The problem is that not many other key players are on the same page just yet.
But before we get into that, theres a small piece of business with Father Gabriel.
The shift is so stark that it doesnt make all that much sense on the surface.
Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Was his whole change of heart just a ruse?
Has he always been devious?
Did he see whoever it was skulking around beyond the wall?
If so, do they know each other somehow?
Rick is scratching his head over questions of his own about Hilltop.
After triumphantly signaling to his crew that hes finally (finally!)
ready to take action, Gregory refuses to help, but he does at least offer his complacency.
In Gregorys defense, that was a dead end from the beginning.
Why ask him at all, for that matter, when hes so shady?
Jesus and the others were so keen on usurping him as leader of Hilltop.
They shouldve been more forceful.
Maybe they can overwhelm the Saviors if they have the forces.
Well, Ezekiel has forces.
The trip serves another purpose by reuniting them with Morgan, who tells them about Carol.
And here I thought he knew when you have to kill and when you dont.
), and it proves to be a test from the king, who bestows her with well-deserved riches.
We have to help each other.
He heads back to the Kingdom to speak with Ezekiel and urge him to join Ricks cause.
Daryl seems pissed off, almost betrayed, since he only just freed himself from Negan.
But Rick wants someone on the inside to give a shot to convince Ezekiel to come around.
The move also seems like a storytelling ploy to rearrange the characters locations.
We both had sex with the same dead guy.
It dont make us friends.
I thought Rosita, even in this psychological transmogrification, was better than that.
As the group drives home, Negans voice is heard on the walkie mourning the death of Fat Joey.
(Skinny Joey becomes Joey.)
Now, they want to cap the herd with the cars to potentially use against Negan later.
Remember that opening scene of 2002sGhost Ship?
Its kind of like that.
Though it all seems abandoned, they are quickly overwhelmed by a strange group of people.
The group closes in, but Rick is the only one whos calm about this ambush.
In fact, he locks eyes on something (or someone) and smiles.
Lets hope, too, that Ezekiel and his CGI tiger have more to do in the second half.
