In ‘The Walking Dead’ recap, Maggie recovers at the Hilltop before running into the Saviors again and Carl makes his move on Negan…
By Damon Martin — Editor/Lead Writer
It’s been an emotionally charged first few episodes of ‘The Walking Dead’ in season 7.
Of course watching Negan take out Glenn and Abraham to start the season was particularly jarring, but the latest episode actually dealt with that fallout on a personal level more than any that preceded it.
Following Negan’s brutal introduction to the Alexandria survivors, Sasha took Maggie to the Hilltop to receive medical treatment for her pregnancy after she fell ill at the tail end of last season. Don’t forget, Maggie’s need for help was trip that precipitated the encounter with the Saviors and ultimately running into Negan for the first time.
Now Maggie is recovering physically while still trying to face the emotional turmoil of losing her husband in such a gruesome manner, all while knowing the butcher responsible is still doing his best to keep her under his thumb.
And the latest episode also gives us a deeper look at the inner workings of the Hilltop after a brief introduction to this colony last season. The Hilltop survivors have already been subservient to Negan and his Saviors but they hoped Rick Grimes could be the person to finally free them from his control.
As it turns out, it only landed them deeper in the hole with the Saviors now asking for more in return than ever before.
With that said, let’s recap the latest episode of ‘The Walking Dead’ titled ‘Go Getters’….
Laid to Rest
After the harrowing encounter with Negan that left Glenn and Abraham dead, Maggie wakes up under the care of Dr. Carson at the Hilltop colony. He explains that she was dealing with a minor issue with her pregnancy, but everything is OK and the baby is just fine. He suggests that she takes it easy for a few days while remaining under his care.
Outside the makeshift hospital, Maggie finds that Sasha has buried Glenn and Abraham’s remains as a way to remember them. Sasha returns her father’s pocket watch that Glenn had with him when he died and she lays it on his grave. Meanwhile, Jesus helps Maggie and Sasha acclimate to their new surroundings at the Hilltop, but Gregory wants no part of this.
He quickly instructs Maggie and Sasha to return to Alexandria because if Negan finds out that they were in collusion with them to take him out, the repercussions could be severe. Jesus speaks up to ask him to allow them to stay, but Gregory quickly reminds him who is in charge.
Gregory agrees to allow Maggie and Sasha to stay the night, but the next morning they have to leave regardless of the health and welfare of the unborn baby she’s caring for right now.
You Can Take the Girl Out of the Farm
Later that night, Sasha and Maggie are awoken to the sound of loud music and when they look outside, fires have been set in the yard and the gates are wide open. Sasha discovers that they’ve been locked inside the trailer where they are staying — no doubt courtesy of Gregory’s paranoia that they will get him into trouble with the Saviors — as they try to get outside to help fend off the walkers pouring through the gates.
When they get outside, Sasha and Jesus take care of the walkers but the loud music is coming from inside a car that’s parked in the yard. The car has been welded shut with steel plates over the windows and a middle finger insignia forged on the outside. The car was created specifically as a way to attract walkers and with the doors and windows sealed, there’s no way to get inside to turn off the music.
Thankfully, Maggie also escaped the trailer and found a tractor nearby — don’t forget she grew up on a farm — and she rolls over the car like a monster truck and that shuts off the music once and for all. It’s a good thing Maggie and Sasha were around or the Hilltop may have been in serious trouble.
Kneel Before Simon
The next morning, Sasha and Maggie are pleading their case with Gregory about how much they helped stop this attack clearly perpetrated by the Saviors and that should allow them passage to stay at the Hilltop. Gregory still doesn’t want them to stay but their conversation is cut short when the horns sound, the gates open and the Saviors arrive. Jesus quickly shuffles Maggie and Sasha into a closet, hoping that they aren’t found by the Saviors.
Out steps Simon — Negan’s right hand man — who has a long chat with Gregory about the Hilltop and what they are doing to keep the Saviors satisfied. It seems he orchestrated that little walker invasion as a subtle reminder how much they need the Saviors because the plan was they would show up and stamp out the threat.
Somehow, the Hilltop survivors managed to crush the car and kill the walkers all by themselves. Nevertheless, Simon has come to collect his 50-percent from the Hilltop colony as tribute to Negan and the Saviors.
Gregory agrees and the pillaging begins.
The Saviors loot anything and everything in the Hilltop but Simon isn’t convinced that Gregory is telling them all his secrets. Without blinking, Gregory moves to sell out Sasha and Maggie, but when he opens the closet door, they aren’t inside.
Instead, Gregory has to fake that he was going for the box of liquor he had hidden tin the closet and Simon takes all of it as a special gift for Negan. Before leaving, Simon also has one more request for Gregory — he tells him to kneel down just like Negan asks of all his servants. Gregory acquiesces his request and Simon can’t help but smile because he knows this is what real power feels like.
The Saviors mount up and head back to the Sanctuary with a box full of liquor and half of everything the Hilltop colony used to own.
Revenge is Sweet
Back in Alexandria, Rick is headed out of town to scavenge for more supplies to hand over to Negan when he returns. Michonne can’t bring herself to take part, but she gives Rick a big kiss as a parting gift before he leaves. Neither Michonne or Carl are willing to bend to Negan’s rules because they believe this is all a foolish endeavor that will eventually fall apart.
Meanwhile, Enid is preparing for a trip to the Hilltop to check on Maggie. She was taking care of her last season before Maggie got sick and now with Glenn dead, Enid wants to be with her to help out in any way possible.
She leaves despite Carl asking her to stay, but along the road when Enid runs into some walkers, a car comes speeding out of nowhere and takes out all the zombies. Carl drove through them to save Enid before joining her on the road to the Hilltop.
The long journey finally ends when they go through the woods to find the Hilltop and that’s when they spot the Saviors cleaning out the place. At that moment, Enid realizes that Carl didn’t come along to keep her company or to keep her safe — he was plotting a way to get back at the Saviors for what they did to his friends and family after the slaughter that took place a few days ago.
Carl decides to stow away in one of the trucks bound for the Sanctuary because he believes that killing Negan is the only way to free Alexandria from his control. Carl and Enid end up sharing a kiss but it’s still not enough to keep him from going after Negan by himself.
This is Our Home
Following the Savior’s ransacking the Hilltop, Gregory erupts on Jesus for hiding Maggie and Sasha in a different closet. It’s clear he had every intention of selling them out to Simon and the Saviors and now he’s once again demanding that they leave.
Maggie has a different idea.
She slugs Gregory and takes back her father’s watch — it seems he picked it up from the grave and kept it for himself. Maggie then informs Gregory that she’s not leaving and neither is Sasha and he’s just going to have to live with it. Jesus backs them up and tells Gregory that he’s just going to have to learn to accept it because that’s the way things are going to be from now on.
Of course, Gregory pretends that he’s still the one in control as he concedes to allow Sasha and Maggie to stay but Jesus knows that his leadership has come to an end. There’s a new sheriff in town and she reminds Gregor that her name isn’t Natalie or Marsha or honey — it’s Maggie Rhee.
Finally, Enid sneaks into the Hilltop and reunites with Sasha and Maggie. The three of them share a dinner before Maggie makes her next move against Negan and the Saviors. To get at him she has to know where he sleeps so Maggie asks Jesus to follow the trucks back to the Sanctuary. Jesus agrees with a big smile on his face because the Hilltop finally has a real leader with a spine as opposed to Gregory, who is nothing more than a coward.
Of course, Maggie explains that a coward is even more dangerous than a stupid person — take that warning to heart because Gregory will play a major part in the story yet to come this season.
As the Saviors ride away, Jesus hops on the back of one of the trucks, grabs the liquor that Gregory gave up before having a drink. He pours the rest out as a sign of rebellion before he locks eyes with another stowaway in the same truck — it’s Carl and now it looks like both of them are headed for the Sanctuary.
‘The Walking Dead’ returns next Sunday night at 9pm ET on AMC
