[RECAP] Season 9, Episode 11 of The Walking Dead, "Bounty"

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Episode 11 of season 9 of The Walking Dead entitled "Bounty" deals with the bounty that two groups are concurrently trying to obtain: King Ezekiel & his merry men trying to obtain elk and a projector bulb for their upcoming fair and Alpha & the Whisperers trying to reclaim Lydia (Alpha's daughter) in a tense hostage negotiation with Daryl and the Hilltop.  All in all, there were some tense moments that were in sharp contrast to some of the silly whimsical moments that seem to surround anything King Ezekiel does but even with their group, there were definitely some close calls.

We start the episode with a slightly surprising flashback that we can identify it's point in the past by Carol's shoulder length hair and the appearance of Jesus and Tara meeting members of the Kingdom at a specific meeting point to do an exchange of medicine needed.  Jesus also brings to Ezekiel the Charter that Michonne had drafted to be signed by representatives from each of the communities (including the now defunct Sanctuary and Oceanside communities).  In present day, we see Ezekiel still reviewing this Charter, deep in his thoughts but determined to venture out with his team on their mission.

And what is the mission?  The mission WAS supposed to be just elk for the feast at the fair but Carol comes to find out that beyond elk, King Ezekiel has another target in mind: A projector bulb.  Apparently, the current projector bulb at the Kingdom has burnt out and Ezekiel has his heart set on sharing movies with everyone, especially the younger children, who many don't even know what a movie is.  What a thought right?  But bearing in mind that here ARE children born during the apocalypse (Judith and Gracie, for example) that have never seen a TV show, a movie, etc., that WOULD be a significant moment for them.  For that reason, Carol allows it and they enter a movie theater of horrors where they make their way to the projector room to get the desired bulb.  After some mishap with the movie walkers (and dropping the bulb among the general audience seating), the group manages to come out of the theater unscathed and with the elk, the projector bulb and a poster box for the Charter to be preserved.  So all is good...except for an ominous symbol on a random street sign.  WTF?

In the meantime, at the Hilltop, we come back to exactly where we left off in the last episode: With Alpha and the Whisperers at the gate.  Alpha is very clear about how they will NOT be looking for retribution for intruding on their land, for killing some of their men, etc.  BUT, if Lydia is not returned to them, there WILL be conflict (in Alpha's words).  In an attempt to call her bluff, Daryl states that they can't have her to which Alpha retorts "WRONG ANSWER".  At her signal, additional Whisperers come out, including two that are holding another two at knife point.  Daryl comes down from his post to meet Alpha face to face at the gate himself, trying to further flaunt how they are not threatened by their presence.  There is the faint sound of a baby crying and as he looks up he is unnerved to see a masked Whisperer woman with a baby in a sling.  He is shocked that they would bring a baby out into this potential volatile situation.  Alpha, completely calm, indicates that they are no different than a pack of animals and animals do have babies after all.  She continues on that what she is proposing is a trade: Two of the Hilltop's men for one of hers.  It's at that point that Daryl sees that Luke and Alden have been unmasked and revealed as Alpha's hostage bargaining chips.  All the while, Connie is still hiding in the corn fields and we see that Luke sees her and is signaling sign language behind his back to keep her informed on what's going on.  She remains hidden in the fields, watching.

Now that the stakes have been raised, Daryl immediately goes back in to grab Lydia and conduct the trade...only Lydia is nowhere to be found.  Henry realized that Lydia was likely going to be given back to her mother by Daryl and took it upon himself to whisk her away to the teenage post apocalyptic hang out spot.  Enid and Addy (one of the teenage girls) immediately realize this and go off to find them.

In the meantime, some of the Whisperers are keeping incoming walkers at bay but the baby has not stopped crying.  We see the Whisperer "mom" trying desperately to calm the baby down and lull it to a sense of security and calmness, to no avail.  She finally looks up at Alpha, with an urgency and fear in her eyes, to which Alpha simply shrugs.  The Whisperer "mom" knows what this means and she sadly but calmly removes the sling with the baby in it and softly places it on the floor...and begins to walk away.  Shockingly and sadly leaving it behind for the walkers.  Alpha stares at the woman and comments that it's all natural selection and if the mother cannot quiet the child, the dead will.  Luke and Alden immediately indicate to the Hilltop that there's a baby in the field, prompting the group to start banging on the walls to try and distract the walkers from the baby.  To say that everyone's heart rate went through the roof here would be an understatement. 

Fortunately, Luke signs to Connie that there's a baby in the field.  Connie very stealthy runs out of hiding, takes down a couple of walkers with her slingshot and grabs the baby in the sling.  She runs back into the cornfield and in a truly mesmerizing piece of direction, we see Connie with the baby moving in slow motion through the cornfields and the only sound we hear is the muffled far away sounds of the walkers and baby crying, which we are to understand that this is all that Connie can hear.  Somehow, she is able to keep the walkers that appear from the field at bay but thankfully, she is rescued just in time by Daryl, Tammy and other Hilltop residents who lead her and the baby to safety.

At the same time, Enid and Addy do indeed track down Henry and Lydia.  As much as Enid tries to convince Henry on how they have no choice but to return Lydia to her mother, Henry is fully resistant to the idea of this.  Lydia, however, doesn't give him a choice and comes out of the house, willingly volunteering to go back, for the good of all and because Alpha is, after all, her mother and if she came back for her, doesn't that mean she really does care?  Eh, not so sure about that logic but okay.

Upon her return, Daryl escorts Lydia out to do the formal prisoner exchange with Alpha, who, true to her word, returns Luke and Alden unharmed.  Lydia approaches Alpha and thanks her mom for coming to get her.  At this, Alpha immediately slaps Lydia across the face as hard as possible.  She then holds her and tells her to call her Alpha, just like everyone else.  Lydia immediately apologizes and obliges, as they and the rest of the Whisperers retreat and walk away.

Later on we see that Henry cannot get Lydia out of his mind (teenager) and decides to go off and find her...and save her?  Okay.  Daryl gets wind of this via a note left that was found by Addy and is off to go and save his stupid teenage self.  Connie, however, stops him and insists on joining him.  So off they go, Daryl, Connie and dog to track down Henry and bring him back to safety before he gets himself killed...and/or anyone else.

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[RECAP] Season 9, Episode 7 of The Walking Dead, "Stradivarius"

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The episode in advance of the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead entitled "Stradivarius" hums along smoothly enough but definitely gives off that dreaded "filler episode" vibe.  This is mostly due to the limelight being cast (mostly) on our new arrivals rather than our core group of characters.  We did get a few notable moments (Daryl's camp scenes primarily), but by and large, this was an episode meant to set us up for the midseason finale.

The very beginning of the episode shows a very disorientated Rosita running through the woods trying to escape...what, exactly?  Inevitably midway through the episode, Jesus and Aaron end up finding Rosita (after she sends out a flare) during a fight training session beyond the walls.  A glimpse at life at The Hilltop shows a thriving society filled with sustainable resources, medics (in the form of Enid) and the basic day to day tasks that come from governing a society.  Jesus, however, seems thoroughly bored and caged in his new defacto role as leader of the Hilltop, seemingly much more comfortable out on the road or in the woods.  Nevertheless, Rosita informs Jesus and Aaron that Eugene is still out there but they need to get her to safety first and then come back for Eugene.

As already mentioned, the episode primarily follows Michonne, Siddiq and our new group of visitors as they make their way to The Hilltop.  Michonne is still highly skeptical of the group and even Luke's attempt to convince her that their observation of art and music is what will allow them to survive and advance beyond the walkers fall on deaf ears.  So weary and suspicious is Michonne that, during an overnight stay at the newcomer's previous supply fort, upon coming across Luke awake in the middle of the night holding something, she assumes that he is holding a weapon and cuts it in half...only then realizing that it was Luke's prized violin, a Stradivarius.  The next day, we find out Michonne is even more apprehensive of traveling to the Hilltop because of the presumed presence of Maggie.

Again, why this beef between the two women?  We'll definitely need this backstory before the season is up.

Siddiq ends up being the person that fills her in on the fact that Maggie is no longer at the Hilltop and that she took her baby Herschel and left some time ago.  Before a shocked Michonne can inquire further and get more information, they are forced to make waste of a group of walkers uncovered at this base.  It's all hands on deck and as a result, Michonne allows the newcomer's to have access to their confiscated weapons again and everyone is quickly acting to defeat the threat in front of them.  After a certain point, it looks like the threat has been neutralized...until a familiar figure in a paisley shirt stumbles out.  It is the infamous Bernie, that the newcomers have spoken so fondly of.  The sight of him makes the usually tough Magna to break down and in order to alleviate her of anymore pain, Michonne mercifully puts him out of his misery.  The whole experience causes them to bond and develop a sense of trust that allows them to arrive at The Hilltop in a much better place than where they started...although startled to hear that Rosita is already at the Hilltop receiving necessary medical care.

The other part of the episode surrounds Carol and Henry and their eventual encounter of Daryl's apparent camp.  We come to find out that Daryl ventured out here, in an attempt to find Rick or Rick's body and when he found nothing, he decided to just set up camp out there.  Clearly there is WAY more to Daryl's past than this, as evidenced from the "X" scars on his back, strikingly similar to the one on Michonne's back.  Again, I'm sure we'll get some more backstory on this eventually.  In any case, Carol is looking to convince Daryl to rejoin society and come with them to the Hilltop in order to provide Henry with some guidance (or as Daryl says, to be Henry's babysitter).  He resists vehemently at first but after some bonding via Henry saving him (and of course, Dog), he decides to join them on their journey to the Hilltop.

Upon their arrival, they are also notified about Rosita's medical treatment after being found in the woods...but Eugene is still out there, potentially hurt.  Aaron and Daryl decide to go out and look for him but Jesus insists on coming along also.  This is not what Tara wants, since she would prefer that Jesus, as leader of the Hilltop, stays behind, safe and sound but Jesus is insistent that he knows the terrain best and he needs to be out there with them.

The final shot that we see is a majestic overhead shot of Daryl, Aaron and Jesus (and Dog) on their way into the great unknown...on their way to encounter who knows what.

THE WALKING DEAD AIRS SUNDAYS AT 9:00PM EST ON AMC

[Episode 209] Season 11, Episode 24 (SERIES FINALE) of The Walking Dead, "Rest in Peace"

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All good things must come to a close; but as one door shuts, several more have opened: between the return of #RickGrimes & #Michonne, the journey of #DarylDixon, and #Negan & #MaggieRhee's spin-off to NYC via #TWDDeadCity, there's much, much more to cover in the expanded #TWDUniverse.

You can watch the embedded livestream on replay, just below; however, we strongly recommend listening to the audio podcast, instead: the audio quality is vastly refined and the entire recording has been stripped of various technical difficulties, lulls, and redundancies - along with a shortened runtime of 2 hours and 13 minutes (from 2 hours and 50 minutes)! You can listen to the embedded podcast, just above, or tap the square image above that to listen in your favorite podcast platform!

Considering the unedited episode recording is a publicly #LIVE Streamed episode, consider at least following either our Patreon & Ko-fi accounts so you don't miss out on future recordings: they're FREE to join and the only place we post our recording schedules - we don't make them publicly available on Social Media. Should you decide to lend us your support, consider joining either the WHISPERERS or SURVIVORS tiers to receive perks and opportunities, like the members in this very livestream!

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David Cameo:
Rachael Burt:
Sherrandy Swift:
Bridget Mason-Gray:

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🤫WHISPERERS TIER MEMBERS:

Jasmine:
Aidan Atkin:
Tyler Phillip Cox:
Mitchell Shoemaker:
Takeerah Lawrence:
Mollie L.:

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• Could we ever see a release of the original ending featuring grown-up versions of the children characters?
  
  
• Our entire merch store is on sale! Up to 35% off all items.
  
  
• What did you feel when you saw the return of Rick Grimes and Michonne?
  
  
• Jasmine says she is still having trouble processing the ending!
  
• Are you satisfied with how The Walking Dead came to a close?
  
  
• What did Rick's smile at the end of the episode represent?
  
  
• Did you feel we needed to see Rick and Michonne in this episode to be satisfied?
  
• Aidan says he would be satisfied, either way, and was more concerned about getting closure for characters who don't have spin-offs coming.
• Jasmine said she cried harder at Luke Abrams' death than Rosita Espinosa's.
  
• Dave said he screamed when Jules Butler was bit.
  
• Jasmine adds she was a little disappointed that there weren't a lot of deaths in the finale.
  
• Sherrandy suggests the events of The Walking Dead: World Beyond may have allowed Rick to escape to get this message out to Michonne.
  
• Who is the Civic Republic Military soldier in the helicopter referring to when he says, "it's like he told you: there's no escape for the living"? Because of the echo in the voice, there was some disagreement on whether it was he or she. If it is indeed he, our hosts suggest Major General Beale. If she, our hosts suggest Warrant Officer Anne (Jadis) Stokes.
  
• Mitchell says the person on the radio sounds like Giancarlo Esposito. Could we see him join the Rick/Michonne spin-off?
  
• Dave says he was ecstatic to see Rick wearing the same cull facility outfit as Silas Plaskett from World Beyond.
  
• Did the walker heads at the end of the episode remind you of anything? Our hosts mention examples from the dead buried up to their necks on the beach in Fear the Walking Dead episode 7x16, the heads in fish tanks in The Governor's room, and the scene where Meghan was bit in TWD episode 4x08.
  
• Aidan mentions that the person who designed Michonne's outfit for this episode was Eulyn Colette Hufkie. Hufkie was costume designer for the first six seasons of TWD before Vera Chow took over. Hufkie will be returning as costume designer for the Rick/Michonne spin-off.
  
• Bridget references an article that chronicles the original ending for the series finale. Which ending did you prefer? To read the article, Tap the image or Click here!
  
  
• Will we eventually see a spin-off chronicling the lives of the younger characters on the show? Perhaps Judith Grimes, RJ Grimes, Gracie, Soccoro "Coco" Espinosa, Hershel Rhee Jr, Rosie Porter, and all of the others.

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• We have to ask for Dave: Does The CW series Charmed matter? In the pantheon of popular televisions shows, which do you think ranks higher, Charmed or Dawson's Creek?
  
• Would you watch a complete reboot (not a continuation) of The Walking Dead?
• Did you enjoy the orchestral version of the theme song for the finale? What did it make you feel?
• Tyler had to wait for the episode to come out on Disney+ (in England) and persuaded his coworkers to let him come in late the next day to do so.
• Tyler was a lot more satisfied with the Series Finale than he was expecting.
• This episode features Daryl Dixon saying "We ain't the walking dead", which is not only a callback to Rick saying "We are the walking dead" in season 5 episode 10, but a cheeky way of referencing the comic book version of Rick Grimes saying, "We are NOT the walking dead!" near the end of its run.
  
• Do you think Rosita had enough screen-time throughout the series?
  
• What was your reaction when Rosita fell off the pipe and into the horde of walkers below?
  
• Bridget talks about how impactful the scene was where Eugene Porter talks to Rosita about taking Coco to swim next summer at The Oceanside.
  
• Tyler would have been happy to see half the cast die in this episode. Again with this odd word choice of happy in relation to wanting deaths.
  
• Did you feel Rosita's death was dragged out (i.e. the way Carl Grimes' was)?
  
• Did this episode make you cry on first watch or were you too over/underwhelmed?
• Did you inadvertently/purposefully have this episode spoiled for you?
  
• Our hosts praise the acting in Luke's death scene. Special shoutouts to Angel Theory, Nadia Hilker, Eleanor Matsuura, Lauren Ridloff, and Dan Fogler.
• Tyler suggests Aaron's last name is "Raleigh" since his marriage to Eric Raleigh is canon.
  
• Tyler was upset about the lack of closure regarding Oceanside's fate. Takeerah feels these last few episodes implied that they were massacred.
  
• Mollie loved the wonderful the score played throughout the finale.
• Did you expect Daryl and Connie to kiss?
  
  
• Takeerah suggests that Daryl is too focused on his upcoming mission to start a relationship just to leave again, like he did with Leah Shaw.
  
• Dave mentions how drastically things have changed since the season 8 finale - where Daryl and Maggie Rhee were planning a coup against Rick - and, now, they are planning the future together.
  
• Tyler mentions that Pamela Milton's attempted suicide-by walker resembled Carol Peltier's comic book death. What do you think Pamela was feeling in that moment?
  
  
• Were you upset that they decided to jail Pamela, thereby having her survive the series?
  
  
• Sherrandy says that, in a vacuum, it would have been poetic for walker Lance Hornsby to bite her; however, in the greater context of the overall story, it was a refrain that needed to occur (Mercy Prevailing Over Wrath and Law and Order).
  
• With the hefty amount of closure for Maggie and Negan Smith, will something change between them that prompts the events leading to their journey on The Walking Dead: Dead City?
  
• Do you think Dead City is necessary? For that matter, have you watched/will you watch all of the walking dead universe spin-offs?
• Where is Annie Smith in Dead City? Has her child been born and do you think they are alive?
• Angela Kang confirms that Annie was always meant to survive The Walking Dead. Read more about it here!
  
  
• Takeerah says one of her favorite callbacks was how Daryl blockading Judith in the hospital room mirrored Shane Walsh doing the same thing for Rick in the first season.
  
• Bridget adds the Big Ass-kicker/Lil Ass-kicker conversation between Judith & Daryl was one of her favorites.
  
• Does Judith know that Shane is her real father and were you even slightly upset that he wasn't included in the list of people Daryl said he would tell her about who loved her?
  
• Mitchell says that both the series finale and the series premiere clocked in at an hour and seven minutes.
  
• The black eye sported by Daryl in this episode was real. Norman Reedus was injured during the filming of the finale. Dave jokes that the cause was probably something so lame, they were too embarrassed to reveal it.
  
• In what capacity will we see Carol in future spin-offs?
  
• Bridget mentions Chandler Riggs makes a cameo at The Hilltop. This was something that was mentioned during Talking Dead.
  
• Dave mentions the irony of Gabriel Stokes opening the gates of The Commonwealth estates for fleeing residents seeking refuge, after initially locking out his parishioners from his church and all the times he forgot to shut gates and lock doors.
  
• He then mentions the family photos of young Pamela and Sebastian Milton (Laila Robins & Teo Rapp-Olsson, respectively) near the record player just before The Milton estate explodes.
  
  
• In who's house were our survivors celebrating Glennsgiving? Was it Yumiko Okumura's, a random, unexploded house in the estates, or one of the the houses in Alexandria Safe-Zone?
  
• Mitchell heard that more pieces of the wall were being shipped to Senoia, Georgia (the location where Alexandria & Woodbury towns were filmed, among many others). Could this be for one of the upcoming spin-offs, not limited to Fear the Walking Dead?
• Our hosts discuss the concept of taking mental images to capture significant moments in your life, while discussing Glennsgiving and Landslide by Fleetwood Mack. What mental images have you captured in your life?
  
• Aidan mentions Tomichi Okumura is the only adult not drinking during Glennsgiving. Is he maintaining his sobriety in light of his prior alcohol abuse, even after The Commonwealth's change in leadership?
  
• Will Tomi continue being a surgeon?
  
• What does Landslide signify in this scene?
  
• Aidan mentions his favorite part of the dinner was seeing Yumiko and Magna getting back together. 
  
• He also adds that the show didn't hide Eleanor's pregnancy later in the episode. Mitchell responds that Yumiko, like her brother, also did not drinking during Glennsgiving. Could Yumiko and Magna be expecting?
  
• Sherrandy says with Eugene and Maxxine Mercer (err... Maxxine Porter?) and maybe even Yumiko and Magna having a baby, what are Michael Mercer and Juanita "Princess" Sanchez waiting for?
  
  
• Did you enjoy seeing the return of short(er)-haired Carol?
  
• Besides Coco, to whom do the other babies rescued by Rosita, Gabriel, and Eugene belong? One of them is presumably Jerry's.
  
• We finally catch a glimpse of an older Adam Sutton at the end with Maggie!
  
  
• Why did they leave Jules out of their toast to Luke, during Glennsgiving?
  
• Mitchell mentions the last names chosen for Jules and Luke come from actors that have been on the show. Abrams comes from Austin Abrams (who played Ron Anderson) and Brett Butler (who played Tammy Rose Sutton).
  
• Bridget drops additional parallels she noticed: Judith slipping in and out of consciousness like Rick did in Season 1 and the walker trying to break the glass with a rock like the one in episode 1x02.
  
  
• How many countless people did Jerry and Elijah have to watch die while stuck amidst the herd of walkers?
  
• Aidan mentions the following parallel: Carol telling Daryl that she is her best friend mirrors their interaction in Season 10's premiere, when Carol mocks him for trying to tell her the very same thing.
  
  
• We're the ones who live.
  

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