‘The Walking Dead’ Recap With Spoilers: Mid-Season 9 Finale

Walkers wander through a field. Daryl, dog, Aaron, and Jesus are looking at them, observing their new habit of just standing in the same place. Jesus and Aaron want to do something about this herd but Daryl suggests they head off to Eugene. One of the walkers turns its head and looks back at the group leaving.

The Walking Dead‘s opening credits play.

In Alexandria, Gabriel delivers verses to Negan while kids play outside. Negan starts to mock Gabriel’s relationship with Rosita while throwing a tennis ball against a wall. Negan appreciates Gabriel coming down to talk with him but he realizes he is never getting out the cell. He turns the conversation to Rosita’s conversation with others and where she talked about other people. Gabriel gets frustrated and walks out, only to be informed Rosita was injured and delivered to Hilltop.

Continued

At the Hilltop, a soldier races in on a horse to warn all of the farmers and people that “riders are coming.” They rush inside and hide before Michonne arrives with Magna’s group. Diane spots her and seems unhappy to see Michonne. Diane questions Michonne on why they’re here and who they’re with. She can’t come in until she drops her weapons and the group does the same. 

Tara informs Michonne of Eugene being missing. Enid tells Siddiq that Rosita is doing well. Tara explains that Aaron was here but he is now out with Daryl and Jesus. Tara offers them a place to stay and tells the newcomers that they’ll have to “earn their keep” depending on what Jesus decides when he gets back. 

The only person who Michonne is happy to see is Carol. 

Continued

Michonne is frustrated with Siddiq for not telling her that Aaron was dealing with the Hilltop but he insists they are friends. Carol meets the group and is able to sign her name to Connie. 

“How’s Judith and RJ?” Carol asks.

Michonne tells her everyone is good before Carol explains Henry will be apprenticing with the blacksmith. Carols pleads with Michonne to participate in the fair. “I know what you went through,” Carol said. “You and me, we both lost children and we kept going.”

Michonne doesn’t want to pretend there is not “broken world” between the communities. 

Continued

Jesus and Aaron have a conversation. Aaron explains that he would be a good leader if he would just embrace it. At the same time, he thinks Daryl would be good at recruiting people if he would also stop fighting people. Daryl, meanwhile, hears the herd coming and throws an alarm clock to throw them off. 

At the Hilltop, Diane wants to ride with Carol back to Kingdom. Carol sheds a tear while saying goodbye to Henry, telling him he has already made her proud. Shortly thereafter, Henry is learning how to blacksmith where Enid greets him while really looking for Alden. Earl invites Henry over for dinner and he was going to deny the invitation until he sees Enid kiss Alden.

Moments later, Aaron’s group spots the herd again. Jesus is particularly interested in their patterns.

Continued

In his prison cell, Negan teases Gabriel about changing his bedpan. Gabriel finally fires back. Negan catches on to the fact that Gabriel has something deeper going on. Gabriel reveals Rosita’s situation and blames his need to care for Negan as the reason for not being able to go help her. 

Later on, Henry finds some friends at the Hilltop. Addy, Rodney, and Gage introduce themselves. The kids encourage Henry to sneak out of the Hilltop to go have fun and night and he signs up.

In the infirmary, Michonne and Siddiq care for Rosita. Siddiq apologizes for keeping secrets from Michonne. “Coming here, I knew people would still be angry, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” she tells him. “I didn’t make the choices I made because I thought they’d be easy. At least they’re alive so they can hate me for it.”

Rosita wakes up just in time for Michonne to not reveal any details of what happened. She jumps up, eager to search for Eugene. She insists, “They have no idea what they’re dealing with.”

Continued

At night, Aaron, Daryl, Jesus and dog investigate a barn. Dog leads the way and they find Eugene hiding in a trap door. He explains that the herd is on it’s way back. “It’s already been through here twice,” he says. “It’s lookin’ for me.”

They’re puzzled. “This wasn’t a normal herd,” Eugene said. “When they passed us by, we could hear them. They were whispering to each other.” They think he’s wrong but the herd shows up at their door. Daryl insists it can’t be the same herd. 

Meanwhile, Henry has a little party with his new friends. They are all drinking and he’s a little uncomfortable with it. When they get bored, they throw darts at a walker. When one of the kids starts peeing on it, Henry jumps in to kill the walker. 

Continued

The herd continues chasing Eugene and the group. Eugene has a theory: they are “evolving.” He claims the brain is capable of change. They argue about leaving Eugene behind but Daryl decides he will stay and distract the herd.

In Alexandria, Negan comes to realize the cell door has been left open on his cell. 

At the Hilltop, Henry has been tossed in their jail cell after he was caught vomiting. Earl is disappointed. Henry thoroughly apologizes and Earl explains he will probably be in this cell for two days. 

Meanwhile, on the road, Daryl sets off firecrackers to distract the herd while dog barks. Most of the herd, however, continues in its own direction. The herd catches up to Aaron, Eugene, and Jesus in a foggy yard. They realize they’re running out of time and turn to fight. 

Michonne shows up, surprised to see Magna, and helps open a gate to get Eugene through. Jesus orders Aaron to help them. He turns to fight a bunch of Whisperers, killing most of them, until one stabs him with a sword. Suddenly other walkers pull out of a bunch of weapons and turn to fight but Michonne’s group is able to stop them. They’re shocked to see they were carrying weapons.

Daryl orders Michonne to look at one of the walkers. He cuts open its mask and reveals it to be just that. Whisperers close in, claiming to have them trapped.