Tisha Lardizabal April 19th, 2022 - 4:01 PM
This episode of The Walking Dead checks back up on Alexandria and Co. with the overall themes of temporary homes, the cost of getting help, and what it means to be, as the title says, the lucky ones.
The main story follows a field trip to Alexandria, Oceanside, and Hilltop as Lance (Josh Hamilton, 13 Reasons Why) wants to convince Pamela Milton (Laila Robins, The Boys) that these three communities are worth working with and helping. With Daryl (Norman Reedus, The Boondock Saints) and Mercer (Michael James Shaw, Avengers: Endgame) in tow, they rendezvous with Aaron (Ross Marquand, Invincible) in Alexandria to start their presentation.
During this time, theres a great exchange between Daryl and Mercer when the latter questions if Daryl was in charge of the community back when he lived here. He then goes on to ask what Daryl did before the fall, and Daryl tells him that it doesnt matter to them, which is a direct contrast to the Commonwealth whose initial questions to incoming residents were what jobs they did back before the fall.
This isnt the only scene that highlights the inherent differences between the Commonwealth and the smaller communities. Its even directly addressed by Maggie (Lauren Cohan, The Vampire Diaries) when they eventually meet, which is the main conflict of this storyline.
Despite Aarons attempts to make a good first impression, one walker managed to breach the walls which definitely soured Pamelas perception.
Things only got worse when they offered their partnership to Oceansidea community Pamela clearly favoredonly to be turned down due to Rachels (Avianna Mynhier, Panic) loyalty to Maggie. She tells them, however, that they will happily partner with them if Maggie agrees to do the same.
This stresses out both Lance and Aaron, as they both want the support from the Commonwealth for Alexandria to continue, but the only way Lance claims it can is if Oceanside agrees; which means its time to convince Maggie.
Meanwhile, back at the Commonwealth, Eugene (Josh McDermitt, The Loudest Voice) learns the truth of Stephanie from Max (Margot Bingham, New Amsterdam), Mercers sister whose secret identity was stolen by Shira (Chelle Ramos, Outer Banks), as revealed in the last episode. Still reeling from last episode, Eugene ran away from Max, unable to process the truth.
He has a moment with Rosita (Christian Serratos, Selena: The Series) by the lake where she echoes a sentiment that all the other Alexandrians have shown since arriving in the Commonwealth: its just temporary. They all miss home and, while grateful to be physically safe from the walkers, struggle with the lack of freedom awarded to them.
Eugene nearly tells Rosita the truth that Stephanie wasnt real to begin with, but ultimately lies and tells her that she just broke up with him. Rosita tells him that theres a woman out there for him and to not give up hope.
Understandably, this leads him to visit Max with apology ice cream and a genuine acceptance of the hurt he caused. Despite this objectively great apology, Max was still understandably hurt, and the two have a bittersweet scene where they discuss what happened, oscillating between tense distance and an easy rapport that solidifies Max as the true Stephanie, referencing their past conversations.
Ultimately, the two clearly have a budding relationship, finally connecting after all the heartbreak, and itll be very sweet to see how things go from here, especially with all the turmoil and tension building around them.
Speaking of tension, when the Commonwealth crew finally convened with Maggie, it was tense from the very beginning, with Maggie asking how Aaron and Daryl could trust the Commonwealth and Daryl arguing that theres no reason to say that he actually does.
Also, when Pamela gets Maggie alone to talk, the two have a strange mutual respect and disdain for the other, surprised by her resourcefulness but in fundamentally disagreement with her beliefs; or at least Maggie is, what with her pointing out Pamelas privilege and how she has a more comfortable lifestyle than the people she claims to be equal with.
Pamela herself states that theres a natural order to things that she wants to reinstate in the world, which is concerning since the order she refers to is what created the class divide where a waitress children will probably never eat a mango while Lance can casually throw away an entire case of perfectly good wine.
The class divide where people like Lance can pull strings that can mean the difference between life and death, which was the case in Ezekiels (Khan Payton, Invincible) storyline.
Making good on the agreement Carol (Melissa McBride, The Reconstruction of William Zero) had made with Lance, Ezekiel was moved to the top of the list to surgically remove his tumor. However, when Ezekiel discovers that the switch wasnt an accident but an intentional abuse of power, hes disgusted.
A call to Pamela and Maggies conversation on luck having everything to do with opportunity, he points out that there are hundreds of other people in the hospital that are waiting for surgery just like him, and its not fair that he should get to cut the line because someone pulled strings.
Carol, however, argues that a broken system shouldnt mean that Ezekiel deserves to die, and that he has an opportunity typically wasted on people who do nothing to deserve it or give back to society in any way afterwards; the ends justify the means.
Not only does this call to the theme of privilege and opportunity being the key to what those in power refer to as luck in order to hide a broken system, but also the idea that everything costs something.
This idea was brought up by Pamela and restated by Maggie when she declines their offer of a partnership. Its a complicated choice, as its obvious and understandable why everyone wants to accept the help offered.
Diane (Kerry Cahill, Free State of Jones) points out that while Maggie has a point about considering who they trust, they also need to consider when its time to ask for help. The Commonwealth genuinely helped Alexandria and during the time they were with Hilltop they gave them supplies, helped them hunt food, and took down a surge of walkers threatening to overwhelm the camp.
But it made sense that Maggie was wary; after all, the reason they were being so nice and accommodating was to convince her to accept the offer. It begs the question of how they would act when they werent trying to win her over.
Also seeing that the people who would be aiding them in fighting against walkers are so heavily militaristic definitely didnt do the Commonwealth any favors.
In the end, Diane and some other members of Hilltop left and Lance was granted permission to continue helping Alexandria so long as he maintained his work for the Commonwealth, which means things are definitely taking a turn for the worse.
That being said, there were still sweet highlights amongst all the tension, such as Mercer letting Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller) wear his helmet and Tomi (Ian Anthony Doyle, All Rise) looking happy for the first time since being taken away when he was able to tell Ezekiel that he was going to get surgery. But despite these little moments, theres no denying things are going downhill.
With people splitting up due to ideological differencesas foreshadowed during the midseason premiereand Lance now in control of Alexandria, its only a question of how bad things will get, not if they will.
Rating: 8.5/10
Original post:
Review: AMCs The Walking Dead Season Eleven Episode Twelve The Lucky Ones - Mxdwn Television
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer - ComicBook.com - March 24th, 2024
- What The Song Means In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 (Does It Reveal The Ending?) - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Is Avoiding A Problem That Nearly Killed The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible Season 2 Has A Walking Dead Easter Egg You Might Have Missed - Looper - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Review What We - Den of Geek - March 24th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 4 Recap: It's Rick, Michonne, and Carl? - Collider - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Includes a Rare Sex Scene on The Ones Who Live: 'It Is About Pain,' Says Andrew Lincoln - PEOPLE - March 24th, 2024
- Daryl Dixon Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know - The Direct - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Episodes 5 & 6 Get Ominous Tease From Walking Dead EP - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- TWD The Ones Who Live Episode 5 Trailer: Rick & Michonne Find Trouble Escaping - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Does Rick Leave the CRM on The Ones Who Live? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Into The Kirkmanverse? Invincible Teases A Major Connection To The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Pulled a Bait-and-Switch on Walking Dead Fans, But It Works - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 24th, 2024
- Well, That Was The Walking Dead's Raunchiest Episode Since The Show Began In 2010 - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- Invincible x The Walking Dead Crossover is Now Likelier Than Ever Due to This Season 2 Character - imdb - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 5 - Release date & time, where to watch, and more - Sportskeeda - March 24th, 2024
- Rick Grimes Just Massively Insulted Lori, 12 Years After Her Walking Dead Exit - Screen Rant - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Ep. 4 Review: "What We" Needed - Bleeding Cool News - March 24th, 2024
- I Asked AI What TV Characters Who Died Too Soon Would Look Like If They Still Alive Today - BuzzFeed - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Rick has a tough decision to make in "What We" - Winter is Coming - March 24th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - A Testament to Survival and Humanity - Age Of The Nerd - March 16th, 2024
- Which Side Thorne Is On In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live? Why She Tries To Shoot Michonne Explained - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Where The CRM's New US Mountain Base Is Located In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Season 2 Gets Cryptic Tease From Walking Dead Showrunner - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Theory: The CRM's Echelon Briefing May Have Sinister Plans - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 16th, 2024
- What Would Happen To The Walking Dead's Main Group If The CRM Found Alexandria - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Predicting The CRM's 500-Year Plan In The Walking Dead - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead's Creator Admits 1 Criticism of the Franchise Is 100% True - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 3 Clip Shows Rick Trying To Make A Deal With Jadis - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live leaves us on the edge of our seats in Episode 3 - Winter is Coming - March 16th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live's Villain Just Nailed Rick Grimes' Entire Walking Dead Story With One Line - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Best Horror Games Where Your Choices Matter - TheGamer - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Ones Who Live' Showrunner Wants to Keep Future Plans Open - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Star Addresses Shocking Return (Exclusive) - ComicBook.com - March 16th, 2024
- Five Thoughts On The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live's Bye - Multiversity Comics - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead: Ones Who Live Star Explains Why Jadis Is Loyal To The CRM - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Pollyanna McIntosh Breaks Down Jadis' Return In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- Walking Dead's Danai Gurira on the "big question mark" in The Ones Who Live - Digital Spy - March 16th, 2024
- A Major General Beale Clue Supports 1 Exciting Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Ending Theory - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Tests A Time-Honored Relationship - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Makes 1 Important Change To Rick Losing His Hand In The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 'A's and 'B's: How 'The Ones Who Live' Solves A 'Walking Dead' Mystery - TV Insider - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead Explains A Mystery From Season 10 (Then Immediately Ruins It) - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 'The Ones Who Live' Pulls Off a Feat 'The Walking Dead' Failed For Years to Accomplish - Pajiba Entertainment News - March 8th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Just Introduced The Walking Dead's Most Impressive Zombie Weapons Yet - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 2 Review Gone - Den of Geek - March 8th, 2024
- What keeps "The Walking Dead" moving forward? Showrunner Scott Gimple insists "love is the fuel" - Salon - March 8th, 2024
- Rick and Michonne's 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Reunion Isn't What We Expected - Collider - March 8th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live Is Subtly Teasing A Major Walking Dead Character Cameo - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1 Twist Explained - TheWrap - March 8th, 2024
- How Well Do You Know the Cast of 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live'? - Collider - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Stakes Out AMCs Best Premiere Viewership In 6 Years - Deadline - March 8th, 2024
- Andrew Lincoln On Scaring Jon Bernthal And Makeup On The Walking Dead' - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- Will There Be 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Season 2? The Stars Weigh In. - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- INTERVIEW: TWD: The Ones Who Live's Matthew August Jeffers on "Terrifying" Plot Twist - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 8th, 2024
- 'Lots of Tears': Danai Gurira Opens Up on Michonne's Return in TWD: The Ones Who Live - CBR - Comic Book Resources - March 8th, 2024
- Five Thoughts On The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live's Gone - Multiversity Comics - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Needs to Quit All the Time Jumps - Den of Geek - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 2 ending explained: Rick bringing Michonne to the CRM becomes a ... - Sportskeeda - March 8th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live first two episodes, now that's a love story! - Undead Walking - March 8th, 2024
- Walking Dead just did something with Rick Grimes that it said it never would - Digital Spy - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Years - TV Fanatic - February 28th, 2024
- How to Watch The Walking Dead and its Spinoffs in Order - MovieWeb - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1 recap: The return of Rick - Dexerto - February 28th, 2024
- The Ones Who Live finally solves huge Walking Dead mystery - Digital Spy - February 28th, 2024
- There is no imminent plan for all 'Walking Dead' shows to link up - Entertainment Weekly News - February 28th, 2024
- Who is Craig Tate who plays Lt. Col. Donald Okafor in The Ones Who Live? - Undead Walking - February 28th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Episode 1 Recap: Rick and Michonne Are Back! - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live surprise viewers with that scene in episode 1 - Undead Walking - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 1 Review Years - Den of Geek - February 28th, 2024
- Will There Be a The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Season 2 Release Date & Is It Coming Out? - ComingSoon.net - February 28th, 2024
- How to watch The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live - Dexerto - February 28th, 2024
- How Did the CRM Hurt Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 28th, 2024
- What Walking Dead Shows You Should Watch Before The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- How to watch The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (for free) - NJ.com - February 28th, 2024
- Walking Dead Boss Reveals If World Beyond Is Required Viewing For The Ones Who Live - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- Walking Dead Finally Delivers a Rick Grimes Moment Fans Have Been Waiting For - Den of Geek - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Actor Comments on Shocking Debut - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 28th, 2024
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: Everything to Know Before Rick and Michonnes Reunion - Hollywood Reporter - February 28th, 2024
- 'The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live' Opening Minutes Rick Is at His Lowest - Collider - February 28th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero