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shimmershae · 2 years

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Season 11, Episode 13--Warlords

I didn’t set an alarm or sit up late for this one, lovelies, even with the welcome addition of my beloved, largely sidelined so far this season Lydia and I hate that because I really do adore her. But I’m still not understanding why they had her throw her hat in with Maggie when Daryl, Carol, and Negan (and recently Aaron) are the characters she actually has some kind of bond with. Like Lydia and Maggie don’t make sense to me. The location—Hilltop being where she met Henry—I can kind of see. But staying behind with Maggie of all people when Lydia has grown to care about Negan? Just what are you trying to accomplish here, Angela. Help me make sense of it.

So yeah. No Carol. No Daryl. More Maggie when we’ve already had an overabundance of her (IMHO) and there’s characters thrown together seemingly for the heck of it. All of it has me less excited for an episode featuring one of my favorites than I really want to be and I hate feeling meh about anything Lydia because we’ve only gotten crumbs so far this season. So yeah. My expectations for enjoying this episode are pretty low. Here’s hoping they can be exceeded.

Anyway. Enough of my blithering. On to the episode in 3-2-1.

Five seconds in and I’m hoping AMC/TWD pay their snake wrangler a pretty penny because those hot mess express weeds look snaky as hell. Sorry. It’s the Southerner in me.

Elijah crushing on my baby girl. Where TF did that come from? Not that Lydia doesn’t deserve a community full of admirers but still. Guess it’s like all of Kang’s “romances.” It happened offscreen.

Speaking of that, how happy am I that this current regime wasn’t in charge during Caryl’s infancy because we would have seen them share a look once if at all and next thing you know, before they even truly started, they would have been over and divorced. It’s almost like Kang can’t write characters meant to be together TOGETHER and I don’t just mean as a ship. I mean the sweet, everyday (could be couple but are really) just human moments that make all the conflict she throws at these characters actually feel like part of their journeys and not just delay tactics.

Okay. But random on his way to dead guy on horseback was kind of lowkey attractive, lol. Shallow point, I know.

When you watch the opening credits and realize some random redshirt villains du jour and also starring characters have had more screen time this season than the show’s leading lady. It’s a special kind of disgust you feel.

But hey. At least Lydia’s already clocked almost as much screen time as she’s accumulated all season in the episode’s opening scene. I overexaggerate but gd. This is a problem.

Sweet, sweet hug between Maggie and Hershel. Poor kid, though. Sounds like this happens to him a lot.

“Getting by is what I’ve been forced to do my whole life. I was told that it makes you stronger and wiser but it doesn’t. It hurts.” Excuse me while I bawl my eyes out mourning Lydia’s lost childhood and innocence.

“Asked everyone what they wanted. Instead of deciding for them.” I mean, we know Maggie is right not to trust the CW but what Lydia’s proposing or intimating isn’t unfair because Maggie has been going about this in a Maggie Knows Best kinda way that echoes Rick.

Cassady McClincy? Where your awards at, girl?

“I just want things to be the same every day.” My poor baby. She needs a hug but they’ve separated her from her Dirt Father, her Not the Mama, and her Asshole Uncle.

It’s bad enough having to cosplay Stormtroopers in real, breathing life but in death too? Poor bastards.

Aaron running down the highway gives me early ASZ era Rick vibes. Whatever has my good man gotten himself into and wherefore art thou, Gracie?

ONE WEEK AGO—fucking great. It’s the return of the time cards. No wonder the show has been something of a hot mess this season. All the time hops, skips, and jumps forwards and backwards probably have the damn storyboards looking like rope/string art.

“God has already prepared the way. He’s just preparing you.” M’kay. Father G, was that your work or?

“…decadence and wild living.” Okay, Father Savage. I see you.

I’m with Aaron, though. I was expecting more fire and brimstone too.

So. I’m confused. Is Aaron seeking temporary reprieve at the CW while ASZ is being rebuilt or is he “visiting” Father G?

Nevermind. New Immigration Initiative. Okay then, lol.

“They didn’t seem too keen on immigrants when we came in.” See now. That’s the kind of stuff we should have seen in 11A instead of all the Reaper nonsense.

Western border of Virginia—40 people.

Question? How are they traveling so easily back and forth between states, lol, because they are falling into the soap opera trap of teleportation more and more lately?

There’s the kid from the horse. Looks better bloody and I don’t know what that says about me, lol.

Aaron having a boss named Carlson. I thought they said Carlton for a hot minute and pictured him doing the little dance, LMAO.

Okay. Carlson is weird AF and Father G is side-eyeing TF outta him with his good eye. Aaron cringing hardcore has me giggling. Only that poor clueless kid is like okay this is cool.

“Yeah. I’m not doing this. Places like that usually have some old man with a shotgun just looking for an excuse to kill some dumbass who stepped on his front lawn.” Father Savage got me about peeing myself, lol. “Practically screams DO NOT DISTURB.”

“No. Because your plan is shit and I don’t want to die.” LOL.

Father G means business taking his collar off. Carlson better watch himself.

The way Aaron has cycled back into his original job as recruiter makes me cry a little bit because he was so bright eyed and optimistic about people’s inherent goodness then. Remember the applesauce? And our two hot AF soulmates casing him after he was cold clocked? Season 5 really was the good old days.

Oh wow. Look at this chick.

What’s with all these so-called religious nuts this season?

Restaurants, two movie theaters? WTF? LOL. The CW people just really don’t know, do they?

Imagine Daryl’s semi-feral Dirt Daughter trying to acclimate. She’d never but Angela really robbed us of the hilarity and poignancy of her trying. Like she could be showing us the Grimes babies experiencing these things if not Lydia to make the hard stuff hit harder but nah. She’s throwing more new groups at us every three episodes instead.

“Wanted you to see who I was before learning what I was.” Father G really getting the best lines this episode.

This dude saying there has to be hookers, gambling, drugs. Like yeah. You know the CW be trying to hide this shit but it exists.

Aaron and his bag. He gonna have pictures of CW in there like he did ASZ? That didn’t work out so well the first time.

He’s got a fucking IPhone. WTF? Maybe that’s where Rick got his? The CRM has to be connected to the CM but how?

“An audition! Well, let me get my tap dancing shoes.” Once again, I am wondering why Angela would deprive us of the Oscar-worthy performance that had to be Carol’s audition. LOL. Guess I’m gonna die mad about it.

Raiders, murderers, rapists, and a few cannibals—hmm.

I mean. This dude kind of has a point. He’s just going to bat for his people.

I don’t think I was supposed to laugh so hard at this line: “Because I got plenty of room on the shelf. Right next to Billy.”

“Wolves. Dressed as sheep. Speaking lies.” Again. Can you really fault the distrust?

“Exactly! What do you have that we would want? This place is a shithole. Why would we want it?” LMAO. Father Savage this episode’s MVP.

“Meat. You want the meat.” LOLOL. Especially at Aaron’s incredulous response. “Cannibals that come in with prepackaged MREs?” I’m howling.

“What a day.” Same, dude. Same.

Carlson! You asshole!

ONE WEEK AND ONE HOUR AGO—Okay. What’s so important about that one hour?

Lance and Carlson in cahoots.

“That other thing.” What is that other thing, hmm? So Aaron and Gabe are part of Lance’s “surgical solution”?

Carlson’s former CIA/assassin? Didn’t see that coming.

“You tired of living, Lance?” What was that weirdness on my screen? Eww, lol.

Guns and cargo for what?

You can’t turn your back on Father Savage, Toby.

TWELVE HOURS AGO—DURING THE ATTACK—So Aaron didn’t give the kid the map. That leaves who?

Negan! I’m actually happy to see you, Man.

Okay, though. Negan sending that kid off to get Maggie’s help feels an awful lot like a setup for future shenanigans, i.e. spinoff. Hahaha.

Seriously, though. Are the tides really turning that fast on Negan’s feelings about Maggie?

NOW—75% of this season has occurred via flashback or time jump so NOW is actually quite refreshing.

I like this nameless lady. I just wish the other characters we love and know weren’t absent so that we could watch her story unfold when it’s the last season. It’s like introducing OC’s in the last chapter of a fucking tome when all I want to read about is the main characters getting the soft epilogue they’ve more than earned.

I can’t believe they have Maggie, Aaron, and Elijah coming to Negan’s rescue. I understand it’s really Father G they’re trying to help but still, lol. At least Lydia will be glad to see Negan.

Wait. That was the end of the episode? Pleasantly surprised by how engrossed I was. When the preview started playing I was like what?

Speaking of the preview, it actually looks GOOD. My faves are returning.

Angela’s explanation points—here we go.

They’re using the generational divide excuse for Lydia and Maggie’s difference in opinion. I mean, I can see it but also, there’s some stubborn pride in Maggie not using all the tools available to her to keep her community afloat.

Maggie kept Hilltop’s door open after Michonne walled off ASZ? I thought that was Tara because Maggie was already off and about with Georgie but I guess we’ve just forgotten all about her.

Overall impressions?

The episode was much better than I expected. I’m not saying it was peak TWD. I think, regretfully, those days are behind us. But it was toward the top half of the Season 11 heap in that it kept my interest and it felt like it was actually building toward SOMETHING.

Lydia has my heart. I love her and want nothing but the best for her. Stop making her hurt, Angela, because in hurting her (and Carol)? You’re hurting me.

Gabriel and Aaron always surprise me with how much I enjoy them in episodes together.

I’m looking forward to the next episode. Here’s hoping it surprises me in a good way, too.

#The Walking Dead #TWD spoilers #Shae's thinky thoughts #things that make me smile and cry #for reasons

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