THE WALKING DEAD appear from the sea for “Something They Need.” I know it’s their job but they’re playing with us! Something big is gonna happen soon, like next week for sure. Somewhere at the main Dead lair there is a trunk filled with nasty Walker ideas. Tornado hits, boom walkers in the trees. Mudslide, boom, walkers bonded to dried mud. Massive tumbleweed rolls over a walker herd, you get the idea. This week, it’s the gooey walkers from the sea. You can see a rusted tanker beached in the background. This also means there’s probably a walker filled cruise ship, aircraft carrier, and submarine out there waiting to be discovered. At the very sunset of season seven, this show is as fun as ever.
Tonight is all about Tara’s tough decision, but first lets pull on the Sasha thread. She’s still alive, Negan has her in a cell. We don’t see how much damage she caused before being captured, but we do meet the savior A-hole who supplied the rope to tie her up. His name is Dave and he says he’ll give her some water if she tells him just how much she wants it. Sasha head butts him and tells him to go to hell. Dave rips her T-shirt as his pre-rape opener. However, Negan walks in on Dave before he can get his pants off. Rape is against the rules and Negan explains he wouldn’t want to live someplace where it wasn’t. Then he kills Dave by huge knife to the neck. He leaves Sasha with Dave, the knife, and a choice. She can use the knife to kill herself, let Dave turn and attack her, or kill Dave before he turns and join Negan’s team. He even offers her a leadership role. Say what you will, Negan has an eye for human resources.
Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams – The Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 15 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Negan leaves her to think on it, but he sends her a new shirt and has Eugene deliver a pillow, blanket, and a few other comfort items. Last week, I wasn’t exactly sure where Eugene really stood at sanctuary, but he gives Sasha a pretty convincing speech. He wanted to be brave and it felt good for a half hour. Then he watched the bravest guy he knew get killed in the worst way. Eugene realized he didn’t have a chance except at a place like sanctuary. In the monster’s cave, he doesn’t feel afraid of the monster attack anymore. Sasha doesn’t want to hear it. She kills Dave after he turns and tells Negan he wins. Negan says he has an informant that reports Rick is up to something and he’s gonna use Sasha to help put it down.
Sasha convinces Eugene she wants to kill herself before Negan can use her against the others. She begs him to gets her a blade, gun, or something sharp. Eugene returns with the suicide pill he made a few episodes back. Clearly, it’s not what Sasha had in mind. She’s up to something and so is Negan. This is tune in next week material.
Oceanside – The Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 6 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Now to the promise Tara didn’t keep. Rick puts an assault crew together and Tara leads them to the Oceanside community. Rick gives Tara a chance to sneak in ahead of the assault to ask Natania to join their anti-Savior coalition or hand over her huge stockpile of weapons for Rick and the others to use in the assault. Cyndie is willing to consider it but time runs out for Natania to answer. Rick’s team triggers some explosions and gathers the panicky Oceanside contingent. They don’t hurt anyone, he makes it clear, he’d like them to join the fight but he’s walking off with the guns either way.
The diversion bombs attract the soggy walkers from the opening. Team Rick protects the Oceanside women and children and clears the herd. A few Oceanside women help and are interested in joining the coalition against The Saviors. Still, Natania won’t give her blessing. Rick leaves with all the guns, though Tara promises to return them once The Saviors have been destroyed. This is a great mini-arc for Tara. She prioritizes the lives of others over her own code. For anyone who missed it, this is what government leaders are supposed to do. The downside… for a little while, the Oceanside community is practically defenseless. Little Rachel’s “bird” is gonna be working overtime.
Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis – The Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Team Rick returns to Alexandria late, fully loaded, and he finds Rosita waiting for them. Dwight was the crossbow hiding in the shadows the night she and Sasha attacked the sanctuary. He returned to Alexandria with Rosita and tells Rick he wants to help take Negan down. I believe it and I don’t. We know Dwight really wants to see Negan fail but we don’t know if he’s convinced Rick has enough resources to do the job. We have to wait for the finale to see if Dwight is for real or some sort of Negan secret plan. I need to see Jadis and her scrappers in action next week, that’s a deal breaker. Also, what ever happened to Heath, we know he survived Skull Island?
Season 7, Episode 15 (S07E15)
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9PM on AMC
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Eric lives in a world where the television is great, the smiles are warm, the pizza is hot, the puppies are playful, and the zombies are slow and meander while he reloads.
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Eric Rodriguez | Contributor
