The Walking Dead review: Episode 1105, “Out of the Ashes”

In the latest episode of The Walking Dead, “Out of the Ashes,” we go deeper into the Commonwealth community while also getting reacquainted with some old enemies. This episode is packed to the brim with great character interactions and action scenes.

If you thought last week’s episode, “Rendition,” didn’t push the plot forward enough, “Out of the Ashes” has so much story that we hardly have time for a breath to take it all in. We go to the Commonwealth, the (destroyed) Hilltop, Alexandria, and even drop in on Maggie and Negan. By the end, I found myself shocked that the episode wasn’t an hour long!

As always, here’s your SPOILER warning!

Aaron, Alexandria, and… an old enemy?

After the season 10 episode “One More,” Aaron (Ross Marquand) returns to the foreground with another stand-out showing. His encounter with Mays (Robert Patrick) is fresh in his mind. His comments about Gracie (Annabelle Holloway) are still weighing on him. The episode kicks off with a dream sequence where he’s attacked and killed by former enemies. Clearly, his time being tortured — both physically and mentally — by Mays has gotten to him.

Aaron has troubles in the waking world, too, as Alexandria is attacked by walkers. After the Whisperers destroyed the community, the walls have been crumbling and the zombies help themselves inside. Everyone manages to take care of the situation without any casualties, although it’s clear that additional security measures are needed. He shuts down suggestions that everyone should neglect Alexandria altogether, declaring it his “Home.”

His solution to the problem is to begin a mission to the wreckage of the Hilltop to recover supplies. He’s joined by Carol (Melissa McBride), Magna (Nadia Hiker), Kelly (Angel Theory) and Lydia (Cassady McClincy). When they arrive at the Hilltop, they have to fight off multiple walkers, many of them old friends. But that’s not all they find there; they come across a group of remaining Whisperers, all that remains after the war against Alpha.

Aaron takes it upon himself to torture one of the Whisperers for information. It’s by far the most brutal part of the episode — at one point he lets a walker bite the Whisperer’s hand.

This bit feels like it’s here to tie up loose ends more than anything, and also to show how Aaron has become more unforgiving. He looked like he would’ve killed everyone if Carol wasn’t there to kick some sense into him.

The big reveal comes when a Whisperer hints that Connie (Lauren Ridloff) is alive. Our group believed her dead after Carol blew up the cave back in season 10, so this news will surely come as a relief to Carol.

Judith

Judith is always fantastic to watch. She acts like someone twice, perhaps even thrice her age. She’s not a person anyone would want to mess with.

While hanging out with her friends in Alexandria, Judith sees some teenagers messing around with a walker in a way that could endanger everyone in the community. Of course, Judith is having none of this. She shows no fear in confronting the teens and even puts a knife to one of their throats. They soon cut it out.

It’s Judith to the rescue! I’m enjoying seeing her come into her own.

However, as strong as she is, Judith does sometimes show weakness. The teens touch a nerve by teasing her about Michonne. They also trash one of Judith’s most beloved possessions: a piece of wood with Carl’s handprint painted on it.

Fortunately, Rosita is there to comfort her. We actually learn about Rosita’s past here. Turns out she never knew her father, and her mother died when she was young. I like that we’re learning more about Rosita, especially considering how long she’s been a part of the show.

The Commonwealth

After a long and grueling admissions process, our group is finally allowed entry into the Commonwealth. Right away, they’re made to watch an introduction video where Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) gives our survivors a short tour of the town. It might be the single most cheesy video I have ever seen, but at least it was entertaining.

Next up, everyone is given job assignments they didn’t apply for. Eugene is to be a high school teacher, Princess (Paola Lázaro) is a retail clerk, and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) is in animal control. Meanwhile, Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) receives a mysterious invite that appears to be incredibly important.

In the season premiere, Yumiko saw her brother Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale) on the “Wall of the Lost” and becomes determined to find him. Here, she follows through; she finds him working in a bakery, which is strange because before the apocalypse he was a surgeon. Turns out he doesn’t want to reveal his skillset to the Commonwealth since he’s happy in his current job.

This is really all we see of them for now, although there’s bound to be more. Of course, this storyline pretty much parallels what happens to Michonne in the comics.

Meanwhile, Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Stephanie (Chelle Ramos) explore everything the Commonwealth has to offer — including eating ice cream. Eugene walks around wide-eyed at how normal everything looks, reminding him of better times. But he knows he still has one major job to complete: he needs to contact Alexandria. In order to do this, he requires a radio. Sure, Stephanie knows exactly where one is, but getting to it may jeopardize their position in the community. Regardless, Eugene decides to take the risk.

The team puts together a (very lousy) plan to get Eugene into the radio tower to contact Alexandria. All the while, Mercer (Michael James Shaw) keeps a watchful eye on them, almost waiting for them to slip up. I had to laugh when Princess tried to distract him by telling him how beautiful his eyebrows were; it was definitely a great comic relief moment. Comic spoiler: It could be the beginning of a romance.

Eventually Mercer catches our group red-handed, surprising no one. They’re in a lot of trouble and may be exiled from the Commonwealth, although Stephanie looks like she’s ready to vouch for everyone.

Who is Stephanie?

Stephanie plays a big role in this episode, but is she who she says she is? There are hints that something is up. For instance, our group is very easily found out when attempting to contact Alexandria. Perhaps Stephanie has been relaying information to Mercer. In addition, this Stephanie isn’t played by the actress Margot Bingham, who voiced her when Eugene was talking with her over the radio. It’s worth keeping a close eye on!

Maggie and Negan

For Maggie and Negan, who are stuck together after fleeing a devastating attack, it’s more of the same. And by that I mean they still hate each other but are brought together by a common enemy: the Reapers. This is the shortest subplot of the episode and probably the most boring. Basically, while Negan wants to retreat back to Alexandria, Maggie is keen to stick to the mission and wait for everyone else.

Of course, things eventually get heated between them. At one point, as Negan takes matters into his own hands and decides to leave, Maggie looks like she might actually kill him. But then Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) burst through the door and Negan lives to see another day.

The question remains: Will one of them kill the other? The way it’s going, Maggie seems to have held back too many times.

Verdict

There’s enough plot packed into this episode to fill two episodes. It moves at a breakneck pace, jumping from place to place. At no point did I feel bored, and nothing felt unnecessary. Every character is given their due. For me, the stars were Cailey Fleming (Judith) and Ross Marquand (Aaron), who both stole the show whenever they appeared.

We were promised an epic final season, and so far it has lived up to expectations. It’s only just beginning, but the board is set and the pieces are moving.

Here’s our biggest talking points for this week:

• Our group is now aware that Connie is still alive — when will they find her?
• What punishment will come to those who broke the Commonwealth rules?

Grade: A

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