The Walking Dead, season 8, episode 7, Time for After - recap
Much like Negan and Gabriel wading through all those walkers a fortnight ago, season eight of the Walking Dead has to this point been somewhat of a slog. But at the very moment our faith in the show had started to go the way of King Ezekiel’s droopy dreadlocks, things took a surprise turn for the better thanks to an episode packed with action, engaging twists and – just so we know it’s still the Walking Dead – first-rank silliness. More than that, the stage has been set for an intriguing mid-season finale next week. Here is what we learned.
1. What's in the box?
The answer, obviously, was Rick (Andrew Lincoln). Because they're dyed-in-the-fabric bonkers, the Garbage People had forced Sheriff Grimes to strip to his Marks and Spencer briefs and pose for camera snaps. "Why the pictures?" “Sculpture – after," said Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), making as much sense as usual. It was all oddly comforting, though. At this point, were the Garbage People to suddenly start making sense we’d all be terribly unnerved. Long may Jadis continue to converse in barking quasi-sentences.
2. Why hasn’t Eugene outed Dwight as the traitor?
As custodian of the biggest brain in the Walking Dead universe, it was inevitable that Eugene (Josh McDermitt) would identity super shifty Dwight (Austin Amelio) as the turncoat in the Saviour camp. But rather than take the obvious next step of informing Negan he instead offered a deal: Dwight would cease back-stabbing in exchange for Eugene safeguarding his secret.
"Negan's finished," responded Dwight. "This place – what it's been, that's all over." All they had to do, he elaborated, was keep their heads down and wait for the Saviours to be overrun by the walkers massed outside.
"We are Saviours – we save," riposted Eugene – who seemed not to appreciate the acuteness of their predicament. Inexplicably, he stayed silent regarding Dwight’s treachery. How did he imagine the situation playing out?
3. Father Gabriel was talking nonsense – even by Father Gabriel standards
Gabriel's infection was running amok, threatening to shut down his organs one by one. Without access to medicine it would soon be journey’s end for the Padre (Seth Gilliam). But he wasn't giving up – and pressed Eugene to help spring Doctor Carson 2.0 free, so that the medic could attend to the allegedly pregnant Maggie back at the Hilltop.
Eugene sensibly suggested that, as a wheedling coward, he probably wasn't the person Gabriel needed in his present jam. "Maybe it's not impossible to believe you will know what the right thing is when the time comes," replied the man of the cloth, clearly in the throes of delusion.
4. Is Rosita the only sane person left on the Walking Dead?
Daryl (Norman Reedus) outlined his plan to smash a bin lorry into the Saviour compound, creating a breach for the walkers and allowing the Survivors get to Negan and Dwight. It fell to Rosita (Christian Serratos) to point out that, with Negan's defeat certain anyway, risking everything on a crazy heist was suicidal.
No one listened though – not even Michonne and Morgan who, compared to Tara and Daryl, were very much in the non-crazy wing of the field trip. Rosita should probably have tarried a little longer. Shortly afterwards Michonne (Danai Gurira) also saw the light and left Daryl to rush the compound on his own, while Tara (Alanna Masterson) project managed from a safe distance and Morgan (Lennie James) manned a sniper’s rifle (from an even safer distance).
5. Eugene obviously regretted not blowing the whistle on Dwight
Having decided, against all logic, to keep mum regarding Dwight's alliance with Rick, Eugene was rewarded for his naivety when Dwight popped up on the roof with a loaded gun. Eugene was about to test drive his new anti-walker device: a flying iPod blasting zombie-retardant soft pop.
Preposterously, Dwight shot the iPod but left Eugene live (the iPod can’t tell Negan you’re a traitor, Dwight). Luckily for both, the stand-off coincided with Daryl’s Charge of the Bin Lorry. With walkers streaming in, Dwight’s treachery was suddenly the least of the pair’s worries.
6. Was the walker attack on the compound the best scene of the season so far?
Trying to be deep or clever doesn’t necessary play to the strengths of the Walking Dead. The show was on much more solid territory as it reverted to brain-chomping basics with walkers flooding through the opening Daryl had punctured in the Sanctuary wall. Things went full George A Romero as the dead streamed in, gnashing their fangs and aggressively clearing their throats, and an appalled Eugene watched from the walkway above.
Rather than fleeing, however, he instead took the moment to rush to Gabriel's bedside and confirm that he wouldn’t help the priest escape. It was heartening that he cared enough to provide an answer – but surely this wasn't the best moment?
7. Where do the Garbage People get all the 'heavy metal' walkers?
Last season Jadis and company forced Rick to battle a zombie wearing a studded metal mask (the zombie, not Rick). Now they had him back for seconds, as, to no obvious purpose, he was required to tangle with another ritualistically adorned walker. Being the ”Ricktator" – a portmanteau in this situation meaning someone named Rick handy at killing zombies with their bare hands – he yanked the creature’s head off, then pinned Jadis to the floor.
Rick was still in his boxers and surrounded by heavily-armed garbage denizens. Perhaps sensing we were all a little bored with the scene, the landfill lads nonetheless surrendered immediately and agreed an alliance. Bonus points to Jadis for continuing to press for Rick to allow her sculpt a naked statue of him. Oh you lovable, logic-boycotting Garbage People.
8. What is up at the Sanctuary?
Reunited with his rifle (and his trousers) Rick headed to the Sanctuary expecting his plan to topple Negan by laying siege with walkers to have come to glorious fruition. Awkwardly, there were no walkers – and no Negan either. Just a hole punched through the wall– and close by, Daryl’s smoking bin lorry The silence was pregnant with possibilities – all of them very bad. What had happened?
Season 8 of The Walking Dead will be aired on FOX, the global entertainment channel, at 9pm on Sundays. You can also catch it on NOW TV with a 14 day free trial of their Entertainment Pass.
