The Walking Dead Final Season Premiere Recap: “Lockdown”

“I heard a lot of stories about when the world fell,” 11-year-old Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) says to start Sunday’s premiere of the third and final part of The Walking Dead Season 11. “There were more dead than living, and it started to look like the world would go cold. It felt like it was almost there. Almost. Some people survived by connecting with each other, making found families.” People like Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). Michonne (Danai Gurira). Glenn (Steven Yeun). Hershel (Scott Wilson). “Others gave into the darkness. That was a long time ago. And it’s now. Will it be tomorrow?”

Ends Here

In the present, the found family of Daryl (Norman Reedus), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam), and Aaron (Ross Marquand) are on the run. Commonwealth Deputy Governor Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) — whose army took over the allied communities of Hilltop, Oceanside, and Alexandria — hunts them with a squadron of his white-armored soldiers. “This ends here,” Hornsby says, ordering the insurgents shot on sight after mercenary Leah (Lynn Collins) failed to kill Maggie. 

Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his pregnant wife, Annie (Medina Senghore), report that Maggie’s son Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller) is safe from “shithead” Hornsby and his “dick-less brigade.” Gabriel argues they should return to Commonwealth and extract their people first, then deal with Hornsby — together. Surrounded, Aaron says they’ll never get through the military’s checkpoints.

Faith and Family

Gabriel fears Hornsby’s people will go after their families, including Aaron’s daughter Gracie (Anabelle Holloway) and the Grimes children, Judith and RJ (Antony Azor).

“Carol’s there. So is Rosita, Jerry, Ezekiel — we have to hope they can handle it,” Aaron says.
But for the preacher raising baby Coco with Rosita (Christian Serratos), “Hope is running low! And the longer we’re out here having these debates, the more our families back home are at risk.”

Maggie says their people are out here, too. They need to find Hornsby and kills him before he gets to anybody. Daryl realizes they can do both: Hornsby’s never seen Negan’s face before.

Shoot to Kill

Wearing his Whisperer mask made from walker flesh, Negan sneaks up on Hornsby’s troops scouting the area and takes out a soldier. He gets the trooper’s rifle and radio to Daryl before stealing their vehicle, leading the Commonwealth military on a high-speed car chase.

No signal keeps Hornsby from calling in a “contingency protocol” on AWOL trooper Daryl Dixon, who ambushes and picks off the rest of the soldiers. Hornsby dispatches a soldier to find a signal and sends the rest after the vehicle driven by Negan with “shoot-to-kill” orders targeting Daryl.

Daryl peels out and narrowly misses running over Hornsby. As Hornsby’s soldiers open fire on Negan’s hijacked vehicle, Daryl rams them off the road, letting Negan escape.

Change in the House of Lies

At the Commonwealth, citizens protest in Union Square outside the office of Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). The crowd demands justice for April (Wynn Everett), one of the indebted Commonwealth civilians sent to her death in a cash heist arranged by the greedy and rotten Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson). “MONEY FOR LIVES,” reads one protestor’s sign. “JUSTICE FOR APRIL,” demands another. 

The crowd chants: “We want justice! Deliver Sebastian now!” Cheering them on is journalist Connie (Lauren Ridloff), who anonymously published the newspaper article exposing Sebastian’s crimes. Overlooking the crowd from the governor’s office is Connie’s friend — and Pamela’s lawyer — Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura). 

“Is this what we wanted?” Kelly (Angel Theory) asks her sister of the anti-Milton movement disrupting the Commonwealth. Connie signs back, “This is what change looks like.”

The People v. Milton

Ezekiel (Khary Payton) joins the chorus of voices, rooting on the protestors. Rosita and Magna (Nadia Hilker) agree they need to be ready to help the Commonwealth’s people if things go sideways. It’s only a matter of time before it gets ugly, according to Magna, not wanting to leave just yet: these people need help. Rosita settles it: nothing gets decided until everyone gets back.

General Mercer (Michael James Shaw), walking with the authority of a military commander clad in red armor, is on the ground keeping an eye on the situation. When his soldiers radio in an S.O.S., he orders Trooper Espinosa to suit up.

As the governor assures the Commonwealth crowd over the intercom that she’s going to find the “real culprits” and bring them to justice, whistleblower Max (Margot Bingham) figures Pamela’s son is in hiding. Their fight for justice and equality for all is just beginning, and Max wants to push it further.

“Then we will,” Yumiko tells her.

The Quiet Game

At a Commonwealth processing outpost, Mercer meets Negan. He reveals Daryl sent him with orders to ask for Mercer. They’re handling Hornsby outside the Commonwealth’s walls, but inside, “We’ve got people in here to protect, too.”

“That’s my job,” Mercer says back through gritted teeth.
“And yet,” a cocky Negan smirks, “I was sent here anyway.”
Mercer can’t just let him in. There are rules here.
“If no one else is playing by those rules,” Negan asks him, “why are you?”

At her apartment overlooking the square, “auntie” Carol (Melissa McBride) cares for Gracie and the Grimes children. Keeping a close eye on the commotion outside her window, Carol spots trouble: Shira (Chelle Ramos), a.k.a. the fake “Stephanie” sent to dupe Eugene (Josh McDermitt), and Roman Calhoun (Michael Tourek). Carol hides the kids from Hornsby’s spies. 

In the square, Negan marvels at the Commonwealth when he runs into Jerry (Cooper Andrews). “I’m here to save your asses,” Negan tells him. “Where’s Carol?”

Insurance

Outside the walls, Maggie and Annie take out a Commonwealth trooper, destroying his radio before he can contact reinforcements at the Commonwealth. Inside the walls, Negan briefs Carol on the situation and tells her Hornsby is targeting the children to draw their people out.

If Hornsby is using his covert agents, Carol realizes, he’s keeping this under grid. If they can get ahead of Shira and Calhoun, they can get ahead of Hornsby. It’s decided Jerry will escort the kids to an attic space stocked with supplies and get word to the others. They have to be ready to move on his signal.

“Ready for what?” Negan asks. “This doesn’t seem like the kind of place you can just stroll out the front gate hand in hand.”
“That’s why you and I are going to try to get some insurance,” Carol answers.

The Other Shoe

Inside town hall, April’s parents lead a mob of protestors to Governor Milton’s steps. They confront Pamela about their daughter’s death, demanding answers — and justice — for Sebastian “disappearing” April and other unfortunate souls. 

After Yumiko calms the situation, Pamela asks her lawyer if her friend Connie might know who wrote the exposé titled “Pamela Milton Is Lying to You.” 

Amid chants of “down with Milton,” a protestor has spray-painted “MILTONS ARE MURDERERS” in blood-red paint on the Commonwealth’s walls. Yumiko meets with Magna, revealing she’s plotting an exit plan for “you guys”: Connie, Kelly, Magna. 

Yumiko can’t leave without her brother, surgeon Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale), but Magna isn’t leaving without ‘Miko.”If the time comes to go, then we’re all going. Even if I have to drag you and Tomi along.” For now, they’ll keep their eyes peeled and wait for the other shoe to drop. 

An alarming announcement: LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES INITIATED. PROCEED TO YOUR RESIDENCES. FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS. REMAIN INSIDE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES INITIATED…

Says Yumiko, “This might be the other shoe.”

No Way Out

Five miles out on the Commonwealth perimeter, a massive swarm of walkers shambles in the direction of the community. Lockdown has been instituted by order of Governor Milton. Break curfew, soldiers warn, and you’ll be arrested for your own safety. 

As Jerry gets the kids to the safe room, Carol and Negan snoop for records and schematics in the city planning office. They’re looking for Sebastian’s hiding place. 

Outside the Commonwealth, Maggie apologizes to Daryl for having to gun down Leah to save her. “Glenn would have wanted me to look out for you,” Daryl responds. “You don’t have to ever say sorry. Not to me.” 

They reconvene with Gabriel, Aaron, and Annie, who report they’re being flanked by Hornsby’s men. When Maggie asks if there’s a way to get behind them, Annie answers there’s a way they’ll never see them coming: the sewers.

The Accused

Moving through tunnels underground, Daryl has an idea to get Hornsby’s soldiers down to them. 

At the Commonwealth, schematics for a missing door lead Carol and Negan to Sebastian hiding in a secret room. “The Commonwealth is her kid,” Sebastian tells them. “I’m just a prop.” Negan convinces the spoiled brat to come with Carol. 

That night, Carol and Negan try to smuggle a disguised Sebastian out of the Commonwealth as the protest has calmed into a candlelight vigil for April. But someone recognizes the Commonwealth’s public enemy #1, inciting a mob that breaks up as troopers toss smoke bombs to clear the area.

As Rosita and a squad of Mercer’s men fire on the walker horde outside the walls, Yumiko confronts Pamela about gassing the protestors — including her friends. The governor’s actions make her look guilty, Yumiko charges, but Pamela knows her son isn’t a murderer.

Judge, Jury, and Executioners

Carol hands over Sebastian to Pamela. She embraces her son — then smacks him across the face for humiliating her and himself.”What did you have to do with all of this?” a pissed Pamela asks. 

“That story is a lie,” a sniffling Sebastian explains. “People want someone to blame, and I’m an easy target.” 

Carol says they can help each other. “I work for Lance Hornsby. He’s out there hunting my friends under your flag. I need your help to stop him.”
The governor knows nothing about that — and she doesn’t see how it helps her.
“If your son didn’t do the things he’s accused of,” Carol says slyly, “someone did.”

In the sewers, Hornsby’s troopers hunt for Daryl and Maggie. Their group ambushes the soldiers, forcing a tense standoff. Daryl’s knife is to Hornsby’s throat as armored soldiers order them to put the weapons down! Hornsby smiles.

End of episode.

Follow @CameronBonomolo and @NewsOfTheDead on Twitter for TWD Universe coverage all season long.