The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 11 Review: Dead or Alive Or
Steve Ford
at
.
Updated at
.
Just when you think you're out, the Saviors pull you back in.
On The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 11, Daryl continued to lead the Alexandrian's to safety, Fr. Gabriel's faith was put to the test, and Negan began to put Eugene's special skills to good use.
We finally caught up with Fr. Gabriel and Dr. Carson after their escape from the Sanctuary, thanks to Eugene's guilty conscience. The duo went through quite the ordeal in their attempt to make it back to the Hilltop, and just when things were looking up, everything came crashing down -- including Gabriel's faith.
Did anyone else find it humorous with Dr. Carson following Gabriel through the woods tracking the sound of the bell?
Who in their right mind would think it's okay to follow the guy who's almost completely blind through the treacherous woods and into certain death?
The shack that Gabriel came across was conveniently placed, wasn't it? Gabriel didn't think so. And he continued to have faith that everything was happening for a reason and that they would work themselves out of their dilemma.
And as the episode went on, Gabriel's faith was paying off.
We're on the right path even if we're on the wrong road.
Fr. Gabriel
What are the odds that not only did they find shelter, but the house was loaded with medicine to treat Garbriel's infection which miraculously broke his fever almost instantly? Antibiotics alone typically take a couple of days before you start to notice a difference, but Gabriel's fever disappeared in what seemed like a matter of hours.
Of course, it's possible that the doctor gave Gabriel a fever reducer, but it all just seemed a bit too advantageous for my liking.
Related: Watch The Walking Dead Online: Season 8 Episode 10
While he still has a long road to recovery ahead of him, I have a feeling that Gabriel's eyesight may never return. Yet with Gabriel's faith, he wouldn't need to see in order to be shown the way. Faith is all he's ever needed, but by the end of the episode, even that is in shambles.
It's a frightening thought in general to lose your sight -- something that we take for granted and depend on every single day -- but losing it in a world where threats loom over your shoulder at every turn is utterly terrifying.
I feared that Gabriel would end up being killed after being nursed back to health, but it was, in fact, Dr. Carson who bit the bullet.
Their luck finally ran out, as Carson was shot when going for the Savior's gun.
What the hell was Carson thinking? I'm still on the fence on whether he intentionally sacrificed himself in order for Gabriel to use Carson as a scapegoat and not suffer any repercussions from Negan, or if he actually thought he had a chance. Either way, it was just plain dumb.
And now, not only will Gabriel feel responsible for Dr. Carson's death, but he'll also feel that he failed his group for not being able to bring him back to take care of Maggie.
Bullets are a last resort. I mean hell, Lucille here gets first dibs.
Negan
Eugene was terrified when he saw Gabriel walk through the door, fearful that Negan would find out that he was the one who had a hand in their escape. However, Gabriel convinced him that Dr. Carson was the one behind it all.
Unless you had vision issues like Gabriel during this episode, it wasn't difficult to see that Dr. Carson was on the chopping block. Carson was the only known physician up until we discovered that Siddiq has a medical background.
As soon as we learned Siddiq would be an adequate replacement, Dr. Carson's days were numbered.
Related: The Walking Dead: Remembering Carl Grimes
Daryl was successfully able to lead the Alexandrians to the Hilltop, but it didn't come without its inconveniences.
With the Saviors cracking down hard on the area, Dwight suggested that their best route would be through the swamp -- a place that even Negan found too dangerous to have anything to do with.
Naturally, the group was hesitant to trust Dwight, but it wasn't like they had many other options available to them.
With the group heading through the swamp of walkers, I thought for certain that we'd have a casualty or two. And to my amazement, everyone ended up making it to safety.
I am pleasantly surprised that The Walking Dead actually showed some restraint with not using this scenario as an excuse to kill off some characters just for the sake of doing so or to simply throw a little gore into the episode.
Gabriel wasn't the only one who found himself back with the Saviors, as Dwight was coerced into rejoining his former group thanks to Tara's carelessness.
I'm really having a difficult time connecting with Tara as of late. I understand her thirst for vengeance on Dwight, but her antics nearly put everyone in jeopardy. She was putting her needs before the group, and that's always a sure-fire way to get someone killed.
I'm glad Daryl reprimanded Tara for her recklessness, and let's not forget that not too long ago, it was Daryl that went behind Rick's back and putting their mission in jeopardy due to his own personal vendetta with the Saviors.
At least Daryl is learning from his mistakes, Tara, on the other hand, is as hard-headed as they come.
I'm not saying that Tara needs to forgive and forget, but it might do her some good to remember that she herself once found herself on the wrong side when she was with the Governor during his attack on the prison.
When Tara eventually came clean to Maggie that she played a role in Hershel's death, Maggie understood the position she was put in and embraced her.
Granted, Dwight did directly cause Denise's death, and I don't expect the two to hug it out. But Dwight did make it a point to express his remorse and acknowledgment of his lack in judgment -- a position Tara was in not too long ago herself.
You don't get to switch sides and make it okay.
Tara
And now, Dwight is reluctantly back with the Saviors, but his cover is still intact -- at least for now -- as we still don't know what happened to the Savior that got away on The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 8.
At the Hilltop, rations were running dangerously low, and Maggie made the not so tough decision of significantly cutting back on the captive Savior's rations.
She needs to look after her own and put her people first. However, once Daryl and the group eventually arrived and informed everyone of Carl's death, things noticeably began to change.
I'm sorry about Denise, I truly am. I don't expect you to forgive me, I don't deserve it. But I just wanted you to know, that's all.
Dwight
Maggie came around and decided to treat the Saviors with a bit of compassion, and Morgan decided to lie to Henry about Gavin killing his brother so that he would not pursue further vengeance against the true culprit -- Jared.
Carl's death is already having an impact on the rest of the group and is a step in the right direction toward his vision of a peaceful future. And while Rick is still dead set on killing Negan at this point, there may be hope for him yet.
If there has been one constant in this series, it's always been hope.
Although, we're way beyond peace talks, and now Negan is turning to biological warfare. The idea of using infected weapons is brilliant. Think about it: the wound itself doesn't need to be fatal in order to kill you.
Rick and company are about to have a whole new set of problems on their hands.
Now it's your turn TV Fanatics!
What did you think of "Dead or Alive Or"? Where you surprised of Dr. Carson's death? Is Fr. Gabriel's faith completely shattered, or will he find his bearings once again? What role will Dwight play in the coming battle, and what side will he ultimately choose?
Sound off below and let me know!
The Walking Dead returns with a new episode next Sunday, March 18th on AMC at 9/8c.
Want to check out the episode again? You can watch The Walking Dead online right here at TV Fanatic.
