The Walking Dead: Trouble in Hilltop

First Aired November 20th, 2016.

Maggie (played by Lauren Cohan) awakens in the Hilltop Colony after being treated by their doctor, and is told her baby is fine and that she needs to stay there until it’s born. Still reeling from the loss of Glenn (played by Steven Yeun), she goes to where he’s buried to grieve.

The leader Gregory (played by Xander Berkley) demands Maggie and Sasha (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) leave, fearing the Saviors will punish the community for helping them. Jesus (played by Tom Payne) attempts to reason with Gregory, but he remains firm in his decision. Back at Alexandria, Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) organizes a supply run so they have something for the Saviors when they return. Enid (played by Katelyn Nacon) rides a bike to the Hilltop to see Maggie over Carl’s (played by Chandler Riggs) objections. He drives after her, but wrecks the car, killing a walker. So, they continue on foot, later using roller blades Carl finds on the side of the road. That night Maggie and Sasha wake up to find fires burning and music playing out of a car, attracting walkers into the open gates. The car is heavily secured so Sasha and Jesus kill the walkers and close the gates while Maggie uses a tractor to destroy the car and disable the music.

Driving with one eye is not easy; after heavy losses in the premiere, including a lighthearted scene like Carl and Enid rollerblading is understandable. Death is so common on this show that the way each one has any impact is to maximize the emotional fallout; why else would we have had to wait four episodes to see Maggie and Sasha cope? Blood and guts will always look the same, but how the death affects others helps makes them each unique. Maggie’s pregnancy keeping them there is a great way of giving more of these Hilltop characters more screen time and be further developed. Without some of the main characters there, it wouldn’t make sense to split the action from Alexandria or the Saviors to the Hilltop, since they’re still relatively unknown characters. The narrative has been set in Alexandria for over a season, it’s time to branch out to different locations with new characters.

Despite their help, Gregory refuses to allow Maggie and Sasha to stay, but the next day the Saviors arrive before he can make them leave. Simon (played by Steven Ogg) talks with Gregory, and reveals the Saviors led the walkers to Hilltop in order to kill them and remind the colony what services the Saviors can provide. Simon says Gregory will be answering to him now, and Gregory attempts to give up Maggie and Sasha, but finds Jesus hid them somewhere else. Carl and Enid arrive and see the Saviors, and Enid realizes the real reason he followed her was to go after them. Enid manages to talk Carl out of attacking them and they share a kiss. She then goes to Hilltop alone. Jesus stands up to Gregory and forces him to allow Maggie and Sasha to remain at Hilltop. Maggie punches Gregory after she realizes he took Glenn’s watch and chastises him for his poor leadership skills and his treatment of them and his people.

Carl and Enid aren’t a relationship viewers can be really invested in, but given that both are prone to making stupid decisions, it’s a perfect match. Carl’s anger and frustration against the Saviors is understandable, but it’s stupid moves like his one-man charge that remind us he’s still a dumb kid. Gregory is easily the most incompetent leader we’ve seen on the show, the man can’t even remember the names of people within his own community. He’s completely spineless, which, of course, is why the Saviors love him: he’s easy to manipulate and intimidate. Simon is one of the few Saviors who is standing out as an actual character and secondary antagonist, rather than a nameless thug holding a gun. As great a villain as Negan is, the Saviors appear more intimidating when at least some of them are made into actual characters.

Sasha asks Jesus to stow away on one of the Saviors trucks to find out where Negan (played by Jeffery Dean Morgan) lives and asks he not tell Maggie. Jesus does and finds Carl hiding in the truck too. Maggie finds Enid, and they all prepare to move forward together with Maggie giving Glenn’s watch to Enid. Carl is lucky Jesus also hitched a ride on that truck, because he wouldn’t have had any luck on his own. Maggie’s plans for the future might get put on hold because this tracking mission is the first step in these communities fighting back against Negan.

Quotes/Thoughts

“He’s an idiot.” “He’s a coward, they’re more dangerous.”

Jesus hinted that Maggie should take over leadership of Hilltop, she’s more than qualified (heck, even Carl would be a better choice).

“I’m not saving you anymore.”

Carl attempting to play darts with his one eye was both funny and a little sad.

If you enjoyed Manny’s review, you can find the rest of his work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers. You can also follow him on Twitter @KN_Manny.

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