After a long mid-season layoff The Walking Dead returns February 25, with Honor the ninth episode of Season 8. Fans of AMC’s zombie franchise were shocked when it was revealed near the end of the mid-season finale that Carl had fallen victim to a bite from a walker. Honor deals with the aftermath of the grim discovery. There are several forceful tugs at the heartstrings and it is sure to elicit strong emotions from The Walking Dead fan base.
From the tunnels under Alexandria the scene shifts to The Kingdom where Gavin and the Saviors have Ezekiel held captive. Carol, already shepherding the members of the Kingdom to safety, returns to save the King and gets a helping hand from Morgan. Their bid to liberate Ezekiel evokes fond memories of 80’s action movies and takes Morgan’s character arc to a new level.
In spite of the pyrotechnics, Honor is really about the emotional fallout surrounding Carl’s injury. The episode leans on the old “and a child will lead them” saying as Carl’s heroism and plight gives the resistance the strength it needs during its darkest hour. There are also the requisite flashbacks and flash forwards that the show has employed for a few seasons now. While some of the images viewers first encountered in the season premiere now have some context, there is sure to be some discussion based on Honor’s final moments.
The Walking Dead returns from mid-season hiatus February 25 at 9PM EST on AMC.
