'The Walking Dead' Recap: 'The Key'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

​There will always be conflict and challenges to face in our lives, but when it comes to the big ones, the kind where we are forced to struggle and fight on a daily basis for an extended period of time, we eventually come to wonder whether or not our plight and our push even remotely make a difference. After all, we only know our side of the fight and the fact that this matter continues to drag on puts doubt in our minds as to whether or not it’s even worth our time, and oddly enough, that particular conundrum is starting to become a concern for everyone in the Alliance on The Walking Dead, and with good reason.
 
Because while their fight against the Saviors has been just and true, it’s been costly to say the least and really, the Saviors just keep on coming, leaving the good guys and gals to ponder upon the question that I posed just a moment ago. Thankfully though, last night’s episode of the show, ‘They Key’, took the time to address that matter by giving the audience some solid insight as to the effectiveness of this struggle and wouldn’t you know it, the fight is indeed starting to get to and rattle the Saviors through and through, and the two men who made this inherently clear were Simon and Negan. 
 
Granted, we’ve already seen cracks in Simon’s foundation since he did snap at Negan a few weeks ago about the direction of the fight shortly before slaughtering the Scavengers, but I think plenty of us just saw that as an act pure evil, not something born out of fear and frustration. But the fact that Simon took the time in this episode, ironically, to try and sell his concerns about the Saviors’ plight as a whole to Dwight, combined with some other bold actions that we will get into in a moment, fully demonstrate the fact that he’s struggling with the pushback from the Alliance and the threat to his way of life that comes from that, is shattering Simon to his core. 

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But the finest example of how effective the Alliance has become at getting under the skin of their enemy, was evidenced by Rick’s actions in this episode. Because in a stunning twist, Rick tracked down Negan’s ride as the Saviors made their way toward Hilltop and went after the man himself, ramming his sworn enemy’s car, which kicked off a high speed chase and let’s be honest, ladies and gents, that’s the first time we’ve ever seen Negan truly terrified and well, the terror didn’t end there for the Despot we love to hate, since Rick eventually upended Negan’s car and chased him into an abandoned building.
 
It was here where the episode shined because at long last, we finally had us a little Rick and Negan showdown, and boy was this a true treat through and through. We’ve wanted these two men to square off mano y mano for some time now and well, this segment delivered in spades. Because finally, Rick found a way to shake Negan’s psyche with his own carefully curated words and it was just magnificent to see this enigmatic villain confused and frightened and frustrated for a change and it would seem that Negan has finally met his match in Rick Grimes and when all is said and done, it is extremely satisfying to finally see that the Alliance is starting to break their enemy. 
 
However, while all of this was going on, the ladies at Hilltop had to deal with an unexpected surprise. Because outside of the walls was a set of crates with a note, informing them that if they filled the crates with food and vinyl records, and brought it all to a specific set of coordinates, they would receive something special in return. It was a gamble that only Michonne was willing to explore at first, but what they found by complying with the note’s wishes was, fascinating to say the least. Because there was a van waiting at the rendezvous point, and a woman named Georgie who simply promised knowledge in exchange for the goods and the gentle nature of this woman straight up confused Maggie and her friends, to the point where she ordered everyone to take the van and the food inside of it back to Hilltop.

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​That decision, led to quite the important showdown at Hilltop. Because the situation at hand was suddenly moving Maggie and Enid down a dark path, one where they started to sound like their enemy and Michonne was happy to call them both to the carpet on that and remind them that being better people has to be a fundamental for the group going forward, and once that sunk in, Maggie respected the deal and was surprised and well rewarded for her decision. Because Georgie only took the records, and shared some of her food, and also provided them with ‘The Key’ in question, a book on how to rebuild the basics of modern civilization.
 
It was the first act of genuine kindness we’ve seen on the series in ages when it comes to a stranger and I truly respect that the series continues to hammer home Carl’s vision of a better world, because he was always right when it comes to that, and it’s wonderful to see that others share in his vision after all and hopefully this act of kindness from the mysterious Georgie helps to continue to bring out the best in all of them. But, all of that may have to wait for a little while, because Simon eventually abandoned the search for Negan to assume leadership of the Saviors, which means the Hilltop is in real trouble now because Simon is ready to wipe that place out in order to bring forth his vision of a world where the Saviors cut their losses and simply move on…
 
In the end however, what a cool episode through and through. Everything was about subtlety in this tale, and the fine acting from the cast in this one is what sells its finer points and, it also ended up being quite the intense affair, thanks to the awesome showdown between Rick and Negan. However, the other real wonder of this episode comes from the fact that it leaves us with a powerful sense of dread. Because Simon is on his way and unhinged at last and with Negan now in Jadis’ hands, is there anyone else that can reach Simon and get him to stand down before it’s too late? Or will we bear witness to the bloodiest battle to date in this unfortunate war? Guess we will find out next week, until then…

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