The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 2 Review

The Walking Dead 

The Well

Season 7 Episode 2 Review

**SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW, EPISODE AND COMICS FOLLOW, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**

At the end of season six, Carol (Melissa McBride) has abandoned Alexandria because she's been able to relax and think about the atrocities she's committed, and realized she cannot stay there anymore and kill, even to protect herself and her friends.  On the road, she runs afoul of a group of Saviors and ends up killing all but one, who goes in search for revenge.  She imposes a self-exile, but Morgan (Lenny James) doesn't let her go.  He tracks her down outside Alexandria much to her dismay, and she finds a way to sneak away from him.

Then she runs into the Savior she left alive, and he shoots her twice.  She tells him she's ready to die, but before he can complete the deed Morgan steps in and breaks his code of never killing by taking out the Savior in order to protect Carol.  After this, two men in military uniforms offer safety to the two, and they agree to go with them.

Now, after an extremely brutal and gruesome season premiere, we catch up with Morgan and Carol as they're being taken to a new community.  Along the way they run into a group of Walkers, and Carol - in her pain-induced state - hallucinates that the Walkers are actually human, and Morgan and the others are killing them.  I found this to be an odd nod back to Lizzie in season three, when she considered Walkers nothing more than a different type of human, and Carol had to put her down after she killed her sister.  They manage to make it through to the new community.

Morgan wheels Carol around the community, telling her she's been unconscious for two days, and during that time he's assimilated into the new group.  He tells her they call the town The Kingdom, and it's a flourishing community where people are well trained in combat, but also participate in daily chores such as gardening, schooling, and they even have a choir.  He tells her he's taking her to meet the Kingdom's leader, known as King Ezekiel.

Morgan wheels Carol into an old theater where King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) is sitting on a throne with his trusted manservant Jerry at his side.  At his other side, chained to his hand, is the majestic Bengal tiger Shiva.

**Aside...SHIVA SHIVA SHIVA OMG OMG OMG OMG YES YES YES I LOVE HER I WANT ONE I WANT ONE SO BAD SHIVA IS AMAZING OMG OMG**

Anyway, King Ezekiel talks with a Shakespearean eloquence and a delightfully entertaining over-the-top manner that has Carol literally speechless, until she plays her innocent older woman routine she did back in Alexandria and acts all impressed and amazed with the King and Shiva, and once Morgan takes her away she berates him, telling him the Kingdom is a joke, and once his back is turned she'll be out of there.

As Carol maintains her over-the-top persona as she somewhat discreetly steals back her knife, chocolate and clothes, Morgan trains a young man named Ben in the art of Aikido because he's rather inept with any sort of weapon, and he's important to Ezekiel.  Morgan also accompanies Ezekiel and his men (including his most trusted soldier Richard) to town where they herd a bunch of pigs and have them eat Walker meat.  It seems weird that they do this until it's revealed that Ezekiel has been paying tribute to Negan and the Saviors, and this week's tribute was the pigs that, unbeknownst to the Saviors, have Walker meat in their bellies.  It won't turn them into Walkers, but it surely wouldn't taste appealing.

As Carol tries to escape at night, she's found by Ezekiel who lets down his persona and is frank with her - he's no King, but rather he used to be a zookeeper who saved Shiva's life once, and now she's his trusted pet who would never attack him.  He also has a past in theater so he puts on the big persona of being a King in order to keep order and peace in the town - to give his people someone they can admire and respect.  He wants Carol to stay and live, because she's seen the terrors of the world and thinks there's nothing good left.  He replies to this with: "It’s not all bad. It can’t be. It isn’t. Life isn’t. Where there’s life, there’s hope. Heroism, grace, and love. Where there’s life, there’s life."  He convinces Carol to leave but not leave, and she chooses to live in a house just outside the Kingdom - alone, but close enough to be helped.  The show ends with Ezekiel and Shiva arriving at her doorstep.


To say this episode is a complete 180 from the previous episode wouldn't be doing it justice.  While the first episode was dread, doom and despair from start to finish, here it's more lighthearted, humorous and uplifting, and brought a smile to my face.  We're introduced to the third community in the future triad alliance between Alexandria, Hilltop and The Kingdom, and for once we find a community that is not only surviving, but thriving.  Unlike Alexandria, the people are well-versed in combat.  Unlike Woodbury, the community is self-sustaining under a capable and likeable leader.  Unlike Terminus, they're not evil human-eating cannibals.  This is the ideal community, and not one just for show.  At its heart it's the perfect place to rebuild society.

This has a lot to do with their leader, King Ezekiel.  While he's extremely flamboyant in his over-the-top Renaissance fare, he's actually a very capable, caring and intelligent ruler.  He's far and wide the best leader we've seen in "The Walking Dead" so far.  He isn't cruel like Negan.  He balances security and prosperity unlike Deanna did.  He's not petty and vain like Gregory.  He doesn't rule with an iron fist and keeps his community under his command like The Governor.  He's built a sustainable and stable community, unlike Rick.  He's the most capable leader, and a fresh, exciting, enjoyable addition to the cast.

Then there's Jerry, Ezekiel's faithful steward, who is just a hoot in every way.  He's the big, jovial character we've been dying to see, and personally I hope he survives a long, long time.  Who else would take his place, letting people know when it's fruit time?

Finally, and certainly not least, is Shiva...

**Aside...SHIVA SHIVA SHIVA OMG OMG OMG OMG YES YES YES I LOVE HER I WANT ONE I WANT ONE SO BAD SHIVA IS AMAZING OMG OMG**

Sorry, I got a little carried away there.  Shiva is my second favorite character in "The Walking Dead" graphic novels, and I've been literally dying to see how she would be portrayed on screen.  Thankfully Greg Nicotero did work in "Dances With Wolves" and he has extensive knowledge not just with CGI, but practical animatronics as well.  Shiva looks like any majestic, magical Bengal tiger would, and it warmed my heart to no end.  I can't wait to see more of this beautiful beast.

So Ezekiel has been shrewd in his dealings with the Saviors, meeting them outside the community so the townspeople don't know what's going on, and even though he feels he could defeat them, he doesn't want to risk any lives.  He just gives them small jabs - like giving them hogs filled with Walker meat - to show that he's not completely docile, but not in a way that would lead to retaliation.

He finally lets his guard down around Carol and is real with her, revealing that he's kept up his Kingly persona because it brings peace and calm to the community, and reveals how he got Shiva.  He's seen through Carol's persona, because, in his words, "you can't bulls*** and bulls***er."  Ezekiel and Shiva are amazing additions to the cast, and they'll surely play an intricate part in Rick's future war with Negan, as the three communities will eventually band together to launch an all-out war.  This is something I cannot wait to see, and very excited to see how it'll play out.

Finally, it's interesting to note the correlation between this episode and the graphic novel.  When Ezekiel speaks to Carol at the end, it's verbatim how he spoke to Michonne in the comics.  Eventually the two entered into a romantic relationship, and since on the show it's Richonne all the way, I wouldn't be surprised to see Carol taking on the Michonne role here and forming a much more intimate relationship with the King of the Kingdom.


Overall, this was another amazing episode in what seems to be the best season so far, and even though the tone was drastically different than last week, it was very welcoming and enjoyable.  Plus...SHIVA!!!!!!!!

The Score: A

Here is the scene when Carol first meets Ezekiel and SHIVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!

 

 Did you see her move in a circle before she laid down?  Like a cute domesticated housecat?!?!  SO CUTE!!!!!!!