The Walking Dead premiered with a bang last night! Rick has momentum on his side, and with all the communities coming together to fight Negan, it looks like he might win. Here’s our recap of “Mercy” and preview for episode two, “The Damned.”
The Walking Dead is back! I don’t mean with a new season either. “Mercy”, the season eight premiere, captured the show’s old voice, and I am living for this!
We left the group last season after they had chased Negan away from the ASZ with the help of Hilltop and The Kingdom. If we’re being honest, Rick would be handless and Carl would be dead had they not shown up when they did.
Going off this momentum, Rick, Ezekiel, and Maggie lead the way as they take the fight to Negan at the Sanctuary.
The episode has a disjointed feel to it, and there is a lot of back and forth, especially when it comes to Rick and his view of the story. “Mercy” has a cold open that features Rick being contemplative and the communities preparing vehicles for war.
Through his thoughts, we see Rick’s ideal future. A future with Michonne, Carl, and Judith (who is adorable) in a lovely home that doesn’t look to be in the ASZ but a combination of communities. It looks like Hilltop mixed with The Kingdom. Maybe that’s what he hopes Alexandria looks like in several years?
It’s a beautiful vision, and the only bad part of it is his haircut. I honestly don’t know how Michonne let’s him walk around like that.
That vision is pieced together over the course of the episode, much like Rick’s speech, Ezekiel and Maggie’s talking time, and bits of bonding time between Rick and Carl, Rick and Michonne, Rick and Daryl, and Rick and Maggie.
Those are the threads that connect the story together, the problem (Negan) is what appears through the gaps in Rick’s daydream and the preparation for war.
With a well-timed plan, they lure walkers to the Sanctuary with Daryl expertly shooting boxes of explosives along the way to keep the walkers coming. Unlike season six, this plan doesn’t backfire on them or go south. Everything moves smoothly and actually doesn’t mess up.
This is a signal that after three seasons of “if it can go wrong, it will go wrong”, we’re seeing Team Family catch a break.
The primary action of the episode takes place at the Sanctuary. Rick and company “roll right up to the gates” (S4 Daryl quote right there) a la the Governor, and begin making demands of Negan. Unlike the Governor, they aren’t telling Negan to get out, Rick is using the same speech that he did when Hershel smiled at him before his death…
You have a chance to surrender. We can live peacefully together, but you have to give up now.
Now, this ultimatum isn’t issued to Negan or Eugene. Rick only calls out his “generals”, Simon, Dwight, Gavin, and Regina. When Negan asks about himself, Rick tells him that he already knows what’s coming for him.
Rick will fulfill his promise to kill Negan, just like he came through on killing Gareth with that machete.
That is, unless they follow the comics and Negan just ends up Rick’s prisoner. Which is not a more likely theory considering Rick’s final words, “My mercy prevails over my wrath.”
When none of Negan’s men come forward and surrender, Negan opens the door and Gregory steps out. He basically forbids anyone from Hilltop to fight, and if they do, they won’t be welcomed back or have a home there. Neither will their families.
It’s sorta cute how Gregory thinks he still has control of Hilltop.
When no Hilltop resident walks away, Gregory gets frustrated and declares that Hilltop stands with Negan. It doesn’t get any better when Jesus answers back:
“The Hilltop stands with Maggie!”
Gregory has no home at Hilltop, no power over the residents there, and he’s of no use to Negan. It also makes Simon look bad, so he pushes Gregory down some stairs.
Things get even more tense when Rick realizes that none of the Saviors will surrender either. Rick asks Negan:
“You’re gonna make me count?”
Which is so condescending, and Negan doesn’t like that one bit. Rick begins his countdown from ten, but when he reaches seven, he starts shooting.
This was such a pivotal moment because it showed me that Rick is back. He knows Negan isn’t going to change his mind, and he knows he can’t back down again. This time when they leave the Sanctuary it will be broken.
Not only the Sanctuary, but they’ve been systematically checking off the different Savior outposts, throughout the episode, too.
Rick has a plan and he’s going through his list to make sure that he brings Negan to his knees.
As the group rains bullets into the Sanctuary, Rick attempts to shoot Negan until Gabriel pulls him away, saying:
“It’s not about you, right? It’s not about you.”
Rick acknowledges him and moves into the car. Gabriel gets into his car, too, but sees Gregory scurrying away from the gunfire and walkers. He gets out of the car and rushes to help him.
Gregory being the absolute trash he is, leaves Gabriel when he sees an opening and takes the car Gabriel was going to use. This forces him to rush around and finally take shelter in a trailer. However, he’s not alone.
Negan comes out of the shadows and delivers the cringe-worthy line:
“I hope you got your shitting pants on.”
“What?”
Gabriel’s face is all our face in that moment.
I feel bad for Gabriel because he’s had a pretty incredible arc when they give him screen time. He goes from being a coward to truly being someone that you look to for advice and judgement.
Which is the death toll for anyone in The Walking Dead really.
The episode ends with the rest of Rick’s speech and him declaring that this world is already theirs.
This sentence, along with Rick saying he’ll be following Maggie’s lead when this is over and Michonne acknowledging that Carl’s in charge of protecting the ASZ, shows us this season will give us the long awaited time jump to an older Rick Grimes.
A future where Carl is the central protagonist of the story.
The Walking Dead is known for stretching out storylines, but this season’s start is on pace and and condensed storytelling.
Oh, and I did I mention there was a Richonne kiss as he got ready to leave the ASZ? Because THERE WAS.
“Mercy” also featured so many callbacks to previous episodes, and it’s completely intentional. Not only because it’s the 100th episode, but because The Walking Dead loves to remind you of the people that came before and how their legacy continues to live on.
– Carl and Rick’s shot-for-shot scene remake, featuring getting gas and abandoned cars and a random person they try and help.
– The infamous orange backpack makes another appearance. It’s the same one they took from dead hitchhiker they refused to pick up in S3.
– “It’s how it was always going to be…” — Carol says this to Daryl and it’s a total call back to Ty’s death episode where his hallucination of Bob says, “It went the way it had to, the way it was always going to.”
– Rick’s visions of a future mirroring Beth’s vision of the prison that she tells Daryl in S4 or Rick’s thoughts as Negan taunts him in S7 after he has murdered Glenn and Abraham.
– Older Judith from the visions mentions they’ve made a big owl for the festival. Jesse made an owl statue back in S6 that was destroyed.
– The final shot of the trailer Negan and Gabriel are in being a shot that ends episode one with Rick in the tank.
Did I miss any other easter eggs? What did you think about the premiere? Honestly, I adored it! I’m so happy to see the show I fell in love with get back to its roots. I hope it continues!
Rick Grimes…
Preview for episode two, “The Damned”
Take a look at the sneak peaks for the season to come and episode two, “The Damned” below! There are a few new stills, too!
The plan involving Alexandrians, Kingdommers and Hilltoppers unfolds. As Rick continues to fight, he encounters a familiar face. {via AMC}
The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC at 9/8c! Live tweet with us @WeSoNerdy!