Air Date: Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 9/8c on AMC
Rating:
“Who are these people? New best friends, I guess.” – Rosita Espinosa
Rick and Michonne face down yet another foe … er, frenemy?
What in the world just happened? These survivors are more than tough. In season three they overcome the Governor (David Morrissey) and his motley crew; in season five they outsmart a bunch of crazed cannibals, bypass the Takers, and now they have to deal with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his Saviors. And yet, they are not defeated. Beat down, broken, and desperate, but not defeated. I’m tired of the bad guys being so bad and we know the Saviors will meet their end. By what means remains to be seen but it appears help arrives in the form of a questionable group of cultists. Good luck trying to decipher their immature language, and making sure there aren’t any more surprises hiding in the trash heap they call home. Has the gang finally found their one up on the Saviors, or will this new group bring about the Alexandrians demise?
F*ck Outta Here!
So, it looks like I owe Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) an apology. Fat lot of good that’ll do him. Gabriel is not the coward he once was, nor is he disloyal to his crew. I didn’t realize what Gabriel’s deal, disappearing like he does, until the brief recap shown before “New Best Friends.” I forgot about the person who was watching Alexandria at the end of the mid-season finale, and I never noticed the hooded figure pop up in the car with Gabriel. It all makes total sense now after watching the “New Best Friends” with razor sharp focus and noticing what the director intended for us to see. The deception makes me wonder what else I’ve missed in other episodes that might have been right in front of my face. With the group locating the missing Gabriel, they happen to find new allies in the pending war against the Saviors. But how much can Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and the Scavengers be trusted? They “take what we want; we don’t bother,” so anytime they want, they can turn on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) as long as they don’t bother anyone in the process. Right?
Richard (Karl Makinen) is going to get everyone killed. “I would die for the Kingdom.” What Richard doesn’t realize is how close he was to meeting his maker whether he wanted to or not. Daryl (Norman Reedus) doesn’t go after people often, nor does he wear his heart on his sleeve but hearing him bark, “Say her damn name” you know he cares more for Carol (Melissa McBride) than the rest of the survivors. His need to know what “woman” Richard is talking about exhibits Daryl’s intelligence. Yeah, Daryl may have had a hunch Richard was talking about Carol but I believe Daryl knew and wanted Richard to tell him he’s wrong.
Gabriel shows his loyalty runs deep. And his faith in Rick stays strong.
Morgan (Lennie James) is becoming the most frustrating character. He knows what needs to be done yet won’t do it. I’m trying to figure out what holds him back from taking that step toward fighting back. He doesn’t have to return to his killing ways but he has to make up his mind whose side he’s on.
How about that Carol and Daryl reunion? I’m not going to say I was crying but I got a little choked up watching them hug for the first time in a long time. Carol has no idea what Daryl has been through and if she did, she’d have to snap back to the badass we know and love. But I’m not so sure about this because she doesn’t want to be that person anymore. She’s made her peace and is getting back to herself. I don’t know if Carol will come out of hiding for anyone. Do you agree with Daryl keeping Carol in the dark? Knowing what we know about Carol, is he trying to keep her out of the fight because he cares for her that much, or because he can’t bear to lose someone else close to him? And what will that make him do to the Saviors? Last but not least, can we talk about the tiger in the room?
Funny and Interesting Quotes:
Daryl to Richard: “She gets hurt, she dies, she catches a fever, she’s taken out by a walker, she gets hit by lightning; anything, anything happens to her and I’ll kill ya.”
Yeah, if I were Richard, I’d keep any future plans of shocking Ezekiel into action to myself.
**
Rick to Jadis: “You only have two options when it comes to the Saviors. Either they kill you or they own you. But there is a way out. Join us. Join us in fighting them.”
Jadis isn’t swayed by Rick’s words. Like me, he doesn’t speak the Scavengers language. It’s almost as if they’ve reverted to speaking like small children. Does the apocalypse do that to people?
**
Overall
This is everything.
I love the plot behind “New Best Friends” but the green screen effects need work. Rick goes to the “up, up, up” and it looks fake, fake, fake. Not something I expect with the caliber of costume, design, and sets The Walking Dead usually presents. That being my only complaint, I’m excited for what’s ahead. I have to give Rick props for being romantic. When I first saw the cat statue, I thought of Michonne (Dania Gurira) and her ugly cat from a few seasons ago. This is one romance that isn’t dead. But I digress. Where will Rick and the group find guns? Will Richard start a coup and end up dead? Will Daryl be caught on his exodus to the Hilltop? And most importantly, will the Saviors ever stop being douche canoes? Stay tuned for next week’s episode to find out.
Let me know what you think about “New Best Friends” by dropping me a line in the comments section below or tweet me @ellemoe.
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Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC © 2010-2016 American Movie Classics Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
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