The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 5 Review

The Walking Dead

Go Getters

Season 7 Episode 5 Review

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

When we last left Maggie and Sasha, they were mourning the deaths of their significant others at the hands of Negan and Lucille.  Maggie vowed revenge against Negan, and the two continued on to the Hilltop alone so Maggie could get help with her pregnancy pains.

Now it's a few days later, and Maggie is recuperating from her pains and the baby is thankfully alright - seriously, if anything happens to that kid, Maggie would go down as one of television's most screwed over characters - and she's mourning for Glenn in her own way.  They managed to have them buried proper at Hilltop with crosses and everything, and she lays the pocket watch her father gave Glenn at his grave.  As Sasha joins her, the two mourn with steely resolve, saddened over their loss but determined to move on and gain revenge.  Jesus then joins them and we see he's been an important part in their remaining at Hilltop.

That is, until the Hilltop's leader Gregory comes.  He's angered that they buried Glenn and Abraham instead of burning their bodies, and is even more upset that Maggie and Sasha are there, fearing the Saviors will find them and connect the Hilltop to Alexandria.  He orders them to leave - despite Maggie being pregnant and all - and Jesus tries to come to their aid to no avail.  Gregory's mind is made up.

That night the Hilltop is attacked by the Saviors, who send a car through the gates with music blaring, drawing a small horde of Walkers.  Sasha and Jesus go out to dispatch of them in some beautifully visual action sequences, especially showcasing Jesus's martial arts skills that he fully encompasses in the comics but we haven't seen on the show yet.  Despite doctor's orders, Maggie climbs to the roof of the RV they were staying in and orders other Hilltop people to battle, and then she joins the thick of it by manning a huge tractor that runs over several Walkers as well as the car, eliminating the noise and keeping more Walkers from coming.

This scene, to me, was one of the best the entire season.  It was dark, so there was a sense of real fear.  Seeing Sasha and Jesus in action was like poetry in motion.  Finally seeing Maggie step up as a leader - something comic book fans already know is going to happen - was an empowering moment, and when she manned that tractor and ruthlessly took out Walkers like they were ants and crushing the car was a stark contrast to Rick's current mode of subservience.  In a sense, Maggie is a true go getter (get it, that's the title!).

Instead of thanking them and allowing them to stay, Gregory maintains that the two must go, even after Sasha asks that Maggie stays and she goes.  Just as they're about to argue the Saviors arrive, and Gregory tells Jesus to hide the girls in the closet.  Simon - Negan's right hand man - is now taking Negan's role at Hilltop, and Gregory will answer to him from now on.  Simon is played by Steven Ogg, best known for his role in the "Grand Theft Auto V" video game, and he's an absolute breath of fresh air.  His smarmy, condescending attitude isn't boorish, but rather playful and rather enjoyable to watch. 

During their talk, Gregory - in all his cowardice - gives up the girls and opens the closet, but Jesus knew how terrible Gregory was and hid the girls in Gregory's closet instead.  Gregory then willfully bows to Simon and the Saviors take half their stuff.

In Gregory's room, Jesus finally has had enough of his spineless leadership, and verbally strips him of his power.  Maggie - after finding Gregory took the watch - punches Gregory in the face (a true nod to the comics) and tells him in a commanding tone that "this is our home now, so you'll have to call me by name.  Not Marsha.  Not dear.  Not honey.  Maggie.  Maggie Rhee."

BOOM, drops mike on stage.

This is the first time Maggie refers to herself as Maggie Rhee and not Maggie Greene, since Glenn's last name was Rhee.  It truly was a fist-pumping, tear-jerking moment and was easily Lauren Cohan's best performance to date, and really established her as the future leader of Hilltop.  For a diehard fan of the comics, I can't wait to see her really grab the reigns of the colony and lead it right.

Before the Saviors leave, Sasha talks to Jesus and wants him to find out where Negan lives.  Jesus wants to tell Maggie, but Sasha tells him not to.  This is another nod to the comics where Jesus infiltrates the Sanctuary, which begins the road to the all out war.

The secondary story centered on Carl and Enid, as she sets out to see Maggie at the Hilltop.  Carl at first doesn't agree, but ultimately joins her for his own motives.  As they make their way, they find some roller skates and the show has a moment of brevity as they gleefully skate down the road, holding hands and proving that not everything is doom and gloom.

However, all that is dashed once they arrive at the Hilltop and see the Saviors.  Carl tells Enid he plans on hiding away and going to kill Negan at the Sanctuary, and even though Enid tries to stop him - including sharing their first kiss - Carl stows away on a truck anyway.  It just so happens to be the same truck Jesus is hiding in as well.  So the two are now going to the Sanctuary for very different motives, and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out, especially with Daryl there as well.

Enid finally finds Maggie after laying green balloons at Abraham's grave (in another moment of dark humor, Sasha later asked why there were balloons on Abraham's grave, and Maggie said she didn't have the heart to tell Enid it was the wrong grave, not to mention there's no real markers there, to which Sasha replied, "I like balloons"), and then the three girls share a meal together and it's a truly touching moment, especially considering Enid is taking the role of Sophia from the comics.  In the comics, Sophia (Carol's daughter who turned into a Walker in season two) is still alive and without a mother (as Carol killed herself at the prison), and Maggie and Glenn took her in as their adopted daughter.  When Glenn is killed, Sophia goes with Maggie to live at the Hilltop, and it looks like Enid is going to be doing that as well.

All-in-all, this is my third favorite episode this season so far.  It gave us hope again in Maggie and Sasha, that they can fend for themselves and take on Negan's men, unlike Rick - who's become a sniveling, crying shell of a man.  These girls aren't going to take any crap, and they're both rising up as leaders of Hilltop.  Lauren Cohan and Sonequa Martin-Green give their best performances so far, and that night Walker attack scene was just perfect.

Still, I'm having issues with how the episodes are split.  The Kingdom was introduced in the second episode, and we've yet to find out anything that's happened since then.  The Sanctuary was the third episode and again, not a lot of info on what's happening there.  Now with the Hilltop, we probably won't be seeing them for awhile (next week's episode is centering on Tara and Heath's two-week supply run that happened before everything occurred).  There's too many characters, too many settings to be included in a one-hour a week series.  I hope they all come together soon, because otherwise the next time we see Ezekiel, we'll wonder who the heck he is.  But not Shiva.  I will never forget who Shiva is.  Shiva is awesome.  Shiva is amazing.  Shiva is life.

The Score: A