Finding Hope

Before I even start this recap, let’s just take a moment to appreciate the fact that we finally saw Maggie and Sasha.  It’s been four weeks since Abraham and Glenn were brutally murdered, and this is the first we’ve seen of how the people closest to them are dealing with their deaths.  It’s been a long time coming, and “Go Getters” didn’t disappoint.

The episode begins with a sequence that is very reminiscent of Beth waking up in “Slabtown,” only this time it is Maggie waking up in The Hilltop.  The pain that she had been experiencing wasn’t a miscarriage, but rather the placenta separating from the uterine wall.  The baby is safe, and Dr. Carson assures Maggie of this by letting her listen to the heartbeat.  Doctor’s orders: plenty of rest and remaining in the Hilltop for the entirety of her pregnancy.  This unfortunately isn’t a sentiment that Gregory shares, and when he rudely interrupts Maggie, Sasha, and Jesus at Abraham and Glenn’s graves, he expresses his opinion about them being there.  He wants them gone by morning.

That night, Maggie and Sasha prove their worth.  In an act of retaliation, the Saviors, knowing of the deal that The Hilltop made with the Alexandria Safe Zone, open the gates, set a fire, and send a car blaring music into the center of the community.  Walkers invade, and while everyone else cowers inside, Sasha and Maggie jump into action, Jesus helping, too.  The car’s doors and windows are bolted shut, and there is no way to stop the music, so Maggie channels her inner farm girl and gets in a tractor, running the car over.  They all help take care of the remaining walkers.

When Saviors show up the following morning, Gregory’s true character is revealed, and it’s not a character that is very likable.  He’s a terrible leader that tries to intimidate people to maintain his position of power, as seen when Jesus once again attempts to convince him to let Maggie and Sasha stay.  He’s jittery around those he knows are more powerful than him, evidenced by his interactions with Simon.  To make matters worse, he really only cares about himself, witnessed when he leads Simon to the closet he had told Jesus to hide Maggie and Sasha in (thankfully Jesus had been smart enough to hide them in another closet, and Gregory’s attempt to out the two results in him losing his precious scotch).  He is not a real leader, and he kneels far too quickly to Simon.

Meanwhile, Carl and Enid are on their own adventure.  After refusing to go on a run with his father, Carl sees Enid sneaking over the wall.  Carl says that he’s not saving her anymore, but when Enid runs into a group of walkers, a car comes speeding in (who knew that Carl could drive?!), and so began the adventures of Carl and Enid.  They find roller skates on the side of the road and make the journey to The Hilltop on skates.  One could say that it’s their first official date, and it even ends in their first kiss.

The episode ends with some very tactical moves.  Gregory’s positon of power has been challenged, and Maggie and Sasha are staying.  Sasha asks Jesus to find out where Negan lives; she has every intention of getting revenge.  Enid places balloons on the graves; Maggie gives Enid the pocket watch.  In the finale scene, Jesus jumps into one of the trucks the Saviors have only to find Carl inside as well.

All in all, “Go Getters” was by far one of the best episodes of the season.  In a season that started on such a grim and hopeless note, hope is slowly re-entering the picture.  Women are rising to the occasion, prepared to take back what is theirs and stand their ground.  The scene at the dinner table with Maggie, Sasha, and Enid shows that even after everything they have been through, they still have things to be thankful for.  And the scenes between Carl and Enid are a break from the heaviness of the rest of the season.  It’s a relief, a moment to breathe.  The scenes are innocent and pure, and something that is desperately needed in a season that has, so far, only been one bad thing after the other.

Bullets:

• The opening of this episode screamed “Slabtown.” Don’t believe me?  Just go back and watch the opening scene of “Slabtown.”
• Glenn’s grave is the first grave she’s been able to visit for a family member since the farm. She never got to bury Hershel, and to the best of our knowledge, Beth never got buried either.
• “No man is good enough for your little girl…until one is.”  Just bringing back this quote that Hershel said to Glenn because of reasons.  That pocket watch.  My heart.  It’s painful.
• Okay, but Carl needs some serious Driver’s Ed lessons.
• Okay, but doesn’t attacking The Hilltop like that seem a little pointless?  Setting fire to the Hilltop and opening the gates to allow walkers in is putting the entire community at risk.  If The Hilltop falls, then who are you going to get your precious resources from, Negan?
• Maggie punched Gregory, and it was one of the best moments of the entire episode.
• Maggie said it.  She said, Maggie Rhee!!!!!
• Jesus has an idea of who the leader of The Hilltop should be, and comic book readers know what he’s thinking.
• Maggie’s run over a car with a tractor before, and we all love her for it.
• We are watching the rise of the women on TWD.  I am not complaining about this at all.  #GirlPower
• Carl really just can’t stay in the house.  But, thankfully, this means that one of the most iconic comic book moments will most likely be happening!