When somebody will get murdered on The Walking Dead—which occurs lots—you nearly all the time know who dedicated the deed and why, because the homicide is proven on-screen, as the reason being normally “they needed killin’.” But this second third of season 11 has been keen to buck the present’s norms to go to some bizarre, sudden locations—locations just like the pre-post-apocalyptic Commonwealth, the bizarre political scheming in final week’s episode, and tonight’s honest-to-goodness homicide thriller, which was a delight.

Honestly, I doubt “Warlords” will make anybody’s Top 10 Best Walking Dead Episodes checklist when all is claimed and finished, but it surely’s a completely pleasant hour of TV that I’m nonetheless pleasantly stunned to obtain from TWD. It offers up a deeper, however nonetheless splendidly intriguing take a look at the sinister shenanigans of Deputy Governor Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton), who was revealed final week to be scheming to turn out to be the ruler of Alexandria, Hilltop, and Oceanside, if not the Commonwealth itself. I’m going to do the recap simply because the episode goes backwards and forwards by way of time, as a result of it was so efficient at unspooling the thriller.

Several months after final week’s episode: Despite Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) greatest efforts, Hilltop 2.0 is struggling mightily. Lydia (Cassady McClincy) has given up and is about to go out to the Commonwealth herself when a lone rider, grievously wounded, runs up on horseback, falls out of the saddle, and mutters “They’re slaughtering them” to Maggie, Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari), and Lydia along with his dying breath. Who is that this younger individual? Who killed him? What’s he speaking about?

The child was carrying a map that includes a route between Hilltop and an unknown location (known as Riverbend). Lydia and Elijah resolve to search for and assist these individuals in want, and Maggie ultimately and reluctantly decides to affix them. On the way in which, they discover three Commonwealth troopers on the street—or fairly ex-Commontroopers, as a result of they’ve had their throats slit and are actually zombies. What the hell occurred to them? Suddenly out of nowhere, Aaron (Ross Marquand) runs up the street towards the group. Where’d he come from?

One Week Ago: Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) has finished an entire 180 in the course of the time-jump. He’s preaching once more, he feels he hears the voice of God, and he’s speaking to the individuals of the Commonwealth about how they have been “forced to see the humanity in each other” again within the wild, however are strangers once more now that they’re protected. I’m glad he’s discovered God and morality once more, however that is bananas as a result of he was completely the individual on the collection who least noticed the humanity in individuals, a minimum of as soon as Rick made his grand exit.

Aaron, who’s been working with the Commonwealth’s immigration initiative, asks Gabriel to affix him on a mission to make first contact with a supposedly pleasant settlement (known as Riverbend), per Aaron’s boss Carlson’s (Jason Butler Harner) request. They’re a spiritual group, and Carlson thinks a person of the material may assist. Makes sense!

A Little Over 12 Hours Before the Kid Shows Up at Hilltop: When they arrive, the place is ominously rundown, and each Gabriel and Aaron need to go away it the hell alone. Yet Carlson forces Aaron, Gabriel, and a child named Jesse (Connor Hammond)—the one who died within the intro!—to accompany him into Riverbend, alone and unarmed, and most bizarrely, with out the platoon of Commontroopers they’ve introduced. What’s about to occur that will get Jesse killed?

This is strictly as silly a choice as Aaron and Gabriel knew it could be. Riverbend is terrible, filled with grim individuals wielding scythes, holed up behind triple-locked metal doorways, and run by (one other) paranoid cult chief named Ian (Michael Biehn), who has a bookshelf of the skulls of people that messed with Riverbend. Ian threatens to kill Carlson, who grovels and snivels for his life till Aaron and Gabriel persuade Ian that his individuals have completely nothing the Commonwealth might need, and in addition to, in the event that they have been secretly cannibals, they in all probability wouldn’t have given Riverbend so many free MREs. Rather than danger a battle with the Commontroopers, Ian decides to allow them to go… which is when Carlson transforms right into a coldblooded killer, grabs Ian’s gun, and shoots him and the opposite Riverbenders with brutal effectivity. The hell? What? Why?

One Week and One Hour Ago: Hornsby calls Carlson in for a mission to retrieve a convoy of provides which seem to have been stolen by Riverbend—provides Hornsby has secretly allotted for a mysterious “other thing.” While it seems Carlson actually does love bringing new individuals into the Commonwealth, he additionally was once a CIA murderer, and Hornsby desires him to make use of his previous expertise to retrieve the provides at any price. Hornsby tells him to carry Aaron, who’s resumed his previous Alexandrian work of discovering and finding out the great individuals wandering across the zombie apocalypse for rescue, in addition to Gabriel, because the Riverbenders are spiritual and perhaps a priest might be an asset. At any price, they need to all look harmless and innocent sufficient to be introduced into the compound, when Carlson can do his factor.

A Little Less Than 12 Hours Before the Kid Shows Up at Hilltop: Aaron and Gabriel are shocked that Carlson has killed these individuals in chilly blood, and totally baffled when he asks the wounded Ian the place some unmentioned provides are. When Ian claims his individuals discovered the convoy empty, Carlson golf equipment him along with his gun, Gabriel punches Carlson to avoid wasting Ian (which remains to be completely mind-blowing to me), and instantly will get arrested by a Commontrooper. Carlson shoots Ian and begins kicking the corpse in rage, however bursts exterior when he hears Jesse driving away on a horse. He orders—guys, I’m sorry that is a lot stuff, however this episode cooks— a Commontrooper to shoot the child within the again, however Aaron golf equipment the soldier to forestall a second shot. Carlson tries to shoot Aaron within the head however is out of ammo, and Aaron runs off. And then when Carlson heads again inside, he finds one in all his troopers lifeless and Gabriel lacking. Whew!

Slightly Before the Present: Aaron tells Maggie, Elijah, and Lydia concerning the bloodbath, the arsenal of weapons the Commonwealth misplaced, and that they’ve taken Gabriel. The group heads to Riverbend.

Exactly 12 Hours Ago, During the Attack on Riverbend: Jesse is operating from the bloodshed to a horse, the place he’s stopped by a Riverbender named Annie (Medina Senghore) and—drumroll—Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who’s turn out to be a part of the group. Negan offers the child a map that results in Hilltop and tells him to let Maggie know that Aaron and Gabriel are in hassle. Then Negan and Annie hustle again to Riverbend, kill the soldier Carlson discovered beforehand, and free Gabriel. But now, the three are trapped within the constructing with a rating of Riverbenders.

The Present: The Riverbenders have had their weapons taken, and are being compelled to pay attention as Carlson retains pushing individuals off the roof till somebody tells him the place the weapons are, simply as Maggie, Aaron, Elijah, and Lydia make their method inside.

There’s a substantial amount of enjoyable—and surprisingly unconfusing—storytelling in “Warlords.” The better part is that I don’t know if The Walking Dead has a proof for these remaining mysteries, or no thought and hopes individuals gained’t discover. Sure, the episode has some main inconsistencies, even past Gabriel’s babyface flip. My favourite is that when Aaron, Gabriel, and Carlson first come to Riverbend, its inhabitants all appear like hardened killers led by a lunatic. But when Carlson has his heel flip and we’re presupposed to hate him and the Commonwealth for his or her nefarious deception, the Riverbenders all out of the blue are depicted as regular, non-threatening individuals as a result of now the present desires us to root for them as Maggie, Negan, and many others. make them freedom. Yet their deranged boss was boasting about his cranium shelf lower than two hours in the past! So ridiculous, but in addition enjoyable.

Still, it was very awkward to appreciate I had been underestimating The Walking Dead final evening. I actually thought we’d get no clarification for a lot of something, notably why Aaron and Gabriel have been conscripted for the mission. I used to be making an attempt to justify the seemingly nonsensical reasoning for this aside from the present needing a protagonist to lastly watch the Commonwealth be actual baddies, after which Hornsby got here alongside and defined all of it himself. Again, I really feel bizarre about this, however I’m additionally delighted to appreciate the present is at the moment smarter than I’ve been giving it credit score for.

With “Warlords,” The Walking Dead has formally handed the midway mark for its eleventh and closing season, however now, mysteries nonetheless abound. What occurred to the weapons? Were these Commontrooper zombies the troopers who have been supposed to guard the weapons in transit? Who killed them if not the Riverbenders? What “other project” is Hornsby referring to? And will TWD proceed this scorching streak of entertaining episodes till the present ends?

Assorted Musings:

• I actually can’t keep in mind any mysterious murders aside from the 2 plague-ridden people in season three. Eventually, Rick discovered Carol took them out for the security of the group, and Rick was appalled at her cruelty and banished her from the jail. How instances change!
• Did anybody else really feel bizarre when Aaron and Gabriel took one take a look at the constructing the Riverbenders lived in and refused to go as a result of it appeared like a spot the place shotgun-wielding maniacs lived whereas ready for some fool to come back to their doorstep? As far because the world of TWD goes, they’re completely right, however maybe they shouldn’t decide this stuff by their covers. In the zombie apocalypse, protection beats aesthetics. And come on, the place was Ian going to get glass to repair all of the home windows, anyway?
• Hornsby thinks Aaron and Gabriel will fall in keeping with the wholesale homicide of the Riverbenders. He’s mistaken, however frankly, it’s a really educated guess on his half. Had Hornsby tasked them with this anytime between season 9 and final episode, they’d seemingly have been advantageous with it. Especially Gabriel.
• Maggie wonders what the Commonwealth would want with so many weapons. Um, my dude? They have a standing military that should keep well-armed to guard the settlement from zombies and the numerous maniacs operating round. Anyone could be thrilled to discover a free arsenal, together with you, Maggie.
• MVP Seth Gilliam with one of many present’s greatest traces and line readings ever: “Yeah, I’m not doing this.”

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