‘The Walking Dead’ Recap: ‘No Other Way’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1109 of ‘The Walking Dead’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When we last settled in to enjoy the iconic AMC series, The Walking Dead, we left a situation that was quite grim. After all, Alexandria was being battered by a vicious storm and the living dead had infiltrated this broken community. Leading to a dangerous fire and a house full of survivors that found themselves fighting hordes of the dead in order to secure a chance at another tomorrow. Plus, Daryl and Maggie and their group of heroes… dealt with disaster in Meridian. For despite defeating Pope, his right-hand gal, Leah, was eager to exact revenge and finish this fight, leaving all of us to wonder… exactly how they were going to get out of this mess and who would survive this horrible night in Meridian and Alexandria. 
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Well thankfully, our long and unsettled wait for the return of the show has finally come to an end, for last night saw the premiere of Part 2 of the final season of this stunning series and well, ‘No Other Way’ wasted little time in plunging us back into these nightmare scenarios to show us what comes next. Which in Alexandria, involved more trouble and worry for these good people. Because despite being able to keep the horde at bay at the staircase of the house, Judith and Grace were still trapped in the basement and trying their best to keep the walkers at bay. But it wasn’t long before they breached the doors and made their way down the stairs, putting these innocent lives in harm’s way with no help in sight, since everyone else was occupied.

For those that weren’t fighting the dead, were fighting the fires on the other side of town and that was going pretty badly for certain. Because despite Aaron’s best efforts to put out the flames, it appeared as though his fire team was instead stoking them and making matters worse and if they didn’t get it under control soon… it would destroy the windmill and let waves of the living dead through the hole left behind. But thankfully, once Carol’s team finished their sweep of walkers, they were able to join in and help… allowing for Aaron to do something about the situation back at the house. For Gracie fired off their special signal to let him know she was in dire need of assistance and Aaron being the great father and downright good person that he is… wasted little time in coming to their aid. 

In fact, he was quickly able to rescue the girls and move them to safety and well, that came with a hefty price. For his escape route was blocked by a wave of walkers and while he was able to figure out how to use the pipes in the basement to maneuver about and steer clear of rotten hands and mottled jaws, the pipes weren’t holding. Leaving all of us to wonder if by chance, we were about to bear witness to a genuinely heartbreaking moment in this series. One that harkened back to the days where series leads didn’t make it through a season. But thankfully, Lydia was able to get free from the fight upstairs and save Aaron, bringing a moment of joy to Alexandria and the audience as well, since a fan favorite was saved at last and so was the town.

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However, while Alexandria’s battle with nature and the undead ended in a joyous manner, the same cannot be said for Daryl and Maggie’s journey. Because when we catch up with them, the battle at Meridian is nothing short of a blood bath, for the Reapers’ super weapon rained down fire and explosions and forced everyone into hiding and of course, that meant more bloodshed was on the horizon. Since the Reapers wanted revenge for their fallen leader, and Daryl came to realize that if a different course of action wasn’t taken, the bloodshed and the loss would continue with no point to it, and that gave him quite the idea. In that, if they could force a stalemate, one that would motivate Leah and her team to leave Meridian for all time, peace could resume and no more lives had to be lost and for a brief moment there, it appeared as though Daryl’s plan for peace was going to work.
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Since Leah agreed to the terms and made her way out of town. But alas, Daryl didn’t count on the fact that Maggie was still in a tough place mentally regarding what the Reapers did to the people of this town and in an instant, she took revenge upon each and every one of them. Killing three of the remaining Reapers and badly wounding Leah. Ending the fight on a sour and dark note since clearly, Maggie was giving into everything she swore she would never become, and the darkness and costly nature of this journey didn’t end there. For Maggie came to learn that Alden didn’t survive his wounds and turned, and to make matters worse, her actions against Negan… finally motivated him to give up on everything and be on his own. Making this entire voyage for food a pyrrhic victory for certain since Maggie lost more than she bargained for.

However, despite the losses she and the others suffered, and the damage done to Alexandria, there was a happy reunion at the end of this tale. One that made it seem as though decent times were ahead. For repairs were underway, food was back within the walls, and everyone was reunited. But that’s when this episode took quite the stunning turn. For in its closing moments, the Army of the Commonwealth arrived at the gates of Alexandria, with Eugene and Lance Hornby right behind them and well… Lance offered them quite the sweet deal. In that, they could stay and receive what they needed to survive or come back with the army and live a better life inside the Commonwealth itself. Giving everyone some kind of future at last and tough decisions were clearly made in that moment, since a flash forward informed us, that Maggie returned to Hilltop and Daryl joined the army and apparently… old friends are in a sour place six months down the line.

Why exactly, we don’t quite know. But it will only be a matter of time before the show reveals to us why exactly Maggie and Daryl are at odds and why Hilltop didn’t join the Commonwealth. But while we patiently wait to learn more about this twist, we can bask in the majesty… of an outright incredible tale. Because this one, was devoid of deeper meaning and commentary, it was just all-out action and adventure and scares and emotion, and it took all of us on one heck of an emotional rollercoaster ride. One that quite frankly, left this writer feeling exhausted when all is said and done, because it did not waste a single moment nor did it let the audience breathe. It just assaulted our senses and reminded us of what this show can do when it applies itself, and it will be quite interesting to see what comes next for our intrepid heroes and learn who stayed with Maggie at Hilltop, and who agreed to enjoy the creature comforts of the Commonwealth. Until next time.  

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