The Walking Dead (2010–…): Season 11, Episode 13 - Warlords - full transcript
These communities are perfect
for what we're envisioning.
Previously, on
"The Walking Dead"...
Alexandria was
a self-sustaining
ecological community.
We got the plans from the leader
of an allied community,
Maggie Rhee.
- Why do you trust these people?
- Who says we do?
It's good to see Alexandria
getting cleaned up, though.
You sure don't want
to come with us?
Lance, are we good? Everything's fine.
Pamela's on board.
In fact, we're gonna bring
even more people in.
We are going
to remake the world.
What are we at?
Eight to nine.
So...
still winning.
For about
10 more seconds.
You, too?
Yeah.
I just
talked to Maggie.
What'd she say?
Not much.
Just gave me this.
Directions to the nearest
Commonwealth checkpoint.
Troopers left them in case
people changed their minds.
Yeah.
A lot of people are.
Yeah...
You'll be back,
though.
Right?
Yeah,
I think so.
Okay.
Hey!
Shoot your shot!
You need an escort?
Why?
It's a long walk,
you know?
Might get bored.
That's all.
Um...
We got
a rider coming!
Who is it?
Nobody we know.
Hold where you are!
Hold, or we will shoot!
He's been shot!
Get help!
Devils...
They're slaughtering them.
Liars...
You've got to go...
Yes.
We're not going.
Maggie, he died
begging for our help.
I understand it.
But we're barely holding on
as it is.
Someone we know
must've sent him.
Could be from the Commonwealth,
or Georgie...
Or it could be
a trap.
We go to help and leave
the Hilltop open to attack.
I don't think
it's a trick.
He was scared.
He wasn't lying.
Even if he wasn't,
we can't go up
against another group
without the people
to fight them.
We don't have that.
What happened to taking in
whoever was in need?
Being outnumbered has never
stopped you before.
Maybe it should have.
We're barely holding on.
It sounds like
these people are, too.
That's exactly
who my mother would've targeted,
and I helped.
I'm not letting it happen
to someone else.
So you're not leaving.
I am.
I'm just...
I have to help
these people first.
You take over
at the halfway mark.
Mom!
Mom!
How long this time?
What do I always
tell you?
As long as it takes. That's right.
You're gonna hold down the fort
while I'm gone?
Keep a perimeter,
stay on alert.
You got it.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Could you get that
for me?
Why don't you want
their help?
The Commonwealth's.
Because we can get by
without it.
Why do we have to
just "get by"?
It's only temporary.
What's easier
isn't always better.
You know,
before the Fall,
I lived on a farm
with my family and my dad.
One day,
these corporate farm developers
started knocking
on our door,
trying to
buy us out.
My dad
kept saying no.
Then, one day,
this bad drought hit.
The developers started
knocking again,
except this time,
they offered three times
what the farm
was worth.
They knew we were in debt
and desperate.
But they also knew
the drought would end
and the farm would become
profitable again,
and all they had to do
was outlast us.
They start dropping off
crates of food to "help"
with the livestock.
And he would just let it
sit there on the porch and rot
so they'd see it
when the next shipment came.
He said that
we were being tested.
And guess what happened.
The drought ended.
We got
back on our feet.
And those developers
never bothered us again.
Why'd your dad
let the food rot?
If they'd
seen us take it,
they would've known
we needed them
and never
left us alone.
But the cattle
were hungry.
We didn't lose any.
We stuck together,
and we made it through.
Yeah,
you "got by."
It's just...
"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.
What would you
have done?
Asked everyone
what they wanted
instead of
deciding for them.
Is that
what I'm doing?
You think The Commonwealth
knows better?
Is that
crazy to think?
Yes.
Those people have not
been tested for 10 years.
Do you wanna be there
when they are?
I just...
want things to be the same
every day.
Do you agree?
With most of it,
yeah.
- Whoa!
- Look out!
Knife slashed right
through the neck guard.
Shot between
the armor gaps.
Hey!
Maggie!
It's Aaron.
But not only is it
borne of hate,
but from love and
from friendship, and from fear.
And in Luke 15:12, Christ speaks
of a rich father's wayward son
that selfishly set off
to distant lands,
who squandered his riches
on decadence and wild living.
And then, the son
found his soul empty.
And he was in need.
And he went back to his father
and begged for forgiveness.
And his father embraced him,
for his son "was dead,
and is now alive.
He was lost, and now is found."
Now, there were a lot
of stunned faces
when I asked all of you
to sit by a stranger today,
and I'm still seeing
a lot of awkwardness
with the arrangement.
A lot of stiff backs,
clenched butt cheeks.
Why?
Those of you that were out there
in the wasteland,
you know from
the people you found,
from the ones
you could rely upon,
that it didn't matter that
you were strangers beforehand,
did it?
You were forced to see
the humanity in each other,
and though not bound by blood,
these strangers became more than
friends, they became family.
Why is it that way out there...
but not that way in here?
Romans 3:23...
"For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God."
Now let me repeat that...
"All of us have sinned."
And that is the very thread
that binds us together.
And if you strip yourselves
of the superficial labels...
What do we do, where do I live,
how much money do I have...
If you strip yourselves of that,
it will make you see
the person by your side
as you see yourself
in the mirror.
And the way we were
before the world fell
cannot be the way we are
moving forward.
We must always
remember the thread,
for that is what makes us try,
it makes us forgive,
it makes us return from peril.
It makes us...
us.
Sounds like you're blowing smoke
up my ass.
No, you were great.
I... I was expecting
a little more
fire and brimstone,
I guess.
You look happy.
I think I might be.
So all that up there,
that was...
No, it's, uh...
It's not an act.
I mean,
in the beginning,
I was just going through
the motions,
but then, one day,
I just wasn't.
It was like
a switch was flipped,
and I could
hear Him again.
Yeah.
That hell
we went through,
it almost feels like
it wasn't real.
Like it was just a nightmare
or something.
What about Alexandria?
Oh, Commonwealth's pouring
even more manpower
and resources
into the rebuild.
But, uh, while that's getting
finished up,
they've asked me to,
uh, help out
with their new
immigration initiative.
They didn't seem too keen
on immigrants when we came in.
They weren't.
And after they heard
that I worked
for an NGO
back in the day,
they asked me to review
their intake policies.
Now we're reaching out
and bringing in people
that need help.
The Lord's work.
Yeah.
Actually,
that's, um...
That's why I'm here.
There's a group
of about 40 people
holed up
in an apartment complex
on the western border
of Virginia.
We want
to make first contact
and offer them help.
Some of the folks upstairs,
um...
they thought it'd be a good idea
if you tag along.
Why me?
It's a...
religious group,
so...
Any hostiles
in the territory?
We'll have troops with us,
just in case.
Also, my boss, Carlson,
will be with us.
He's a little,
um...
Well, you'll see,
but...
his heart's
in the right place.
Uh, sorry to interrupt,
uh...
Carlson's ready
when you are.
Oh.
Thank you, Jesse.
New kid.
We're training him.
What do you say?
What do you know
about these people?
According to the scouts,
they're, uh,
just a friendly group
of settlers.
God,
do you feel that?
That rush?
That mix of dopamine
and adrenaline, just...
It's just,
that anticipation...
We're gonna
change lives.
You.
And you.
And even
you, too, Jesse.
Today, we're gonna make
the world
just a little bit better
than it was yesterday.
I thought you said these were
"friendly settlers."
That doesn't
look friendly.
You don't think so?
No.
Okay.
What if they aren't?
Hmm?
If they're angry,
that just means
they're afraid.
When they meet you,
they won't be.
Man,
I cannot wait
to watch you two
do your thing.
Is he going
in with us?
He usually does,
yeah.
But he's not gonna do
any of the talking.
And we'll have
backup nearby.
You sure?
Hey!
Are they
setting up camp?
That they are.
So they're
not coming with us?
Well...
better not
spook the natives.
But don't worry.
They're just
a chirp away.
Sergeant Crowe,
do you copy?
Over.
Copy, sir.
Over.
You see?
It's all good!
Yeah,
I'm not doing this.
Places like that usually have
some old man
with a shotgun inside
just looking for an excuse
to kill some dumb-ass
who stepped on his front lawn.
Practically screams
"do not disturb."
Yeah.
I agree.
Hey!
Is everything alright?
We're not so
sure about this.
Might be better
to leave them alone.
Abort?
Just because of some
pre-game jitters?
No, because your plan
is shit,
and I don't want
to die.
That's all.
I've done it before.
We'll do it again.
What's the largest group
you've found?
Four.
And there are 40
in there?
So?
So,
with that many people,
all it takes
is one nervous guy
with an itchy trigger finger
to set things off.
I don't think
you appreciate... No, no, no, hold on.
He's right. Alright, we've never
dealt with it, it's game over.
Guys, it's not up
for discussion.
I need you to trust
that I know what I'm doing.
So, let's go.
Fine.
Hey, I need you
to wear that.
It's part
of your, um...
costume.
This is how
this is going to go.
Hello!
My name is Aaron!
We come from a community
called The Commonwealth.
We'd like to extend
our friendship.
Our people...
left these where
you would find them.
Since they're all gone,
I'm assuming you did.
The chicken's
a little rubbery, but...
it does the job.
We have more back at our camp,
if you'd like.
Is there anyone
I could speak with?
Face-to-face?
Weapons.
Oh. Uh...
It's kind of a bitch
to take off.
Just the four of you?
There's a group
of peacekeepers nearby,
waiting for us
to check in.
Sounds scary.
Can't be too safe now,
can we?
Last door
to the right.
What's down there?
Seats.
I'm Aaron.
And like
I said outside,
we come from a community
called the Commonwealth.
And it's, uh...
Well, it's a bit
like the old world.
50,000 people
live there.
We have
a functioning government,
protective walls,
housing for everyone,
restaurants,
two movie theaters...
Soldiers?
And churches, too,
I take it.
Eh, Father?
Did you lose
your collar?
Wanted you
to see whol was
before learning
whatl was.
Okay.
Let's say
this place is...
like the old world,
and they do have
a church,
then they have to
have hookers, too.
Right?
And gambling?
Shit side of town
where addicts swap needles
with runaways.
Got all that, too?
I haven't seen
any of that.
Can I get
my bag back?
I'd like
to show you something.
Um...
That's where we live.
Whenever people see
those photos,
they want
to live there, too.
You'd just
let us in?
That easy?
No, it's not easy at all,
actually.
Uh, there's
a screening process...
An audition.
Well, let me get
my tap-dancing shoes.
Where is this,
uh...
Commonwealth located?
He can't
tell you that.
Why?
Because you say so?
Yeah,
that's right.
Then why
am I talking to him?
Do me a favor,
fellas.
Turn around
and look in that back corner.
Those are raiders,
murderers,
rapists,
and a few cannibals.
All of them sat
in the same seats
you're sitting in
right now.
Most were wolves
dressed as sheep.
All of them
meant my people harm.
So...
Mr. Head Wolf...
if you know
where I live
and I don't know
where you live,
how dumb would that be
for me to let you go?
What's your name?
Toby Carlson.
Toby...
get on
your goddamn knees!
Asses stay in
the goddamn chairs!
Get on
your goddamn knees!
Okay.
Answer the question.
How dumb would I be
to let you go
when you know
where my home is?
It would be d-dumb,
okay?
It'd be dumb.
Yes,
it would!
You know...
you remind me of ol'
Billy Johnson.
Billy came to us
a few years ago,
with promises of great wealth
and prosperity
in a land far away.
But Billy wasn't gonna bring us
to any promised land.
Billy just wanted to get us
out in the open
so his raiders
could thoroughly kill us.
Billy wound up
on the shelf
because he thought
I was stupid.
Do you think
I'm stupid, too?
N-No!
No... no... no, I do not.
Because I've got plenty of room
on the shelf
right next to Billy!
I-I don't want to be
on the shelf!
And I don't think
you're stupid!
Okay?!
Tell me where
your raiding party is,
or I'm gonna start
dropping bodies on the floor...
Starting with him!
No!
Hey!
Do we look
like raiders to you?
Wolves dressed as sheep,
speaking lies.
None of you seem to have
any idea
what
my responsibilities are
to this place
and to my people.
Has it occurred
to any of you
that they
have entrusted me
with their very souls?!
Why did
you come here?!
What you want?!
Exactly!
What do you have
that we would want?
This place is a shithole!
Why would we want it?!
The meat.
You want the meat.
You think
we're cannibals?
Cannibals who came in
with prepackaged MREs?
That's what
you're going with?
All we've done
is given you food and water.
You aren't starving right now
because of us!
Is that real?
Or is that a lie?
You know
what else is real?
The soldiers
in those photos.
If we don't get back,
they'll come in here
and kill all of you.
Or nobody dies,
okay?
You save yourself
and your people
by letting us go,
and we will never
come back here again.
We will never
bother you.
I promise that,
okay?
What a day.
What a goddamn day.
You will leave here.
You will never
come back.
And if...
What did you do?
My job.
He was gonna
let us go!
Shut up!
Keep him hostage.
And lock this door.
I'll be back
when it's safe.
Yeah?
Hey, bud.
I got your...
call.
What's up?
Ah, no... four years sober
next month.
What is wrong?
You know how
I got Milton to agree
to this whole
communal project
with these hick towns
out in Virginia?
Yeah.
So she's released a lot
of resources for me.
And I used
some of them
to send out a convoy
full of supplies.
For that other thing.
Convoy didn't check in
last week,
so I sent out scouts
to see what happened.
It was hijacked.
Troopers guarding it,
all dead.
Oh, God.
Who was it?
Tracks led to
an apartment complex
where some group
is holed up.
Leader dresses like
a general.
Another warlord.
Followers are
religious, too.
Mass on Tuesdays
andSundays.
Cute.
And they've got
your guns now.
And the cargo, too,
I take it?
Okay.
What am I missing?
It's just
some warlord.
Snuff them out.
Assume the worst...
That the guns are pointing out
of those top floors
in all directions.
I send in a squad, they get cut
down before they hit the door.
Then don't send a squad,
send a company.
Then raze
the whole building.
I ask
for a hundred troops,
there's no way
Milton doesn't notice.
"What happened,
Lance?
This seems like
quite the misfire, Lance."
No, I need
a surgical solution.
Oh, man.
I don't
do that anymore, Lance.
Come on.
I need
the former CIA guy
who helped root out
disobedient shits from here
back in the day.
I need
an assassin.
Listen,
I like being retired.
I get up, I meditate,
then I get to go out
and find people who need help
and give 'em a second chance.
It's Zen.
It feels great.
And it can be
taken from you.
You, um...
You tired of living,
Lance?
Hmm?
Most of the dead troopers
are kids in their 20s.
That's on me.
I need
to make it right.
Okay.
Okay.
What are
you thinking?
How's Aaron
working out?
He's great.
He instantly connects
with people.
Makes my job easy.
Great.
Do you know about his buddy,
the priest?
Stokes.
Oh.
Okay, okay.
So we go in like we're making
first contact,
and then,
since they are religious...
Priest gets their guard down,
they let you in,
go see the big chief,
and then...
do what you do.
And what about
when things turn
and I have to tell them
what's what?
They'll fall in line.
Everyone does.
Sweep the rear.
The guns and the cargo
you hijacked.
The ones that you massacred
my soldiers to get to,
where are they?
I got no idea
what you're talking about.
Three sets of tracks
led back here from there.
You wanna try again?
Oh.
That caravan.
Yeah, we...
We found it like that.
You just
lied to me.
Hey! Hey!
Stop! Stop.
Cuff him!
Hey, dickless.
If I found those weapons,
don't you think I...
Ready the shelf,
warlord.
Top shelf,
dead center.
How's that sound?
Right above Billy.
Ooh!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Hey!
Hey, where'd you go, huh?
All that talk,
and you died so quick.
Don't you look at me
like that.
He's a damn animal.
We are supposed to
be helping people.
We are.
This is
the other side of it.
Snuffing out threats.
This is how
we make the world safe.
Hold him.
Pop him!
Oh.
Interesting.
Come on.
Let's go.
Do we follow?
Sir!
I turn my back
for one goddamn minute!
Get me my armor.
He was a wolf,
just like their leader said.
Think he was lying about
the stolen shipments?
I don't know.
What would the Commonwealth
want with all those guns?
This the best way in?
Yeah, but...
where'd you get that?
You gave it to the guy
who rode into Hilltop.
No, I didn't.
Then who did?
Easy, girl.
Don't move.
How many of you
are there?
12.
What are
they armed with?
Machine guns.
I didn't know.
I didn't know.
What's it look like?
A lot dead.
Guy in charge is arguing
with two others...
A priest and a guy
with a spiked ball for an arm.
Shit.
Gabriel and Aaron.
You know them?
They didn't know,
either.
We come from a place called
The Commonwealth.
This isn't
what I signed up for. Shut up.
Mm-hmm.
There's a community
right here.
You ask for Maggie,
no one else.
You tell her Gabriel and Aaron
are in trouble.
Go. Go!
Uh-huh.
This is
the other side of it.
Snuffing out threats.
This is how we make
the world safe.
Negan?
Gabe.
- Interesting.
- Two coming in.
We gotta go!
We gotta go! We can't leave him.
If you go out there,
we all die.
Come on.
Sir!
I turn my back
for one goddamn minute!
Residents of The Complex.
You have been deemed
enemies of The Commonwealth.
One of you
has stolen from us.
That cannot stand.
Bad news is,
your warlord is dead.
The good news is,
you still can make things right.
Gives us what's ours,
and we'll leave.
That'll be that.
Where are the weapons? I don't know.
Then ask them...
Quickly.
Gabe, if she says
they don't have them,
they don't have them.
You don't understand.
I'm praying
that you did steal them
because without them,
we're dead.
He's not gonna let any of us
leave here alive.
Where are my weapons?
I don't know.
You really don't,
do you?
No.
Okay.
I believe you.
And how about you?
Hmm?
Your people have let you down!
Hit each room.
Kill anyone
who won't talk.
Copy that.
What we need to do now
is stick together.
You can forget about
giving up
or begging
for forgiveness.
Ian's dead.
But he wasn't
our first leader.
He wasn't what kept us
together this long.
We did, and we did it
by working together as a family.
And right now,
our family's scattered
all over this building,
but you know what?
We know this place better than
the assholes in our house do.
We're coming
out of this on top.
So that was,
um...
That's pretty good.
They... They took out
our best.
Yeah, but they needed
to hear it.
Hodges, come in.
Is the east end clear?
Hodges, do you copy?
Is the east end...
This place works because
everyone plays their part.
If you can't or won't, that's
when the system breaks down.
And we can't let that happen.
We find our guns or we
burn this place to the ground.
We have to get
these people out of here.
That's a fight you ain't
gonna win.
Why don't you want
their help?
The Commonwealth's?
Because we can get by
without it.
One of the things
that we wanted to show
is that there is like even like
a bit of a generational divide
between how Maggie's looking
at everything versus
how Lydia and Elijah
are looking at it.
And I think, like,
you're seeing the after effects
of somebody like Lydia
feeling like my mother
had this point of view
that it's either us or them.
And I think like she has kind
of come to the point of view
that her mother
was in fact wrong.
You think the Commonwealth
knows better?
Is that crazy to think?
Yes.
Those people have not
been tested for 10 years.
Do you wanna be there
when they are?
I think for Maggie,
she is really feeling burned
by the experiences she's had.
She feels that their
resources are limited
and their energy is limited.
So why extend yourself
to help somebody
when you have no idea
if you're just walking
into a trap?
What happened to taking in
whoever was in need?
Being outnumbered has never
stopped you before.
Maybe it should have.
The Maggie that's underneath
all of that
has a big heart.
She's the one that kept
the doors of Hilltop open
when Alexandria felt
they needed to close off.
And so there is definitely
a part of her
that would like
to get back to that,
but she's struggling
with the experiences she had.
God,
do you feel that?
That rush?
That mix of dopamine
and adrenaline, just...
Carlson is one of these
guys that imagine
he's really into like New Age
self-help mantras,
and he's kind of
too much to handle.
And Aaron is kind of saying
like, you know, he's a weirdo,
but at the same time,
his heart is in the right place.
We've been doing something
that is meaningful,
and none of that is...
Is false, by the way.
Like, you know,
we find out in the flashback
to when Carlson
and Hornsby talk.
I like being retired.
I get up, I meditate,
then I get to go out
and find people who need help
and give 'em a second chance.
It's Zen.
Gabriel's a very good
judge of character, too.
So he's kind of like,
"Who is this fool?"
Like, "What are we dealing
with here?"
And I think, like,
in very Gabriel's fashion,
he has some pretty, like,
funny lines
that Seth delivers
beautifully, as always.
Abort?
Just because of some
pre-game jitters?
No, because your plan
is shit,
and I don't want
to die.
They're kind of saddled
with this guy
that they think
is probably going to drive
them down a little bit.
Seats.
When Aaron goes into
this situation, he feels like,
wow, this is more intense
than we expected,
but Aaron is very,
very good at disarming people
and just kind of calmly
and cooly
bringing the temperature down
and the situation.
That's where we live.
Whenever people see
those photos,
they want to live there,
too.
The point of distress
starts to happen
when Carlson speaks up
in the meeting.
Where is this,
uh...
Commonwealth located?
He can't
tell you that.
Why?
Because you say so?
Yeah,
that's right.
For Aaron,
what he doesn't expect
is that this guy
is going to turn around
and suddenly turn
into like Jason Bourne.
You will leave her.
You will never
come back again.
And if...
He had realize that was
all like operative business,
you know, and that in fact,
he was actually very scary
underneath the weirdness.
For Aaron and Gabriel,
they just feel like we regret
all the decisions we've made
over the last,
like, 48 hours.
Don't move.
How many of you
are there?
So when we come across Negan,
we're finding out
a lot of things about him,
which is like,
he's part of this new community.
Like, here's all this stuff
that is going on with him
and that he's kind of like,
tried to like, start afresh.
Right here.
You ask for Maggie, no one else.
You tell her Gabriel and Aaron
are in trouble.
Go. Go!
Uh-huh.
I don't know how much he has,
like, completely changed,
but I think that the journey
that Negan is on
is trying to figure out who
he wants to be going forward.
And I think he understands
and has not forgotten the fact
that he has done some things
that have really hurt people.
I'm just getting started.
He's a social creature.
He does not do well on his own.
We felt that was
very in character for him
is that he's like,
I'm striking out on my own,
and he immediately runs
into a group is like,
"Hey, let me join up."
And then he's like,
deeply within it already,
you know, over the course
of like some months.
Your people have let you down!
Hit each room.
Kill anyone
who won't talk.
Copy that?
for what we're envisioning.
Previously, on
"The Walking Dead"...
Alexandria was
a self-sustaining
ecological community.
We got the plans from the leader
of an allied community,
Maggie Rhee.
- Why do you trust these people?
- Who says we do?
It's good to see Alexandria
getting cleaned up, though.
You sure don't want
to come with us?
Lance, are we good? Everything's fine.
Pamela's on board.
In fact, we're gonna bring
even more people in.
We are going
to remake the world.
What are we at?
Eight to nine.
So...
still winning.
For about
10 more seconds.
You, too?
Yeah.
I just
talked to Maggie.
What'd she say?
Not much.
Just gave me this.
Directions to the nearest
Commonwealth checkpoint.
Troopers left them in case
people changed their minds.
Yeah.
A lot of people are.
Yeah...
You'll be back,
though.
Right?
Yeah,
I think so.
Okay.
Hey!
Shoot your shot!
You need an escort?
Why?
It's a long walk,
you know?
Might get bored.
That's all.
Um...
We got
a rider coming!
Who is it?
Nobody we know.
Hold where you are!
Hold, or we will shoot!
He's been shot!
Get help!
Devils...
They're slaughtering them.
Liars...
You've got to go...
Yes.
We're not going.
Maggie, he died
begging for our help.
I understand it.
But we're barely holding on
as it is.
Someone we know
must've sent him.
Could be from the Commonwealth,
or Georgie...
Or it could be
a trap.
We go to help and leave
the Hilltop open to attack.
I don't think
it's a trick.
He was scared.
He wasn't lying.
Even if he wasn't,
we can't go up
against another group
without the people
to fight them.
We don't have that.
What happened to taking in
whoever was in need?
Being outnumbered has never
stopped you before.
Maybe it should have.
We're barely holding on.
It sounds like
these people are, too.
That's exactly
who my mother would've targeted,
and I helped.
I'm not letting it happen
to someone else.
So you're not leaving.
I am.
I'm just...
I have to help
these people first.
You take over
at the halfway mark.
Mom!
Mom!
How long this time?
What do I always
tell you?
As long as it takes. That's right.
You're gonna hold down the fort
while I'm gone?
Keep a perimeter,
stay on alert.
You got it.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Could you get that
for me?
Why don't you want
their help?
The Commonwealth's.
Because we can get by
without it.
Why do we have to
just "get by"?
It's only temporary.
What's easier
isn't always better.
You know,
before the Fall,
I lived on a farm
with my family and my dad.
One day,
these corporate farm developers
started knocking
on our door,
trying to
buy us out.
My dad
kept saying no.
Then, one day,
this bad drought hit.
The developers started
knocking again,
except this time,
they offered three times
what the farm
was worth.
They knew we were in debt
and desperate.
But they also knew
the drought would end
and the farm would become
profitable again,
and all they had to do
was outlast us.
They start dropping off
crates of food to "help"
with the livestock.
And he would just let it
sit there on the porch and rot
so they'd see it
when the next shipment came.
He said that
we were being tested.
And guess what happened.
The drought ended.
We got
back on our feet.
And those developers
never bothered us again.
Why'd your dad
let the food rot?
If they'd
seen us take it,
they would've known
we needed them
and never
left us alone.
But the cattle
were hungry.
We didn't lose any.
We stuck together,
and we made it through.
Yeah,
you "got by."
It's just...
"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.
What would you
have done?
Asked everyone
what they wanted
instead of
deciding for them.
Is that
what I'm doing?
You think The Commonwealth
knows better?
Is that
crazy to think?
Yes.
Those people have not
been tested for 10 years.
Do you wanna be there
when they are?
I just...
want things to be the same
every day.
Do you agree?
With most of it,
yeah.
- Whoa!
- Look out!
Knife slashed right
through the neck guard.
Shot between
the armor gaps.
Hey!
Maggie!
It's Aaron.
But not only is it
borne of hate,
but from love and
from friendship, and from fear.
And in Luke 15:12, Christ speaks
of a rich father's wayward son
that selfishly set off
to distant lands,
who squandered his riches
on decadence and wild living.
And then, the son
found his soul empty.
And he was in need.
And he went back to his father
and begged for forgiveness.
And his father embraced him,
for his son "was dead,
and is now alive.
He was lost, and now is found."
Now, there were a lot
of stunned faces
when I asked all of you
to sit by a stranger today,
and I'm still seeing
a lot of awkwardness
with the arrangement.
A lot of stiff backs,
clenched butt cheeks.
Why?
Those of you that were out there
in the wasteland,
you know from
the people you found,
from the ones
you could rely upon,
that it didn't matter that
you were strangers beforehand,
did it?
You were forced to see
the humanity in each other,
and though not bound by blood,
these strangers became more than
friends, they became family.
Why is it that way out there...
but not that way in here?
Romans 3:23...
"For all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God."
Now let me repeat that...
"All of us have sinned."
And that is the very thread
that binds us together.
And if you strip yourselves
of the superficial labels...
What do we do, where do I live,
how much money do I have...
If you strip yourselves of that,
it will make you see
the person by your side
as you see yourself
in the mirror.
And the way we were
before the world fell
cannot be the way we are
moving forward.
We must always
remember the thread,
for that is what makes us try,
it makes us forgive,
it makes us return from peril.
It makes us...
us.
Sounds like you're blowing smoke
up my ass.
No, you were great.
I... I was expecting
a little more
fire and brimstone,
I guess.
You look happy.
I think I might be.
So all that up there,
that was...
No, it's, uh...
It's not an act.
I mean,
in the beginning,
I was just going through
the motions,
but then, one day,
I just wasn't.
It was like
a switch was flipped,
and I could
hear Him again.
Yeah.
That hell
we went through,
it almost feels like
it wasn't real.
Like it was just a nightmare
or something.
What about Alexandria?
Oh, Commonwealth's pouring
even more manpower
and resources
into the rebuild.
But, uh, while that's getting
finished up,
they've asked me to,
uh, help out
with their new
immigration initiative.
They didn't seem too keen
on immigrants when we came in.
They weren't.
And after they heard
that I worked
for an NGO
back in the day,
they asked me to review
their intake policies.
Now we're reaching out
and bringing in people
that need help.
The Lord's work.
Yeah.
Actually,
that's, um...
That's why I'm here.
There's a group
of about 40 people
holed up
in an apartment complex
on the western border
of Virginia.
We want
to make first contact
and offer them help.
Some of the folks upstairs,
um...
they thought it'd be a good idea
if you tag along.
Why me?
It's a...
religious group,
so...
Any hostiles
in the territory?
We'll have troops with us,
just in case.
Also, my boss, Carlson,
will be with us.
He's a little,
um...
Well, you'll see,
but...
his heart's
in the right place.
Uh, sorry to interrupt,
uh...
Carlson's ready
when you are.
Oh.
Thank you, Jesse.
New kid.
We're training him.
What do you say?
What do you know
about these people?
According to the scouts,
they're, uh,
just a friendly group
of settlers.
God,
do you feel that?
That rush?
That mix of dopamine
and adrenaline, just...
It's just,
that anticipation...
We're gonna
change lives.
You.
And you.
And even
you, too, Jesse.
Today, we're gonna make
the world
just a little bit better
than it was yesterday.
I thought you said these were
"friendly settlers."
That doesn't
look friendly.
You don't think so?
No.
Okay.
What if they aren't?
Hmm?
If they're angry,
that just means
they're afraid.
When they meet you,
they won't be.
Man,
I cannot wait
to watch you two
do your thing.
Is he going
in with us?
He usually does,
yeah.
But he's not gonna do
any of the talking.
And we'll have
backup nearby.
You sure?
Hey!
Are they
setting up camp?
That they are.
So they're
not coming with us?
Well...
better not
spook the natives.
But don't worry.
They're just
a chirp away.
Sergeant Crowe,
do you copy?
Over.
Copy, sir.
Over.
You see?
It's all good!
Yeah,
I'm not doing this.
Places like that usually have
some old man
with a shotgun inside
just looking for an excuse
to kill some dumb-ass
who stepped on his front lawn.
Practically screams
"do not disturb."
Yeah.
I agree.
Hey!
Is everything alright?
We're not so
sure about this.
Might be better
to leave them alone.
Abort?
Just because of some
pre-game jitters?
No, because your plan
is shit,
and I don't want
to die.
That's all.
I've done it before.
We'll do it again.
What's the largest group
you've found?
Four.
And there are 40
in there?
So?
So,
with that many people,
all it takes
is one nervous guy
with an itchy trigger finger
to set things off.
I don't think
you appreciate... No, no, no, hold on.
He's right. Alright, we've never
dealt with it, it's game over.
Guys, it's not up
for discussion.
I need you to trust
that I know what I'm doing.
So, let's go.
Fine.
Hey, I need you
to wear that.
It's part
of your, um...
costume.
This is how
this is going to go.
Hello!
My name is Aaron!
We come from a community
called The Commonwealth.
We'd like to extend
our friendship.
Our people...
left these where
you would find them.
Since they're all gone,
I'm assuming you did.
The chicken's
a little rubbery, but...
it does the job.
We have more back at our camp,
if you'd like.
Is there anyone
I could speak with?
Face-to-face?
Weapons.
Oh. Uh...
It's kind of a bitch
to take off.
Just the four of you?
There's a group
of peacekeepers nearby,
waiting for us
to check in.
Sounds scary.
Can't be too safe now,
can we?
Last door
to the right.
What's down there?
Seats.
I'm Aaron.
And like
I said outside,
we come from a community
called the Commonwealth.
And it's, uh...
Well, it's a bit
like the old world.
50,000 people
live there.
We have
a functioning government,
protective walls,
housing for everyone,
restaurants,
two movie theaters...
Soldiers?
And churches, too,
I take it.
Eh, Father?
Did you lose
your collar?
Wanted you
to see whol was
before learning
whatl was.
Okay.
Let's say
this place is...
like the old world,
and they do have
a church,
then they have to
have hookers, too.
Right?
And gambling?
Shit side of town
where addicts swap needles
with runaways.
Got all that, too?
I haven't seen
any of that.
Can I get
my bag back?
I'd like
to show you something.
Um...
That's where we live.
Whenever people see
those photos,
they want
to live there, too.
You'd just
let us in?
That easy?
No, it's not easy at all,
actually.
Uh, there's
a screening process...
An audition.
Well, let me get
my tap-dancing shoes.
Where is this,
uh...
Commonwealth located?
He can't
tell you that.
Why?
Because you say so?
Yeah,
that's right.
Then why
am I talking to him?
Do me a favor,
fellas.
Turn around
and look in that back corner.
Those are raiders,
murderers,
rapists,
and a few cannibals.
All of them sat
in the same seats
you're sitting in
right now.
Most were wolves
dressed as sheep.
All of them
meant my people harm.
So...
Mr. Head Wolf...
if you know
where I live
and I don't know
where you live,
how dumb would that be
for me to let you go?
What's your name?
Toby Carlson.
Toby...
get on
your goddamn knees!
Asses stay in
the goddamn chairs!
Get on
your goddamn knees!
Okay.
Answer the question.
How dumb would I be
to let you go
when you know
where my home is?
It would be d-dumb,
okay?
It'd be dumb.
Yes,
it would!
You know...
you remind me of ol'
Billy Johnson.
Billy came to us
a few years ago,
with promises of great wealth
and prosperity
in a land far away.
But Billy wasn't gonna bring us
to any promised land.
Billy just wanted to get us
out in the open
so his raiders
could thoroughly kill us.
Billy wound up
on the shelf
because he thought
I was stupid.
Do you think
I'm stupid, too?
N-No!
No... no... no, I do not.
Because I've got plenty of room
on the shelf
right next to Billy!
I-I don't want to be
on the shelf!
And I don't think
you're stupid!
Okay?!
Tell me where
your raiding party is,
or I'm gonna start
dropping bodies on the floor...
Starting with him!
No!
Hey!
Do we look
like raiders to you?
Wolves dressed as sheep,
speaking lies.
None of you seem to have
any idea
what
my responsibilities are
to this place
and to my people.
Has it occurred
to any of you
that they
have entrusted me
with their very souls?!
Why did
you come here?!
What you want?!
Exactly!
What do you have
that we would want?
This place is a shithole!
Why would we want it?!
The meat.
You want the meat.
You think
we're cannibals?
Cannibals who came in
with prepackaged MREs?
That's what
you're going with?
All we've done
is given you food and water.
You aren't starving right now
because of us!
Is that real?
Or is that a lie?
You know
what else is real?
The soldiers
in those photos.
If we don't get back,
they'll come in here
and kill all of you.
Or nobody dies,
okay?
You save yourself
and your people
by letting us go,
and we will never
come back here again.
We will never
bother you.
I promise that,
okay?
What a day.
What a goddamn day.
You will leave here.
You will never
come back.
And if...
What did you do?
My job.
He was gonna
let us go!
Shut up!
Keep him hostage.
And lock this door.
I'll be back
when it's safe.
Yeah?
Hey, bud.
I got your...
call.
What's up?
Ah, no... four years sober
next month.
What is wrong?
You know how
I got Milton to agree
to this whole
communal project
with these hick towns
out in Virginia?
Yeah.
So she's released a lot
of resources for me.
And I used
some of them
to send out a convoy
full of supplies.
For that other thing.
Convoy didn't check in
last week,
so I sent out scouts
to see what happened.
It was hijacked.
Troopers guarding it,
all dead.
Oh, God.
Who was it?
Tracks led to
an apartment complex
where some group
is holed up.
Leader dresses like
a general.
Another warlord.
Followers are
religious, too.
Mass on Tuesdays
andSundays.
Cute.
And they've got
your guns now.
And the cargo, too,
I take it?
Okay.
What am I missing?
It's just
some warlord.
Snuff them out.
Assume the worst...
That the guns are pointing out
of those top floors
in all directions.
I send in a squad, they get cut
down before they hit the door.
Then don't send a squad,
send a company.
Then raze
the whole building.
I ask
for a hundred troops,
there's no way
Milton doesn't notice.
"What happened,
Lance?
This seems like
quite the misfire, Lance."
No, I need
a surgical solution.
Oh, man.
I don't
do that anymore, Lance.
Come on.
I need
the former CIA guy
who helped root out
disobedient shits from here
back in the day.
I need
an assassin.
Listen,
I like being retired.
I get up, I meditate,
then I get to go out
and find people who need help
and give 'em a second chance.
It's Zen.
It feels great.
And it can be
taken from you.
You, um...
You tired of living,
Lance?
Hmm?
Most of the dead troopers
are kids in their 20s.
That's on me.
I need
to make it right.
Okay.
Okay.
What are
you thinking?
How's Aaron
working out?
He's great.
He instantly connects
with people.
Makes my job easy.
Great.
Do you know about his buddy,
the priest?
Stokes.
Oh.
Okay, okay.
So we go in like we're making
first contact,
and then,
since they are religious...
Priest gets their guard down,
they let you in,
go see the big chief,
and then...
do what you do.
And what about
when things turn
and I have to tell them
what's what?
They'll fall in line.
Everyone does.
Sweep the rear.
The guns and the cargo
you hijacked.
The ones that you massacred
my soldiers to get to,
where are they?
I got no idea
what you're talking about.
Three sets of tracks
led back here from there.
You wanna try again?
Oh.
That caravan.
Yeah, we...
We found it like that.
You just
lied to me.
Hey! Hey!
Stop! Stop.
Cuff him!
Hey, dickless.
If I found those weapons,
don't you think I...
Ready the shelf,
warlord.
Top shelf,
dead center.
How's that sound?
Right above Billy.
Ooh!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Hey!
Hey, where'd you go, huh?
All that talk,
and you died so quick.
Don't you look at me
like that.
He's a damn animal.
We are supposed to
be helping people.
We are.
This is
the other side of it.
Snuffing out threats.
This is how
we make the world safe.
Hold him.
Pop him!
Oh.
Interesting.
Come on.
Let's go.
Do we follow?
Sir!
I turn my back
for one goddamn minute!
Get me my armor.
He was a wolf,
just like their leader said.
Think he was lying about
the stolen shipments?
I don't know.
What would the Commonwealth
want with all those guns?
This the best way in?
Yeah, but...
where'd you get that?
You gave it to the guy
who rode into Hilltop.
No, I didn't.
Then who did?
Easy, girl.
Don't move.
How many of you
are there?
12.
What are
they armed with?
Machine guns.
I didn't know.
I didn't know.
What's it look like?
A lot dead.
Guy in charge is arguing
with two others...
A priest and a guy
with a spiked ball for an arm.
Shit.
Gabriel and Aaron.
You know them?
They didn't know,
either.
We come from a place called
The Commonwealth.
This isn't
what I signed up for. Shut up.
Mm-hmm.
There's a community
right here.
You ask for Maggie,
no one else.
You tell her Gabriel and Aaron
are in trouble.
Go. Go!
Uh-huh.
This is
the other side of it.
Snuffing out threats.
This is how we make
the world safe.
Negan?
Gabe.
- Interesting.
- Two coming in.
We gotta go!
We gotta go! We can't leave him.
If you go out there,
we all die.
Come on.
Sir!
I turn my back
for one goddamn minute!
Residents of The Complex.
You have been deemed
enemies of The Commonwealth.
One of you
has stolen from us.
That cannot stand.
Bad news is,
your warlord is dead.
The good news is,
you still can make things right.
Gives us what's ours,
and we'll leave.
That'll be that.
Where are the weapons? I don't know.
Then ask them...
Quickly.
Gabe, if she says
they don't have them,
they don't have them.
You don't understand.
I'm praying
that you did steal them
because without them,
we're dead.
He's not gonna let any of us
leave here alive.
Where are my weapons?
I don't know.
You really don't,
do you?
No.
Okay.
I believe you.
And how about you?
Hmm?
Your people have let you down!
Hit each room.
Kill anyone
who won't talk.
Copy that.
What we need to do now
is stick together.
You can forget about
giving up
or begging
for forgiveness.
Ian's dead.
But he wasn't
our first leader.
He wasn't what kept us
together this long.
We did, and we did it
by working together as a family.
And right now,
our family's scattered
all over this building,
but you know what?
We know this place better than
the assholes in our house do.
We're coming
out of this on top.
So that was,
um...
That's pretty good.
They... They took out
our best.
Yeah, but they needed
to hear it.
Hodges, come in.
Is the east end clear?
Hodges, do you copy?
Is the east end...
This place works because
everyone plays their part.
If you can't or won't, that's
when the system breaks down.
And we can't let that happen.
We find our guns or we
burn this place to the ground.
We have to get
these people out of here.
That's a fight you ain't
gonna win.
Why don't you want
their help?
The Commonwealth's?
Because we can get by
without it.
One of the things
that we wanted to show
is that there is like even like
a bit of a generational divide
between how Maggie's looking
at everything versus
how Lydia and Elijah
are looking at it.
And I think, like,
you're seeing the after effects
of somebody like Lydia
feeling like my mother
had this point of view
that it's either us or them.
And I think like she has kind
of come to the point of view
that her mother
was in fact wrong.
You think the Commonwealth
knows better?
Is that crazy to think?
Yes.
Those people have not
been tested for 10 years.
Do you wanna be there
when they are?
I think for Maggie,
she is really feeling burned
by the experiences she's had.
She feels that their
resources are limited
and their energy is limited.
So why extend yourself
to help somebody
when you have no idea
if you're just walking
into a trap?
What happened to taking in
whoever was in need?
Being outnumbered has never
stopped you before.
Maybe it should have.
The Maggie that's underneath
all of that
has a big heart.
She's the one that kept
the doors of Hilltop open
when Alexandria felt
they needed to close off.
And so there is definitely
a part of her
that would like
to get back to that,
but she's struggling
with the experiences she had.
God,
do you feel that?
That rush?
That mix of dopamine
and adrenaline, just...
Carlson is one of these
guys that imagine
he's really into like New Age
self-help mantras,
and he's kind of
too much to handle.
And Aaron is kind of saying
like, you know, he's a weirdo,
but at the same time,
his heart is in the right place.
We've been doing something
that is meaningful,
and none of that is...
Is false, by the way.
Like, you know,
we find out in the flashback
to when Carlson
and Hornsby talk.
I like being retired.
I get up, I meditate,
then I get to go out
and find people who need help
and give 'em a second chance.
It's Zen.
Gabriel's a very good
judge of character, too.
So he's kind of like,
"Who is this fool?"
Like, "What are we dealing
with here?"
And I think, like,
in very Gabriel's fashion,
he has some pretty, like,
funny lines
that Seth delivers
beautifully, as always.
Abort?
Just because of some
pre-game jitters?
No, because your plan
is shit,
and I don't want
to die.
They're kind of saddled
with this guy
that they think
is probably going to drive
them down a little bit.
Seats.
When Aaron goes into
this situation, he feels like,
wow, this is more intense
than we expected,
but Aaron is very,
very good at disarming people
and just kind of calmly
and cooly
bringing the temperature down
and the situation.
That's where we live.
Whenever people see
those photos,
they want to live there,
too.
The point of distress
starts to happen
when Carlson speaks up
in the meeting.
Where is this,
uh...
Commonwealth located?
He can't
tell you that.
Why?
Because you say so?
Yeah,
that's right.
For Aaron,
what he doesn't expect
is that this guy
is going to turn around
and suddenly turn
into like Jason Bourne.
You will leave her.
You will never
come back again.
And if...
He had realize that was
all like operative business,
you know, and that in fact,
he was actually very scary
underneath the weirdness.
For Aaron and Gabriel,
they just feel like we regret
all the decisions we've made
over the last,
like, 48 hours.
Don't move.
How many of you
are there?
So when we come across Negan,
we're finding out
a lot of things about him,
which is like,
he's part of this new community.
Like, here's all this stuff
that is going on with him
and that he's kind of like,
tried to like, start afresh.
Right here.
You ask for Maggie, no one else.
You tell her Gabriel and Aaron
are in trouble.
Go. Go!
Uh-huh.
I don't know how much he has,
like, completely changed,
but I think that the journey
that Negan is on
is trying to figure out who
he wants to be going forward.
And I think he understands
and has not forgotten the fact
that he has done some things
that have really hurt people.
I'm just getting started.
He's a social creature.
He does not do well on his own.
We felt that was
very in character for him
is that he's like,
I'm striking out on my own,
and he immediately runs
into a group is like,
"Hey, let me join up."
And then he's like,
deeply within it already,
you know, over the course
of like some months.
Your people have let you down!
Hit each room.
Kill anyone
who won't talk.
Copy that?