The first Governor was a madman. The folks of Terminus have been cannibals. Negan and the Saviors murdered the present’s most beloved character. The Whisperers have been a cult of killers. And but, of all of The Walking Dead’s many villains, has there been an antagonist you’ve wished to feed to zombies greater than Sebastian Milton, the impossibly entitled, douchebag son of Commonwealth chief Pam Milton? I can reply for you: No.

Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson)—whose actual identify, as everyone knows, is Kingsley St. Buffingsworth of the Cape Cod Buffingsworths—causes me such emotional agony that I can solely watch his reprehensible bullshit for about 15 seconds at a time, then I’ve to pause the present. It’s extra gut-churning to look at his nonsense than essentially the most graphic on-screen dying, and but “New Haunts” continues to be a fantastic episode of The Walking Dead which will presage some fascinating storytelling by way of the remainder of its remaining season.

That’s all because of the Commonwealth, which is fucked up on a number of ranges, and which The Walking Dead makes use of to unbelievable impact. On the floor stage, it’s bizarre as a result of it’s an honest-to-goodness, pre-apocalyptic small city, filled with creature comforts and individuals who appear to have utterly forgotten the lifeless are strolling round outdoors the Commonwealth’s partitions. Maybe it’s extra correct to say these folks don’t care about zombies, as they don’t count on them to be their drawback ever once more. After watching our protagonists spend greater than a decade struggling by way of the worst the post-apocalypse needed to supply, the Commonwealth appears utterly surreal—not simply to viewers, however to the characters themselves, who look wildly uncomfortable of their new Disney Main Street of a city, even a full month later, which is when the episode begins.

The excellent chilly open of the episode completely encapsulates the strangeness of this unusual new world. Daryl (Norman Reedus), Judith (Cailey Fleming), and R.J. (Antony Azor) stroll cautiously down a corridor. Although there are fences on all sides, zombies attain out on the trio, consistently menacing them. And when a zombie bursts by way of the door in entrance of the children, Daryl tells the zombie to take it again slightly… as a result of they’re not at risk; they’re in a Haunted House on the Commonwealth’s Halloween celebration. Is there a greater method to present the unbelievable gulf between the life the Alexandrians had versus life now? The hallway was Daryl and the others’ actuality for therefore lengthy, however within the Commonwealth, zombies aren’t a menace. They’re actually leisure.

A variety of Alexandrians have relocated to the Commonwealth, along with Daryl and the children. Carol (Melissa McBride), Magna (Nadia Hilker), Connie (Lauren Ridloff), Kelly (Angel Theory), Rosita (Christan Serranos), and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) have all made the leap, becoming a member of Princess (Paola Lazaro), Ezekiel (Khary Payton), and Yumiko (Eleanora Matsuura). It’s extremely jarring to see a few of these folks main solely totally different, utterly mundane lives than the hard-scrabble ones we’ve been anticipating years. It’s bizarre to see Ezekiel working a petting zoo for kids. It’s bizarre to look at Judith buy a file at a file retailer. Hell, it’s extremely jarring simply to see Daryl in a clear shirt.

As we realized within the first third of season 11, the Commonwealth assigns folks jobs upon entry. Daryl and Rosita are in coaching to change into Commontroopers. Carol’s baking (and scheming). Connie is a journalist and has an interview with Governor Milton (Laila Robins). Magna is compelled to work as a waiter on the night’s Halloween Ball. All of those characters have promising storylines: pre-apocalypse, Connie obtained the brand new Governor’s uncle kicked out of Congress. Carol groups up with Deputy Governor Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) to appease Milton in hopes of getting him transfer the dying Ezekiel up the prolonged checklist of surgical candidates. We’ll get to Magna in a second, as a result of it’s time to speak about Daryl, Rosita, and… Kingsley.

While the episode’s intro splendidly confirmed the large distinction between the truth the Alexandrians have been residing in and the Commonwealth’s actuality, the return of the cartoonishly snobby and reprehensible Kingsley reveals the true illness on the coronary heart of the colony. After some coaching, Daryl and Rosita are summoned to help in one in all Kingsley’s zombie-fighting coaching classes, together with Commontrooper commander Mercer (Michael James Show). First, Kingsley says one thing sexist to Rosita, will get his greasy fingers throughout Daryl’s crossbow, then tries to swings a morning star and appears like an fool, at which he declares, “That thing’s pathetic!” Daryl and Rosita’s job is especially to unleash two zombies, at a prolonged interval, so Kingsley can get rid of them. He manages the primary, which I used to be stunned by, however after all botches the second, plunging his knife into the zombie’s throat as a substitute of its head, necessitating a prolonged battle.

Eventually, it goes on lengthy sufficient to fret Daryl, and he dispatches the zombie to Kingsley’s livid disapproval, very like he was irate when Eugene saved him and his girlfriend Daisy Richiricherton for “interrupting his date” by rescuing them from zombies. It was cartoonishly evil then, and it’s cartoonishly evil now, besides now Kingsley turns into such a douchebag he stops making sense. “This is the future soldier of the Commonwealth?” he asks with scorn. You imply, the man who simply successfully killed a zombie you couldn’t, Mr. St. Buffingsworth? The present isn’t even making an attempt to make Kingsley three-dimensional, not to mention sympathetic.

And then The Walking Dead doubles down on the awfulness of the Commonwealth, Kingsley, and just about the whole lot else, as a result of it’s the time for the Halloween Ball held by Governor Milton! The elite of the group gathers, sporting fits and fancy attire, to eat nice hors d’oeuvres and drink numerous bottles of fine wine (served by Magna, amongst others). A literal pink carpet is rolled out to obtain crucial company, together with Kingsley. There are even paparazzi there, guys, frantically snapping pics. (How many publications may this post-apocalyptic metropolis presumably include that will necessitate a number of photographers? How many “celebrities” may this place presumably have?)

Compared to the whole lot we’ve ever seen on The Walking Dead, together with flashbacks, this lavish celebration is sort of a hedonistic show of ostentatious wealth and debauchery. Honestly, having seen what our protagonists have gone by way of, how a lot they’ve sacrificed simply to remain alive, the extravagance of the Governor’s celebration feels genuinely wicked. So when a server grabs a knife, grabs Milton’s assistant, and begins screaming in regards to the inequities of the Commonwealth’s extraordinarily blatant class system, it’s not that shocking.

The server, named Tyler, briefly manages to flee, however Daryl tracks him down within the Haunted House. Tyler explains that he was a guard who misplaced the whole lot when a prisoner beat him up and escaped (that will be Princess, seen earlier within the season), and may now not help his sister and her children. Daryl handcuffs the poor child however offers him to Kingsley so the douchebag can take the credit score. It completely sucks to see essentially the most obnoxious member of the Commonwealth’s elite get a possibility to shine handed to him, however Daryl needs to placate his new “boss” as a result of Judith and R.J. wish to keep of their new, secure house. Why wouldn’t they? And Daryl sees a possibility for them to expertise a traditional, secure, nontraumatic childhood (for a bit, at the least). But as Kingsley pushes the prisoner by way of the reception corridor, Tyler screams, “There are a thousand more like me! Resist the Commonwealth!” And Governor Milton worries.

We knew the Commonwealth was a fascist hand in a velvet glove, metaphorically talking, nevertheless it’s by no means been so apparent when, a number of days later, the lately promoted Daryl and Rosita (in Commontrooper armor) burst into Tyler’s house and uncover a secret door to a small HQ lined in pro-workers, anti-elite propaganda. There won’t be a thousand revolutionaries able to destroy the Commonwealth’s higher class, however there’s undoubtedly multiple. (Magna is undoubtedly able to smash the plutocracy.)

In sure methods, I suppose I may see folks being consternated that The Walking Dead has all of a sudden pivoted to change into a narrative about class warfare, however I find it irresistible. Only a present as venerable as TWD may poignantly discover whether or not the harmful however honest life at Alexandria is healthier or worse than on the Commonwealth, the place security and exploitation go hand-in-hand. Moreover, what’s made the present distinctive is its depiction of how wicked folks may change into after civilization falls. Now we get to see how wicked folks can change into as soon as civilization comes again.

Assorted Musings:

• I don’t how I really feel about Ezekiel protecting Shiva’s leash, or why Jerry’s (Cooper Andrews) child was so thrilled to be taking part in with it. However, Jerry’s household all dressing up as tigers for the Halloween pageant was nice.
• Mercer brings Princess into the celebration, though she’s sporting her princess costume and there’s a elaborate gown code. Between this and a scene the place he opens up a bit to Daryl post-Kingsley hissyfit, Mercer could also be turning into an all-right man.
• Why did Carol know the place there was one million secret bottles of wine? I’m glad she was in a position to assist Hornsby to (ultimately) assist Ezekiel, however I’d be pissed if I realized she’d been holding out on everybody else.
• The file Judith will get (nicely, is given) is Motörhead’s Rock n’ Roll, all so their track “Eat the Rich” can blast within the background as Daryl, Rosita, and the opposite Commontroopers burst into Tyler’s hidden revolutionary HQ. It’s on the nostril as hell, and I find it irresistible primarily as a result of on The Walking Dead, there’s a really respectable shot that the wealthy will probably be genuinely eaten! Here’s hoping!

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