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<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Lost and the Plunderers” Review. What the Hell is Going On?

Season 8, Episode 10

Air date: Sunday, March 4, 2018 at 9PM E/P on AMC

Rating: ★★★★★

 

“You could have just let me save all of you; that’s why I killed your friends in the first place.” – Negan

 

Rick and Michonne finish Carl’s burial. (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)

Am I alone in my confusion? I can’t be the only person to find something amiss with The Walking Dead. Watching “The Lost and the Plunderers” put me further into a confused state of mind as I tried to figure out where the hell the writers are going this season. The cryptic, pseudo-future scenes that have been peppered throughout the season are nothing more than the imagined alternate reality Carl (Chandler Riggs) dreamed up in his head. It’s not going to happen. No matter how much the various groups try, that delusional utopian vision will not come to fruition. The kumbaya combined colonization of AKH (Alexandria, Kingdom, Hilltop groups), The Saviors, Oceanside, hell, even the Scavengers, aka the “garbage people,” won’t happen. If it does, that will be the end of The Walking Dead; everyone getting along, picking veggies from the garden, with only walkers to contend with sounds boring.

Simon has had it…officially! (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)

“The Lost and the Plunderers” does have some interesting POVs as segments of the episode are dedicated to individual stories. The segment dedicated to Simon (Steven Ogg) highlights his position in Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) current regime. The old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” comes to mind immediately when Negan sends Simon on a mission to put Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and the Scavengers in line. I think Simon forgot (on purpose) Negan’s explicit orders to “delivery the standard message” and kill only “one” person to show the Scavengers he means business. Ogg does a fantastic job of conveying frustration, anger, discontent, and sheer orneriness when he goes off on a tangent while trying to get Jadis to show “remorse.” The fact that Simon blatantly omits key facts about how things really went down at the junkyard lets me know Simon is no longer 100% Team Negan. I still don’t know why Simon gives the kill order; what I do know is he will pay for what he’s done. Although Negan is all about “saving people,” he doesn’t tolerate insubordination of this magnitude.

Michonne and Rick get more than they bargained for at the junkyard (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) go to the junkyard to speak with Jadis. When they are greeted by more than a few walkers, it’s obvious something isn’t quite right. As they climb to escape the small horde, they encounter Jadis sitting on top of a pile of trash. The most eye opening revelation of “The Lost and the Plunderers” comes when Jadis opens her mouth. Her complete sentences caught me off guard. I had to do a double-listen to make sure I heard her correctly. Well, well, well; Jadis does know how to speak in full, elaborate sentences and not just gibberish.

Rick makes a choice in the junkyard that many may find questionable, but I understand both sides of the argument. After all, Jadis has betrayed him more than a few times, and he just lost his son. Rick’s decision at that particular moment is understandable, in a sense. I’m not saying it’s right, but I get where he’s coming from. What would you have done if you were in Rick’s shoes? Would you help someone who has triple-crossed you or would you let them fend for themselves?

Observations:

There is so much time wasted on irrelevant things in “The Lost and the Plunderers,” that I found myself yelling at the TV as if Rick and Michonne could hear me. Why would they spend valuable time and resources putting out the gazebo fire as walkers surround them? Sentimentality in a zombie apocalypse will get you killed.

Jadis flees from her former followers. (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)

Jadis’ gruesome path to self-preservation comes at a price. Watching her beloved followers, now walkers, coming toward her, oblivious to who she is must hurt more than she could ever imagine. After the garbage grinder stops whirring, Jadis tearfully ponders her next move. Let’s hope she doesn’t try to retaliate against

Rick.

At the end of “The Lost and the Plunderers,” the conversation between Rick and Negan is quite interesting. Rick tells Negan about Carl and the letter he wrote him. The seemingly genuine condolences Negan dispenses surprised me. Negan liked Carl very much; however, him blaming Rick for Carl’s death is a bit reaching, not to mention a low blow. Carl made his own choices. He knew what his father was planning when they attacked the Saviors. Carl didn’t express his discontent wholly to Rick until he was dying. I think if Carl had made his wishes known, perhaps Rick may have made a different choice. Although, I don’t think Rick choosing to go after Negan and the Saviors was solely for the safety of his children. It was mostly his ego. Then it was revenge for the deaths of Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz). Side note: how effed up is Negan (see quote above)? How was killing Glenn and Abraham saving Rick and the others? Negan’s world view is definitely skewed.

Aaron and Enid are at the mercy of Cyndie and the Oceansiders. (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)

Aaron (Ross Marquand) and Enid are not having fun in Oceanside. In the mid-season finale “How It’s Gotta Be,” Enid, in an effort to save Aaron from being killed, shoots and kills Natania (Deborah May), leader of the Oceansiders. In “The Lost and the Plunderers,” Enid and Aaron face uncertainty as Natania’s granddaughter Cyndie (Sydney Park) decides their fate. In past episodes, Cyndie has had opposing views from her grandmother. While I’m sure it’s hard to let the person who killed her go, I think Cyndie makes the right choice. Let’s just hope Enid and Aaron don’t push their luck. Aaron staying behind could backfire.

The title of this episode, “The Lost and the Plunderers,” seems a bit misleading. The “lost” part I get, but “the plunderers” not so much. Add that to the list of things that confused the hell out of me. I’m still trying figure out why Jadis has a “heli-pad” and “solar panels.” Yeah, Simon’s little revelation as he backs her into a corner in her own junkyard didn’t escape me. Are we going to see a helicopter before the season ends? Are we ever going to find out why Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) got sick after slathering on zombie guts and Negan didn’t? Are we going to learn anything about the toxic sludge zombies in the creek? And after watching The Talking Dead immediately after this episode, Ross Marquand said something about “Tortuga.” I’m not sure if we are going to see pirates invade Oceanside.

What did you think of “The Lost and the Plunderers?” Comment below and tag me on Twitter @judybopp to chat.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.

Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.