The Walking Dead: The Other Side
First Aired March 19th, 2017.
Maggie (played by Lauren Cohan) and Sasha (played by Sonequa Martin-Green) train Hilltop residents to fight the Saviors, to Gregory’s (played by Xander Berkley) chagrin. Rosita (played by Christian Serratos) then enlists Sasha for her mission to kill Negan (played by Jeffery Dean Morgan).
Jesus (played by Tom Payne) tries to get Sasha to wait but she and Rosita can’t be talked out of going after Negan, so, he lets her take supplies. The Saviors come to Hilltop and Rosita and Sasha slip out in the chaos of trying to hide Maggie and Daryl (played by Norman Reedus). As they travel, Rosita becomes hostile toward Sasha over her relationship with Abraham (played by Michael Cudlitz) after seeing Sasha wearing a necklace Rosita made for him. Sasha wants to shoot Negan from a distance so they can escape but Rosita wants to get as close as possible even if it means being killed. Simon (played by Steven Ogg) plans to take Dr. Carson (played by R. Keith Harrison), brother of the doctor Negan killed in the Sanctuary. Gregory expresses his need to keep his people’s trust and hints that some in the Hilltop aren’t so open to working for the Saviors. Simon encourages him to speak up if an issue arises but Gregory doesn’t mention Maggie or Daryl.
Gregory didn’t give up Maggie or Daryl but he tipped off Simon that some kind of rebellion is brewing. At this point, at least half the people in Hilltop only tolerate his leadership and that’s because he’s held the post for so long. But now that he’s letting the Saviors abduct anyone they want, they might all finally see him for the coward he really is. Jesus used every argument except the obvious: that a successful or failed attempt to kill Negan could set the Saviors on these other groups before they’re ready. This mission is a great way to isolate these two characters and let the tension that’s been brewing spill over. Rosita argues that Sasha may not be capable of taking the shot; apparently, she forgot she missed at almost point blank range. Now that they are forced to interact, these two will either form a strong bond or take each other out before they reach Negan.
Maggie and Daryl narrowly avoid being discovered by a Savior and Maggie has to keep Daryl from killing the man regardless. She confronts him about why he’s been so distant and he breaks down into tears over his guilt for causing Glenn’s (played by Steven Yeun) death. She absolves him of any guilt and tells him the only person at fault is Negan. Simon and the other Saviors take Harlan and leave a crate of aspirin as compensation for losing their doctor. After hot-wiring a car, Sasha and Rosita scope out the Sanctuary and notice Eugene (played by Josh McDermitt) giving people orders. Sasha expresses admiration about Rosita’s skills and Rosita reveals she learned them from a series of men who wanted her body in exchange for protection. They both fondly remember Abraham and manage to bond over their shared loss. Negan finally comes out when Dr. Carson is delivered but Sasha is unable to get a clean shot. Listening through the radio, they hear Eugene say Negan will not be outside again and decide to save Eugene.
Glenn’s death seemed to be ignored in the latter part of this season; this could partially be because Abraham’s death is constantly brought to the forefront by Sasha and Rosita. But Glenn was a major presence on the show and his loss needs to be played up more, especially by people like Daryl and Maggie. And since both characters died so quickly in the premiere, and haven’t appeared since, it’s up to the surviving characters to carry the weight of that loss. This was done very well between Sasha and Rosita, who use that as a starting point to what was a very emotionally charged and revealing conversation. Rosita has been on the series since season four and this is the first time the layers have been peeled back showing more of who she is. She’s not just the tough girl who can’t wait to jump into action, Rosita has deep emotional scars that make it easier to understand her way of thinking.
Gregory threatens Jesus about his role in starting an uprising against the Saviors and Daryl learns about Sasha and Rosita’s mission. Sasha and Rosita kill a guard and try to free Eugene but he refuses to go with them and they realize his allegiance is to the Saviors. Sasha storms the Sanctuary alone telling Rosita it “isn’t her time” and amid the ensuing gunfight she escapes and breaks down. Gregory has crossed the line to actually coming after his own people; his leadership days are numbered. Similarly, Eugene won’t find much safety in the Sanctuary now that the others can identify him as an enemy. Sasha intended her sacrifice to be a final act of friendship toward Rosita, although losing someone else she began to care for only broke Rosita more.
Quotes/Thoughts
“Negan will be indisposed in the boudoir so in the meantime any questions should be directed to yours truly, Dr. Eugene Porter, chief engineer also known as Negan, who I am.”
I almost got whiplash from how quick Eugene went from authoritative figure back to cowering weakling.
“No matter how things go down I got your back.”
Negan hasn’t had a central role in any episodes for a while, I wonder if he’ll make as big a splash in the finale as he did in the premiere.
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