The good news is the standoff ends peacefully. That’s the end of the good news.

Everything is forgiven in this tense episode that starts tight and only ever gets tighter. Carol’s plan saves the day, again, but only the day and a good portion of the episode is all about the consequences of Daryl’s near-murder of Lance. In one of the show’s most surprising but smart turns, Daryl freely admits he was trying to be more like Rick. Rick Grimes’ shadow, his gun, his hat and the lives that have continued because of him are central to this episode and Daryl especially. As the Alexandrians prepare to go home, each of them facing their own long dark night of the soul, Daryl clashes with Judith. It’s, ironically, vintage Rick, yelling at his adoptive daughter the same way the lawman would yell at Carl.

The difference is, Daryl has lived long enough to see the importance of kindness and their reunion is sweetly handled. Rick Grimes’ shadow isn’t eternal, and the Alexandrians stopped being Rick’s people a long, long time ago. Now, Daryl is starting to realize that.

Elsewhere the episode gives Lance a chance to do the Hannibal Lecter two-step as Pamela revels in the chance to get rid of him and he, of course, has an exit strategy. There’s also a nice beat with Gabriel and Rosits where he reveals he rather liked being a clergyman again and Rosita kindly points out that his work is neither done nor forgotten. Best of all, an expedition to Oceanside sees Aaron, Jerry, Lydia and Elijah get some screen time. Cassady McClincy has a moment here, where she admits she’s developing feelings for Elijah and then breaks down in front of Carol, that will break your heart. Even years after the fact, both women find themselves defined by the loss of Carol’s adoptive son, Henry, and her encouragement for Lydia to pursue the relationship is sweet, kind and shows how far they and the show have come.

But the core of the episode is all Lance and Sebastian. Lance, in prison, is anything, is even more dangerous than he is at liberty. He offhandedly orders his staff to murder a group of janitors, placing Walkers inside the Commonwealth and leading directly to the biggest, and last, moments of Lance’s life.

Teo Rapp-Olsson has been great as Milton’s foul son and here he gets three moments which all hit home. In the first he rants about how weak Commonwealth citizens are, not realizing he’s being recorded. In the second he delivers an improvised, seemingly sincere speech about winning their trust back, made all the more impressive by the fact you know his real feelings. In the third, when his rant is broadcast to a crowd, he screams for help as a Walker kills him and no one does anything.

It’s an untidy moment but it needs to be. Because, at last, the Commonwealth has seen what it really is. What happens next is anyone’s guess. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart