The Walking Dead
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Look, we all knew what was in store for this midseason premiere.
The kid was feverish.
But damn,TWD, did you have to do us like this?
One minute were catching up with Carol and Morgan as they creep on the Kingdom.
Then its back to Carl on his death cot.
Zeke and a Savior swap philosophies; Carl writes good-bye notes.
Dwight gets yelled at; Carl turns 50 shades of grey.
Of course it was isnt everything on this show?
But damn it, the melodrama was effective.
Carl may have been annoying at times or all the time, perhaps but hes aTWDOG.
Henry, not surprisingly, insists on joining her mission to rescue Zeke.
Morgan taught me the stick, he says.
You taught me the gun.
That sets up the kid to do something dumb, like run off to the Kingdom on his own.
Morgan makes it out alive and finds Carol the stick and the gun united at last.
Didnt think the stick would turn out to be a weapon of mass destruction, though.
Bullets fly, Saviors die, and Morgan ends up with a big bad dude on top of him.
Even his captor Gavin can only mutter, Jesus!
before limping away in utter horror.
Morgan has officially turned from a pacifist to Jason Voorhees.
But before Morgan can finish the Savior off thwack!
Daryl also shuts down Dwight, who thinks its a bad idea for everyone to gather in one place.
All of us together, Daryl growls from the shadows.
Well be their worst damn nightmare.
Horrible strategy, but great for a TV show.
I fully endorse that plan.
But who are we kidding here this night is forCoral.
As Rick and Michonne struggle to comprehend what theyre seeing, its Carl whos the calming influence.
Sad violins and piano play as he tells Michonne not to be sad: Dont carry this.
To Judith:Momma said Id make it, but youre the one whos gonna live!
And here, take my hat.
It made me feel strong like our Daddy!To Michonne:Youre my best friend.
you could be that man again, Daddy!
What we eventually realize is that those gauzy, dream-like flash-forwards werent in Ricks mind theyre Carls visions.
Well good mornin to you, darlin.
Somehow, Carl can imagine a future in which even Negan is playing nice.
Maybe thats why the kid looked so serene after he was bitten, fully accepting his impending demise.
He could see a world at peace.
(They could have called this episode Imagine.)
Carls final act of mercy is refusing to let his dad put him down.
But that last scene doesnt look like Strawberry Fields forever.
Rick is red-eyed again, sitting alone under a tree as a stained-glass panel swings from a branch overhead.
Theres an expanse of green behind him, hes exhausted, and his right arm is drenched in blood.
