Just when things look bleak, The Walking Dead family finds the courage to keep fighting. In “Faith,” Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Ezekiel (Khary Peyton) plan a revolt at the work camp. Eugene (Josh McDermitt) goes to trial.
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The question of whether or not Negan can be redeemed has been explored in the past two seasons. He has a lot to make up for, but not everyone in Team Family was around when Negan was at his worst. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) allowed Negan to live despite his crimes. Not everyone was able to forgive as easily. Judith (Cailey Fleming) says her dad wanted mercy to prevail over wrath. If they lose that, they lose everything.
UPRISING
Last week, Negan and Ezekiel made a deal to work together to get their people out of Alexandria. They recruited Magna (Nadia Hilker) and Kelly (Angel Theory), who communicate by sign language. They count the guards around the perimeter and report to Negan. Negan writes down the count and is supposed to give it to Ezekiel, but he gets distracted. He sees Annie (Medina Senghore) working nearby and asks the guard to give him her shifts so she can rest. The guard beats him up instead. Annie tries to stop them and the guards hold her back
Princess (Paola Lázaro) spots Tyler Davis (Cameron Scott Roberts) working in the same area. She points it out to Ezekiel, saying Tyler could be useful. Tyler is the guy who took Max (Margot Bingham) hostage when Team Family first arrived in the Commonwealth. After he surrendered to Daryl (Norman Reedus), Tyler disappeared. Ezekiel and Negan approach Tyler to ask him to join them. Tyler says people have tried to escape and were killed for it. Ezekiel tries to convince him that they can change things if they all work together. Two guards come in and take Negan away. That’s enough to convince Tyler not to join them.
Trooper 197 (Mahdi Cocci) takes Negan to the warden (Michael Weaver). Before the trooper can leave, the warden informs him that his transfer request was denied. Trooper 197 tries to protest, saying his brother is sick and he needs to go to him. The warden says the guard should have made the request directly to him instead of going around him. He extends Trooper 197’s duty at the rail yard another six months. Negan sees the trooper clinch his fist before leaving.
FORCED BETRAYAL
The troopers found the guard count that Negan was keeping. The Warden knows that someone is keeping track of the guards. Negan pretends that he doesn’t know anything about it. The Warden knows there’s a threat among the new people. He thought it was Negan was the leader, but Negan says he’s not a part of that group. All of those people hate his guts, except for his wife. The Warden asks Negan to find out who the leader is, but Negan doesn’t want to. The Warden threatens Annie to make him change his mind.
Negan is allowed to see Annie after his meeting with the Warden. She is happy to see him and they both agree that they will get out of Alexandria. Annie is worried about what the Warden said to Negan. Negan tells her not to worry. He knows how to handle the Warden because he used to be him. He will take care of the Warden. Annie says okay. Negan can take care of the warden if she doesn’t get to him first.
Ezekiel asks Negan what the Warden said. Negan says the warden put him on latrine duty for his outburst. Ezekiel tells him not to do that again. They start to argue. Ezekiel says they are not friends. He hasn’t forgotten what Negan took from him. He still holds a grudge for Benjamin’s death. And Negan’s apology doesn’t make up for it. If they get out, Negan doesn’t deserve a new life. And he doesn’t deserve to be a father. Negan says he will be a father. He tells Ezekiel to live in the past. And he’s going to live his life for his kid. Negan goes to the warden. He says he knows who is leading the uprising.
TROUBLE IN THE WOODS
Aaron’s (Ross Marquand) group continue their trip to Oceanside and run into Luke (Dan Fogler) and Jules (Alex Sgambati). Luke tells the group that the Commonwealth took over Oceanside. Luke and Jules were hunting when the Commonwealth troops showed up. Rachel (Avianna Mynhier) didn’t want to fight back. She sent them to warn everyone. Aaron and Jerry (Cooper Andrews) say they have them now and everyone is heading to Alexandria.
They hear Commonwealth vehicles approaching. The group can’t outrun the troop. Lydia (Cassady McClincy) sees a group of walkers nearby. There are also a few dead walkers next to them. That gives her an idea.
THE TRIAL OF EUGENE PORTER
Eugene’s trial begins with testimony from Pamela (Laila Robins) about the day Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson) died. She cries for her son on the stand, trying to gain sympathy from the jury. Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) gets up to cross examine and starts off asking about the lottery. Pamela says the lottery is an opportunity for the people of the Commonwealth and the crowd groans. Yumiko reminds everyone that Sebastian said the lottery was a lie. Pamela says the voice on the tape was not Sebastians. She claims the tape was altered by Eugene.
While on a break, Eugene can hear a crowd of people protesting Pamela’s rule. Eugene is proud of Yumiko for putting the doubt in people’s minds. Yumiko is scared that they may not be able to do anything fast enough. Pamela still has control of the troops. She’s afraid they will lose the case and the protesting crowd won’t be able to do anything to stop what happens next.
Eugene says it’s time to accept his fate. He had a feeling he would be found guilty and die. And he will let that happen without a fight. Yumiko says they need Mercer (Michael James Shaw) to speak out about the corruption. Max doesn’t Mercer will speak out against Pamela. If he was going to, he would have done it when they took Princess. Also, Max can’t get anywhere near Mercer’s office. Yumiko can though.
LAST DITCH EFFORT
Yumiko is waiting for Mercer in his office when he arrives. He tells her to leave. She tries to appeal to his feelings for Princess, but he knows she was taken. Yumiko is shocked. She doesn’t believe that he doesn’t care. They need him to testify against Pamela. He says doing so won’t change anything. He ‘s committed to his duty so Yumiko leaves.
The trial comes to a close. The judge asks if the defense rests its case. Yumiko looks at Mercer, but he keeps his eyes down. Eugene addresses the court. He doesn’t want his fate to discourage his friends from doing the right thing. He fell into a bad crowd once. And even though he wasn’t the one swinging the bat, he had blood on his hands. He hated himself for that. Eugene says he did something to change the world. It only takes one person to do that. The defense rests.
The judge announces that Eugene is found guilty of murder. His sentencing will occur an hour later. The guards take him away as people in the courtroom begin yelling in protest. Pamela Milton walks out of the courtroom with a smile on her face. Max is distraught and looks at her brother.
FAITH
Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) did some recon on Alexandria. They found the adults, but not the children. Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Rosita (Christian Serratos) are anxious to get into the community to look for the kids. The group decides to go through the sewers to get inside. Daryl and Connie (Lauren Ridloff) will go the windmill; Carol and Maggie will go to Carol’s old house; and Rosita and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) watch from outside the walls. At first Rosita protested, but she and Gabriel are their best snipers. She agrees to stay back, at least until the next day.
Carol and Maggie make it into Alexandria first. Carol’s house is heavily guarded. They almost get caught, but come on … These two are dangerous. They make their way to a closet and wait for the troops to clear out. Maggie starts crying, scared that she won’t find Hershel (Kien Michael Spiller). She asks if she was being selfish by bringing Hershel into this world. Carol consoles her. She says she felt selfish for missing Sophia and Henry so much and wanting them to come back, but it’s not. Carol says Maggie tries to make the world better because of Hershel, not for him. That’s hope. The tears stop because they hear knocking and a child’s voice from outside.
Daryl and Connie take a little longer to get inside of Alexandria. They run into a couple of walkers in the sewers. Connie can sense that Daryl is scared and says she’s scared too.
SETTING AN EXAMPLE
Later that night, the troopers wake everyone up and take them to the windmill. They take Ezekiel to the front of the crowd. The warden says there is a traitor in their midst. He looks right at Ezekiel and says the traitor is someone who thinks he’s above the rules. Two troopers bring out Negan. The warden says Negan admitted to spearheading a rebellion. He says any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt because they were not acting of their own freewill. Only Negan will be punished, but the group needs to see it so they remember.
Annie runs to Negan and the troops stop her. He tells her that it will be okay. The troops move Negan next to the windmill. Annie screams while the other troopers take their place in front of Negan with guns in hand. The warden tells them to aim and Negan smiles at the crowd.
The warden stops and says there are no martyrs. He saw Negan smile. So he grabs Annie and sets her next to Negan. They will die together. Negan starts screaming at the warden to take only him. He tells the troopers to aim again. Negan looks at Trooper 197, appealing to him based on family.
Ezekiel steps out of the crowd and stands in front of the couple. Magna, Kelly, Princess, Nabila (Nadine Marissa), and Tyler follow. The rest of the prisoners begin joining them one by one, standing in front of Negan and Annie.
TAKING A STAND
The warden tells the troops to shoot them all. Ezekiel says they don’t have to do this . The world is broken but they don’t have to be. Trooper 197 lowers his gun and others begin to step back. A couple of troopers stand their ground and Trooper 197 shoots one. The warden grabs Kelly and puts a gun to her head. The warden backs away from the crowd, towards the back of the windmill, where Daryl waits for him. Daryl stabs the warden, making him fall to the ground. Connie grabs her sister as everyone stares at the newcomers.
Maggie and Carol take advantage of the soldiers all called to the windmill. They search the house and find Hershel tied up in a room, yelling for help. There is a trooper in the room with him, telling him to shut up. Carol shoots the trooper in the head and Maggie rushes to her son. He unties him and gives him a big hug. Rosita runs in and asks if they found Coco. She checked the other house and there was no sign of the baby. Hershel says Coco wasn’t with them.
IT’S TIME
Aaron and the others covered themselves with walker blood and guts. They walk with a group of walkers from the woods. Two Commonwealth jeeps drive by with a spotlight on the walkers. The two jeeps meet in the middle and shine their light on the group from the front of the herd. When they leave, a walker bumps into Lydia, making her drop her knife. The walker falls to the ground and when it stands up, it takes a hold of the knife.
Rosita and Gabriel run to the group as Negan is about to kill the Warden. Rosita demands to know where her daughter is, but the Warden just smiles at her. The dead trooper reanimates. Rosita grabs him and holds him in front of the warden’s face. She asks again where the baby is. The warden says she will lose everything. Rosita releases the walker on the warden as everyone watches.
Back at the Commonwealth, a group of troopers put a hood on Eugene and take him for a walk. He walks down the hall of the jail. Eugene can see Mercer waiting for him at the end. The troopers take the hood off and we can see that Eugene has been crying. They take the handcuffs off of Eugene. Mercer looks Eugene in the eyes. “Time to f**k s**t up!”
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The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC. You can watch the entire season 11 on AMC+.
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