‘The Walking Dead’ “Say Yes” starts with Rick and Michonne on a romantic road trip, but nothing is what it seems in the TWD ‘verse. How long will the honeymoon last? Tonight’s relative peace is likely the calm before the storm.
“Say Yes” works hard to show Rick and Michonne as a functional team, capitalizing on conversations from episodes past. In episode 8, Michonne, urging Rick to fight Negan, tells Rick, “I wanted it to be our [way]. Me and you.” Since then, the dynamic duo has coordinated two horde slaughters. It seems there’s nothing these two can’t do together.
The “Say Yes” zombie slaughter takes place at a small carnival. A play land is an interesting choice for tonight’s action sequence, seeing as the couple, for the most part, was downright giddy as they lobbed zombie heads. The fun screeches to a halt when ‘The Walking Dead’ recycles an old psych-out.
Rick, spotting a deer (a tribute he “owes” Michonne), drifts from the plan to fetch the prize. While in the process of taking aim, Rick falls from the rickety Ferris wheel into a swarm of zombies. With some tricky editing (a la Glenn’s fake death), it looked as though the swarm descended on Rick, paralyzing Michonne with shock and horror.
Not to worry, The Walking Dead’s fearless leader springs from a hiding space in time to toss his befuddled beloved her katana and to get her back in the fight. The two leave the fair ground flush with food supplies and sixty-some-odd guns.
Distraught, Michonne and Rick have a heart to heart. He divulges his sleepless nights, a natural byproduct of his recent losses, leadership pressures, and imminent war. Michonne shares with Rick that she couldn’t continue without him. He promptly corrects her, telling her that their mission is bigger than them and it’s up to her to lead should he die.
His advice is reminiscent of Rick’s talk with Carl in Season 2. He tells Carl that death is inevitable and the best they can do is avoid it as long as possible. Is the series bracing us for a major character’s death? A big war is brewing, and surely at least one fan favorite won’t survive.
The top two contenders for early death are Rosita and Sasha. Rosita has run out of patience and again is prepared to take matters into her own hands.
With Sasha’s help, she is ready to make another play for assassinating Negan. Her intentions are likely to have grave consequences; the women make a lethal pact.
Should they fail, which is likely, they cannot let the Saviors take them alive. They will have to kill themselves to protect The Hilltop, The Kingdom, and Alexandria. Even if they do kill themselves, Negan knows Rosita’s face. The last time she tried to kill him, Spencer paid the price. Is her attack worth risking the life of another innocent person?
Will someone intervene? The two will leave from The Hilltop. Will Maggie talk some sense into them? After all, Maggie has suffered the greatest loss, the death of her husband and father of her unborn child. If she hasn’t gone rogue, what gives Sasha and Rosita the right?
Sasha and Rosita aren’t the only characters with a dilemma. Tara, after much deliberation and a frustrating meeting with Jadis, decides to tell Rick about Oceanside. Tara is hesitant to share Oceanside with Rick because it will likely end badly. Will Oceanside band with Rick and his alliance, or will they fight to stay out of the war with Negan?
What did you think of tonight’s episode? What Walking Dead callbacks did you notice in “Say Yes”? You can leave your insights and questions in the comment section below.
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