The Walking Dead review: Episode 1123, “Family”

As the title suggests, the penultimate episode of The Walking Dead is all about family, and the love and heartbreak that comes with it. It’s high stakes, action-packed, and super-emotional. And it doesn’t move forward without remembering the past.

Here’s your customary SPOILER warning.

The Grimes legacy

As expected, we open with another monologue from Judith. She talks about the weapons the group has used over the years and the people who have cared for her and sacrificed themselves for her so she could get where she is today.

We begin with Judith collecting Rick’s gun, believing the time is right for her to enter the fight against Pamela Milton. There is a sweet moment when she passes the iconic Grimes hat to R.J. This feels significant: Rick passed the hat down to Carl, who passed it to Judith, and now she’s given it to R.J. By the end of the episode, the significance will be even more apparent.

I liked that we got to see a little more of R.J. in this episode. Given that he’s Rick and Michonne’s son, he’s been a little neglected over the course of the series. That said, the focus is still very much on Judith. Like the Grimes she is, Judith is determined to join the fight against the Commonwealth. Naturally, Daryl is against the idea, but he ultimately gives in and lets her join… a decision he will regret later on.

Judith mentions Rick, Michonne, and her brother Carl many times; at one point, she even mentions Lori. These callbacks certainly make it feel like the show is ending. She’s very curious about her family, and Daryl promises her that once the battle is over, he’ll tell her everything about the people who raised her.

Elsewhere in Alexandria, everyone prepares to go to battle. There’s a sweet interaction between Negan and Annie. I also enjoyed seeing Negan and Maggie discuss having to reluctantly work together: they’ve got a common enemy, after all. Everyone is ready to head to war, Judith among them.

Inside the Commonwealth

Following Eugene’s trial, Mercer decides to turn against Pamela and secretly protect Eugene rather than execute him. Clearly, a little push from his sister Max helps a lot. Of course, Mercer is one of the most powerful and influential figures within the Commonwealth, so for him to go against Pamela means others may follow suit. Pamela is suspicious of him and has him followed.

I believe this episode is also the first time that Mercer calls Princess his girlfriend.

Aaron’s group

At the end of the previous episode, Aaron’s crew (including Elijah, Lydia, Luke, Jules, and Jerry) were in the thick of a herd of zombies (with variants among them) with Commonwealth soldiers circling them. Basically, Aaron’s plan is to blend in with the zombies and ensure that they are not found. At the first opportunity, they seek refuge in a small trailer. However, as they enter, Luke, Jules, and Elijah get split up. Lydia desperately tried to stick with Elijah — she grabs his hand and tries to pull him back into the trailer — but ultimately she is bitten by a zombie. It’s a heartbreaking moment. All Walking Dead fans know what comes next: amputation.

I loved seeing the sympathetic side of Aaron as he tries to calm her, especially when he says: “You’re so loved.” He lets her know that she matters and that she is loved, which is something her mother never told her.

As someone who has had an arm removed in the past, Aaron knows how much pain she’s in. The duty to chop off Lydia’s arm falls to Jerry. This scene is really hard to watch, but also, kudos to the makeup department. It’s super gory.

The battle

When our group from Alexandria makes their way into the Commonwealth, they try to sneak around and get into position without being noticed. Meanwhile, Mercer works to try and keep them all protected, but at the same time, they have to deal with the zombie horde attacking their walls.

I liked the multi-faceted approach to this battle. You’ve got our group versus the Commonwealth, with variant zombies mixed in. There’s so much going on and nobody is safe. Mercer is literally trying to get people to turn against Pamela while dealing with the incoming zombie attack. Unfortunately, he gets found out and arrested, which I didn’t see coming at all.

With the zombie horde attacking, the Commonwealth military is in disarray. The zombies are climbing the walls and killing the soldiers. It’s crazy. Walls have always been the best defense against the undead, but not anymore.

With all of this going on, Eugene manages to escape and joins the main group as they attack. They make their way into the main entrance of the Commonwealth, only to find it empty. Then, all of a sudden, Pamela turns up with a bunch of soldiers and a shoot-out begins. Daryl, Carol, Rosita, Negan, Gabriel, Ezekiel, Maggie and Judith are all engaged in combat. It’s so exciting to watch.

To be fair to Pamela, she doesn’t cower from the action. She’s right out there shooting at everyone. And in the most shocking part of the episode, and perhaps the season, Pamela shoots Judith, who steps in to save Maggie.

Seeing Daryl desperately trying to carry Judith to safety is tear-inducing. He’s like a father figure to her. He abandons the entire mission to save Judith, but can’t get her out. One of my favorite scenes is when Daryl gets Ezekiel to throw a fire extinguisher and then shoot it so that it explores, giving them some cover as they rush out. The creativity was so impressive and fun to watch!

However, when Daryl and the rest get outside, they find their troubles only just beginning. The zombies are now within the walls of the Commonwealth. The group is blocked off in every direction. At least Carol manages to spot a clearing where Daryl can rush Judith away to safety. The rest of our group is stuck in the center of the Commonwealth.

At the very end, everyone beholds a variant walker for the first time; the look on Negan’s face is priceless. And yes, he drops the f-bomb. How will they get out of this one? If anyone can, it’s this group. Now that is a good cliffhanger!

Verdict

Lydia getting bitten and having her arm amputated, Pamela shooting Judith, zombies climbing walls and grabbing knives…there’s so much to love about this episode.

Going into the finale, Judith is bleeding out and Pamela is still alive. There’s a lot to tie up. But given that the finale is extended, I think there’s enough time left to pull it off. The pacing has been pretty good so far.

I talk about plot armor a lot, but I am certainly worried about Judith’s life. This is the same show that killed off Carol Grimes, after all. How have we only got one more episode left? It all comes down to this, folks. The end is here.

Episode Grade: A

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