Do you ever really feel tense when watching The Walking Dead anymore? Does the TV present ever really shock you anymore? I’m fairly positive it’s been fairly some time since TWD made me really feel like a personality was in actual hazard or did something that made me marvel what was going to occur subsequent. Tonight’s episode, “Faith,” was a reasonably egregious instance of The Walking Dead’s persevering with failure to do both.

You know what? I do confess, I used to be mildly stunned at tonight’s episode after I realized that the “chain gang” working to clear off railroad tracks was being stationed at evening at Alexandria. When the group was separated into two, I assumed one went to the chain gang, and the different to Alexandria. However, my massive takeaway from it was, “Well, at least they can free everybody sooner so they can move along to fighting the Commonwealth.”

At the chain gang, Ezekiel and Negan and some others (we get to see Magna, Princess, and Annie are additionally working there this time) are monitoring the actions of the guards on a makeshift map. It’s nearly instantly discovered, and the warden drags in Negan for having a “leader” vibe. Negan finds this laughable, given what number of of his supposed folks hate him, however he doesn’t discover it humorous when the warden says to determine what their plan is or say goodbye to his spouse.

We are clearly speculated to imagine Negan will betray Ezekiel or any person for his spouse’s sake, and the episode hammers this house by Ezekiel getting one other probability to inform Negan how a lot he hates him. But the present has gone out of its manner time and again to painting Negan as a modified man. It can be ridiculous for the present to immediately give him a heel flip at this level. (Not that TWD hasn’t made even its “heroic” characters do despicable issues with no penalties, so a heel flip wouldn’t be stunning both, simply obnoxious.)

Instead, Negan says he’s the ringleader or some such—it’s off-screen—so Commontroopers drag him to Alexandria’s windmill to face a firing squad. Negan appears to be like so effective with the state of affairs the foreman drags Annie to be executed with him. As Negan performs the “we both have families!” card with a trooper the foreman foolishly informed wasn’t allowed to see his sick brother, Ezekiel steps in entrance of the firing squad’s weapons, and is adopted by a lot of the different characters with names. Ezekiel offers an inspiring speech about doing the precise factor or some shit, and the foreman orders all of them be shot.

Here’s what sucks so unhealthy about this: Last episode, Negan promised Ezekiel he would do one thing to supply a “spark” that Ezekiel might use to guide the opposite prisoners to beat their captors. This is strictly what occurs, and even (most of) the guards decrease their weapons, however nothing about any of this was deliberate. Almost no part was ever beneath Negan or Ezekiel’s management. The map was unintentionally discovered. The foreman grabbed Negan due to his chief vibe. They couldn’t have recognized Annie would have immediately been added to the execution. Nor did anybody communicate to anyone about find out how to deal with the state of affairs. And the factor in regards to the one guard being so inclined to household speak that he switched sides was pure probability. It’s very lazy writing.

The foreman grabs and holds Kelly hostage, solely to be stabbed within the again by Daryl, as a result of he and Connie have snuck into Alexandria via the sewers, whereas Maggie and Carol have snuck in elsewhere to search for the kids who had been taken. In a really handy coincidence, Hershel is discovered by his lonesome, however all the opposite youngsters are lacking. A distraught Rosita feeds the dying foreman to a zombie when he refuses to say the place they’ve been moved.

Meanwhile, again within the Commonwealth, Eugene has his trial. As you, me, and everybody on the present anticipated, it’s rigged and Eugene is sentenced to be executed himself. But regardless of being a forgone conclusion, it eats up a lot of screentime so Pam can fake-cry, Yumiko can ask Mercer to testify towards Pam which in fact he refuses to do, and Eugene may give a stirring speech about how one particular person can change the world, a message which has completely zero relevance to his trial. On the way in which to the electrical chair (I feel it’s a secure wager to say the Commonwealth has an electrical chair) he’s intercepted and freed by Mercer, who has determined sure, he wish to assist save the person his sister is in love with, free the Commonwealth from Pam’s tyrannical rule, and make it a greater place. All these many, many instances earlier than he stated he didn’t? That’s simply extra screentime, child.

At least Mercer’s final line offers me hope one thing fascinating will occur subsequent week: “Let’s fuck some shit up.” Yes, please, Mercer. I would really like you to fuck some shit up. Even just a bit little bit of shit! I’m begging you right here. Because shit has remained totally unfucked with for what seems like perpetually.

Although the episode’s title is “Faith,” absolutely that must be interpreted as a message from the showmakers to themselves, as in “Let’s have faith we’re telling a good story.” Maybe they’ve one thing they’re going to drag out within the ultimate two episodes of the sequence that’s—not going to make every thing that’s occurred to date retroactively fascinating, however may make what’s coming fascinating. But believing that requires religion in The Walking Dead, and that’s one thing I simply now not have.

Assorted Musings:

• Aaron’s group randomly encounters Luke (Dan Fogler) and Jules (Alex Sgambati) who had been final seen within the season 10 finale, which aired again in October 2020. Luckily, they inform the others that Oceanside’s been conquered by the Commonwealth, and Aaron realizes both one thing modified, or she had no intention of releasing the communities within the first place.
• Yet one other Commontrooper patrol stops by and almost finds the group, in order that they use the “smear guts on yourself to walk safely among the zombies” shtick to cover. Three issues about this: 1) No one put any blood on their faces, which was very dumb because the Troopers had been scanning lights into the zombie crowd. 2) Why the hell did the Troopers imagine anybody residing can be strolling round with zombies? We don’t have any indication they know the heart trick or have encountered Whisperers earlier than. 3) This scene went on for therefore goddamn lengthy I assumed I used to be going to lose my thoughts.
• What the hell occurred that the Commontroopers separated Hershel from the opposite youngsters, tied him to a chair, and positioned him beneath armed guard?

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