The Walking Dead (2010–…): Season 9, Episode 8 - Evolution - full transcript

Previously on "The Walking Dead"...

I'm not letting my men
take five armed strangers

into Hilltop.

I say we take our chances out there.

I should be dead.

Please kill me.

He's taken a stubborn
interest in blacksmithing.

Oh. We might be able to help with that.

Don't let them get away.

We found Rosita outside
the walls yesterday.

And, uh, Eugene's missing.



We're headed out to go find him.

It's about 130, 140 of them.

You ever see them do this before?

No.

Never.

Rosita's back trail
goes right through 'em.

We should get the horses, circle around,

then we'll pick it up on foot.

- What about them?
- What about 'em?

They're just milling around.

That's not normal.

No.

No, it ain't.

We should go.



There's a storm coming.

Dog!

You are here.

Aware of yourself.

Can't get me!

Just let it go.

Better watch out!

Hey, wait for me!

- Don't judge the distraction.
- There it is!

Accept it, consider
it, and then release it.

Just let it wash over you.

It's all right...

You know what? Screw it.

Screw it. My mind
never "empties," anyway.

Generally goes straight to that place

that would blush the
collar right off of you.

Although, now that you
and Rosita are a thing,

maybe I'm wrong.

I mean...

...hot damn.

I want to understand why you do this.

You clearly want help.
I can see you trying.

Yeah.

Maybe we cooked it up, chewed it up,

and shat it out already.

Maybe this is all we get.

You don't feel like
you're getting any benefit

to our sessions?

Well, I am reminded that
another week has passed,

but other than that?

Ah, don't take it personally, Gabe.

I know I'm never getting out of here.

I do appreciate you coming
down here and helping me

when that was touch and go for me.

But now I got everything I need.

This little window right here...

It's as good as a TV.

And I loved the shit outta TV

back when that was a thing.

Acceptance is an important first step.

But a life needs to have meaning.

Funny thing about this window here.

People stand out there, and they talk.

And it's like they
don't remember I'm here.

And that...

Well, that is when I
get the really good shit.

You know, just the other day,

Rosita was out there
chatting up a storm.

She said some things

that you would find very interesting.

I don't need you to tell me
how Rosita feels about me.

Now, who said she was talking about you?

We'll try this again next week.

It's your world, boss.

Who are those men?

Messengers.

Came all the way from Hilltop.

They found Rosita.

She's hurt.

Riders!

Riders are coming!

- Go, quick!
- Riders are coming!

Riders!

- Riders are coming!
- Oh!

Riders are coming!

Hey.

You guys seeing this?

_

_

_

_

How many?

Six.

No, wait...

Be ready.

Be patient.

If it were me, I'd
have you up on that wall

ready to shoot an arrow

at anyone I didn't like the looks of.

What's not to like about us?

We're a solid-looking group.

We're scrappy.

State your business.

We're here for Rosita.

We met your messengers on the road.

They told us what happened.

And the others?

They're good people looking for a home.

I told them Hilltop would
consider taking them in.

Just got these back.

Where's Jesus?

Out with the search
party looking for Eugene.

Eugene's missing? Since when?

I dunno. Thought you would.

He went out with Rosita,

but wasn't with her when we found her.

How is she?

She was unconscious when she got here,

but she'll be fine.

It's dehydration and
heat exhaustion, mainly.

She should wake up soon.

If she's been out the entire time,

how do you know Eugene was with her?

- Aaron told us.
- Aaron's here?

No, he's with Jesus and Daryl.

Daryl came down from his mountain

with Carol and Henry.

It's like the old gang's back together.

Which way were they headed?

You can pick up their trail,

but you're not gonna catch
them before nightfall.

It's Daryl.

Probably on their way back already.

You can have your weapons
back when you leave tomorrow.

As for the rest of you,

you're gonna have to wait
until Jesus gets back.

And if you want to stay, stay,

I'm gonna have to talk to him.

And you're gonna have to earn your keep.

She says, "Thank you."

We all do.

Okay.

It's good we're here.

Yeah...

So, the guy running things here

calls himself "Jesus"?

Sounds like a cult to me.

_

Well, let's assume that it is.

If we plan on staying awhile,

we should be thinking about
how to prove our worth.

So, what else don't I know?

I didn't know anything
about Eugene and Rosita...

But you knew Aaron was
working a backchannel...

Hilltop is not a backchannel, Michonne.

We're talking about our friends here.

Hi, Carol.

Siddiq.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I didn't expect to see you here.

Same.

Who are your friends?

- We're not friends yet.
- _

I'm Magna.

This is Yumiko and Connie.

_

_

Sorry. That's all I know.

It's nice to meet you, too.

Come on, let's figure out
where they're putting us up.

_

- How's...
- Is...

You first.

How's Judith and RJ?

Good. Really good.

RJ's gonna be as tall
as Judith any minute now.

Is Ezekiel here, too?

No. Just me.

I'm dropping off Henry.

He's gonna be apprenticing
with the blacksmith.

- Good for him.
- Mm-hmm.

He's a good kid. He's got a big heart.

And he sees his home falling apart,

and he wants to help out.

I read Ezekiel's letter.

And I'm sorry for your troubles.

You can still help. We
really need this fair.

If Alexandria could
just send a delegation...

I'm sorry.

I am.

I didn't want to turn you down.

You of all people.

But we've had our troubles, too.

You know that.

I know what you went through.

And I get why this is hard for you.

But we've all lost something.

You and me, we both lost children.

And we kept going.

For each other. We've
always been a family.

And we still are.

But Kingdom is Kingdom,

Hilltop is here, and
Alexandria is there,

and in between, there's a
whole lot of broken world,

and we cannot pretend otherwise.

We've got to take care of our own now.

It's just the way it is.

That's a shame.

It is.

It was good to see you.

Give Ezekiel and Henry my best.

Daryl says he's been
trading with Hilltop again.

He used to come like clockwork
a couple times a year.

Never stayed, though.

The gaps between the trips
got longer and longer.

Prefers it out here, I suppose.

Sounds like somebody else I know.

We used to be explorers.

The whole world was ours to rediscover.

Well, we were out looking for people.

Offering them a chance to be
a part of something bigger.

Because of you,

we were able to find each other.

Maybe showing those people a way forward

is the next step in that.

- I just don't think that I'm...
- I do.

I think you'd be a damn good leader

if you'd just stop fighting it.

You think that's what I'm doing?

He's spent a long time
keeping people away,

but finding them...

it's kind of his thing.

Stay.

Maybe one day, he'll
stop fighting it, too.

The herd... It's coming for us.

The wind is carrying the sound.

C'mon.

Let's put some ground
between us and them.

Yeah.

Carol.

Mind if I hitch a ride?

Back to Kingdom?

I talked to Tara.

The Kingdom needs me now
more than Hilltop does.

I'd like the company.

I talked Mr. Sutton into
an advance on my pay.

Got us some nails and
screws for you to take home.

You didn't have to do that.

We'll take good care of him.

It's all right.

I wouldn't be leaving
if I didn't trust him.

Keep out of trouble, kiddo.

Hey.

I'll be back for the fair, okay?

Mm-hmm.

I'm gonna make you proud.

You already have.

You put that herd around 140, right?

Yeah.

Looks like more than double that now.

Could be a different herd.

Or it merged with another one.

Ain't gonna be there very long.

Don't matter how big it is

as long as it's going the other way.

Come on.

Hey, Henry.

How's the first day going?

It's good. Good.

Yeah, um, Alden is showing
me how to make a spearhead.

He's picking it up fast.

Well, of course he is.

Maybe we should keep him

and send you back to the Kingdom.

You got a sec?

Yeah, sure.

Be right back.

You got plans after dinner?

Huh?

After dinner.

Thought you might like to come over

and spend the evening with Tammy and me.

Oh, I was gonna see if Enid wanted to...

Um.

Yeah, I mean, yeah, sure, Mr. Sutton.

You know, I read something fascinating

the other day.

You know what a smell is?

It's when odor molecules

activate neurons in your nasal passages.

So every time you come in here

to change my bedpan and smell my shit,

something that was actually in my ass

goes right up your nose.

Shut up.

I'm sorry.

I never know exactly which
eye I'm supposed to look at.

It's a little bit distracting.

Just. Shut. Up.

For once in your life,
shut your damn mouth.

I keep scratching at you.

I keep trying to figure out
what's underneath it all,

'cause I think, if I dig deep enough,

I'll find a person.

Someone I can help.

But I never do. All I find is more...

What happened?

Rosita's at Hilltop.

I sent her out, and she got hurt.

The messenger doesn't know

what happened or how bad it is.

And I can't go to help her

because I have to be here with you.

Because somebody has to stay behind

to be responsible for you.

I'm sorry, man. I didn't know.

Don't.

It's bad enough I got
to clean up your shit,

I shouldn't have to listen to it, too.

Hey, Huckleberry!

We gotta cheer you up, man,

you're depressing the hell out of us.

Hey, I'm Gage.

Henry.

Yeah. Yeah, I remember.

You were here during the
war. The kid with the stick.

Yeah, yeah, that was, uh, me.

Sorry, it was just a long time ago.

Oh, you're... You're Abby, right?

Addy. With a "D."

- It's short for "Adeline."
- And this is Rodney.

With an "R."

Shut up.

Yeah.

So, we've been watching
you mope around down there.

Addy here's seriously worried about you.

I never said... Are you all right?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I'm just, uh...

New place.

Getting used to everything. You know.

I don't, actually.

I've lived here more than half my life.

Same here.

How's that for sad?

At least you get to go someplace new.

Have you ever been to Oceanside?

Is it really all women?

Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much.

Damn.

I should become a fisherman.

Hey, you should hang
out with us tonight.

Yeah, we've got a place in the woods.

We could show you what
passes for fun around here.

Out in the woods?

Don't they shut the
gates down at sundown?

You're telling me you've
never snuck out of Kingdom?

Dude, come on.

Look, whatever's got you down,

it's not worth it, all right?

You just got to keep moving
forward. Life's too short.

Yeah. Yeah, okay.

Let's do it.

I'm... I'm sorry we
kept so much from you.

But you know that I'm on your side.

It's not...

Coming here...

I knew people would
still be angry, but...

that doesn't make it any easier.

No.

No, but it's not too late

to go mend some of those fences.

No, it's not.

But I won't.

Not the way they want me to.

I didn't make the choices I made

because I thought they'd be easy.

At least they're alive so
they can hate me for it.

Michonne...?

- Hey.
- Hey, just rest.

- You're okay.
- Where am I?

You're at Hilltop.

Jesus and Aaron found you.

How long have I been here?

Hey, just a little over a day.
But you got to take it easy now.

No. Eugene... he's still out there.

We... We know. We know.

There's a group out there
tracking him right now.

- They're already out there?
- Yeah.

Daryl took Jesus and Aaron this morning.

They should be back any minute.

- No, we have to help them.
- W-W-W-Wait.

I know where he is. I'm
gonna take you to him.

Rosita, stop. Okay? Whatever's
going on, they can handle it.

No, they can't.

They have no idea what
they're dealing with.

Go on, boy. Go find him.

Move.

Good dog.

Hey.

Here.

Eugene?

Are you in there?

Affirmative.

Hey.

Give me your hand.

Eugene, Eugene....

you all right?

I took a bad step and
dislocated my knee.

There was a herd on our six,

and Rosita was forced to stash me here.

Well, if it's dislocated,

- we can just pop it back in...
- No.

We have to get out of here.

The herd that followed us here

is on its way back.

I saw their tracks. They're gone.

No, it's not.

It's already been through here twice.

It's looking for me.

We have to get away
before it comes back.

This wasn't a normal herd.

What do you mean?

When... When they passed us by,

we could hear them.

They were...

They were whispering to each other.

You mean they were talking?

I-I know how it sounds.

But Rosita heard it,
too. She'll corroborate.

- Yeah.
- We should get him back.

Yeah.

There's no way that's the same herd.

They got us cut off.

No, no, no, no. No, no.

So we'll backtrack, we'll go around 'em.

Old Route 28 isn't far.

It's the straightest
shot back to the horses.

Lead the way.

Yeah? Do it, do it, do it. Come on.

You need another white lighting?

Shut up, I'm gonna... I'm gonna get it.

Oh, good game, champ.

I'd like to see you do better.

Hey, last laughs.

Yeah, I-I-I can't.

Come on, ride the lighting!

It's last laughs!

Ohh.

Wow, guys.

If this is your idea of fun,

I'd hate to see what
happens when you get bored.

Hell, I can show you that right now.

We dug the hole a few years back.

Tried using a cat as bait,

but we didn't catch
anything, so we gave up.

Then, about six months ago,

we came back, and voilà.

Dumb sack of shit
must've just fallen in.

You go.

Oh!

Oh! Almost.

Come on, Huckleberry.

Step right up and try your luck.

Hey, what the hell?

I'm sorry.

Hey, asshole!

What'd you do that for?!

If I had to explain it,

you wouldn't understand.

Whatever, man. I'm outta here.

You're gonna get me...

Come on.

It doesn't make any sense.

They shouldn't have
doubled back like that.

And they definitely
shouldn't have followed us

all the way to the barn.

I do have a theory to posit.

The walkers are evolving.

Oh, that's bullshit.

They're dead, they're not evolving.

Being dead hasn't exactly stopped them

from perambulating ad
infinitum, though, has it?

They're not dead in any
sense that makes sense.

It takes an impact to
the cranium to stop them,

which means the brain is alive,

degraded as it may be.

And if it's alive, it can change.

Maybe even start to
remember things, too,

like how to talk.

- What?
- It's not any crazier

than the dead being
alive in the first place.

If they can learn to talk,

maybe they can learn
strategy and how to hunt.

They're right on our asses.

We've gotta get to the horses fast.

You have to leave me behind.

I'm slowing you down and tiring you out.

- Every time we stop, the dead get closer.
- No! We came out here to find you...

- We're not going home without you.
- You don't have a choice.

It's not your call.

The numbers actually work
for us. We can split up.

You two get him back to the horses.

I'll wait for the herd to get here,

then I'll draw them off
in the other direction.

Then I'll ditch them and
meet you back at the Hilltop.

We're stronger together.

That doesn't help us.

Our only way out of
this is to avoid a fight.

No.

If anyone stays, it's gonna be me.

Go.

Hell, I'll probably beat you back.

- Go!
- Come on.

Come here, boy. Come on.

Ohh. Well, shit.

He threw up on a pig.

And then my boots.

- Sorry about that.
- Good.

I have too much to worry about tonight.

And I loved those boots.

I'm going back to bed.

Thought you were too tired
to do anything tonight.

"Beat from the trip," I think you said.

I assume from the reek
of crappy moonshine

coming off of you that that was a lie.

Yes, sir. It was.

Tara says the guards
found you outside the gate,

shouting to be let back in.

You wanna tell me how
you wound up out there?

No, sir. I do not.

Well, who gave you the booze?

Okay, then.

I offered to take you on and teach you,

but if this is how you
treat your commitments,

you can take your scrawny
ass back to Kingdom.

Wait.

I know I screwed up.

But people back home
are... are counting on me.

My parents are... are counting on me.

Well, I expect better, Henry.

What the hell got into you?

I...

I saw my mom cry today.

She's so tough, you know?

Before that, I was just...

too excited to really think

and understand that
this is a... a huge deal.

I just...

I don't know.

I guess I didn't wanna
think about that for a while.

Well, I've been there.

Literally.

Right there on that cot.

The minimum sentence
for drunk and disorderly

is two days.

When Jesus gets back,

I'll talk to him and see what I can do.

Thank you, Mr. Sutton.

You better get some sleep.

You're gonna have a lot
of work to catch up on

when you get out.

All right, boy, let's get 'em.

Dog, keep 'em comin'.

Shh, shh, shh!

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Aah!

They're still on us.

Come on. We got to go.

Come on. Come on.

Come on!

Ohh!

- Here. Here. Here.
- Yeah, yeah.

We can use it... use it as a
chokepoint to slow them down.

Come on.

Come on!

Move!

Ohh!

We're gonna get lost in here.

Follow the wall.

There has to be a gate somewhere.

There!

Hold on. Take him.

Aah.

Come on!

- We can lift him over here.
- Yeah.

Come on!

There's no time.

Eugene.

Eugene.

Michonne, honest to God,
am I happy to see you.

The gate's obstructed
by topsoil erosion.

- We can't get out.
- I need you to push.

What the hell are you doing here?

Earning our keep.

Get him out of here.

Go, I got this!

Jesus!

Come on!

Ohh! Ohh!

You are where you do not belong.

No!

No! No!

No.

Hey. Come here.

These walkers... What are they?

They're trapped.

Circle 'round.

Don't let them slip by.

Keep them together.