Wow.
After this long, it’s hard to believe we’d call The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 12 the single darkest installment ever, but …
If you watch The Walking Dead online, you knew that Rick and the survivors would contemplate what life would be like after Alexandra.
They also knew that for their people, they had to go against the saviors, but that doing so could mean signing their own death warrant.
The assault on Negan’s stronghold wasn’t the entire crux of “Not Tomorrow Yet.” In fact, it looked like we might not even see it yet.
Most of the episode, which built up to the attack and subsequent cliffhanger, focused on Carol’s character development, and humanization.
For example, only she opposed Maggie’s decision to join them.
This was simply terrific organic storytelling, and weaving it into subject matter like this proof positive of why the show is uniquely good.
In any case, the assault on Negan’s base did eventually play out, and it easily made for some of the grimmest moments in TWD history.
Room by room, the sleeping saviors were slaughtered in their sleep. Even in a world like these characters inhabit, it was truly disturbing.
Glenn was nearly in tears, it was so traumatizing. Soon enough, the Saviors got wind of what was going on and took up arms in response.
One epic shootout later, and we are left to pick up the pieces and try to remind ourselves that Rick and his posse are the good guys.
Is Rick that much better than Negan? Is he better at all?
Yet it’s hard to feel too good about sneaking into an enemy camp and murdering people with knives as they sleep, no matter who it is.
Only the battle isn’t over yet. A voice comes across the radio waves, telling them to stand down, and that Maggie and Carol are prisoners.
Guess it was too good to be true that no one was hurt in the initial assault, despite the fact that the mission was so hastily conducted.
The lack of recon and planning involved in this “get them before they get us” suicide mission may cost them yet, looking ahead to next week.
Hopefully by then, our hearts stop pounding.
