'The Walking Dead' Recap: 'Say Yes'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

I distinctly recall the first time my father and I discussed the fact that he watched ​The Walking Dead. Part of the reason that conversation still sticks in my mind is due to the fact that my dad is a great nerd of many things, but horror was never quite his forte, that honor belonged to me. But what really stuck with me in that moment, was when my dad told me he loved the show, because he enjoyed how vastly different it was from other zombie stories in that it was about people doing their best to survive and make it to tomorrow.  

That discussion has been on my mind since I settled in for last night's episode of the show because let's be honest...the show has taken a beating on the web over the past few years for becoming far too dark and for veering off course from what the show was always about, people doing their best to survive. But it truly goes beyond something as simple as that, that statement is all encompassing because what makes this show so great and so inspiring is that it's about humanity surviving and enjoying a second chance to get things right, and when the series focuses on that, when it provides us with a sense of hope, it is at its best and it would seem the second half of season seven is dedicated to getting that theme back on track because 'Say Yes' was filled to the brim with gentle moments, love, recovery for our characters and at long last...hope.

Much of that came from the supply run that we joined Rick and Michonne on, and kudos to this episode for throwing the audience off track with this part of the story since it seemed for a little while there that this was going to end in utter disappointment as so many supply runs on the show do. But a wonderful find at a high school wherein it was clear they had discovered the guns they needed instantly changed the tone of this episode. For the first time in a long time, it seemed as though Alexandria was going to be okay, but before the determined couple went for their prize, it was time for the series to do something it hasn't done in quite a long time...have a little bit of fun for a change and even throw a little romance our way for good measure as well. 

These moments were truly something special, because holy cow, we saw genuine smiles of joy coming from Rick on a regular basis last night and we saw just how in love he is with Michonne. It was basically date night when it came to this trip and this compound and it was sweet to see Rick try and keep the two out there for longer to enjoy a little more of one another's company and it was even sweeter to see Rick tell Michonne that he doesn't want to lead alone once their battle with Negan is complete. That he needs her at his side to help him get through the tough times and the solidarity that came through in that moment, led to perhaps the most poignant scenes in this episode, ones that reinforced hope in the strangest manner possible...by putting these characters through hell.

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Because in their quest to drop the dead and gather up all the weapons needed to get the Heapsters/Scavengers into the fight, it seemed for a brief moment that Rick Grimes had fallen to the dead at last and well...even though he was fine in the end, that moment damn near broke Michonne. She seemed ready to die if her love was gone and it led to a powerful discussion between the two of them where Rick pointed out that more lives will be lost in this upcoming conflict, possibly their own for that matter, but the fight has to go on, Negan has to be defeated so that Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom and Junkyard Town can have a fighting chance at tomorrow.

Now I'm sure some of you out there don't really see that as hopeful necessarily because hey, we're talking about Rick or Michonne possibly dying in the upcoming conflict, and I thought that same thing too at first...but this battle doesn't apply to the rules of our world where we can find a way to save everyone. This is the end of the world, and potentially mankind's last chance to save itself and do things right and these poor folks are faced with the darkest part of survival...kill or be killed. It's about the greater good now, and sadly, sacrifice will be necessary in order for that greater good to survive, especially when it comes to a fight with the Saviors and that's something that Tara came to realize late in the episode since it seems she's ready to tell Rick about the secret community that is Oceanside...

Yet what I truly enjoyed about this episode is the fact that it found a way to spread its uplifting message through every single facet of the story. Case in point, Rosita. She was as angry and as jaded as ever, but a moment between her and Gabriel, where the good reverend pointed out that he had no regrets in talking her out of killing Negan, since that would have led to her own demise, because she was meant for something more in this bold new world, was about as hopeful as it gets. If a preacher can still believe that people can be something wonderful and do incredible things in a world where the dead are returning to life, than perhaps there is a chance that mankind will pull off a miracle after all, despite the fact that it seems Rosita and Sasha are planning a pre-emptive strike...

Either way, that's two solid episodes in a row, and I love that this march to war is leaning toward optimism after everything that's come before it and I was also a big fan of the fact that the specter of George A. Romero hung heavy over this episode. After all, the script felt like something Romero would have written with its in depth analysis of the human condition and the fact that several shots of the dead meandering about looked like something straight out of Dawn of the Dead. But despite the fact this episode left us feeling good, there is still a war coming, and yes heartbreak will happen again but it is these moments we get to hold onto in this grand and sweeping tale because if they win against the Saviors, all the heartbreak will be worth it when these communities rebuild, and raise families and in essence, save mankind from extinction. Until next time.

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