'The Walking Dead' Recap: 'Mercy'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

If there's one thing we can all agree upon, it's that The Walking Dead is a supremely dark and riveting television show, and for proof, look no further than some of the harrowing events we've all been privy to over the past seven years. We've experienced heartbreak and terror as Rick Grimes and his now extended family have done their best to survive at the end of the world, and despite the seemingly endless bleak moments that this series has provided us with, something magical happened at the end of season seven...it seemed as though the fog was lifting at last and this saga was moving toward something far more hopeful and inspiring. 

Granted, the show has flirted with hopeful moments before, but never like this. In fact, I cannot remember a time prior to the finale where we have seen the characters truly seize control of their destiny in fearless and powerful fashion and really, the big question on my mind going into last night's season eight premiere, was whether or not 'Mercy' was going to continue this upbeat style of storytelling, and wouldn't you know it...it did. Because last night's episode was simply a joy to watch thanks in large part to a thrilling storyline that saw the three communities build upon the victory they enjoyed against the Saviors in 'The First Day of the Rest of your Life', but the joy also came about from the fact that this was a supremely forward thinking episode, one that explored the power of hope and notion of a better tomorrow.

But before we spend too much time on the latter of those concepts, let's take a moment and talk about what Rick's Allied Forces accomplished last night simply because it was downright impressive and incredibly cool to boot. Because last night saw an emboldened alliance work together in seamless fashion, to the point where they were able to draw away Negan's forces and improvise armor in a manner that actually allowed for everyone to simply roll up to the Saviors' front door and knock in order to make Negan and his Lieutenants a simple offer; surrender now and hand over Negan and there would be peace and absolution for their part in this whole mess and of course, they tried to stall when it came to said offer, which led to the execution of Rick's awesome master plan.

It was, at long last, time for the Saviors to have something to fear and after a heavy assault from the allies, the fine work of Daryl, Carol, Tara and Morgan allowed for the best part of this plan to come to fruition; when a giant herd of the living dead that they worked delicately to direct finally arrived at the Saviors' doorstep, surrounding the place, and well...this was a genius move on Rick's part. After all, with their windows shot out, every single human being within the complex will be subjected to the horrible noises the living dead make on a regular basis, and the stench, which will at some point will no doubt drive some of Negan's followers mad, and while this may not win the war, it demonstrates that Rick Grimes is not to be messed with, and it also buys Rick and his own lieutenants time to take out Negan's outposts and plan their next move. 

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But all of that complex action aside, we do have some uplifting stuff to talk about because there was just so much of it to be found in this episode. For starters, it was truly beautiful to see everyone focused on a better tomorrow and understand why they're fighting this good fight. It's not about revenge, or malice, Rick, Maggie and King Ezekiel truly believe they're doing this to make the world a better place; one free of men like Negan and their ill intentions and clearly their message is resonating through and through. Because everywhere you looked, despite the fear prevalent on the faces of the soldiers that went into battle, their words at the meeting before the battle, and their actions spoke volumes to all of us in that...they're done with being afraid and they're done with others dictating their future and they're willing to fight to finally enjoy some lasting peace and quiet. 

However, while it was nice to see everyone thinking about a better world, in reality two key characters drove the point home when it comes to the power of hope and the wonderful things it can do for a person; Rick and Carl Grimes. If anything, the elder Grimes used the notion to more or less transform himself because when you think about it, it wasn't that long ago that fear and anger consumed Rick to the point where he was unrecognizable, and now it would seem he's harnessing all of that as fuel in his quest since it's clear now that the idea of his children living in a world where men like Negan rule is unacceptable and that same fuel is finally allowing for Rick to be unselfish in what he does, to the point where was able to back down when Gabriel told him it was time to do so and it was simply beautiful to see Rick finally believe in something so grand and so great and hey I won't lie, the riveting speeches he delivered in this episode were simply out of this world.

But truly, the most magical moment of the night came by way of the younger Grimes. Because after years of worrying about how young Carl is going to turn out in a world like this, and considering how much anger he's carried in his heart as well, going so far as to try and kill Negan on his own...it's clear now that he too needs something to believe in and being so close to his dad and seeing Rick's transformation has served Carl well since he is now starting to understand the value of life. Heck, he even took the time to lecture his father on the need to show kindness to everyone after seeing dear old dad chase off a starving stranger at a gas station early on in the episode before returning to the place at the end of the story, with food and an apology in hand and well...that was quite the touching moment to see play out on screen and it signaled the fact that the fight to make the world a better place is just, and that at long last...maybe there's hope for humanity in this world after all. 

If anything, the 100th episode of The Walking Dead truly served as a 'best of' reel for this magnificent series. We got to see plenty, and I do mean plenty, of walkers. We saw the best parts of humanity win out over fear and anger and there were even a couple of easter eggs to boot thanks to the entire opening segment at the gas station and the 'blink and you'll miss it' echo of the first walker we ever saw on the series and when all is said and done, I loved this episode through and through. It feels as though those of us who stuck with the supremely dark season seven are being rewarded at last and considering how this one ended, with Gabriel trapped in the darkness with Negan, and no resolution on the assaults on the outposts, I'm dying to know where the story goes next. Either way, it would seem this show has found a wonderful new groove thanks to this episode and I think it's safe to assume that the darkest days of the series are now behind us and a potentially beautiful future awaits, after this all out war comes to an end. Until next time. 

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