‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘Acts of God’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1116 of ‘The Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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Ever since season three of The Walking Dead hit the airwaves back in 2012… the sixteenth episode of that season and every season since… has been quite the momentous occasion storytelling wise. For X16 always served as the finale to a particular tale and it has always been filled to the brim with action and adventure and inspiration. For this is when our extended zombiepocalypse family, would either prepare for a fight ahead or take part in a grand battle royale, one that would see them conquer evil and emerge triumphant and ready for what comes next and well… that’s brought forth roughly a decade of satisfaction for the fans since they’ve enjoyed watching evil be defeated at every turn.
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But with the final season upon us… the time has come for episode sixteen to change drastically for this show. For 1116 of this series, was not the series finale, but really the end of the midway point and because this isn’t the end of the journey just yet, ‘Acts of God’ was a story that was vastly different in just about every way imaginable. Obviously in part, because there’s eight more episodes to go after this one, but more so… because this was merely the beginning of a grand fight for our heroes. One where they faced odds and challenges, they’ve never faced before and where victory was fleeting at best, and it accomplished this harrowing feat… by plunging our heroes into a pair of no-win scenarios.

One of which, involved the follow up to Lance Hornsby’s decision to hire Leah as an assassin. Because she was not only armed to the teeth with guns, something the Alliance hasn’t enjoyed since ‘All Out War’, but she had a bevy of soldiers at her side and that meant Maggie and her dear friends were left to figure out how to win a seemingly unwinnable fight and well… their showdown with Leah went about as well as one might expect. Since it resulted in loss and separation and more devastation at Hilltop, and eventually… a one-on-one showdown between Leah and Maggie. Which is a fight that Maggie nearly lost and had it not been for Daryl, who knows if she would have seen another day with her son.

Speaking of Daryl, he too faced impossible odds in this tale. Since Hornsby separated Daryl, and Aaron, and Gabriel from the frontlines to not only handle his revenge mission, but to do away with them as well since they were obviously not Commonwealth material in his eyes and while Daryl and the boys were triumphant in stopping the ambush and saving Maggie and her friends in the process, they’re lost at this point and without a home or anywhere to go. For the Commonwealth is everywhere and well, we’ll get to the other half of that problem in a moment. Because we do need to talk about the fight back in the Commonwealth and how our intrepid and amazing heroes there, may have bitten off more than they can chew. 

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Because in order to really bring about change in the Commonwealth and perhaps put an end to the ugly stuff happening behind the scenes, they needed absolute proof that moves were happening and that people were going missing. So that said proof could be shown to the public and well, that meant Max had to make quite the decision. In that, she could either stand by and hope for other means to present the truth to the community or she could step up and get the evidence herself and potentially face some serious heat from Pamela and her administration and well… when faced with a need to stand up for the greater good… she went for broke and went after the files that contained the proof she needed in the scariest manner possible. 
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For while she was preparing to move them back to Connie’s place, good ol’ Sebastian decided to barge in drunk in the hopes of talking with his mother about his current financial strife, putting the whole plan at risk. But the alcohol seemed to allow for Sebastian to back off and that in turn, allowed for Connie and the group to realize, they were onto something huge, and this needed to go print and it did. But there was no sweeping change or riots in the streets once the Commonwealth learned of this mess. Instead, there was merely implication and fury from Pamela, who immediately showed the newspaper containing the truth to Max with anger in her eyes. Leaving us to wonder if Sebastian’s sly look at the file, meant that he used the moment for financial and personal gain and sadly… we will have to wait until part three of the final season to find out, and that’s fine.

Because we have plenty else to worry about in the meantime. Such as the grand reveal of what Lance has been planning all along. In that he wanted the Commonwealth to take over all off the communities and their resources and potential. Giving him a fiefdom to rule over and well… that reveal came forth by revealing the fact, that it was mission accomplished for Lance Hornsby. For the closing moments of this tale, saw the flag of the Commonwealth drop over the gates of Alexandria and Hilltop while the good people of Oceanside faced their possible end. Hammering home, the reality that this episode sixteen, was bleak and devastating in nature. For our heroes genuinely lost for the first time ever and there is currently no quick route to an upper hand or path to victory over a far more efficient and armored foe. 

Which is… the perfect way to set the stage for the final eight episodes in this storied franchise. For now, the stakes are at their highest and our heroes will face their greatest challenge and that is going to make the wait for part three, downright excruciating. Because we simply have to know how this story is going to end and whether or not our heroes will win the day and save lives and topple one of the last great evils left in this broken world. But while we wait to settle in for a bittersweet farewell to one of the finest horror franchises to ever grace the airwaves, we can bask in the wonder of a powerhouse midseason finale. One that informed us that this saga is going to end in a manner far differently than how modern society did in this tale… with a bang… instead of a whimper. Until next time.

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