaron is swinging a sword around on a bridge when he hears footsteps. He hides and watches as Gamma cuts open a walker and spill its guts on the river to contaminate the water. Elsewhere, Brandon asks Negan to rate female walkers on hotness when they suddenly hear screams from inside a bus. Negan runs inside and stabs several walkers to save the woman and her son. Brandon arrives and complements Negan on his brutal walker killings, comparing him to his old self. While searching for Kelly in the woods, Daryl shares with Connie a story about how he saved Merle from drowning during a fishing trip but was chastised for not getting the beer off the lake. Suddenly, Dog finds the remains of the boar. They hear a noise behind them and find Magna.
Back at Hilltop, Yumiko is worried about the group still being out in the woods as Alden helps to make her feel better. When she leaves, Earl tells Alden the Whisperers will eventually return. Alden claims he hasn't forgotten about what they had lost. In the infirmary, Ezekiel starts coughing very aggressively and reveals to Siddiq a large lump on his neck. He explains he has a family history of thyroid cancer and knows that it's unlikely he will survive his illness due to a lack of proper medical treatment in the current world. Siddiq offers alternate solutions but Ezekiel has already made up his mind.
On the bus, Amelia shares her story with Negan and Brandon. She then takes her son Milo for a walk as Brandon suggests they rob them. Negan stops him and orders him to go back to Alexandria. Brandon says he can't go back, so Negan tells him to go wherever the hell he wants, as long as he doesn't see his creepy face again. "You're just like all the others," Brandon says before leaving. At the Whisperer camp, Gamma reports to Alpha that she needs another guardian. A Whisperer then demands that instead of using more walkers for slower strategies, they should release their herd on the communities. Alpha allows the group to vote but nobody agrees with the Whisperer. She suddenly cuts his leg and he collapses. When he tries to strike, she slices his arm and then hands the knife to Beta to finish the job.
Meanwhile, Negan talks with Milo who is playing with a toy airplane. He realizes Milo has never been on a plane and explains the joys of it. He also teaches him the joys of nut-tapping and promises to take him and his mom to Hilltop where they will be safe. Back in the woods, Gamma walks with the reanimated Whisperer. She starts having flashbacks to when she killed her sister and starts to stab repeatedly the Whisperer on its head. She ends up cutting herself and dropping her knife in the water. Aaron appears and throws some bandages. He introduces himself and tries to get her to do the same, but she picks up the bandage and runs off.
Elsewhere, Daryl, Connie, and Magna find an exhausted Kelly lying under a tree. As they give her water, Kelly insists to Magna they tell Daryl and Connie about the supplies they've been taking. Daryl is mad about them hiding the supplies and Connie suggests they lie and say they found it in the woods. Meanwhile, Negan returns with wood for a fire when he hears Brandon whistling. He investigates and discovers Brandon has killed Amelia and Milo. Brandon smiles and asks if he passed the test, believing that's what Negan wanted him to do. Enraged, Negan picks up a stone and angrily beats Brandon in the head. He then grabs his bat and leather jacket and leaves on his own.
Later that day, Daryl and the others return to Hilltop with Kelly. Siddiq radios Dante, who tells him Rosita caught a bug. He says he'll return to Alexandria tonight and then asks to speak to Carol. Ezekiel sits in front of the radio but changes his mind at the last moment and turns it off. In their room, Yumiko questions Magna about the stolen supplies. They start arguing and Magna admits she did kill the man who hurt her cousin despite Yumiko believing her to be innocent all those years. Yumiko is hurt by the revelation and asks her to sleep somewhere else.
At their camp, Gamma confesses to Alpha that Aaron gave her gauze for her wound. Alpha shushes her and instructs her to sit, before removing Gamma's mask. They discuss sacrifices and Gamma tells her that her sacrifice was much greater, in reference to Lydia. Alpha says Aaron might be useful for her plans and they might have to wear a new mask. Back at Hilltop, Daryl prepares to leave when Connie apologizes for involving him with Kelly and Magna's lie. He understands because they are her family. She then confesses she considers him her family too.
Meanwhile, Negan is trotting around the woods and arrives at one of the borders. He yells to get the Whisperers' attention and starts to get surrounded by a group of walkers. As he starts smashing their heads, he is suddenly thrown to the ground by Beta. "Alright, you big ass freak, let's do this," Negan tells defiantly to Beta as he smiles.
"Bonds"
Carol wakes up in her room. She rinses her face, gets dressed, makes some tea, packs a bag, and heads out. Before leaving, she ponders her gun in a drawer. Daryl sees Carol leaving and catches up, inquiring where she is going. Carol claims she wants to do another sweep looking for Negan, and Daryl offers to tag along. She reluctantly accepts. While traveling, the two discuss the possibility of Negan crossing the border and joining the Whisperers. Carol stops short of a clearing near the Whisperer border and pulls out a pair of binoculars. When Daryl presses her for the real reason they came there, Carol reveals that she wants to find Alpha's horde and destroy it.
In Alexandria, Dante does a check-up on Cheryl in the infirmary and jokes with her about acting sick so that she can spend more time with him. Siddiq arrives and Dante informs him that more residents have come down with the sickness but he believes it to be nothing serious. He then tells Siddiq to take the day off with and spend it with Coco, after which he makes an inappropriate joke about checking in on Rosita. Siddiq then reminds him about boundaries.
Back in the woods, Carol tells Daryl that she's been tracking walker movements along the border, and that they all arrive at the area where they're currently at. She wants to observe the clearing for Whisperer activity, and see where they're taking the walkers. Daryl cautions that they won't be able to follow them without starting a war, but Carol claims they will only watch them and report to the Alexandria council before doing anything. Daryl then asks why she lied to him about their mission earlier; Carol tells him she didn't want him to worry about her after she pulled a gun on Alpha, and apologizes. She asks Daryl if he will stick around, and he confirms, claiming that she will need him to track.
Elsewhere, Beta and the Whisperers escort a blindfolded Negan through the woods. He jokes about their lifestyle and says he wants to join them. Beta puts his knives to Negan's throat and says that he is too loud. Negan apologizes and introduces himself, before explaining he has been a prisoner of Alexandria for eight years and is willing to reveal their secrets. Beta relents and gags Negan as they continue their walk. At Hilltop, Eugene finishes improving the radio set up with parts of the fallen satellite while Nabila brings him supplies. He then tests it and is contacted by Rosita from Alexandria. They catch up and she admits to missing talking to him. Suddenly, a part of the radio malfunctions and they agree to talk later.
In the woods, Daryl and Carol pass the time by throwing acorns at a can. Daryl hits it, but Carol says he has to knock it over. Carol finds a double-capped acorn and gives it to Daryl, telling him it's good luck and might improve his aim. He puts in his vest pocket. Carol then asks how things were at Hilltop. Daryl says Ezekiel sends his best. When Carol asks him how Connie is, Daryl tells her that there is nothing at all going on between them. Carol asks him why not and tells him he can't hide out with his dog forever, but he doesn't answer. The two share a meal before spotting a group of walkers roaming around in circles, quickly concluding there is a Whisperer among them.
At the Whisperer camp, Alpha and Beta argue over what to do with Negan. Alpha wants to test him, while Beta wants to kill him. Alpha notes that Beta has been questioning her rather often lately and asks if he is finally challenging her. Beta kneels in submission and vows that he will never challenge her. Alpha forgives him as Negan smiles nearby. Later, Negan mocks Beta's relationship with Alpha and jokes that he is attracted to her baldness. Back in Alexandria, Siddiq arrives at Rosita's house and finds her sick lying on the couch. He decides to take her to the infirmary despite her objections. In Hilltop, Eugene decides to radio open channels to find somebody.
Later that day, Daryl and Carol debate how they're going to handle Alpha's horde. She walks off to use the bathroom and Daryl looks through her bag. She returns and asks if he found what he was looking for. He questions her about her gun but she insists that she didn't bring it. In the woods, Beta forces Negan to do a series of tasks, like digging graves, skinning walkers, and help hunt a boar to prove his worth. Back in Alexandria, Siddiq arrives at the infirmary to find it full of sick people and berates Dante for letting things get out of hand. He is calmed down by Rosita and rushes to prepare more herbal medication.
That night, Carol and Daryl approach the border to observe the herd. Back in their camp, Beta tells Negan that he has not earned the right to eat with them and throws him to the ground. Negan collects himself and sits with another Whisperer who shares some food with him. At Hilltop, Eugene keeps calling out over the radio and after a while, a woman responds. He is left speechless. In the woods, Daryl and Carol observe the herd from some shrubbery. When Daryl signals Carol to retreat, she accidentally steps on a twig and attracts the walkers to their location.
Meanwhile, Eugene asks the woman about her community, but she says she's not comfortable sharing that information yet; instead, they agree on talking about their pasts. Eugene says he grew up in Dallas, Texas while she grew up in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. He admits to having visited the town for a train fair and to have gone to an ice cream shop. She joyfully reveals to be a big fan of the shop, too. Back in the woods, Daryl holds a walker, slices its guts open, and rubs its blood on his face to blend in and avoid being detected.
Back at the infirmary, Siddiq comforts a bedridden Cheryl and apologizes to Dante for his outburst earlier. He says he understands his concerns and they laugh off the incident. A while later, Siddiq holds Coco and falls asleep. He starts to dream of the harrowing night at the barn and wakes up to find himself holding Coco on the windmill, much to his confusion. Elsewhere, Beta and Negan walk among one of their herds in the woods as his final task. When Negan starts making jokes again, Beta tells him he'll never be one of them because he's too loud and egotistical. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for Alpha," Negan says. Beta kills a Whisperer in response and walks away, leaving Negan to fend for himself with a pocket knife.
In the woods, Daryl finds Carol holding a Whisperer hostage. Carol claims that she didn't have a choice as the Whisperer spotted her, and suggests interrogating him. Daryl becomes skeptical of Carol's intentions and asks if she planned this, but Carol denies the accusation. When she pulls the Whisperer up, Daryl notices that his hands are zip-tied together and wonders where Carol got the zip-ties since they weren't in her bag. Carol claims that Daryl must have missed them. They then leave towards Alexandria.
Back at Hilltop, the woman admits to Eugene that she doesn't know if they should keep talking because they could be a threat to each other. Eugene says he trusts her enough to share his full name and suggests they continue their conversations. She agrees but wants to keep them a secret between them and if she hears anyone else she will stop answering. Eugene accepts her conditions and they sign off.
The next morning, Beta returns to the camp and tells Alpha that Negan died because he was weak. Suddenly, a blood-covered Negan arrives demanding a skinsuit for himself with an extra measure because of his humongous balls. He kneels and introduces himself to Alpha. "I'm all in, whatever you want, whatever I got, it's yours", Negan tells her. Alpha leans down to sniff him and shushes him to signal she approves.
"Open Your Eyes"
Siddiq wakes up after experiencing horrific flashbacks of Alpha killing his friends at the barn, while remembering the phrase "Open your eyes" being said to him. He finds Cheryl shaking from her fever, so he gives her a glass of water and covers her body with another blanket. He then checks up on Rosita and brings water to the other sick residents. While looking at his patients, he hallucinates seeing Alpha outside the window wearing her outfit from the fair. At night, Siddiq reads some medical books and takes notes until he falls asleep. He then imagines himself waking up to several hands grabbing him from under the couch and covering his mouth.
The next day, Lydia is trying to read a book in her cell when Daryl arrives and signals her to get out while Carol escorts the captured Whisperer inside. Outside, Carol questions Lydia about their new prisoner and she reveals he is one of the Whisperers in charge of herding the walkers. Carol also asks if he knows where Alpha's horde is and Lydia reckons that he does. Gabriel marches over and scolds Carol for risking the safety of the community with the hostage. He then orders that the Whisperer's wounds be treated first and demands to be present during the interrogation.
At his house, Daryl sets the double acorn down and takes off his shirt. He then cuddles with his Dog on the couch. On a balcony, Lydia tells Carol she doubts the man will betray Alpha because he is loyal, but if they show him that a place like Alexandria can survive, there's nothing Alpha can do to stop the idea from spreading among the group. Back in the cell, Siddiq and Dante arrive to tend to the Whisperer's wounds. After he is ordered by Dante not to try anything, the Whisperer tells Siddiq he remembers him from the barn and starts to taunt him. Siddiq becomes nervous so Dante suggests him to head outside. As leaves, Siddiq looks at the pointed spikes on the stairs and has a flashback to Alpha brutally decapitating D.J. in front of him.
Meanwhile, Aaron and Gamma meet on one of the borders at a bridge. She questions how his community is full of supplies like bread. He offers her some but she turns him down. Gamma then notices a drawing by Gracie in his bag and he reveals he has a daughter. She is surprised to hear that they have children in the community and explains that children hold you back. When Aaron asks about siblings, Gamma lies and tells him she's an only child. Back in Alexandria, Carol brings the Whisperer a tray with a sandwich and offers him any flavor he wants as well as having salted fish for lunch. When she says she just wants to talk, the Whisperer refuses so she just hands him the bread. He slowly starts to eat it before being overcome with emotion. Suddenly, he spits it all out onto Carol's face.
In the infirmary, Siddiq tends to a bedridden Rosita and two of them reflect on them being parents in the new world. He nearly kisses her until she has a coughing fit so he gives her more water before leaving to check on his other patients. Back in the cell, Carol presses her finger in the Whisperer's wound, demanding to know where the horde is. When the Whisperer implies that he would rape her if they were out in the wild, Carol puts on her ring and punches him repeatedly in the face. "You're all weak," he tells them in response. Daryl pulls out a knife and threatens to cut off his fingers, ears, and teeth. The Whisperer says they are lying to themselves and he wouldn't betray Alpha because she loves her people so much she sacrificed her own daughter.
Carol sprints out of the cell to and Daryl catches her, begging her not to involve Lydia because she has been trough enough. "This is the only way and you know it," she says in response. Meanwhile, Siddiq checks in on Cheryl again in her own bedroom. She beckons Siddiq over and they chat about how he needs to remain strong for the others. At the bridge, Aaron tells Gamma she can keep the drawing and tries to ask about her past. When she doesn't answer, he calls her out for digging for intel and thinks he should be doing the same. He then opens up about his younger brother and tries for her to the same. Before she can give in, Gamma leaves while repeating the Whisperer motto to herself.
Back in the cell, the Whisperer is shaking and talking to himself. As the group enters the cell to help him, he starts convulsing and spits up blood onto Dante's shoulder before succumbing to the poison and dying on the floor. Carol and Lydia enter the room but Daryl tries to shield the view and has them leave. Siddiq then finds a jar of hemlock in the medical backpack and accuses Dante of killing him. However, Dante lies and says he was responsible for packing it.
Elsewhere, Gamma weeps to herself when a walker suddenly attacks her and she manages to kill it. She is then shocked to see Alpha standing nearby waiting. Alpha questions her about Aaron and Gamma says she learned his name and that he has a daughter. Alpha wonders if she asked about her sister's child but Gamma swears she didn't. Alpha then tells her to remove her mask and proceeds to whip her arm so she can remain strong. She goes on to tell Gamma that Aaron is tempting her with lies and she shouldn't be seduced.
In the cell, Daryl prevents the Whisperer from reanimating and Gabriel offers to help him hide the body. Outside of Alexandria, Carol rides a horse with Lydia after asking for her help in something. Meanwhile, Siddiq finds Cheryl's room empty and encounters Dante digging a grave as her covered body lays nearby. He walks away upset and then experiences more flashbacks from the pikes. Unable to stop them, Siddiq jumps into the lake. He remembers being told to open his eyes as Enid is decapitated. Rosita then jumps into the water and pulls him out.
Shortly after, Rosita questions Siddiq about what's really going on in his mind. He breaks down and explains he can escape his memories about the night their friends were killed by the Whisperers. She assures him that he is doing everything he can but he says he feels he failed Enid and that he misses her. Rosita demands he pull through and fight it for her and Coco and everyone else. While talking about the sickness, Siddiq realizes that the water is what is making people sick. He heads to inspect the water pumps and after discovering they are broken, he starts throwing things.
That night, Gamma meets with Aaron again. She hands him back Gracie's drawing and when he reaches for it, she grabs him from behind and puts a knife to his neck to question him. Suddenly, Carol emerges from the woods with her arrow pointed as Lydia also arrives. Gamma panics to see Lydia alive and runs off into the woods. Carol tries to explain to Lydia that Alpha lied to the Whisperers about killing her but Lydia compares her to Alpha. She then says she chooses her own side and hits Carol with her staff before crossing into the border as well. Nearby, Gamma has a breakdown and cries.
Back in Alexandria, Siddiq gazes out the window in his house. Dante arrives to comfort him. He explains that everything is going to be okay because Alexandria is a special place, before declaring that Siddiq is his friend. He then starts clicking his tongue, which triggers Siddiq back to the beheadings and makes him realize that Dante was the Whisperer forcing him to watch as his friends were killed. They soon start fighting in the room as Siddiq tries to reach for a machete. Dante tackles him to the ground and puts him in a chokehold. "I didn't want this! Not you! Not like this. Close your eyes... Close your eyes," Dante tells Siddiq in sorrow as he chokes him harder until he falls dead.
"The World Before"
In a flashback, Alpha and Dante are standing at the pike border. She assures him that nothing from his past or his short time with the Whisperers matters. After commending his actions in the barn, Alpha gives him the mission to spy on Alexandria in return for a special place among the Whisperers once their enemies are destroyed. Dante follows her instructions and wanders the wilderness until he finds a group of survivors. He pretends to need help from walkers and joins them. A short time later, they arrive at Alexandria. He then spends the next four months leaving hidden notes with intel on a tree for Alpha to find and sabotaging the community by painting the "Silence the Whispers" graffiti, bending the lever of the water valve, and suffocating Cheryl to death.
In the present, Dante sits with Siddiq's dead body and thinks about what he has done. He grabs a knife to put him down but is interrupted by a knock on the door. Rosita enters with Coco to check on Siddiq. A suspicious Dante lies about his whereabouts as Siddiq starts to reanimate. When Dante reveals his knife, Rosita slowly backs away and puts Coco into a bathtub. He tackles her to the ground and starts choking her as a reanimated Siddiq walks over to his crying daughter. Before Coco can be harmed, Rosita stabs Dante in the chest, puts down Siddiq, and then brutally beats Dante until he is knocked unconscious. She then picks up Coco and cries as she looks at Siddiq's dead body.
The next day, Gamma meets Aaron at the border on the bridge again and asks if the baby that was left to die outside Hilltop is still alive. When she reveals he is her nephew, Aaron says he was rescued by a family and is named Adam. She offers him information in exchange for seeing Adam. Before accepting any type of deal, Aaron makes her take off her mask and to tell the truth. She obeys and reveals her real name to be Mary.
In Alexandria, Daryl punches Dante in the infirmary where he is interrogated. When Gabriel demands to know why he killed Siddiq, Dante insists that he had no choice since it wasn't part of the plan. Carol asks what his plan was and Dante confesses he was sent there to stir paranoia and force them into bad decisions. When he says he's looking forward to them arguing over what to do with him as they did with Negan, Rosita kicks him in the back and leaves as Aaron arrives.
Upon being informed about the recent events, Aaron reveals that he has been talking with a Whisperer and she has told him the location of Alpha's horde, explaining she just wants to see her nephew Adam. Despite his skepticism, Daryl orders him to summon a group from Hilltop to help them with the mission. He then reminds Carol that Lydia is still missing, but she says she can help him look for her afterwards even though she doesn't want to be found. "Are we talking about her or we talking about you?", Daryl asks as she leaves.
On the journey towards Oceanside, Scott stops the convoy when he comes across recent prints. Michonne tells the group to stay alert and remain quiet to avoid encountering Whisperers scouts. When Judith asks Luke what he was whistling before, he explains he was whistling one of his favorite songs and writes it down for her in a book where she is documenting everything that happens to them for the future. Shortly after, Luke convinces Michonne to stop at a nearby library along the way to look for more books.
When the group heads inside, Judith finds a Russian-English dictionary she gives to Luke for Eugene to understand the satellite parts before he heads to the music section. Michonne is called over the radio by Magna as Luke is attacked by two walkers. While struggling, a man saves his life before fleeing. The group arrives after hearing his screams and Luke tells them about the man who saved him. Michonne informs him about Siddiq's death and says they should hurry.
Back in Alexandria, Gabriel delivers a moving eulogy at Siddiq's funeral as the residents mourn and Rosita falls to the ground alone in sadness. When the ceremony ends, Ezekiel talks with Carol and says that Siddiq was one of those people he thought would live forever. He then volunteers to help her finding Alpha's horde but she declines. When Carol asks if everything is okay, Ezekiel is hesitant to tell her about his cancer and only wishes her good luck in the mission.
Later that day, Rosita hears walkers banging on the walls and goes outside to kill them using brass knuckles to release her anger out. Before a walker with a helmet almost bites her, she comes to her senses as Eugene arrives to help kill it. He then offers his deepest condolences to her and wishes he could offer more, but says he is unable to at the moment because he is relocating. They say goodbye to each other and he leaves.
Meanwhile, Gabriel is at his house rewatching Dante's interview where he claims he had a son. When Rosita arrives, she tells him she almost died fighting walkers recklessly and laments how vulnerable she feels because she doesn't want Coco to be left an orphan. Gabriel says that feeling will pass and his main concern at the moment is to deal with Dante. Feeling hurt by his indifference, she claims that maybe Dante was right about them not being as strong as they thought.
At their home, Aaron and Gracie play a game where she has to guess the capitals of each state. She wins and asks for a story as her prize. Aaron tells her he once went hiking with a man he loved in Eureka, California. They stood in ancient ruins and listened to the sound of the ocean waves which were far away and wondered what life was like for the old civilization. She asks for the villagers' whereabouts but Aaron doesn't know what happened to them.
In Oceanside, Michonne demands to Cyndie and Rachel they use a new system to vet newcomers. When the man who saved Luke is brought into the community, he begs he simply wants to get back to his family as the residents accuse him of trying to steal one of the boats. Michonne draws her sword and demands he answers her questions. Several walkers suddenly invade and the group prepares to defend the community.
In Alexandria, Gabriel visits a prisoned Dante at the cell and asks if he even had a son like he said in his videotape interview. When Dante says it doesn't matter, Gabriel walks into the cell and admits to being deeply saddened by the loss of Siddiq whom he loved like a brother and because of his death Coco won't ever meet her father. After Dante asks whether people deserve a second chance, Gabriel appears to agree but then pulls out a knife and brutally stabs him to death. He then screams in a rage and cries into his blood-covered hands. Back at Oceanside, the man tries to escape but is slashed in the leg by Judith and falls. She calls out to her mother and Michonne proudly congratulates her. In Alexandria, Rosita carries Coco to a window and spots Gabriel leaving the cell covered in blood.
Elsewhere, Daryl parks his bike in the woods as Carol and Aaron follow him. They meet up with Magna, Jerry, Connie, and Kelly for assistance in their mission. That night, the group crosses one of the borders in the woods when Carol nearly steps on a bear trap before Daryl stops her. He chastises her for acting recklessly and says they can't let Alpha take way their future too. They hug and then cross the border. Meanwhile, Gabriel burns Dante's body when Rosita approaches and puts her head on his shoulder. They reconcile and watch the scene.
In Oceanside, the man wakes up and attempts to stop Judith from reading a book he is bringing for his daughter before Michonne arrives to question him. He claims he was only looking for supplies and now wants to return home. When she asks why he saved Luke, he says that mercy is in short supply these days. She gets emotional after remembering a similar phrase said by Rick and Siddiq years before. He then reveals to live with his family on a fortified island that is hard to find and suggests they can make a deal. Shortly after, Michonne tells Judith her plan of helping the man get back to his family on a naval base in exchange for weapons to destroy Alpha's horde but says she needs to go alone. Judith understands her mother's decision and they hug.
The next morning, the group arrives at the location of the horde in a clearing only to find it's empty. Daryl tells Aaron it was a waste of time and now they will go search for Lydia. As they leave, someone watches them from the bushes. At Oceanside, Michonne gives the man his backpack and tells him that the weapons will pay off his debt to Oceanside. He accepts the offer and introduces himself as Virgil. Michonne then informs the group of her mission and that she has a radio if they need her. She tells Judith that she can contact her at any time and reminds her to be good with her uncle Daryl until she returns. Michonne and Virgil then sail away on a boat towards the island.
In the woods, Carol spots Alpha across a clearing and chases after her into a dark building as the rest follow. When walkers cut off the rest of the group, Daryl kills them and enters last. He then falls below a cave with the rest of the group into a trap where they find themselves surrounded by most of the horde with no escape.
"Squeeze"
Daryl, Carol, Aaron, Jerry, Connie, Kelly, and Magna recover from the fall in the cave where they are trapped by an enormous horde. Alpha, with a torch in her hand, looks at them from the top and Carol shouts at her in anger. Alpha leaves the cave, ordering the Whisperers to not let them escape. She drops the torch and walks away, putting her mask on.
In an effort to escape, Magna attempts to climb a wall, but fails. Daryl tells her it's too high to reach, so the group starts seeking other avenues of escape. Daryl points his flashlight on a boulder and Aaron suggests they move forward by jumping on the rocks. They make it to the other side. A walker grabs Kelly's foot and Jerry cuts its arm off, giving it to Daryl.
As the group moves through the cave, Kelly points out that they don't have enough food to stay there forever. Jerry assures her there has to be an exit since walkers managed to get inside. Connie asks Carol if she's fine, to which she agrees. Daryl notices that she has claustrophobia, and Magna confronts Carol about her pursuing Alpha and getting all of them trapped. Daryl responds that they don't have time for quarrels.
Back in the Whisperers' camp, Alpha informs Beta and Gamma that their enemy has crossed the border and they were heading to the National Park where the horde was located. Beta says they've underestimated them so Alpha assumes that they've sent spies beyond the border and assigns more guards, before sending Gamma to carry a message to their spy in Alexandria. Negan watches the exchange silently.
In the cave, the survivors rest and try to get together. Daryl tells Carol he's tired of her reckless actions and wants her to stop seeking revenge. She answers that she wants Alpha to suffer for all she's done, but Daryl reminds her that they're not fighting for vengeance, but for their future. Carol promises she won't fool him anymore. Meanwhile, Magna investigates the stone maze with a lit match and encounters a Whisperer. The group engages in a fight and kills several Whisperers, before deciding to follow the ones who escaped to find the exit.
Elsewhere the next day, Negan encounters Alpha at the camp's latrine where he tells her about a possible traitor among them, and suggests that it may be Gamma. Alpha holds a knife to his crotch and tells him not to sow paranoia in the camp, warning if he’s wrong she’ll cut his balls off. She then tosses him into her bathroom ditch and leaves.
Back in the cave, Connie consoles Carol and the group starts to squeeze through narrow tunnels. Carol suffers from claustrophobic attacks, but overcomes them. Some walkers appear from the holes, forcing survivors to speed up. Jerry gets stuck in a hole and two walkers try to chew on his feet. Daryl tells him to remove his armor, and he successfully squeezes through. Kelly checks on his shoes and assures him he wasn't bitten. Magna spots sunlight and nearly falls into a massive hole. Daryl lights the walker's arm and drops it on the bed of the cave, displaying part of the horde.
At Whisperers' camp, Alpha asks Beta about Gamma's whereabouts. He notices she didn't make it to the border, so he's sent four scouts to help her in case she gets caught by the traitor. Alpha implies that Gamma is the traitor and wants Beta to track her down and bring her to the camp alive so she can kill her in front of the whole pack. In the cave, the group enters into an old mine station where they find a blockade and possible exit. Kelly finds a box of dynamite and Jerry asks her to lay it down carefully. Magna shares with Aaron her feelings about fighting with Yumiko.
Back in the Whisperers' camp, Alpha takes Negan deep in the forest. When they stop, she orders him to undress. Negan, thinking Alpha's about to kill him, admits the power he had over the Saviors turned him into a monster. Surprisingly, he turns around to find Alpha fully naked. She says he deserves a crass reward for detecting the spy. Negan's amused because she will keep her mask on and wonders if she'll decapitate him like a female praying mantis afterwards, but doesn't receive any answers. He says he'll take his chances and the two kiss.
In the cave, the group keeps digging for a way out through the mine celling when Daryl notices that both Carol and one dynamite stick are gone. He finds her all the way back, trying to climb a wall and find a good place for the stick to explode and destroy the horde. Daryl says she'll kill herself in the process and eventually convinces her to stop. He then tries to pull her up but the dynamite falls and explodes underneath them.
The cave begins collapsing while Jerry holds a beam to allow the others to escape. Kelly and Aaron make it to the surface and kill some Whisperers. Connie runs back to find Daryl and Carol, forcing Magna to follow her. They find them and help them escape but encounter more Whisperers coming from behind. Magna and Connie stay back and kill several Whisperers to protect Jerry, but he cannot hold the log anymore and leaves through the hole. The rest of the dynamite immediately explodes and the cave implodes, trapping Magna and Connie inside.
Daryl tries to excavate trough the debris as Kelly falls to the ground in agony. Aaron tells Daryl it could take weeks to reach them as he starts to sob. Kelly states that the explosion will attract walkers and Whisperers in the vicinity and they should leave because they won't be able to help Connie and Magna if they die. Carol rants to Daryl, blaming herself for all their troubles and pleads him to admit that it's all her fault. He ignores her request and tells the group to head home and inform everyone they found the horde, while he'll find the other entrance to the cave.
"Stalker"
Beta walks through a field in the forest and enters into a moldy RV where two other Whisperers open a latch revealing a deep pathway entrance to a tunnel. He jumps down, lights a lantern and starts to move forward deeper in the cave. Meanwhile in Alexandria, Rosita wakes up after having a nightmare where she freezes and is forced to see as a Whisperer kills Coco. A moment later, she receives a call from the radio and leaves.
Over the gates, Gamma arrives and immediately gets surrounded at spear-point by the guards. She removes her mask and explains that the Coalition group is in a cave surrounded by Alpha's horde and that they may be still alive and needing help. Gabriel questions her intentions, pointing out the horde wasn't where she told Aaron it would be. Gamma argues that Alpha had moved it and insists that she wants to help. Rosita questions her motives and Gamma explains that the baby left at Hilltop is her nephew and she is willing to show them the location of the cave to see him again. Gabriel seems to believe her but Rosita knocks her unconscious and orders for her to be put in a cell.
In the woods, Daryl secretly observes a Whisperer walking around another entrance to the cave. He prepares to attack, but retreats after Alpha walks out and starts to lead the horde. Back in Alexandria, Mary wakes up in the cell. Gabriel and Rosita confront her about Dante's actions, but Mary claims she wasn't involved in that. They say she has to prove she's different from the other Whisperers or she'll get killed. When Gabriel insists she is hiding something and calls for a sincere confession, Mary tearfully reveals she killed her sister for Alpha, which makes Gabriel accept her help.
Meanwhile, Alpha and some Whisperers continue to lead walkers through a river. Suddenly, a Whisperer is hit in the leg by a knife and is devoured after he screams in pain. Alpha orders her group to spread out when Daryl appears from behind and kills the remaining Whisperers before facing Alpha. They engage in a brutal fight where Alpha slices his face under the eyes, worsening his vision. Daryl thrusts a tree branch in her shoulder and yells for Magna and Connie's whereabouts. The fight draws nearby walkers' attention and Daryl is forced to take them out while dealing with his clouded vision. Alpha grabs a knife on the floor and stabs him in the leg as they flee the scene.
In the meeting hall, Mary stands before the map and tells everything she knows about the cave and its entrances. She explains that most of Alpha's forces are situated around the cave, so the borders are defenseless. When Mary's once again taken away, Gabriel proposes to Laura and Scott to send two rescue teams just before Rosita doubts the authenticity of her words. He insists Mary is telling the truth because they broke her and encourages them to capture any Whisperer, and to pull their teeth or take their fingers if necessary, to get them to drop the act since they are cowards.
Elsewhere, a weakened Alpha stumbles into an abandoned gas station where Daryl is hiding and is struggling to pull out the knife from his leg. She looks for him in the workshop inside the station for a short time, but after getting exhausted takes a seat and bangs her shotgun on the wall to attract walkers in the vicinity which will protect her and attack Daryl. Back in Alexandria, Rosita and Gabriel prepare for the outing. He suggests she'd better stay at home but she refuses, adding that he is acting erratic and is itching for a fight. Gabriel doesn't understand her point, and Rosita claims she can feel that Coco is wondering where Siddiq is and she doesn't want her daughter to be left an orphan.
On the streets, Judith starts a conversation with Mary by asking her name and wondering about her life before meeting the Whisperers. Mary recalls that she was born in Santa Monica and that her parents' names were John and Alice, but fails to recover more memories, blaming Alpha for brainwashing her. Judith thinks that had Mary stumbled across Rick and Michonne first, she would have turned out better, and claims that she doesn't look like a monster. Back at the gas station, three walkers are lured inside so Daryl's forced to kick off a fire extinguisher and use it as a weapon. He kills two but has to rip the knife from his leg to kill the third, thus opening his wound and losing a lot of blood.
Sometime later that day, Laura is informed by Echo Post about a hundred-walker herd incoming. She wants to double-check the message, but receives no response. Scott wonders why would the Whisperers send forces to the gates and Gabriel explains they try to not let them use the traitor's information. While people are being drafted for the scout team, Gabriel changes the plan at the last minute and orders for Rosita and Laura to stay back with a skeleton crew while he and others will head out on the recon mission. Before leaving, Rosita tells him she has been having nightmares about the Whisperers killing her and worries about Coco's future if they both die. They kiss goodbye.
That night, Beta crawls out from Cheryl's grave and unsheathes his double blades before walking stealthily through the community. He slaughters several survivors in their houses and then sits down to meditate as he waits for his victims to reanimate. On the road, Gabriel and his scout team find the soldiers from Echo Post murdered and realize the Whisperers forced them to give false information about the herd so they would leave Alexandria and weaken the inner defense. Back in Alexandria, all the residents killed by Beta turn into walkers and roam the streets.
While Rosita and the other soldiers deal with the undead, Beta enters the basement and opens the cell as Mary claims that Alpha lied about Alexandria. He ignores her and tells her to go with him without hesitation, so her death will be painless. She moves forward and states she's not afraid of him as Laura appears from behind and threatens Beta with an ax, telling Mary to get help. Outside, Judith tells Mary to come inside her house for safety. In the cell, Laura jumps on Beta to prevent him from leaving but he overpowers her and slams her back against the cell door twice, killing her.
Beta comes out on the street and enters the Grimes' residence to investigate. He tries to enter the children's room, only to get shot in the chest by Judith. Mary tells her and R.J. to run to another room as she checks on Beta. When she tries to follow them, Beta grabs her foot and knocks her down. He then checks his bulletproof vest before Rosita draws his attention. They battle with their weapons until Beta slashes both of her arms and gets her on the ground. Before he can kill her, Mary tells him to stop or she'll kill herself, saying she knows Alpha wants her alive. Shortly after, Beta escorts Mary back to the camp when they are ambushed by the Alexandrians, forcing him to flee into the woods. She falls to her knees and tries to convince Gabriel she hasn't betrayed them. He hesitates but ultimately believes her.
Back at the gas station, Alpha and Daryl lie injured and bleeding out. She takes off her mask and starts a speech about light and darkness, stating that she's grateful for everyone who's made her strong. Daryl tells her she drove Lydia away because she didn't love her. Alpha gets angry and tries to approach him, but faints due to the exhaustion. She briefly awakes and sees Lydia standing over her. Alpha wonders if she's real and starts to sing a lullaby while placing her daughter's hands on the knife above her heart, saying she's ready to lead the Whisperers after her death. Lydia tearfully declines to kill her mother and says she blames her for not letting her live a normal life like she always wanted.
The following morning, Alpha wakes up alone and sees the words "Your way is not the only way" carved into a workbench with her knife. She stares at the inscription in frustration, before starting to laugh evilly. In Alexandria, Scott reports to Gabriel that Beta infiltrated Alexandria trough Cheryl's grave which connected to a tunnel system when Aaron arrives to tell them not everyone escaped from the cave. Shortly after, Rosita leaves Coco under Gabriel's care and kisses him goodbye as she prepares to leave towards Hilltop to be checked by the doctor alongside a group. Mary also hops in the wagon to see her nephew, and she and Rosita introduce themselves and shake hands.
Elsewhere in the forest, Lydia tends to Daryl's wounds when he wakes up. She says she stayed with him all day long while deciding what to do. When he asks about Alpha, Lydia responds she couldn't kill her mother. Back at the gas station, Alpha is surrounded and has her wounds tended to by some Whisperers. She stands up and promises to get revenge on the communities with their horde while pronouncing the Whisperers' anthem, officially declaring the war.
"Morning Star"
In the woods, Beta uses his knives to remove the bark from the nearby trees in order to extract sap, which is being harvested by the Whisperers. Meanwhile, Alpha hands Negan a branch and orders him to whip her arm, before she does the same to him. Later, the Whisperers march with their horde. Beta chants "We are the end of the world", and the other Whisperers follow. Alpha continues the chant by saying "We take them all", as Negan marches beside her, now equipped with his very own Whisperer mask.
At the Hilltop, Eugene is searching for a music record while Stephanie discusses comets, noting that she spotted three last night. Eugene is frustrated that he cannot find the record, so Stephanie encourages him to sing the song himself, but Eugene doesn't believe himself capable of the feat. Stephanie then asks how many comets Eugene spotted, to which he replies four. Stephanie is slightly peeved that Eugene is in the lead, and warns that he "better not be counting satellites", revealing that she saw one falling recently. Eugene realizes that the satellite she observed is the same one that crashed near Oceanside at roughly the same time, leading Stephanie conclude that their groups are located relatively close to each other. Excited to learn this fact, Eugene reveals that his group is located in Virginia and proposes a face-to-face meeting, allowing Stephanie to choose the time and location. Stephanie reluctantly agrees to talk to her people, but asks Eugene not to do the same. Eugene promises to keep quiet.
Outside, Alden and Earl are constructing defenses on the Hilltop's walls, when they spot a group of Alexandrians approaching, although neither recognize Mary. When Earl asks Aaron about this, the latter reveals Mary to be a former Whisperer that has defected, and that she wishes to see her nephew, Adam. Earl promptly shoots down this notion, not trusting Mary. Alden agrees with Earl, and assures him that they will only allow the Alexandrians to see Alex.
Ezekiel finds Carol brooding at Daryl's former camp, and offers to comfort her, even though she claims he doesn't need to be. Back at the Hilltop, Kelly wishes to join Luke's search party in an attempt to rescue her sister, while Luke cautions her against it, as her ankle is injured. Yumiko asks Kelly about Magna's last words to her, but the latter thinks them unimportant, since she believes they will rescue their friends and dismisses the possibility that they're dead. Annoyed at Yumiko's questioning, Kelly asks why she is coming with them if she thinks Magna and Connie are dead. They are interrupted by Daryl and Lydia's arrival. The pair reveal that Alpha is coming.
Searching for Eugene, Rosita climbs up to the attic, where she hears Stephanie on the radio attempting to contact Eugene. Puzzled by the mysterious voice, Rosita answers the call and asks for Stephanie's identity as Eugene scrambles to climb down from the upper floor and stop Rosita from replying. Furious that Rosita made him break his promise to Stephanie, Eugene tells her to leave.
Out in the woods, Negan approaches Alpha and proposes that she gets Alexandria and Hilltop to surrender instead of destroying them, thus adding their populations to the Whisperers' ranks. Alpha asks him to elaborate. Back at the Hilltop, Yumiko instructs Felix and Penny to radio them as soon as they see the Whisperers approaching. She then joins the discussion about what should be done. Lydia thinks they should run, explaining that even if the explosion at the cave took out half the horde, Alpha would still have thousands of walkers left. Earl thinks the Whisperers might bypass them and go for Alexandria first, but Lydia negates this. Jerry wishes to stay and fight instead, while Dianne agrees with Lydia, believing that they can rebuild in another location. Earl is skeptical, however, and reckons that they will never find a place as good as Hilltop. While Yumiko points out they're heavily outnumbered, Earl insists that fighting is the best course of action, and even if they die, they will die for a place that means something. Aaron points out that there are children at Hilltop, too. Daryl agrees that they should get the kids out first, and instructs the others to pack up and regroup at Oceanside.
As the children climb into the wagon, Judith expresses a desire to stay and fight, but Daryl is quick to rebuff her. He then spots Carol and Ezekiel arriving, but doesn't go to greet them. The caravan doesn't make it far before they hit a roadblock and discover Felix and Penny (the scouts they sent earlier) dead. Daryl identifies this as one of Negan's tactics and concludes that all the other roads will be blocked, too, making a retreat impossible.
The caravan returns the the Hilltop, with Daryl informing the others of the situation. Luke suggests calling Alexandria for reinforcements, but Dianne doesn't think that neither Alexandria nor Oceanside can get to them in time. Earl is confident that Hilltop is prepared, and tries to rally everyone for the upcoming conflict.
Later on, Ezekiel prepares his armor, when Carol knocks on his door and enters. She notices the lumps on his neck, and while Ezekiel brushes it off as nothing, Carol tells him to "never bullshit a bullshiter". Ezekiel mournfully admits that he wanted to tell Carol about his condition, when the latter suddenly kisses him. Downstairs, Mary spots Adam and attempts to talk to him, but is intercepted by Alden, who prevents her from doing so. Despite Mary's pleas and Aaron's attempts to reason with him, Alden remains adamant about keeping Adam separate from Mary.
After having sex, Ezekiel says that it was fun, although Carol states that that was never a problem. Ezekiel jokes about being at least fondly remembered for something, and notes that Carol has lost her sense of humor when the latter doesn't laugh. Carol claims she simply left it "on a dresser in the Kingdom" before it burned down. Ezekiel says that he left his pride there, too. He then asks Carol if their encounter would have happened if they didn't think they were going to die tonight, to which Carol jokingly says "Wait... we're gonna die tonight?". The pair share a laugh.
Outside the Hilltop, Eugene is calibrating the electric fence when he is greeted by Rosita. She informs him that she talked to Gabriel and that Coco is fine. Eugene asks if she told him about the horde, but she reveals that she didn't. Rosita says that she thought Eugene would be working on the radio, but he reveals that there have been no new transmissions. Rosita supposes that Eugene likes the girl on the radio, but he believes that she won't talk to him again after the earlier debacle. Rosita assures him that the girl likes him, before suddenly inviting Eugene to kiss her. He leans in, but is ultimately unable to go through with it. Eugene notes how peculiar it is to want to kiss someone he has never met, while Rosita finds this endearing. She encourages him to attempt to win Stephanie back.
Back at the Hilltop, Lydia tearfully inspects the engraving Henry made for her, when Carol sits next to her. After lighting a cigarette, Carol says that Lydia should hate her, to which the latter replies that it's hard for her to do so, since Carol already seems to hate herself so much. Carol vows to kill Alpha, but Lydia points out that won't save them. Carol replies that it will feel good, and asks if Lydia will hate her then. Lydia coldly states that she wont be thinking about Carol at all. Carol chuckles and thanks her for telling the truth. Lydia observes that people don't know how to do that anymore, so they simply stay away from both of them. Carol mournfully says that she had a life, to which Lydia simply replies "I know".
Outside, Luke and Kelly are rigging the defenses when Yumiko joins them and apologizes to Kelly for being "an asshole". Kelly quickly forgives her with a hug, and is confident they will get Connie and Magna back "cause assholes get shit done". They are suddenly interrupted by dozens of rats fleeing from the bushes. Yumiko quickly realizes that the horde is coming, and orders everyone to prepare.
As everyone equips their weapons and armor, Eugene tries to get Stephanie to respond by singing "When The Wild Wind Blows" by Iron Maiden over the radio. After a while, Stephanie joins in, much to Eugene's joy. Stephanie apologizes for disappearing, explaining that she got spooked when she heard someone else respond, although Eugene claims it was his fault. Stephanie asks who the girl who responded was, and concludes that Eugene must be fond of her when the latter explains. Eugene describes Rosita as his "BFF", and says that he hopes Stephanie gets to meet her some day. He goes on to say that the last few days of talking with Stephanie have been incredible. Stephanie abruptly blurts out the location of her group (Charleston, West Virginia), and sets up the location and time of their future meeting, which Eugene accepts. Right after this, Rosita comes to fetch him for the battle, and Eugene confidently follows her, stating that he has a "date".
Downstairs, Ezekiel is fastening his armor when Daryl approaches him. Noticing the lumps on Ezekiel's neck, Daryl asks if he's okay. "Nah, I got cancer.", Ezekiel replies, but goes on to state "But that's okay, you know what I'm saying?". Daryl says that he's sorry for this, and acknowledges that while he and Ezekiel never really got along, he and the others are nonetheless glad to have him. Ezekiel thanks Daryl for his kind words. The two proceed to arrange for the other to get the children out in case one of them falls in battle. When Ezekiel leaves, Daryl notices Judith sitting in the sofa and wonders why she isn't with the other kids. Judith insists that she can fight. Daryl says that he knows she can, and apologizes for Judith seeing the bodies of Felix and Penny earlier that day. Judith dismisses them as "just walkers", which she has killed plenty of. Judith claims that she isn't scared, but when Daryl says that he might be, she says that she might be scared for R.J., her mom, and Daryl. Daryl assures her that there is no shame in that, since she knows what she's fighting for. Judith reveals that she repaired the wing on Daryl's vest. Daryl thanks her for the gift, before making her promise that if Ezekiel comes looking for her, she goes with him, regardless of whether she knows where Daryl is. Judith promises after some hesitation, and the two hug each other goodbye. Outside, Carol approaches Daryl and asks him to not hate her. Daryl assures her that he is never going to hate her, before taking his leave. He grabs a morning star and heads out for battle.
As everyone is gathered on the front lines, Kelly puts her palms on the ground and confirms that the horde is close. Indeed, the horde soon emerges from the bushes and approaches the Hilltop. While they are momentarily halted by the electric fence, the walkers soon break through it and approach the second line of defense. Aaron orders the survivors to split ranks. The shield-wielding survivors reinforce the makeshift barbed wire fence, while the melee weapon-wielding survivors start taking out the walkers. The archers, meanwhile, stay in the back and rain arrows on the herd. Behind the herd, Beta commands the Whisperers to launch the sap they collected earlier using makeshift catapults into the front lines, drenching most of the defenders as well as the Hilltop's walls. This is followed by the Whisperers launching fire-arrows into the front lines, setting one unfortunate Hilltoper ablaze. Behind the Whisperer lines, Negan is puzzled, since he thought Alpha wanted the survivors to join them. Alpha assures Negan that they will, as part of her horde, much to his bemusement. With no choice, the defenders begin to retreat towards the Hilltop, but are trapped when the Whisperers launch another volley of fire-arrows into the Hilltop's walls, setting the community ablaze.
"Walk With Us"
The survivors have retreated behind the Hilltop's walls, while the fire continues to spread, now engulfing most of the Barrington House. On the walls, Carol shoots several arrows at the herd, to little effect. With the gates down, the herd begins to pour into the Hilltop, while the survivors desperately try to hold them off. Earl and Alden use catapults to rain stones on the herd, as the Whisperers also begin to attack the defenders, camouflaged among the rampaging walkers. Mary tries to persuade Lydia not to participate in the combat, since she knows what Alpha wants. Lydia assures her that she will never walk with her mother. Ezekiel rushes the children to safety, before suddenly realizing Judith is missing. Judith downs several walkers on her own, but it is revealed that the last "walker" was in fact a Whisperer. Judith stares in shock, having killed her first living victim, before Earl fetches her. While fighting walkers, Eugene notices the fire is about to reach the house's attic, so he frantically rushes inside to save the radio equipment while Rosita chases after him. Despite successfully slowing down the herd, the survivors are overwhelmed and are forced to retreat after the defensive wall falls, letting the horde past the Coalition's defenses. As Yumiko fights off the walkers, she pauses in horror when she spots a blood-covered Magna moving amongst the herd. However, Yumiko quickly realizes that Magna is still alive and using the walker guts trick to hide amongst the walkers. Explosions continue to rock the Hilltop.
In the aftermath of the battle, Negan finds a badly wounded Hilltop survivor and puts him out of his misery by bashing his head in. Alpha chastises him for destroying the survivor's brain instead of stabbing him in the heart. She then laments all the walkers they lost. Negan thinks they should savor the victory, but Alpha does not share his sentiment, since she doesn't have everything she wants. Negan quickly deduces this to be Lydia and inquires, but Beta dismisses him, and vows to Alpha that he will find Lydia and bring her back. When Alpha turns to leave, Negan attempts to follow her, but Beta blocks his path and orders him to gather the scattered walkers.
Negan attempts to steer a lone walker, but quickly gets bored of this and decides to kill it instead. As a few more walkers approach, he prepares to steer them, but notices Lydia limping off in the distance and decides to follow her. Meanwhile, Aaron is dragging an unconscious Luke to safety, when he runs into Negan. Aaron is furious at Negan's betrayal and prepares to kill him, while Negan tries to explain that things aren't as they seem. Before a fight can break out, the walkers that were following Negan show up and shamble past Negan and towards Aaron. With Luke incapacitated, Aaron has no choice but to kill the walkers while Negan escapes. Further out in the woods, Negan finally catches up to Lydia, and while the latter is at first glad to see him, her smile fades once she notices the Whisperer mask he is carrying. She tries to attack him, but Negan disarms and restrains her.
Elsewhere, Alden, Kelly, and Mary make their way down the road, while Alden tries to comfort a crying Adam. Mary offers her help, but Alden rebuffs her, warning her to keep her distance. He eventually reluctantly agrees, however, as he fails to pacify Adam. In Mary's arms, Adam quickly stops crying. After the trio make camp, Alden asks what the name of Mary's sister was, and she reveals it was Frances. Mary goes on to state how Adam meant everything to Frances, and laments that if she had to do it all over again, she would give her life so her sister could be reunited with Adam. Mary is suddenly alerted by a noise coming from the woods, and tells her companions that they need to move. The trio hurriedly look for shelter as more and more walkers show up, attracted by Adam's crying. They eventually find an abandoned minivan and are barely able to pry the doors open. While Alden and Kelly take shelter with Adam inside the car, Mary decides to stay outside and distract the walkers away from them. She leads a good chunk of them to nearby stream, where she then kills her pursuers. She briefly enjoys her triumph, but is abruptly stabbed in the stomach by Beta, who reaffirms that she will walk with them. Mary tries to fight back and, in her struggle, rips a part of Beta's mask off. This prompts her assailant to finish her off by disemboweling her. Another Whisperer shows up and recognizes Beta from before the apocalypse, noting that his voice sounded familiar. Beta slits the Whisperer's throat to protect his real identity. He then patiently waits for Mary to reanimate. As soon as she does, however, she is brought down with an arrow shot by Alden. Beta runs off before Alden can shoot him as well.
Meanwhile, Carol, Yumiko, Magna, and Eugene are resting in the woods. As Eugene is desperately looking over the little equipment he was able to salvage, a traumatized Magna recounts her experiences to Yumiko, explaining that she and Connie searched the cave for a way out, but got separated after running into the horde. Magna was unable to find Connie afterwards and doesn't know if she survived or not. Carol turns to leave, but is stopped by Yumiko, who angrily yells at her and even punches her in the mouth for her seeming indifference to Magna's plight. When Carol does leave, Magna criticizes Yumiko's response to the situation and then breaks up with her, with both women agreeing its for the best and parting on amicable terms. As Carol sits alone, a walker slowly emerges from the ground and tries to grab her. Carol just watches it at first, but eventually stabs the walker. It is then that she notices Eugene standing next to her, who wanted to offer his companionship after Carol and Yumiko's altercation. Carol asks Eugene if he knows what it feels like to want something so badly you put all your efforts towards obtaining it, anger everyone around you, maybe even get people killed, and still having nothing to show for it. Eugene, indeed, confirms that he does. He explains that he arranged a meeting with Stephanie, which he describes as the biggest meeting of his life, but will now be unable to attend. Carol encourages him to go anyway, to which Eugene smiles and tells Carol he hopes she gets what she wants. When Eugene leaves, Carol discovers Lydia's staff lying on the ground.
Daryl, Rosita, Dianne, Jerry, Nabila, and a few others make their way to the rendezvous where Ezekiel should be waiting for them with the kids. Once there, however, they discover the house to be empty, save for a lone walker. Nabila despairs about the whereabouts of her and Jerry's children. At another cabin, meanwhile, Earl is watching over the kids. He tries to lift their spirits and gives them all some water, going to the back room and closing the curtains behind him. Earl proceeds to flip over a table and drive a spike into it. Just as he is finished, he rolls up his sleeves, revealing his bite wound. Just then, Judith walks in, and notes that Earl lied to them. Earl acknowledges that he did, but only to protect them. Judith is upset at Earl's planned suicide, and offers to stay with him until the end so he is not alone. Earl assures her he won't be alone, but with Tammy and Ken, and knows Alden will take good care of Adam. He tells Judith how strong and brave she is, but adds that he needs her to keep the other kids safe from him. He then asks her to go back to the other room and not come near him again. Judith briefly holds Earl's hand, then leaves as instructed.
Daryl and Jerry travel back to the ruins of Hilltop, and discover Ezekiel still alive under some debris. Ezekiel tells them that Earl has the kids. Back at the cabin, Earl commits suicide by headbutting the spike he drove into the table. As the other kids are asleep, Judith goes to check on Earl and discovers him dead, though he failed at impaling himself on the spike. As she approaches his body for a closer examination, Earl suddenly reanimates and grabs her. When Daryl, Ezekiel, and Jerry approach the cabin, they are relieved to find all of the kids alive. Further inside, Daryl discovers Judith sitting next to Earl's body, having just killed his reanimated corpse. Daryl sits next to her and hugs her in comfort.
Out in the woods, Negan approaches Alpha and informs her that he found what she was looking for. Meanwhile, Lydia wakes up tied to a chair in a small cabin. As they travel to the cabin, Alpha observes a walker and dubs it beautiful and pure, although Negan does not share her sentiment. Alpha is certain Negan will see it at some point, maybe even soon. Negan states that he is not ready to die, but Alpha explains that she wishes to leave the Whisperers with him and start a new group, comparing him to a lion cub who must leave his pride, become a lion, and start a new pride. The pair continue their journey, as Lydia struggles to get out of her restraints. Negan points out that Beta is no "Alpha", and asks if it shouldn't be the young lioness who takes her mother's place, to which Alpha simply tells him to keep walking. Negan goes on to tell Alpha about how he lost his wife to pancreatic cancer, and notes that the disease put things into perspective. He claims that his wife was never more beautiful than right before the end, despite her hair loss and frailness. Alpha thinks Negan should be grateful, since death set his wife free. Negan goes on to state that, after his wife died, he didn't really feel emotions anymore, and describes this as his strength. He then compares himself to Alpha, noting that while he is dead to the world, Alpha is just pretending. He asserts that her philosophy of denying emotions are real and acting like animals is "bullshit", and she knows it, as well as her claim that she needs to kill Lydia to be strong. Alpha retorts that it is Lydia's destiny to be killed by her hand. She says, like the disease that set Negan's wife free, she needs to set Lydia free. As Lydia starts to break free from her restraints, Negan and Alpha approach the cabin. Negan notes that Alpha still loves Lydia, but Alpha informs him that she has to kill Lydia because she loves her. She kisses Negan and thanks him, before approaching the cabin. Lydia finally breaks free of her restraints and rushes to the door. When she opens it, however, she only finds a foggy clearing. Alpha, meanwhile, opens the door of a different cabin and finds it empty. Confused, she turns towards Negan, only for him to suddenly slash her throat. Negan then kisses her and holds her as she is dying.
Later, Negan meets up with Carol and dumps Alpha's reanimated head at Carol's feet. Carol smiles and tells Negan "took you long enough", revealing that they were working together the whole time to take Alpha down.
"What We Become"
In a seeming flashback, Michonne walks through the Georgia woods with her "pet walkers", when she spots Andrea fleeing from the undead. This time, however, when Andrea gets pinned by a walker, Michonne doesn't save her, resulting in Andrea getting devoured.
At present day, Michonne and Virgil have finally arrived to Bloodsworth Island after 5 hours of travel. Virgil complains about being tied to the railing during the trip, but Michonne pays him no mind. Virgil takes her inland, where he claims both the weapons and his family are located. On the way, he stops to pick flowers and herbs to make tea, much to Michonne's annoyance. Wishing to retrieve the weapons as soon as possible, Michonne asks if there are any in the building adjacent to them, but Virgil says this is just an old lab, adding that it's best to stay away due to the wildlife infestation. Further on, the pair arrive to an empty camp. Suspicious, Michonne notes that none of Virgil's family is there. When Virgil becomes evasive, Michonne pulls her sword on him and threatens him into telling the truth. Virgil obliges and takes her to three empty graves, revealing his family to be dead. Angry at Virgil's half-truths, Michonne storms off to find the weapons herself, but stops when Virgil blurts out the island isn't clear. He claims that the island was invaded by a group who brought violence and disease, the latter of which killed his family. He asks for Michonne's help to put his family down, explaining that he never really got good at killing walkers since the island is quite isolated. Michonne reluctantly agrees.
The pair sneak into the walker-infested building through a back door. It isn't long before they are forced to squeeze through a makeshift barricade. While Michonne is successful, Virgil gets stuck and accidentally knocks the barricade over, alerting the walkers to their location. Michonne pushes the walkers back with a stretcher, before instructing Virgil to stay behind it while she takes care of the walkers. After Michonne successfully kills all of the undead, Virgil finds his reanimated family hanging from the ceiling in another room with a bunch of others, having committed mass suicide. Virgil tearfully puts his wife's shoe back on, then allows Michonne to put his family down.
After Virgil buries his loved ones, Michonne expresses her condolences, but is anxious to resume the search. Virgil says that it's late, meaning the tide is too low for the boat to travel though the channel. When Michonne remains adamant, he adds that its getting dark and some of the buildings aren't safe. He offers to resume the search in the morning, which Michonne reluctantly agrees to. As night falls, Michonne finds herself unable to sleep. She attempts to contact Judith, but only receives static. She then ventures outside and goes to explore the lab building Virgil told her to stay away from. When she enters a room, Virgil suddenly appears behind her and slams the door, locking her inside. He chastises Michonne for breaking their trust, before slamming the shutter on the door's window and walking away.
Michonne tries in vain to pry the door open, but eventually tires out and falls asleep. When she wakes up, she finds a tray of food on the ground and her sword missing. She continues to bang on the door, when a strange voice from a cell next to hers tells her to calm down. Shocked, Michonne asks how long she spent in the cell asks why the people on the other side didn't answer her before. They tell her that it's been roughly a day since she arrived, and that they didn't answer her out of fear, since Virgil was in one of his moods. They also dissuade Michonne from trying to escape, as the whole building is booby-trapped. The trio introduce themselves as Virgil's former colleagues who worked as researchers on the island before the outbreak, while Lucy was a janitor. They explain that after the outbreak, people kept arriving to the island via boat, but food supplies soon dwindled. Eventually, a fight broke out over the rations, which resulted in a resident getting stabbed to death. Virgil arrived to the scene too late and panicked. He ordered his colleagues to lock all the doors, but didn't realize his family was still inside. Driven insane over causing their deaths, Virgil locked his friends in the cell so they wouldn't leave him. One of the captives, Jeremiah, encourages Michonne to eat, so she has the strength to kill Virgil. Another captive, Celeste, asks for Michonne's name, so she introduces herself before biting into an apple.
Later, Virgil opens the shutters and tells Michonne he is glad she ate. Michonne orders him to open the door, but Virgil declines, as he knows she will kill him if he does so. He tells her that he doesn't want to fight, just wants her to understand, explaining that the island has a gift and that it can help her the same way it helped him. At this point, Michonne begins to hallucinate. When asked what he did to her, Virgil reveals that he made her hallucinogenic tea using Jimsonweed. He believes Michonne to be in pain like himself, and wishes to cure her. Michonne denies being like Virgil, but the latter cuts her off, revealing that they've already had that conversation three times. Michonne pleads with Virgil to think about her daughter and son, but Virgil says that no one listened to him when he said the same thing, and goes on to state that everything he did was for his family. Michonne laughs at this and makes a snide remark, but is surprised when Siddiq replies to her instead and asks about his child. As Michonne's hallucinations continue to get worse, Virgil smiles and tells her she is no angel. When Michonne starts to shiver, Siddiq tells her to picture the sun. Michonne is at first glad to see him, but he starts blaming her for his death, as well as the deaths of Rick and Carl. Siddiq then asks what will happen to his family with him gone. Michonne tearfully states that Siddiq is her family, but the latter replies "this is what it feels like to be your family". A split send later, Michonne's hands are covered in blood. Michonne screams in horror, before she is confronted by a past version of herself, who hands her the chains to her walkers. Prompted by Virgil, Michonne takes the chains.
She is violently yanked into a vision where she watches Andrea get devoured instead of helping her. She loots Andrea's body before moving on. Later, Michonne finds herself in place of the hitchhiker she and Rick left on the road. As she walks down the road, a Hyundai Tuscon speeds past her. She yells for it to stop, but is ignored. Later, she catches up with the car after it is stuck in the mud. Once again, she begs for help, but upon spotting her, Daryl tells the others to move on. Michonne is once again abandoned. Michonne then finds herself in the aftermath of a walker attack. Just as she finishes the last one off, she is approached by Negan and the Saviors. Michonne takes a swing at Negan with her sword, but he dodges and knocks her down with Lucille. Despite Michonne's aggression, Negan takes a liking to her and offers her a chance to join his group, which she accepts. Michonne then finds herself present at the outpost that Rick and his group initially attacked in an attempt to wipe out the Saviors, but this time on the other side. As Glenn and Heath sneak up on Laura and kill her in her sleep, Michonne is able to wake up in time and guns them down. She successfully escapes the outpost. Later, during the infamous lineup, Negan begins his "eenie-meenie-miney-mo" chant to pick which of the survivors will be executed, but then decides to hand the bat over to his "right-hand-gal" Michonne, allowing her to chose instead. Michonne admonishes Rick and his group for slaughtering the Saviors in their sleep, despite knowing nothing about them. After picking her victim, Michonne states that what happens next is their fault. The victim turns out to be Michonne herself, as "Savior Michonne" tells the survivors "Welcome to the new world", before swinging. Finally, Michonne finds herself being chased through a forest by the Militia. She kills two of them, before she is abruptly shot in the chest by Daryl with his crossbow. As she lay dying, Rick approaches her and shoots her in the head with his Colt Python.
Finally sobering up from the tea, Michonne throws up in a bucket. Virgil asks if she is feeling better while offering a glass of water. Michonne drinks, before grabbing a fork off the tray and suddenly stabbing Virgil in the calf. As they struggle, Michonne is able to disarm Virgil, but he is able to get away. Michonne quickly frees the other prisoners. Together, they run to the boat, only to find that Virgil has set it ablaze. It isn't long before the former captives catch up with Virgil. As Michonne tackles him and puts a knife to his thorat, Virgil explains that he was originally going to ask Michonne to help him release the prisoners, as he wanted to let them go but needed Michonne to keep them from killing him. Once Michonne discovered them on her own, however, Virgil realized she would join forces with them to kill him, so he needed to take her captive as well. Virgil apologizes, but Jeremiah doesn't accept his apology and spitefully steps on his injured leg. Virgil goes on to state how he was lost after his wife died and couldn't let the prisoners leave, but didn't want to kill them either. The prisoners urge Michonne to kill Virgil. Michonne considers it, but seeing the sorry state of her former captor, she ultimately relents. She tells the others that Virgil owes them more than he can ever repay, but by killing him, they will lose more of themselves. Showing mercy, however, will bring them peace. Lucy proceeds to knock Virgil out.
Virgil wakes up in one of his cells. Michonne brings him some water and angrily tells him that she checked every building on the island and found no weapons. Virgil points out that he never lied to her about the weapons, and only said that he'd show her the spots where they could be stored, although he admits he never went inside these buildings because he didn't need to, adding that he never found anything other than a stray shell here and there. He offers Michonne a chance to take anything else she wants instead. Michonne spitefully throws him a bottle of water, before asking him what he sees when he is tripping on his tea. Virgil says that he sees his family alive again, which he describes as heaven. He tells Michonne that he wanted her to experience something similar. Michonne, however, reveals that the tea took her family from her, and she saw hell instead. Virgil apologizes, explaining that the only world he ever wanted to live in was the one with his family in it, but doesn't know how to go on without them. Michonne tells him he needs to try, like everyone else, before ordering him to show her his stuff. Obliging, Virgil takes her to a closet with various equipment inside. As she looks through the shelves, she spots a pair of boots, which she immediately recognizes as Rick's. After a moment of shock, Michonne suddenly pins Virgil to the wall and interrogates him about where he got the boots.
Virgil takes her to a boat that washed up ashore during a big storm. Michonne frantically searches through the journals aboard, before discovering an iphone with an engraving of her and Judith. Michonne cries tears of joy upon realizing Rick survived the explosion, but turns her attention towards Virgil a few moments later. She thinks he came to find them at Oceanside because of the engraving, despite Virgil's claims that he'd never seen it. Furious, Michonne interrogates him about what he did to Rick, but Virgil has no idea who she's talking about. After Michonne relents, Virgil offers help restore the boat to working order if the others would help him. Later, as the others pack up, Michonne informs Virgil that the others are willing to let him come along. Virgil is surprised by this, and considers it for a moment, but ultimately decides to stay on the island to be with his family.
As the boat sails north, Michonne cries over the realization that Rick might still be alive. She then radios Judith. Judith says that she'd been trying to reach Michonne. Michonne apologizes and informs her daughter that she found three people on the island, whom she is bringing home. R.J. joins in on the call to say hello to his mother, but Judith tells him they need to use codenames for security, so R.J. chooses "Little Brave Man" as his codename, much to Michonne's delight. Michonne asks about Rosita, before switching the topic to the Whisperers. Judith informs her that the Whisperers are finished, as they eliminated most of the horde, while Alpha can't hurt them anymore. Michonne then reveals that she found something that belonged to the "Brave Man", and where he might have been recently. Choking back tears, Judith asks if Rick is still alive, but Michonne doesn't know. Judith then urges Michonne to go find Rick if she thinks he is alive. Michonne initially declines, reasoning that Judith and R.J. need her right now, but Judith is insistant, telling Michonne that Rick could be trying to come home and might need help. Michonne accepts her mission, and tells Judith that she will try her on the walkie for as long as she can. They then say their goodbyes.
Later on, Michonne sneaks up behind two walkers and amputates their arms and jaws. She then continues her journey dragging the walkers behind her on a leash, similarly to how she did with Mike and Terry. She travels until she happens upon two survivors, one of them injured. She approaches them, blade in hand. The survivors plead with her to help them, as "they" won't wait for the pair. When Michonne asks who "they" are, the pair point to a large column of survivors moving in the distance. Remembering how she and Rick first met and how he decided to help her, Michonne ultimately decides to do the same, and offers a hand to the survivors. Together, they make their way towards the convoy.
"Look at the Flowers"
In a flashback, Negan sits in his cell awaiting his sentence, having previously killed Margo, when Carol comes down to visit him. Surprised, Negan says that he thought Gabriel would be the one to give him his last rites. Carol asks if Negan wants forgiveness, but the latter denies this, joking about wanting a T-bone steak, some beer, and Rocky Road ice cream. Carol then offers a way for Negan to keep his life. Intrigued, Negan says that he wasn't aware Carol had a say on the Council, but the latter claims to be acting on her own. Negan, however, replies that he gathered that much, but doesn't understand why Carol would be talking to him instead of finding a way to kill Alpha, but Carol reveals that she is doing just that by talking to Negan. Impressed, Negan points out that Carol already missed her shot, and asks what happens if he fails as well, noting that it would endanger the life for every man, woman, and child in Alexandria, which he doesn't approve of. Carol simply replies that killing Alpha would help every man, woman, and child in Alexandria. Negan then asks what's in it for him, to which Carol notes that Negan has been politely receiving his punishment hoping the Alexandrians would one day forget what he did, but she claims that they won't, unless Negan does something to make them forget. If he kills Alpha, Carol vows to make sure the people remember him for that act instead of his crimes. Clearly interested, Negan asks for Carol's word, which she gives, provided Negan completes his mission quickly.
In present day, Carol places Alpha's reanimated head on one of the pikes marking the Whisperer border. Negan asks if this is what she wanted, to which Carol nods in approval. Negan then invites Carol to go back to Alexandria so she can tell everyone of what he did, but the latter angrily asks why it took him so long to kill Alpha. Offended at the question, Negan says that he wanted to escape with his head still attached, and points out that "shit like that takes time". Carol reminds him that their deal stipulated Negan had to kill Alpha quickly, but Negan still claims he held up his end of the deal, and now requires Carol to hold up hers. Carol then says that she is not going back to Alexandria yet. Frustrated, Negan points out that he will be killed on the spot if he goes back to Alexandria on his own, but Carol just suggests that he wait. When Negan asks how long, Carol tells him he is a free man now, and he can make his own choices. She says that she needs to be alone, and "shit like that takes time". She proceeds to walk away.
Elsewhere, Jerry and the other Hilltop survivors welcome Magna back. Eugene inspects Rosita's wounds and offers to fetch Alex, but Rosita thinks someone else can do that, and encourages Eugene to tell the others about Stephanie and his meeting. When he does so, the others bombard Eugene with questions, clearly uncomfortable about Eugene communicating with an outsider. Ezekiel jumps in and vouches for Eugene's instincts, inviting the others to at least hear him out. Continuing, Eugene delivers an emotional speech where he explains that he moved to Hilltop for a fresh start. Although he struggled for a while, his hard work paid off when he befriended Stephanie. While he acknowledges believing in future friends might be foolish, he exclaims that, after everything they've lost, he is willing to be the fool, and simply asks for others not to deride him, as he believes this potential alliance is worth the risk. Ezekiel nods in approval.
Outside, Yumiko finds Magna sitting on the porch, and offers Magna her horse, thinking that Magna would like to join Eugene on his adventure. To her surprise, however, Magna declines her offer, explaining that she likes being with the other survivors and that a routine has had a positive effect on her. She encourages Yumiko to go instead. While the latter is reluctant at first, she accepts when Magna tells her there is nothing for her to fix. Jerry, meanwhile, catches Ezekiel readying his horse, and tries to talk him out of it. Ezekiel asks if this is because he is sick, but Jerry replies that it's only because he will miss Ezekiel. Jerry, however, accepts that he can't stop a man from being foolish, to which Ezekiel replies "Or a man willing to believe in future friends". Jerry questions if this is Ezekiel's sole motivation, but the latter claims that it is enough for now. Ezekiel tells him that the Kingdom needs Jerry, and charges his former bodyguard with carrying on their legacy. Jerry accepts this, and nearly calls his former leader "boss", but stops himself and calls him Ezekiel instead. The two hug each other goodbye.
At the pike border, Beta and two other Whisperers discover Alpha's reanimated head. One of the Whisperers, Rufus, deduces that Negan killed her, and notes that this makes Beta the "Alpha" now. Enraged by his remark, Beta claims that Alpha can still hear him, before commanding Rufus to take off his mask. When the latter does so, Beta asks if Rufus can hear Alpha and what she is saying to him. When the unfortunate Whisperer fails to answer, Beta shoves him closer to Alpha. He continues doing so until Alpha bites Rufus, as the other Whisperer flees in terror. After finally relenting, Beta takes Alpha's head off the pike and takes her with him.
Meanwhile, Negan goes to the cabin where he imprisoned Lydia earlier so he could free her. Upon entering, however, he finds her missing and is greeted with a punch to the face from Daryl, who holds Negan at crossbow-point. Daryl interrogates Negan about Alpha's location, but when the latter reveals that he killed Alpha, Daryl doesn't believe him. As proof, Negan presents Alpha's mask, but Daryl isn't convinced. Negan claims that the only reason he joined the Whisperers was so he could kill Alpha, and rhetorically asks Daryl why he thinks his "girlfriend" let Negan out of his cell. Carol, meanwhile, is walking through the woods when she hears a ghostly voice whisper to her. Although Carol doesn't see anyone at first, this voice soon manifests into Alpha.
Elsewhere, Beta and Rufus are walking to an undisclosed location. Reeling from his infection, Rufus coughs, which attracts a nearby walker. Beta stands between Rufus and the walker in an attempt to shield his companion, but when the walker shows no signs of turning away, Rufus gets nervous and prepares to kill the undead assailant. Before he can, however, he is stabbed in the back by Beta, who then lets Rufus be devoured. Listening to what "Alpha" is telling him, Beta ventures inside a hotel. Upon entering, he finds a bar with a couple of dead survivors, musical instruments, and a note on the table saying "These 2 eyes see 1 truth". Upon further inspection, he sees his face on a poster promoting "Half Moon", the country singer. Confronted by his past identity, Beta is horrified, and takes out his frustrations on a nearby guitar, smashing it.
Meanwhile, Carol continues her trek as Alpha's ghost taunts her, telling her that she is lost like her "boy", whom she sent away. As a result, Alpha claims, Henry died alone and afraid, just like Sophia. When Carol turns to confront her, Alpha vanishes, only to reappear right in front of her. Alpha warns her that Carol can't kill her unless she kills herself. She goes on to say that she respects Carol for what she did as, even though Negan was the one that slit her throat, it was effectively Carol who ended her life, "like a true "Alpha"". When Carol tells her to stop, Alpha surmises that Carol feels guilty and regrets what she did because people were hurt because of her vengeful motives, even though she can't take it back and her friends won't accept what she's done. Alpha suggests they might if Carol says she's sorry, but proceeds to taunt her by mimicking Lizzie's last words. Alpha then points out Carol tried being on her own before, but "they" have always pulled her back. She repeatedly invites Carol to admit what she truly wants. At this point, Carol is attacked by a walker, but manages to kill it. Upset, she tells Alpha that she wants to be alone, but Alpha doesn't think this is what she truly wants.
As their expedition travels down the road, Eugene wonders if Stephanie's group has candy, reminiscing about his mother, who used to buy him chocolate bunnies on Easter. Yumiko hopes that Eugene didn't take them on a journey so they can find chocolate bunnies, but the latter claims their journey is for the future hope of mankind, although candy would be nice. Eugene notes Ezekiel is in a foul mood, so offers to cheer him up, but the latter declines. The trio stumble upon a couple of caged walkers. Yumiko wonders if the Whisperers did this, but Eugene points out it's not their modus operandi. Yumiko suggests they take a few moments to investigate, in case the walkers are a warning. Ezekiel rides out into a clearing, where he dismounts to put down three walkers. He quickly tires out after killing the first two, however, and barely manages to kill the third one. He takes a moment to rest, before Yumiko calls him back.
Meanwhile Daryl escorts a tied up Negan through the woods. Negan says that he understands that Daryl is upset because Carol didn't let him in on the plan. Daryl, however, suggests that he might be angry because of Hilltop, as he claims Negan's actions almost cost the lives of a number of children. Before Negan can reply, Daryl tells him to keep walking.
At the abandoned hotel, Beta inspects a recording of one of his concerts. After some pondering, he puts it inside the record player. The music attracts the nearby walkers. Carol, meanwhile, arrives at a fishing shack, as Alpha questions if Carol's plan is to sail away downriver. Alpha insults her by claiming Ed was right about her, calling Carol a "brainless clam". She reminds Carol that there was no peace for her on the ocean, as she never stopped thinking about Alpha, and even wrote a letter to Maggie about her. Carol tries to ignore her as she struggles to free the kayak from the rafters, but when Alpha insults her once more, the roof collapses, trapping Carol underneath. Alpha then dubs Carol a "stupid cooze".
Meanwhile, Negan and Daryl have finally arrived to the pike border, only to find Alpha's head missing. Negan suggests they wait for Carol, but Daryl points his crossbow at Negan, ready to execute him. Negan claims that he would never hurt Lydia, and the only reason he kidnapped her in the first place was to keep her safe and lure Alpha away so he could kill her. When Daryl sarcastically says Negan took his "sweet-ass time", the latter is annoyed, and explains that it took so long because he needed to earn Alpha's trust, because he wasn't on "some half-cocked suicide mission", but Daryl retorts that it was because Negan liked it. Before anything can happen, the pair are confronted by three Whisperers, one of which holds Daryl at gunpoint with Alpha's shotgun. As Daryl surrenders, the shotgun-wielding Whisperer notes that Alpha is dead because of Negan, so he and the other Whisperers pledge allegiance to him as the "new Alpha", much to Negan's amusement.
From the hotel balcony, Beta observes the herd that has now gathered because of his music. He tearfully rips off the part of his mask that Mary had damaged earlier. Meanwhile, Negan apologizes to Daryl, clarifying that he is just savoring the moment and taking his "sweet-ass time". Before they continue, Negan addresses the other Whisperers and asks why one of them, who is not the Alpha, is holding a shotgun instead of Negan, to which the said Whisperer quickly hands Negan the weapon. Negan jokes about the shotgun being like a baby that can kill people by spitting bullets at them, before ordering Daryl to kneel before the "Alpha". When Daryl complies, Negan admits that Daryl was right, as he did "like it" and, in fact, likes it a lot. As Negan holds Daryl at gunpoint, the latter coldly says that Negan should probably shoot him. Negan jokingly tells Daryl not to threaten him with a good time, before turning the gun on the Whisperer that handed it to him in the first place. Negan shoots the Whisperer in the head, and kills the other two as well. Witnessing this, Daryl simply tells Negan to untie him, while dubbing the latter an "asshole".
Ezekiel, Yumiko, and Eugene camp out under an overpass, when Ezekiel's horse suddenly collapses. Ezekiel rushes over to see what's wrong, and discovers a bite wound that his horse had sustained while Ezekiel was fighting walkers earlier. Ezekiel mournfully comforts it, before putting the unfortunate animal down. Devastated, Ezekiel says that he shouldn't have come, but Yumiko tells him it was just an accident. Ezekiel requests his companions leave him behind if he falls, but Yumiko refuses. Ezekiel states that his horse wasn't strong enough to make the journey, and he might not be either. He claims to be okay with that, but is not okay with putting them at risk. When Yumiko asks if he wants to turn back because of what might happen, Ezekiel replies that it's for the best. Yumiko exclaims that they don't know what lies ahead. She reminisces about all the plans she had, but in the end, no one really cared, so she is here now to find out what's possible, what none of them could predict or imagine. She tells Ezekiel that they need a man who built a Kingdom in the apocalypse.
As morning comes, Carol is still struggling to escape the debris she is trapped under, as a lone walker crawls towards the shack. Alpha taunts Carol about her impending doom, and insists that Carol always knew how this would end. Alpha gloats that no one is coming to save Carol, including Ezekiel and especially Daryl after what she did to Connie. Alpha further taunts Carol with all the people she lost, including Sophia, Lizzie, Mika, Henry, and Ezekiel, and claims that, should Carol go back, Daryl could be next. Carol denies she would ever let that happen, but Alpha says that her track record does not inspire confidence. As the walker comes closer and closer to squeezing through the planks it got stuck on, Alpha encourages Carol to "do what she knows she has to", and uses the fact that Carol chose Alpha as her inner voice as proof, since she gets the job done. As Carol continues to deny she wants to die, Alpha tells her to "look at the flowers, like you're supposed to". Just as the walker breaks trough, Carol manages to free herself and kill it. Collapsing on the ground from exhaustion, Carol tells Alpha "it's never too late", which causes her hallucination to finally disappear. Meanwhile, Eugene, Yumiko, and Ezekiel arrive to the outskirts of an abandoned city.
As Negan and Daryl wait for Carol to return, Negan says that he doesn't believe Carol is coming back. Negan goes on to say that, when he claimed he "liked it", he wasn't lying, but Daryl says that he knows. Negan explains that he lost everything after he was imprisoned, and his incarceration had been hard on him, so he admits that, when Alpha took him in, it was nice to feel like he was respected and mattered again. Negan, however, claims that Alpha took it too far, since "you don't kill people that don't deserve it and you never kill kids". Daryl sarcastically asks if that is supposed to make him like Negan, but the latter denies this, although he jokingly asks if his winning personality will be enough. Fed up with waiting, Daryl finally decides to head back for Alexandria with Negan. Carol does eventually return to Alexandria, and Daryl welcomes her at the gate, although the two don't say a word to each other.
As they ride through the empty city, Yumiko wonders how improbable it is that the city is so deserted. They start seeing walkers in various outfits tied to furniture and vehicles, in a way that makes it seem like the walkers are doing everyday activities they might have been doing before the outbreak. When Ezekiel sees a walker handcuffed to a steering wheel in a vehicle, and a police officer walker chained to the hood of said vehicle, he starts laughing hysterically. When the trio enter an alley, they are confronted by a flamboyantly dressed, machine gun-wielding survivor, who enthusiastically greets them.
Back at the hotel, Beta reads the note he picked up earlier again. He then takes Alpha's head out of the sack and thanks her, saying that he "finally sees now". With that, he finally puts Alpha down. With the amassed walkers still trying to get inside, Beta opens the door and enters the herd. Having repaired his mask once more with a piece of Alpha's face, Beta leads the herd forward.
"The Tower"
Startled by the stranger they've just encountered, Yumiko asks for her name and what she wants. Offended at her tone, the stranger points out that Yumiko and her group were the ones making noise, and that she thought they needed help, and goes on to lament how the first people she's seen in over a year turned out to be "meanies". Ezekiel tells the survivor she just startled them, and they didn't know if she was attacking. Bemused, she tells the group that, if she wanted to attack them, she would point the gun at them, but claims she was just saying "hello". The stranger, however, proceeds to hold the group at gunpoint, unsure of their intentions. Ezekiel defuses the situation, claiming they don't want to hurt her and were simply admiring her "displays". The stranger quickly lightens up and reveals that she tied up the walkers to make the city feel more alive. She is ecstatic that she met actual people again, but then wonders if the survivors are actually hallucinations. Still, she is exited at the prospect of talking to potentially real people, and introduces herself as Juanita Sanchez, but adds that she prefers the moniker of "Princess", since she never liked her first name and "Queen" makes her sound old and pretentious". After Ezekiel introduces himself and his friends, Juanita offers to show them around the city, but Eugene informs her that they can't stay, as they are on an important mission. Slightly peeved, Juanita still offers to act as their guide through the city, but Yumiko declines, as the survivors don't know her. Juanita protests that they do, and demonstrates how "helpful" she can be by mowing down a few approaching walkers with her machine gun. Unfortunately, the gunfire startles the group's two remaining horses, and they run away. Juanita apologizes, as the survivors angrily glare at her.
Later, the group discusses what to do next. Ezekiel is confident they can find the horses tomorrow, but Eugene doesn't think they have enough time, and that their chances of making it to the meeting on schedule are slim even if they start walking now. Ezekiel proposes that they enlist Princess' help, but Yumiko opposes the idea, believing Princess to be too selfish and mentally unstable from being on her own for so long. Ezekiel doesn't want to follow Princess blindly, but points out that she might know where to find transportation. Yumiko, however, is skeptical, and believes Princess would have already left the city if she had means to do so. Eugene interjects that, while Princess might be crazy and it is unlikely that she has access to working vehicles, it might be the only chance they have, so he sides with Ezekiel. With that, Ezekiel summons Juanita, much to her joy. Princess apologizes again, and confirms that she knows where to find transportation and can take the there. Yumiko insists that Princess surrender her gun, but the latter is hesitant, as she doesn't fully trust the survivors either. She ultimately relents, however, and hands the machine gun over to Eugene. With that, they commence their journey, as Yumiko quietly reiterates to Ezekiel that Juanita is selfish and crazy.
Beta and the Whisperers have finally brought the horde to Alexandria, but find it seemingly empty. The survivors, meanwhile, have taken shelter at an abandoned hospital, referred to as the Tower. Luke is fiddling around with some wires, stressed that everybody is counting on him, while Jules encourages him. Luke then announces that he needs someone to run an errand for him, for which Carol volunteers.
As he is scouting the woods, Daryl attempts to radio Michonne, cautioning her not to return home. He tells her that they have a plan to end the war, and reminisces how being on the run reminds him of the old gang. Alas, he receives no reply. Meanwhile, as the horde is rampaging through Alexandria, Beta observes from the base of the windmill. While discussing their next move with the other Whisperers, Beta hears a voice in his head mocking the survivors. He informs the other Whisperers they will continue towards Oceanside. Unbeknownst to him, he is being watched from the upper floor of the windmill by Alden, who communicates information to Aaron via sign language. Beta nearly spots Alden, but ultimately decides to move on.
Back at the tower, Judith approaches Lydia, who is petting a cat. Judith offers condolences for her mother's death, but Lydia tells her she doesn't have to do that. When asked, Lydia denies that she misses her mother, and tells Judith that not everyone gets to have a mom like hers. As Judith leaves, Negan observes from a distance. Downstairs, Carol and Kelly retrieve some horses from Marco for their supply run.
In the woods, Judith downs a lone walker, just as Daryl discovers her. When he finds out Judith is alone, he tries to take her back to the Tower, but Judith protests that she hates it at the building, as it smells of cat urine, and wants to learn to do what Daryl does instead. Although Daryl is initially resistant to this idea, he eventually agrees to let her tag along. Daryl explains that he is walking the perimeter and looking for anything out of the ordinary, and if he spots something, he retreats and radios it in. He warns Judith that there is no room for mistakes, which she acknowledges.
Beta, meanwhile, is leading the horde towards Oceanside, but suddenly stops as he senses that something is wrong. He complains that the survivors are not fools, and begins to suspect that they are being led into a trap. Another Whisperer tries to reassure Beta, but in doing so, accidentally calls him "Alpha". Despite her remorse, Beta prepares to kill the Whisperer, but is halted by the voice in his head. Beta asks the voice to show him the path, but it urges him to be patient and have faith in his strength. With that, Beta continues forward with the horde. From a distance, Alden and Aaron spy on the herd and radio their observations to Gabriel, noting that they are heading towards Oceanside as expected. Aaron tells him they will continue to follow the herd and notify them if anything changes.
Back in the abandoned city, Princess leads the survivors to an empty field, and warns them to stay close to her and watch their step. Continuing further, Princess counts her steps, as Yumiko continues to express her doubts about Princess, with even Ezekiel slowly starting to share her feelings. The survivors soon stumble upon the remains of one of their escaped horses. Yumiko wonders if it was devoured by walkers, but Princess casually reveals that it's more likely the horse stepped on a mine. Naturally, the survivors are aghast that Princess would bring them into a minefield and keep it from them, but the latter tries to reassure them that she walks through it all the time and can lead them out safely. Unfortunately, Princess lost count when she stopped, so needs a minute to think. Yumiko threatens to kill her if she doesn't lead them to safety, which Princess considers fair. With that, she takes out her water canteen and tosses it forward to check if the way is clear. Unfortunately, the canteen detonates a mine, setting them back to square one.
Carol and Kelly, meanwhile, scavenge wires from some cars. Carol thanks Kelly for coming and tries to apologize for her actions in the cave, but Kelly thinks nothing of it, as she is certain that her sister isn't dead. Although Kelly is uncertain if she feels this way because her sister is so tough or because Kelly simply won't accept that she's gone, she understands Carol's actions, although Carol doesn't believe this absolves her. Kelly recounts how, when she started losing her hearing, Connie told her that the disability wasn't her weakness, but her superpower. She then observes how everyone is learning sing language now because of her. She then tells Carol that she heard stories about her from before, and about how she'd always go off on her own and do the things only she could do, and assures Carol that this is not her weakness, but also a superpower. She concludes her thoughts by claiming that she you can't give up who you are because bad things happen.
At the Tower, Lydia is petting Dog when Negan comes over and offers her something to eat. Lydia, however, claims she isn't hungry. Negan asks if she is avoiding him, and Lydia bluntly confirms. Negan is taken aback by her honesty, to which Lydia bitterly asks if he wants her to lie to make him feel better. Negan denies this, and goes on to state that he liked her mother despite her inexcusable crimes, wishing that he didn't have to kill her. Still, he encourages Lydia to say whatever she has to say to him. Lydia coldly replies that most of them wish that Negan had died as well, before taking her leave.
Still stuck in the minefield, Juanita attempts to orient herself while Yumiko complains that they never should have followed her. Eugene warns that they are running out of time on multiple fronts, pointing to a walker approaching through a hole in the fence. Beside the fence's integrity, Eugene also worries that the mine placement could lead to a cascade. When Yumiko asks him what a "cascade" is, the approaching walker trips one of the mines, which also detonates another mine right next to it. Eugene cites this as an example of a cascade, cautioning that they don't want to be stuck in the field in case of a chain reaction. Ezekiel thinks that he can help, and goes over to Juanita to talk to her. Princess thinks that she is blowing it with them, and while Ezekiel acknowledges this, he also tells her that leading them to safety could go a long way. Juanita once again apologizes to the group, and goes on to chose the route based on a game of eenie-meenie-miney-mo. She then risks her life by taking a few steps on the chosen route. Satisfied that she is still alive after this, she invites the survivors to follow her.
In the woods, Daryl coaches Judith to spot things that don't belong. She notices a peace of skin on the side of a tree, and correctly identifies this as coming from a walker. Daryl notes that the Whisperers could be rounding more walkers up, and instructs Judith to stay behind him. It isn't long before they come upon a small group of walkers, led by the same Whisperer Beta threatened earlier. Daryl shoots the Whisperer with his crossbow, injuring her. As the Whisperer runs off, Daryl and Judith dispatch the walkers and quickly give chase.
Finally out of the minefield, Yumiko berates Juanita for putting their lives in danger when Eugene spots a street sign identifying the road they're on as Fleetwood Drive. He angrily confronts Juanita about this, as he remembers that they already passed Fleetwood Drive. Juanita claims that there are several streets in the city named "Fleetwood", but Eugene is certain it was, in fact, Fleetwood Drive. As Princess tries to make excuses, Yumiko draws her bow and points it at Princess. Juanita finally confesses that she wanted to take the scenic route to keep the fun going. Yumiko furiously points out that she led them into a minefield, but Juanita pleads that she never thought it would be a problem, as she'd traversed it countless times before. Juanita goes on to explain that she wanted more time to befriend the survivors, so they might decide to stay with her, but realizes now that she screwed up. She also recounts how, when she first arrived to the city, she figured someone would show up eventually, but as the moths went by, Juanita realized the loneliness she was feeling wasn't too different from how she felt even before the apocalypse. She laments how someone once told her she is difficult to love, so acknowledges that the problem might be with her, and that a little voice inside her kept telling her this. Juanita knows she should have told them the truth, but didn't want the little voice to be right. She apologizes to the survivors once more. Feeling sorry for Princess, Yumiko relents, and Eugene comforts Juanita by identifying with her, explaining that he also made poor decisions and lied to people so he would be left alone. He then asks if she does, indeed, have access to the wheels she mentioned earlier.
Daryl and Judith track down the injured Whisperer to a small ditch. The Whisperer begs Daryl to pull the arrow out of her shoulder, not wanting to die in that manner. Daryl orders her to drop the knife and asks where the rest of the Whisperers are. She quickly reveals their whereabouts, but also that she was going off on her own. When asked why, she claims to have had no choice, revealing that Beta lost his mind after the survivors killed Alpha. Finally, Daryl asks if the Whisperers know the survivors' location, but the Whisperer doesn't know, although she assures Daryl that Beta will keep coming for them. Daryl proceeds to aim his crossbow at the Whisperer's head, as the latter pleads that she wants to "walk after". Daryl repeats his previous question, but the Whisperer genuinely doesn't know. With that, Daryl shoots the Whisperer in the head. Shocked, Judith tells Daryl that he didn't have to kill the Whisperer, but Daryl rationalizes that she didn't have any information and was going to die anyway, so it was better for it to happen quickly. Judith protests leaving the Whisperer, and hypothesizes that she could have a family, but Daryl gently drags her away.
At the helm of the horde, Beta talks to himself and continues to hear the voice in his head. Just then, he spots a cat crossing the road. The voice now manifests itself into a walker marching next to Beta, who tells him that faith will be rewarded. Beta deviously chuckles. Shadowing the horde, Aaron and Alden notice it changing direction, so try to call it in. Failing to get a signal, they decide to retreat, but before they can do so, they are surrounded by a group of Whisperers, one of which holds them at gunpoint.
Back at the Tower, Lydia angrily approaches Negan and declares that he can't tell her what to do. Negan calmly acknowledges this, and invites Lydia to hit him, as it will make her feel better. Lydia claims that she feels fine, but Negan is adamant that she has to mourn her mother, or it will continue to eat her up on the inside. Despite everything, Negan claims, Alpha was still her mother, and if she doesn't let it all out, she will drift further away from the other survivors, which Negan is certain Lydia don't wants. Lydia rhetorically asks what Negan knows about what she wants, and calls him a selfish asshole, believing he only killed Alpha so that people believe that he's a hero, but the people will never see him as such, since he only cares about himself. Lydia believes that him trying to get her to open up is also for selfish reasons, and wonders how he could have ever liked her mother. She is adamant that she hated her mother, or wants to hate her in any case, and yells at Negan for saying she can't even do that. Despite this, Negan tells her it's okay, prompting Lydia to break down in anger and tears as Negan embraces her.
Princess and her companions have finally reached the garage, where it is revealed that the "wheels" Juanita was talking about were actually bicycles. Eugene points out that 15 mph is still faster than walking, while Ezekiel observes that Juanita wasn't actually lying about the garage. Yumiko then approaches Juanita, but before she can get a word out, the latter states that she is not a bad person, and realizes how difficult it is to trust people, so is sorry that she blew it. Yumiko, conversely, reveals that she was actually coming over to ask if Juanita wanted to join them. Princess ecstatically accepts.
As they are heading back, Judith stops. When Daryl asks what's wrong, Judith once again expresses discomfort at them leaving the Whisperer in a ditch. She asks what would happen if Daryl was lost and no one could find him, or R.J., or her mom. When he asks where this is coming from, Judith states that she simply wishes for everyone to be back together again. Daryl assures her that he radioed Michonne and told her not to come, even though he didn't get a reply. Judith claims that it doesn't matter, as she talked to her mom after the fire, and is worried that Michonne might not come home. Daryl asks what Michonne said, but Judith just says that she went to help some people she met along the way. Judith didn't want to tell Daryl about this, as she was afraid that he'd leave, too. Daryl assures Judith that he won't leave, but refuses to promise anything, as he maintains that he can't lie to Judith, and doesn't know what's going to happen in the future, no more than anyone does. Daryl, however, goes on to state that there are a lot of people back at the Tower who would do anything for her, and will one day need her to do anything for them. Finally, Daryl assures Judith that, while nothing can take the place of a loved one lost, it doesn't mean that everything that follows is going to break your heart. He then embraces her. Just as they are about to head back, Gabriel suddenly radios Daryl, revealing that they are surrounded. Indeed, Beta has finally reached the Tower with the horde. He begins to chant, and hallucinates the walkers doing so, too.
"A Certain Doom"
TBA
Episodes
| Title | Writer(s) | Director(s) | Original Air Date | U.S. Viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lines We Cross" | Angela Kang | Greg Nicotero | October 6, 2019 | 4.00 million |
| 2. | "We Are the End of the World" | Nicole Mirante-Matthews | Greg Nicotero | October 13, 2019 | 3.47 million |
| 3. | "Ghosts" | Jim Barnes | David Boyd | October 20, 2019 | 3.48 million |
| 4. | "Silence the Whisperers" | Geraldine Inoa | Michael Cudlitz | October 27, 2019 | 3.31 million |
| 5. | "What It Always Is" | Eli Jorne | Laura Belsey | November 3, 2019 | 3.09 million |
| 6. | "Bonds" | Kevin Deiboldt | Dan Liu | November 10, 2019 | 3.21 million |
| 7. | "Open Your Eyes" | Corey Reed | Michael Cudlitz | November 17, 2019 | 3.31 million |
| 8. | "The World Before" | Julia Ruchman | John Dahl | November 24, 2019 | 3.21 million |
| 9. | "Squeeze" | David Leslie Johnson | Michael Satrazemis | February 23, 2020 | 3.52 million |
| 10. | "Stalker" | Jim Barnes | Bronwen Hughes | March 1, 2020 | 3.16 million |
| 11. | "Morning Star" | Vivian Tse Julia Ruchman |
Michael Satrazemis | March 8, 2020 | 2.93 million |
| 12. | "Walk With Us" | Nicole Mirante-Matthews Eli Jorne |
Greg Nicotero | March 15, 2020 | 3.49 million |
| 13. | "What We Become" | Vivian Tse | Sharat Raju | March 22, 2020 | 3.66 million |
| 14. | "Look at the Flowers" | Channing Powell | Daisy Mayer | March 29, 2020 | 3.26 million |
| 15. | "The Tower" | Kevin Deiboldt Julia Ruchman |
Laura Belsey | April 5, 2020 | 3.49 million |
| 16. | "A Certain Doom" | Corey Reed Jim Barnes Eli Jorne |
Greg Nicotero | 2020 | TBA |
Cast
Deaths
- Injured Woman (Flashback)
- Frances
- Beta's Best Friend (Zombified, Flashback)
- Dante's entire military squad (Confirmed Fate, Pre-Apocalypse)
- Margo
- Brandon's Mother (Confirmed Fate)
- Brandon's Father (Confirmed Fate)
- Amelia
- Milo
- Brandon
- Magna's Cousin's Rapist (Confirmed Fate, Pre-Apocalypse)
- Cheryl
- Aaron's Brother (Confirmed Fate)
- Siddiq (Alive and Zombified)
- Jimmy (Confirmed Fate)
- Jimmy's Assailant (Confirmed Fate)
- Dante
- Alfred (Alive and Zombified)
- Laura
- Felix (Alive and Zombified)
- Penny (Alive and Zombified)
- Mary (Alive and Zombified)
- Earl Sutton (Alive and Zombified)
- Alpha (Alive and Zombified)
- Lisa (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)
- Jasmine (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)
- Bobby (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)
- Rufus
- 4 unnamed campers (Confirmed Fate)
- 1 deer
- 2 boars
- 2 unknown animals (Confirmed Fate)
- 3 horses
- 1 possum
- At least 14 unnamed Alexandria residents
- At least 2 unnamed Oceanside residents
- At least 34 unnamed Whisperers
- Many unnamed Hilltop residents
- 27 unnamed Bloodsworth Island survivors (Confirmed Fate)
- 2 unnamed Grand Hotel survivors (Confirmed Fate)
Videos
Official Trailers
Trivia
- This season is mainly based on "Volume 25: No Turning Back", "Volume 26: Call To Arms", "Volume 27: The Whisperer War", "Volume 28: A Certain Doom" and parts of "Volume 29: Lines We Cross" from the Comic Series.
- Angela Kang confirmed that she is "working on" bringing Cohan back to the show this season.[2]
- Lauren Cohan was officially confirmed to return later in the season at NYCC.
- This season marks the return of Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, who will appear in the episode "A Certain Doom", the season finale of this season.[3]
- Lauren Cohan was officially confirmed to return later in the season at NYCC.
- This is Danai Gurira's final season portraying Michonne.[3]
- She appeared only in a "limited capacity", described as a "handful of episodes that will be interspersed throughout Season 10".[3]
- Her last appearance is in episode 13, "What We Become".
- As of "Look at the Flowers", Danai Gurira has been removed from the opening credits.
- On July 19, 2019, during San Diego Comic-Con, Danai confirmed that she would not be returning after Season 10.[4]
- She appeared only in a "limited capacity", described as a "handful of episodes that will be interspersed throughout Season 10".[3]
- On April 4, 2019, Angela Kang confirmed that there will be another time jump this season.[5]
- It has been later revealed in the episode "Silence the Whisperers" that this season takes place approximately one year since the pike deaths took place.
- Filming began on Monday, May 6, as confirmed by Norman Reedus on his Instagram page.[6]
- Below are the changes made to the main cast in this season:
- Following their characters' deaths in the previous season, Alanna Masterson (Tara Chambler) and Katelyn Nacon (Enid) have been removed from the opening credits.
- Callan McAuliffe (Alden) and Avi Nash (Siddiq) are still listed under "Also Starring", despite being credited as series regulars in the previous season.
- Following his character's death in "The World Before", Avi Nash is no longer listed under "Also Starring". He is later reinstated under "Also Starring" in "What We Become" due to Michonne's hallucination sequence.
- Ryan Hurst (Beta), Eleanor Matsuura (Yumiko), Cooper Andrews (Jerry), Nadia Hilker (Magna), Cailey Fleming (Judith Grimes), Cassady McClincy (Lydia), and Lauren Ridloff (Connie) have been upgraded to series regulars after recurring appearances.[7]
- Ryan Hurst has been added to the opening credits.
- Despite their status as series regulars, Eleanor Matsuura, Cooper Andrews, Nadia Hilker, Cailey Fleming, Cassady McClincy, and Lauren Ridloff are listed under "Also Starring".
- Following her character's death in "Look at the Flowers", Samantha Morton (Alpha) has been removed from the opening credits.
- Michael Cudlitz, who portrayed Abraham Ford, directed two episodes this season.
- On March 24, 2020, AMC announced that due to the coronavirus pandemic, post-production on the season finale could not be completed by its planned April 12, 2020 airdate, and instead will air later in 2020.[8]
- This is the first time an episode of the TV Series has been postponed.
References
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ https://comicbook.com/thewalkingdead/2019/07/12/the-walking-dead-lauren-cohan-maggie-return-season-10/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1049377/the-walking-dead-season-9-maggie-rhee-lauren-cohan-rick-grimes-andrew-lincoln-amc
- ↑ https://twitter.com/TheWalkingDead/status/1152319883004149760
- ↑ https://ew.com/tv/2019/03/31/walking-dead-season-finale-storm-showrunner-angela-kang-916/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BxIE5PunwS3/
- ↑ https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a29121181/walking-dead-season-10-series-regulars/
- ↑ https://deadline.com/2020/03/the-walking-dead-season-10-finale-delay-coronavirus-1202891527/