The Walking Dead S11E09 Review: One Chapter Ends As Another Begins

So if the opening moment to “No Other Way” (directed by Jon Amiel and written by Corey Reed) felt like a ten-ton metaphor for the long-running AMC series’ 11th & final season, you’re not alone. Because when that firework hit that walker and blew it into a million gory pieces, we weren’t just seeing a brutal demonstration of Leah (Lynn Collins) and the Reapers’ (cool band name) ultimate weapon. Oh no, my fellow The Walking Dead fans. What we witnessed was the show telling us that from this point forward, everything we’ve come to expect and gotten to know about the series is about to have a crossbow arrow shit threw its brain. Because as we’ve seen over the past few months, the road in Part 2 leads to Mercer (Michael James Shaw), Milton (Laila Robins), Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) & the Commonwealth and the next chapter in our survivors’ story.

But before that next chapter can begin, Amiel and Reed had the dual responsibility of closing the book on the Reapers and helping Alexandria weather a walker storm while paving the way for the future with this weekend’s return episode. So how did they do? Well, before we get to that we’re going to have to throw on the “MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!” sign and throw down an image spoiler buffer because a deep dive into “No Other Way” is on the way.

If you’ve had a chance to check out my previous review for TWD or other shows, then you know that I have pretty cut-and-dry expectations when it comes to series/season-openers as well as midseason return episodes. With “No Other Way” falling more in the latter category, what I needed from the creative team was a proper wrap-up to the cliffhanger we were left with followed by an introduction of some kind to where things will be headed moving forward. When it comes to the former, I’m pleased to say that not only did they wrap up the Reapers in a way that made sense but they also sold me on a “big bad” that I wasn’t fully impressed with during previous episodes.

With the “perfect storm” threat of Mother Nature and walkers happening in Alexandria, Aaron (Ross Marquand), Judith (Cailey Fleming), Rosita (Christian Serratos), and Lydia (Cassady McClincy) were given their chances to shine, which was greatly appreciated and spoke well of the show’s continued emphasis on being an ensemble series. As for the latter, my only complaint is that I wish we had a few extra minutes with Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Hornsby, and maybe an exchange or two with some of our folks. That said, bonus points to Amiel and Reed for not only the impressively creative way they handled the visuals on the time jump but also leaving us with a cliffhanger for next week that actually hit us harder than Leah unleashing the Reapers’ fireworks show at the end of Part 1.

Now let’s look at some random thoughts/takeaways I had over the episode, so buckle up!

Super Aaron! From the standpoint of just how far a character has come since they were first introduced, Marquand’s Aaron is still an under-appreciated MVP who gets some “Die Hard” like moments to show off just how multi-faceted he’s become. From loving father and both leader to fierce warrior, every single personality trait of his was on display and it worked. For a brief second, there’s a good chance that Aaron had me feeling bad for the walkers, and bonus points to Marquand, McClincy, Amiel, and Reed for that sweet moment between Lydia and Aaron.

Gabriel: When Not Hearing Voices Might Not Be A Good Thing: Speaking of characters with impressive multi-season growth, we’ve gone from not being the biggest fan of Seth Gilliam‘s Gabriel to genuinely being concerned for his well-being. It would be one thing if I thought Gabriel had lost his faith, but it’s worse than that. Gabriel’s functioning under his own faith-based system and which clearly includes wielding a righteous sword (or machete… or sniper rifle) is part of how his “faith” works for him. And yes, we will readily admit that Gabriel was pretty badass this episode (“Call me… Gabriel” may be the line of the episode). But his actions vibe less heroic and goal-oriented as they do scorched-earth and almost like a suicide run on his part. And yet he hits us with that “I’m trying” and our heart breaks for a man who may have crossed too many lines to ever go back. And just like the Lydia/Aaron moment, it was nice to see a rare instance of Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Gabriel having some one-on-one time to talk.

So Was It What Maggie Really Wanted? Look, I’m going to be perfectly blunt. I agree with Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) decision to wipe out the Reapers even after a deal for them to walk was agreed upon. There was absolutely no guarantee that they wouldn’t come back looking for revenge, plus imagine how many more innocents would have been slaughtered as they rebuilt their ranks. That said, we also know that this was Maggie finally getting a chance to follow through on what she wanted to do to Negan seasons back- to show Rick that her way was the right way. But though it may have been in the moment, in the bigger picture it loses validity. Because Negan is not only a reminder of what she lost but also that Rick was right. That’s why she’s waiting for him to screw up so she can put him down and prove that in the end that she was right. But not out of some sense of selfish ego at all. No, Maggie needs to be right because it helps her deal with the decisions she’s had to make and the people she’s lost along the way- like Alden (Callan McAuliffe). But in being “right,’ we see that it may have cost her some of those she holds most dear.

“Walk the Earth. You Know… Like Negan on ‘The Walking Dead'”: And the award for what might’ve been the smartest decision of the episode goes to Jeffrey Dean Morgan‘s Negan, who clearly “read the room” when it came to Maggie and he quickly realized that his future might end up looking exactly like the Reapers’. While it’s pretty safe to say based on preview images for later episodes that we’ve seen that this Negan won’t be disappearing as his comic book counterpart did, I’m fascinated to see what the time jump has in store for him.

Random Thoughts: As awesome as the reunion at Alexandria was, bonus points go to Reedus for showing how easily Daryl drops his defenses when Connie (Lauren Ridloff) appears, and to Melissa McBride‘s Carol for how much she loved seeing the two reunite. As for the Commonwealth tease at the end, can it get much better than having Maggie and Daryl on opposing sides- and with both looking like they mean business? And the last thing… that three-on-one fight between Maggie, Negan, and Okea Eme-Akwari‘s Elijah against Carver (Alex Meraz) was so one-sided that it reminded me of this:

The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 9 “No Other Way”

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Review by Ray Flook

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8.5/10

If you’ve had a chance to check out my previous reviews of AMC’s The Walking Dead or other shows, then you know that I have pretty cut-and-dry expectations when it comes to series/season-openers as well as midseason return episodes. With “No Other Way” falling more in the latter category, what I needed from the creative team was a proper wrap-up to the cliffhanger we were left with followed by an introduction of some kind to where things will be headed moving forward. When it comes to the former, I’m pleased to say that not only did they wrap up the Reapers in a way that made sense but they also sold me on a “big bad” that I wasn’t fully impressed with during previous episodes. As for the latter, my only complaint is that I wish we had a few extra minutes with Eugene and Hornsby, and maybe an exchange or two with some of our folks. That said, bonus points to Jon Amiel and Corey Reed for not only the impressively creative way they handled the visuals on the time jump but also leaving us with a cliffhanger for next week that actually hit us harder than Leah unleashing the Reapers’ fireworks show at the end of Part 1.