Endless waves of Wallkers push the Alexandrians to the edge. Alpha demands an audience. Negan and Aaron have a moment.

One of the best elements of a show that’s lasted this long is the shorthand it can use. Gabriel, a character we met cowering on a rock, has become a determined and effective leader and delivers this episode’s most entertaining plot by literally yelling at two other characters until they stand next to one another. Aaron and Negan are the best worst double act ever, one determined to hate the other. Aaron finally gets to confront the man about Eric (remember Eric?) and actually pushes him too far, joking about his wife. Dean Morgan and Marquand are two of the best the show has and they go at it here to chilling effect.

Crucially, it also leads to character development. Aaron is temporarily blinded by a Walker covered in hog weed and Negan saves him. He does so at least fairly apathetically but the truth is, he does save the other man’s life and Aaron sees and gets that. Negan is far from redeemed but, at last, someone is seeing who he is, not who he was.

The episode’s most fun, however, is to be had elsewhere. Carol, quietly, is taking pills to stay awake and they’re starting to have an effect. When Alpha summons them, Carol tries to kill her and as the characters make their way home, she becomes more erratic. The episode’s best moment comes after we see Daryl tell her a detailed, helpful story that sets her straight, only for Daryl to then confirm he never said that and she’s hallucinating, The downside is the plot arrives and leaves this episode but it is giving Melissa McBride something new to play against, not to mention diving once again into the fundamental trauma these people all experience and what happens when someone is pushed too far. In microcosm too, the episode works, showing how the colonies as a whole are as divided, traumatised and scattered as Alpha wants them to be…

Verdict: A smart continuation of the season’s story arc and a welcome brace of character moments make this another good episode in a strong run. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart