‘The Walking Dead’ Recap With Spoilers: Dead or Alive Or

The episode starts with Saviors getting orders to search for an escaped Father Gabriel and Doctor Carson. After they rush into their truck, Daryl leads a group out from under the bridge into the woods. He and Rosita seem to be taking charge.

After a few steps, a walker emerges from the woods and Tara claims it but launches it at Dwight, who is still recovering from his bullet wound. Dwight narrowly manages to take down the walker and stomp on it. Daryl orders everyone to continue moving.

Elsewhere, a walker drags a chain toward Gabriel and Carson in their car. They are lost. Carson hears the walkers approaching before noticing Gabriel squinting at the map. Gabriel’s vision being blurred concerns the doctor but Gabriel insists they need to rely on their faith as God is “always leading the way.” As Carson starts the car, Gabriel looks back at the walker approaching with its one leg.

The opening credits roll.

Carson examines Gabriel behind their parked car. Gabriel insists they will make it back to the Hilltop. He hears something in the distance which he says is “almost like a bell,” prompting the two of them to journey through the woods toward the sound. Another one-legged walker crawls toward them. They come upon the Oceanside community, by accident.

Continued

Daryl and Rosita continue their trip through the woods. Everyone has sat down to rest from the exhaustion. Tara asks Daryl why Dwight is still breathing. Daryl stands up for him and says, “not yet,” to killing him. Rosita agrees. 

“We just lost the kid,” Rosita says. “Let’s just stop, at least we get to the Hilltop.”

At the Hilltop, Maggie observes the community as it rebuilds and fortifies. Carol, Morgan, and Henry are here now. Jared yells out from the prison to move Henry along because it’s creeping people out, considering the Saviors are going to kill everyone here. Henry responds by asking, “Which one of you killed my brother?”

Morgan orders Henry to go eat. He wants to tell him the truth of who killed Benjamin but Carol insists he is just a child. He is not fine, nor is Morgan, so Carol tells him to take a break. 

Continued

At the Sanctuary, Negan is lecturing Eugene on the bad day he is having, which includes the doctor and Gabriel escaping. “You have any idea how something like that could happen, Eugene?” Negan asks. Eugene doesn’t want to venture a guess. Negan calls Carson a weasel like his late brother. “Once their asses are caught and dragged back here, and they will be, I’m gonna get the whole story out of them.”

Eugene questions what happened in Alexandria. Negan questions if he cares after they tried to blow him up. Negan is now giving Eugene his own outpost to make bullets since they are now running low. Eugene questions why the Alexandrians are no longer resources and why Negan wants to kill everyone. Negan simply wants to send a message and allow those who cooperate to live. He is going to provide Eugene with a security detail and wives to take care of him. “Will there be wine?” Eugene asks. 

“There will indeed,” Negan tells him.

Elsewhere, Gabriel and Carson investigate the homes they found. Gabriel found a notepad and dusts it off to read it as Carson walks in. “The person who lived here, they were a radio operator,” Gabriel tells him. The script he found is one to plead with people about how they got through it. Carson doesn’t see hope in it but Gabriel sees the radio as a sign of hope. 

Carson investigates the bedroom and finds a body with a bag on its head handcuffed to a bed. It has reanimated, since dying.

Continued

Dwight debates the course of action with Tara, Daryl, and Rosita. Dwight says the swamp woll be clear of Saviors because Negan thinks it’s too dangerous. Rosita and Daryl are getting on board with it but Tara is angry. Tobin and Scott chime in, questioning why they should trust him. Dwight sticks up for himself, saying he killed Saviors. “One of them got away,” Dwight said. “So, if they find me, Ngan puts my head on a pike…I’m here to help you beat Negan. After that, well, I know it ends.” 

Daryl officially rules they will try the swamps. 

At the Hilltop, Maggie gets an update on the community’s resources. The number doesn’t include the prisoners and resources are already running out. They’re best hope is Jesus brings back some supplies.

Meanwhile, Carson preps the gun left behind on the body while Gabriel finds medical supplies. Carson reads the labels and tells Gabriel they have found antibiotics and the dead man beside them may have saved their life. 

Dwight and Daryl talk while walking through the woods. Daryl’s admits Dwight’s wife let him out and they realize she must be out here somewhere. They finally come upon the swamps, which are filled with walkers. Dwight wants to help everyone kill the walkers but they won’t give him a weapon. Daryl and Rosita lead a charge on killing them.

Continued

Back at Hilltop, Maggie approaches Gregory. He is trying to reason with her to get out of the prison. “Since you threw me in here, my behavior has been pretty good,” he says. “You can’t just leave me in here forever.”

The friendly Savior tells Maggie that Gregory is right. He mentions Maggie killing one of them. He insists they don’t have to be enemies. He wants “time outside the pen for good behavior.” Maggie tells him she doesn’t have the resources to oblige, even if she wanted to, and will also be cutting off their rations. 

In the swamp, Rosita is caught off guard by a walker which was underwater but puts it down. She and the group continue but find themselves surrounded by walkers popping up from underwater. Siddiq and Daryl take out a handful together.

Tara sits back with the Alexandrians. Barbara and Tobin sit with Judith. Tara tosses Dwight a knife and congratulates him for volunteering to help her take care of walkers.

Gabriel’s vision is limited but Carson says his fever has broken. He might be facing permanent damage but Gabriel remains optimistic. “I’m letting him lead the way,” Gabriel says. “I can’t see it but I can feel the look on your face.” He goes on to explain his faith before dropping a piggy bank on the floor. It was filled with car keys and a map. Carson realizes they are merely a few miles from the Hilltop.

Continued

Dwight takes down walkers while Tara follows him with her gun. She pesters him, leading to Dwight saying, “I’m sorry about Denise. I truly am. I don’t expect your forgiveness, I don’t deserve it. I just wanted you to know.”

Tara points her gun at Dwight. He insists he hates the Saviors and Negan. He asks what killing him will do for her. She says it will make her feel better. She starts shooting at him and he takes off. Dwight eventually emerges from the woods and is tired because of his wound. Tara comes out and catches him but Saviors emerge, too. “I’d still rather be us than J-Money right now,” one says as they search.

Gabriel and Carson’s journey continues. Gabriel hears something again but can hardly see the sign. He calls for Carson to wait after seeing a sign warning people of traps. Just as he does, Carson ends up in a foot trap and walkers close in. He shoots one and tries to hold off the others. Gabriel reaches through the grass for the gun and stumbles upon it. He closes his eyes because he can’t see and takes the shot, killing the walker and saving Carson. 

Tara and Dwight are still hiding. Dwight pops out talks to the Saviors, telling them he was ambushed. He asks about Laura but they haven’t seen her. Dwight covers for the Alexandrians near the swamps before leading them away from everyone. Rosita was watching Tara the whole time.

Moments later, Daryl is scolding Tara for what she did and how Dwight could’ve outed them and their plan. Tara and Rosita are now vouching for Dwight. In the midst of a rant leading to “I’m gonna kill him,” Daryl sees Tobin covering Judith’s ears and stops. 

Continued

Gabriel and Carson begin their journey in a car together. They are suddenly captured by Saviors, though. Gabriel insists “he’s still leading the way” though, and Carson claims he does see it, after all. 

Carson reaches for a gun and gets himself shot by the Saviors.

The gates open at the Hilltop as Daryl walks in holding Judith. Rosita, Tara, Tobin and others follow. Carol rushes to the gate to greet Daryl. She’s smiling but is quickly saddened by Daryl’s lack of enthusiasm. “Carl,” Daryl tells her. Maggie is shocked. Enid begins to cry. Maggie huddles over Enid while everyone else gathers near the Barrington House.

Later, Carol, Morgan and Henry sit together. Henry asks how Carl died. “He was helping a stranger,” Carol said.

Morgan stands up and tells Henry that Gavin killed Benjamin. “And you got him, so…” Carol appreciates the lie. 

Maggie looks out at the community. Siddiq approaches and thanks her for the hospitality. “It’s not much,” she insists, but he claims it is everything.

“Do you have a hospital here?” he asks. “Some kind of infirmary.” She asks if he is hurt but he tells her he is a doctor. He heads over to the trailers before Maggie observes the community meshing together.

At Eugene’s outpost, he crafts bullets. Frankie approaches to congratulate him but he insists she wear gloves and safety gear. Eugene orders some food for his men. He designates a room as the cafeteria. Negan busts in the room with Gabriel, who is covering for Eugene. He says Gabriel can help make bullets despite his vision. Eugene deflects it and suggests launching the dead their enemy via catapults. Negan, however, gets a different idea of his own. “I do believe a rose just sprang up out of that pile of s—,” Negan tells him. 

Negan exits. Eugene heads over to Gabriel. Gabriel is broken. Eugene orders him to get sorting. 

Continued

Maggie approaches her prisoners again. She will bring the prisoners out in pairs for work and exercise and, if necessary, medical attention. Gregory suggests evacuating the Hilltop because the Saviors are coming. Maggie insists they can’t lose, just as someone calls out, “Open the gates! It’s Rick!”

Back at the Sanctuary, Negan has rounded up his soldiers for a demonstration. He is going to cover all of their weapons in walker guts to ensure a single blow will kill anyone. Everyone will then fall in line with the plans whether there dead, alive, or “some s— in between.”