The Walking Dead S6 Ep9 No Way Out
Nothing says I love you like a new episode of The Walking Dead. In keeping with Valentine’s Day, AMC happily obliged and set The Walking Dead fans’ hearts aflutter with the mid–season premiere of No Way Out. The show’s return was a bloody and satisfying one that helped to advance the Alexandria storyline while introducing some Walking Dead mythology that will be featured prominently in the narrative as the season progresses.
No Way Out begins with footage from the brief teaser that appeared after the credits of the mid-season finale that featured Daryl, Sasha and Abraham making their way back to Alexandria before encountering a roadblock. The leader of the gang in the roadblock asks Daryl and Co. for their weapons. He also requests the tanker they’re driving and states that their possessions are now property of Negan. Intrigued by the resourcefulness of the trio, Negan’s crew threatens to rob them and then take them back to Alexandria to get more goods. The ruthlessness of Negan’s crew does not bode well for what awaits Rick and the group once they leave Alexandria behind.
Meanwhile back in Alexandria, Rick attempts to safely lead Michonne, Carl, Jessie and the others through the community and past the hoard of walkers. Rick devises a plan to get some cars and drive out of town. Gabriel steps up and offers to keep Judith safe while the plan is executed. Doubts swirl amongst the group members as to whether Gabriel can be “Tyreese light” and keep Judith safe, but Rick and the group are left with little choice. On the other side of the community, Morgan and Carol address the reasons why they came to blows last episode. Their conversation is a tense and painful one that ends with little resolution. Their ideological battle isn’t over and will most certainly continue as the season progresses.
No Way Out looks at what makes an individual what they are. Our pasts, our experiences and the paths we take all play a role in helping to define us. Who are we? What makes us who we are? Are we capable of change and at what cost does it come? This theme comes up several times in the episode. Denise broaches the subject while being held hostage by the Wolf. Glenn and Enid do the same as they devise a plan to distract the walkers and help get Maggie to safety.
Escaping from Alexandria comes with a price that threatens to shake the foundations of the group to its core. The once idyllic suburban community, which for a time was a haven for its residents and Rick’s group, has become a living hell. No Way Out is an emotionally unsettling episode for many of the characters. Several of them are thrown into situations that test their core beliefs and even call into question the very essence of their beings. Even Rick, the decisive, fearless leader of the group is forced to confront his own limitations and mortality.
When the dust settles in Alexandria, the resolve of the group will most certainly be called into question. Considering what awaits them in future episodes the hardships facing Rick’s group may have only just begun.
