Tension builds, and Negan speaks. But we need to talk about Maggie.
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Staff Writer
The Walking Dead: “The Bridge”
Season 9, Episode 2
Airdate: 10/14/2018
***SPOILERS INCOMING***
It’s been 35 days since the start of construction on the bridge to connect the communities. It’s also been 35 days since Gregory’s execution, and that event still resonates throughout this episode.
With all the talk of Andrew Lincoln leaving and Rick Grimes’ story coming to the end, another big departure isn’t getting nearly the amount of attention it deserves. Lauren Cohan is also leaving, and Maggie is also about to exit the story, although it’s been publicly stated that she won’t die and her departure may not be permanent. While Rick Grimes has unquestionably been the show’s most constant figure, it would be a disservice to Cohan and by extension, Maggie to not acknowledge her importance to the show. Very few characters remain from The Walking Dead’s early years; only Rick, Daryl and Carol remain from the show’s first season (technically Morgan Jones is still alive, he’s just not on the show anymore). Maggie has been around since the show’s second season, and we’ve watched her grow immensely as a character. It’s sort of a shame that she’s getting this really great material to work with now after two seasons of not being given much to do, but she’s on her way out.
And the conflict between the duos compromised of Maggie/Daryl and Rick/Michonne is coming. Even if this week ended on a happy, seemingly healing note, it’s only temporary. The thing is while I’m not going to pick a side, I can see where Maggie is coming from as both a leader and on a personal level. As the leader of the Hilltop, her people should come first. As was mentioned in the previous episode, she was legitimately elected to lead. And part of being a politician (which she technically is now) is keeping your constituents happy. As was also shown in “A New Beginning,” Hilltop’s citizens aren’t necessarily pleased with having to provide for the Saviors, having previously been terrorized by them for years.
On a personal level, though, Maggie’s reservations and frustrations also make sense. Negan or no Negan, the Saviors were responsible for the death of her husband, Glenn. Many of them were probably among those there in the forest when it happened. They once abducted her and Carol, took them to a slaughterhouse and tried to kill them. Those are not events that should be forgiven or forgotten about. Why should she have to provide for these people? Why would she want to continue to help them, especially when the work that they’re doing isn’t doing much of anything to help her community?
The fact that despite having these justified and reasonable frustrations, she ultimately chooses to send food to the Sanctuary despite not yet receiving anything in return was a bit of a curve-ball. And I don’t think it will be a decision that ultimately holds. Something is brewing here, and that something might bring about the end of Rick Grimes, as well as Maggie Greene’s tenure as a leader.
But perhaps that’s not the case. It almost came across like an afterthought on this episode, but the mysterious Georgie and her group are still out there, and they apparently have been in contact with Maggie and the Hilltop. Could she ultimately leave Hilltop and join them?
SCATTERED THOUGHTS
– Maggie also decided to release Earl the Blacksmith from the Hilltop jail, having held him there since he attacked her under the spell of Gregory’s Jedi-Mind tricks. She has a one-on-one conversation with him about his past drinking. Maggie, who’s father Hershel (once again, rest in peace Scott Wilson) used to drink heavily, gives him a second chance. He’ll be working to “pay off his debt” under supervision, a form of parole of sorts.
– Aaron, who has apparently become the caregiver of Gracie (the baby that Rick and company basically abducted in a raid of a Savior compound last season), loses an arm in this episode, and the amputation scene is pretty grim. Following a horde of walkers overtaking the work site at the bridge and an accident caused by a Savior, a bunch of logs crush the arm, and Enid is the one who takes it upon herself to cut it off. It’s going to be hard seeing Aaron, who is one of the more likable characters on the show, having to sit on the sidelines, at least temporarily. Also, when did Enid get so good at being a doctor?
– It’s nice to see Daryl and Aaron’s bromance in full swing.
– I really, really don’t like Henry. It looks like he’ll be becoming more prominent on the show going forward, which I don’t want to see.
– I’m conflicted because while I really want Carol to be happy and be with Ezekiel, I don’t want her to accept that ring. That just sounds like a bad omen.
– Father Gabriel and Jadis (her real name is apparently Anne but we’ve known her as Jadis for two seasons now so that’s what we’ll call her) are apparently an item now. I certainly didn’t see that one coming, but I don’t hate it. I know crap is probably about to hit the fan, but I think these characters deserve some happiness after a depressing last few seasons.
– THE HELICOPTER IS BACK. Jadis looks to be the key figuring out exactly what it is about. And hopefully, we get our answer soon.
– We’ve spent surprisingly little time at Alexandria over the course of the last few seasons. But that might be about to change because we return there to find Negan and Rick having their first meeting in a while. Negan looks rough (I guess rotting away in a jail cell will do that to a man), and while he’s clearly been taken down a peg, he still is doing his best to rile Rick up.
– I’m not sure to make of the end of the episode. Was it whoever was in the helicopter that grabbed Justin The Ousted Savior? Or was it another, possibly a more sinister group that we’re going to meet very soon… The Whisperers? Comic readers know who they are and what they do, but I’ll wait until we get there on-screen to explain if you haven’t read the comics.
