The Walking Dead Ep: 710 New Best Friends
A tense standoff kicks off New Best Friends, the latest episode of The Walking Dead. A blow up between Richard and one of Negan’s henchmen during an exchange of goods highlights the tension and bad blood that exists between Negan’s crew and The Kingdom. The confrontation and the fallout is a painful reminder that anything can be lost in an instant and that Negan’s grip on his territory is all encompassing. The pre-credits standoff between Daryl and Morgan was particularly enlightening. If a picture says a thousand words then the look in Daryl’s eyes when he confronted Morgan could have been a novel. Morgan’s code doesn’t sit well with Daryl and it will be interesting to see if Morgan will remain true to himself once he’s forced to face Negan at some point down the road. One curious revelation that can be gleaned from the top of New Best Friends is that while Morgan struggles to stick to his code, he’s not necessarily naïve enough to think that his methods are all that will be needed to defeat Negan.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and Richard’s plot to shift Ezekiel’s stance and kickstart a war with The Saviors comes with expected sacrifices. Daryl, his new partner in crime, is game to follow along until the details become clearer. Richard’s rough day gets rougher courtesy of a defiant Daryl and his multitude of fans were most certainly delivering fist pumps and shouting approvingly at the screen. He’s back ladies and gentlemen and ready to kick ass.
A mysterious new community, led by a woman named Jadis, is discovered and Rick’s like a kid in a candy store. The members of this new community are anything but welcoming, but even as things begin to spiral downward Rick and the group remain resolute. Their faith in what they are doing, in their quest to defeat Negan has even touched an unlikely source, Gabriel. His sermon in a junkyard pulpit earned him some street cred and maybe even a little admiration from Rick. New allegiances don’t come easy. They are fraught with doubts and several tests and Rick discovers this when he’s thrown into The Walking Dead’s version of the Sarlacc Pit.
Daryl and Carol’s reunion is a touching moment in a solid episode filled with tension, danger and a few uneasy smiles. His decision to keep Carol in the dark offers a brief release from what is inevitably going to come to fruition. Like a caged tiger, Daryl is burdened by the limitations of his current situation. A situation that, like everything else in life will ultimately come to an end, one way or another.
