‘The Walking Dead’ Recap With Spoilers: Monsters

King Ezekiel and his army listen to the Savior radio and hear they are preparing to attack their group. Ezekiel tells the group, “Yet I smell.” They march through the woods as his speech plays out. “And yet Carol smiles,” Ezekiel said. The Saviors have numbers but they have strategy.;

Suddenly, along their journey in the woods, Ezekiel’s group hears the Savior whistles of the Saviors and put their hands up. Suddenly, Carol and a group of Kingdom soldiers mow down their enemies.

The Walking Dead‘s opening credits play.

Back at one of the outposts, Morales maintains his gun aimed at Rick. Rick is ordered to drop his guns and does. “You’re the Rick from Alexandria,” Morales said. “This whole time it was you.” Morales knows who Rick is. “I guess we’re not the same guys we used to be, huh? Because you’re a monster.” Morales has been instructed not to kill Rick, Maggie, or Ezekiel unless they have to. He questions why Rick is here and promises his people will get him to Negan, or won’t, but it doesn’t matter.

The gunfight outside rages on. The Saviors head back inside, claiming, “Boss ants us back inside!” Tobin and Scott realize this means they’re heading inside to Rick and Daryl.

Not far away, Aaron cares for Eric, who has an exit wound for the bullet. Aaron insists they will get him to the Kingdom’s doctor. Aaron breaks down and apologizes to Eric, feeling guilt for bringing Eric into the fight, but Eric tells him to go help everyone else. They kiss goodbye and Aaron heads back to the fight.

Continued

Tara sits in the back of a pick-up truck with Eduardo as they escort the Saviors to the Hilltop. Eduardo insists Maggie will know what to do with these people and Tara believes she will kill them for what they’ve done. Morgan and Jesus debate the decision to let these men live. Morgan tells Jesus this is dangerous and Jesus tells him there are many kinds of danger, they kill, but they don’t execute.

Rick asks Morales where his family is. “We never made it to Birmingham,” he tells Rick. “They didn’t.” 

“I lost people, too,” Rick said. “Lori, Shane, Andrea, Glenn. Negan killed him. Forced him to his knees, bashed his head in right in front of me, in front of his pregnant wife.”

“He had a wife?” Morales said.

“Not before,” Rick said. “He met her.”

“In this?” Morales asks.

“Yeah,” Rick said. “He met her.” He questions Morales on whether or not he is Negan.

“The Saviors, they found me. They thought I was worth a damn. Worth bringing back with them. So, yeah. Yeah, I’m Negan. To make it this far, this long, I had to be. Had to be something. Just like you.”

Rick insists they’re not the same. “We’re two a–holes who will do whatever it takes just to keep going. The only difference is, I’m holding the gun.” Morales insists Rick would’ve killed him by now if he had the gun. Rick insists he would try to find another way. “Somewhere along the way, Officer Friendly died right along with them,” Morales said. Suddenly, Daryl enters the room and shoots Morales in the face with an arrow and they hear Saviors arriving.

Continued

Morgan and Jared continue down the street. Jared toys with Morgan and just as Morgan is about to shoot him, a herd of walkers approaches. Morgan fights one off with his sniper rifle. Saviors are getting bitten and Jared instructs them to run into the woods together. Morgan chases them as other Saviors insists on stopping.

One man in Jared’s group trips and Morgan is able to shoot one. As he readies himself to shoot Jared, Jesus kicks the gun out of his hand. They argue, with Morgan claiming none of them will change, and Jesus arguing Maggie will find another way. “We’re gonna have to find a way to peace,” Jesus said. Morgan starts a fight with Jesus.

King Ezekiel’s group mourns the dead before them. A raid on another posts is carried out, with the Kingdom soldiers hidden ready to ambush the Saviors. 

Daryl and Rick attempt to escape the compound. 

Jesus and Morgan fight in the woods. 

Daryl runs out of ammo. Rick uses a fire extinguisher to create smoke for Daryl to get across the hallway. Aaron rushes to their aid.

The fight in the woods continues. Morgan is really trying to kill Jesus. Jesus disarms him and asks if it is over now. Jesus tosses the pole back and Morgan presses it to Jesus’ throat but ultimately gathers himself. “I’m not right, I know that, I’m not right,” Morgan said. “But that doesn’t make me wrong. I can’t be a part of this.”

“Morgan, you are right,” Tara calls out. Morgan grabs his sniper and heads off alone. 

Continued

At the Hilltop, Enid sees Gregory arriving at the gate. Gregory knocks, begging for help. The doors crack open and Maggie stands on the other side questioning what he is doing with Gabriel’s car. He claims he doesn’t know who Gabriel is. Gregory insists he wasn’t selling anyone out and Negan made him say all of the things he said before the battle. “I tried to save lives,” he insists. 

“You were looking out for yourself,” Maggie said. Cal told Maggie the truth.

“I did zero harm to your cause,” Gregory insists. “Negan already new everything.” He resorts to apologizing and says he couldn’t see before that this group can win but realizes fighting them is the only way.” Maggie and Enid stand by as Gregory begs, with Maggie ultimately telling them to “let him in.” He’s not worth killing yet.

Just after Gregory gets inside, Cal sees Jesus arriving with the Savior prisoners. Gregory says there is no way to let them in but Tara actually agrees with Gregory who was kicked from the conversation. Even Maggie insists it is too dangerous. Jesus wants to put them in a trailer out back, insisting they can’t kill them.

Continued

Walkers devour people outside of the Savior outpost. Daryl collects his arrows and Rick take Polaroid photos of the damage they caused. Scott puts down dead bodies to prevent reanimation. The group packs up and heads out as Scott covers the bodies of the fallen.

Rick writes notes down.

Aaron goes to the tree where he left Eric and only finds his rifle and blood on a tree. He calls out for him, only to find his reanimated body stumbling away. He breaks down as he walks closer. Scott finds him. “He’s dead,” Aaron said. “Eric’s dead. I can’t. I can’t just let him…”

“Aaron, it’s not him,” Scott said. “We gotta go.”

Later, Aaron sits with blood on his hands. He hears a baby cry and sees Rick walk out with Gracie in his arms. “She can go with me,” Aaron said. “I can take her to the Hilltop. She’ll be safe there.”

“Eric and I were gonna go there after and update Maggie,” Aaron said. “So, it’s what I’m gonna do.” 

“Her name’s Gracie,” Rick said. Aaron takes her. 

Rick and Daryl prepare to leave with Rick stopping to talk to someone alone on the way. A gunshot strikes the truck and they take cover. Rick calls out to the person and offers to make a deal. “Why should I trust you,” the woman calls out.

“A man’s word, it’s gonna mean something,” Rick said. The man comes out with his hands up. He says the guns Rick was looking for got sent to another outpost yesterday. It was Gavin’s. The man asks to go and Daryl shoots him in the head. Rick is unhappy with it.

Ezekiel’s group has killed all of the Saviors, they think. Daniel tells him everyone is accounted for. Ezekiel reminds Carol, “Not one.”

The group lowers their guns and starts to put down the fallen enemies. Suddenly, Ezekiel sees a sniper and orders everyone to hide. His soldiers jump on him and are shot in the back.