The Walking Dead “Go Getters” was written by Channing Powell and was directed by Darnell Martin, whose other credits include
Grimm,
Chicago Fire, and
Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Given the focus on the women in this episode, it’s nice to see both a woman behind the camera and behind the script. I hope to see Martin direct again as she did a great job with the action scenes and the high emotion in this episode. The episode focuses on Maggie (Lauren Cohen) and Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), but also includes important developments for Michonne (Danai Gurira) and especially Enid (Katelyn Nacon). Of course, the episode also brings Ninja-Jesus (Tom Payne) back into the story. Cohen, Payne, and Nacon really stood out for me in this episode. And a shout out to Xander Berkeley (Gregory) who is delicious as the slimey guy we all love to hate.
It seems to be a given that I need to begin my review by taking a moment to comment on the resonances of the title. A “go getter” is an enterprising person; it isn’t hard to imagine Hershel using this term positively, especially given his mantra of ‘you have a job to do’ and how Maggie and Beth focused on the job to get through hard times. Maggie is clearly focusing on just getting through Glenn’s death and dedicating herself to the baby. But she’s also clearly had enough of Gregory. Those who have read the comics know where this storyline is likely going… Through the years the phrase “go getter” has taken on a negative connotation, however, often referring to someone who is aggressively enterprising or a hustler. So the title also refers to both Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) men, especially Simon (Steven Ogg), and Gregory – who thinks he’s hustling. Rick (Andrew Lincoln) also takes on the mantle of “go getter” as he sets off to fulfill his duty to Negan. Even Carl (Chandler Riggs) is a go getter in this episode as he sets out to get Negan.
As the show so often likes to do – and has mostly done in the past with Rick – the first shot is a close up of Maggie’s eyes. And just like Rick waking up after his coma, Maggie wakes up after the biggest trauma in her life that has essentially destroyed the life she knew. This is a new beginning for her, and I’m betting one in which she is going to more firmly establish the leadership role she was already taking on from Deana. She has lost everyone now - almost. The first thing she sees are the flowers Jesus left.
We learn quickly that she hasn’t lost the baby but that it is still in some danger. Dr Carson (R Keith Harris) insists that she needs to stay there until the baby is born. Maggie is still disoriented and asks him to repeat everything he’s said.
Sasha is waiting for Maggie, and Maggie’s first question is where is he – but she quickly remembers that Sasha has also suffered a loss and adds, where are they both. Sasha gives her Glenn’s watch (Hershel’s) and she lays it on his grave. The watch is clearly a symbol of time, and Maggie is somewhat out of time, in limbo in her grief at this point. Sasha tells her that all Abraham had was a cigar. It lacks the permanence of a watch, gone in fire and smoke – much like Abraham. Though no doubt, someone will make the argument that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar… Sasha takes some hope from the baby being okay. Sasha immediately agrees to stay – even though Maggie hasn’t quite made up her mind.
The two are joined at the graves by Jesus. He’s left flowers for Maggie – the first thing she saw on waking – and has been leaving them on the graves too. He tells them that he read that blue flowers inspire strength and calming. Maggie asks what green stands for, and Jesus tells her release. She’s wearing a green shirt. We see two further green symbols in the episode – Enid’s balloons and Maggie identifying herself not as Maggie Green but as Maggie Rhee.
Gregory then joins them at the grave. He wants to know how many of them there were and whether Rick has taken another deal. When he calls her Marsha, Jesus angrily corrects him. He calls Rick, Rich, and then tells her to go. He talks to Sasha like she lives at Hilltop and then bitches about them burying dead and not burning them. Gregory can’t even look at the graves because they remind him of his own mortality.
He ends by telling them to leave, and Jesus says they’ll discuss. Gregory asks him if he wants to go too – clearly threatening to exile Jesus (like he could survive without him!). Jesus easily twists Gregory’s words and says sure, he’ll take them back. Gregory tries to clarify, but Jesus says he knows what he meant. When Sasha adds that Maggie is pregnant, Gregory just says that’s her mistake and walks off. Sasha is going to go after him, clearly angry, but Maggie stops her. Sasha and Maggie look to Jesus and he walks after Gregory, clearly troubled, throwing the dead flowers to the side, but not yet ready to make a stronger stand.
Back in Alexandria, Carl is playing darts really, really badly. He’s lost his aim – and his direction. Rick is trying to get him to come with him and Aaron (Ross Marquand) on a supply run, and Carl is doing his best impersonation of a petulant teen. He tells him he needs to stay for Judith and just says he’ll see Rick in a few days.
Michonne also isn’t coming with him, and it’s her choice not to go as Rick tells her where they’ll be if she changes her mind. He clearly thinks she’s still angry about last episode’s events and goes to kiss her goodbye on the cheek, but she stops him and gives him a real kiss goodbye. He thanks her before he pulls away. Keep reading on my speculation about what that thank you might have meant.
Carl asks why she didn’t go with Rick, and she tells him that she’s got some things to work out. She wants to think about how – and if – they can do “this.” Carl insists that they can’t. Carl insists that she knows Rick is wrong in believing that they can to it – bow down to Negan. Carl is clearly right, as Michonne admits as much, but she adds that while she might think Rick is wrong, she doesn’t know it. She walked away once when she didn’t agree with the decision of her lover and it ended badly. I suspect that is feeding into her need to know for sure. But was that a power bar that she slipped into her bag before she left? She leaves, giving Carl “mom-orders” to change his bandage and be nice to Olivia.
Carl sees Enid about to leave over the wall. She tells him that she needs to see Maggie and that she’ll be fine. She tells him she’s a better aim than he is anyway… and then apologizes for being cruel. Carl tells her that he’s not saving her anymore. Enid tells him that she’s tired that he had to see what happened, but he insists that he’s not. He watches her go but doesn’t go after her… right away.
Jesus tells Sasha that he’s glad she’s there and that he will try to change Gregory’s mind. Sasha doesn’t back away – that’s not Sasha – she tells him that’s not good enough. Jesus insists that the people of Hilltop need him – it would be worse with just Gregory. Sasha asks why he isn’t in charge then, but Jesus insists he’s not a leader. Sasha offers to scavenge for the Hilltop to pay Maggie’s way. Jesus tells her he doesn’t want that. She asks him what he does want, and he insists he just wants to help, but Sasha doesn’t let him off the hook, insisting that maybe he’s got to do more.
Jesus then returns Abraham’s necklace to Sasha – the one that Rosita gave him in “Knots Untie” that was made from the brake light of the tanker truck. The truck that they got on the run that brought Sasha and Abraham together. It’s a symbol of the complicated relationship she had with Abraham, which is underscored by Jesus’ memory of Abraham being the only person he’d met who “could say things to make you smile and wince at the same time.”
Maggie returns and asks Jesus why they burn their dead. He tells her that the idea was just to keep going. She wants to know what they have to remember them by, and he tells her “us.” It’s a theme we’ve heard before – it was something that Glenn tried to do with Hershel.
After Jesus leaves, Maggie asks “now what?” Sasha suggests they just stay – after all, what can Gregory do? She insists that he’s an idiot – even if he is in charge. Maggie is an astute judge of character and points out that he’s a coward – and they’re more dangerous. Maggie suggests that they take the night to think about it. Things will be clearer in the morning.
Enid is biking to Hilltop when she stops to look at a pool of blood. A walker comes out of seemingly nowhere – just one mind you – and suddenly a car arrives and runs over it, taking of the top of its head – nicely gruesome! – but not killing it. It’s immediately obvious that its Carl behind the wheel because he’s finally put the hat back on. He proceeds to back up into the walker, pinning it against a wall. When Enid asks what he’s doing there, he tells her he felt like a drive… FYI he’s a terrible driver! The two have to leave on foot as he’s wrecked the car and her bike.
It’s the middle of the night and Maggie and Sasha are suddenly woken up by music blaring form a locked Gremlin. The gates are open and there are fires burning. Maggie and Sasha are locked in, presumably as are the rest of the Hilltoppers. The music is Finlandia Opus 26 and was written in 1899 as a covert protest against Russian censorship of Finland – so it’s a protest song against oppression.
Sasha tries to get Maggie to stay off her feet and out of the fight. Maggie calls to Jesus from the roof to help Sasha – who says, “Damn it, Maggie.” Does she not want his help? Was this another suicide mission? I don’t think that was the case. Sasha is focused on protecting Maggie – so not trying to die. My inclination is to assume this was just her being pissed that Maggie clearly wasn’t going to stay off her feet. Maggie not only gets Jesus into the fray, she also orders other Hilltoppers to shut the gates – and they immediately snap to to carry out her orders! Seems like they’re already ready to accept her as leader.
This is a terrific scene. We get ninja-Jesus back – we haven’t seen him since he met Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus). And it sure looks like Payne if fully able to do most of his stunts! Gregory watches from the window, but quickly backs away so he doesn’t even have to watch. How fitting was it for farmer Maggie to show up with that dually-John Deere tractor and take out not only the walkers but that stupid Gremlin too! I loved her telling them later that it wasn’t the first time she’d crushed a car with a tractor – she’d done it to an old boyfriend’s car too!
We cut back to Carl and Enid – with no explanation of where they might have spent the night. This was another beautifully shot scene. The two are walking down the road together – but as far from each other as they can get. Enid asks him “You’re not sorry you saw it?” even though Carl told her back in Alexandria that he wouldn’t talk about it. Like so many things, it seems to be easier to talk about it outside the walls. Carl tells her that he watched it both times and didn’t look away. She wants to know why. He tells her that “when it was happening, I knew I that needed to remember it. So when I had a chance to kill him, I wouldn’t have a choice.”
Carl is shocked when Enid says she thinks she’d kill him too. She tells him, “It’s messed up, but it’s how it is. You do things for the ones you love.” This is big, not only because she affirms that she accepts Carl’s position (let’s flash back for a minute to Rick and Michonne), but she’s also admitting that she loved Glenn. Carl tells them, it’s not for them. He apologizes for locking her in the armory, and she says she didn’t have to see it. Enid worries that Maggie isn’t ok, but Carl reassures her that they’ll get there.
Jesus argues about Maggie and Sasha staying with Gregory. He still doesn’t want to lead. In fact, Gregory points out that if Jesus wanted to lead, he’d actually have to stick around. He’d have to be a part of this place. It’s clear that Jesus has tried not to become attached by being busy “helping.” Gregory does the same thing by never really knowing even the people he’s supposed to be leading – hence mistaking Sasha for a member of the community and always getting names wrong.
Sasha and Maggie interrupt them. It’s clearly morning and Gregory is already drinking. He offers them rhubarb preserves and the door as a thank you for saving them. Sasha offers to go if Maggie can stay, and then she even suppresses her anger enough to almost beg to know what she can do to make it work. Gregory once again flies his creep flag as he clearly suggest that he might reconsider if Sasha slept with him. And that’s it for Maggie – who looks terrible btw – she tells him to go to Hell. Gregory mounts right up on his high horse and splutters that he can’t believe she’d think… and then petulantly says they can’t even have the preserves – coming up for yet another name for Ms. Maitland. The four are interrupted by the arrival of the Saviors. Gregory tells Jesus to hide them in the closet.
Carl and Enid are still walking, with Enid now well ahead of Carl. She’s trying not to break down. Carl finds a pack at the side of the road and tells her to wait – there are roller skates! And miraculously, they’re the right size! It’s one of those beautiful pastoral scenes that the show does so well as a counterpoint to the violence and horror. The two are suddenly laughing in this weirdest of all dates. Carl almost falls and Enid saves him. The two hold hands as they skate down the road. Can these two save each other?
Simon and his men fill the house. Gregory tries to rely on his plausible deniability and is as obsequious as he possibly can be. Simon wants to see the painting. Gregory knows Simon is responsible for the night attack and tells him message received loud and clear. Simon wants to know what Gregory thinks the message was, and Gregory says, just that you were showing us who’s boss. But of course, it’s more than that. Simon oohs and aws over Gregory’s prized painting. Telling him that that is management by example – a General who leads his forces into battle – not one who hides behind the curtain and cowers in a corner. Simon clarifies that last night was them working their asses off to provide them an example. The Hilltoppers probably forget what the corpses look or smell like. So, they were going to kill them for them to remind them of the service they can provide, but they cleaned it up themselves. He tells Gregory “good on you” but he’s clearly not to happy. Not only did they demonstrate that they could look after themselves, they also wasted the Saviors’ efforts.
Gregory tries to spin it – we must have picked up some skills from you, so you’ve still saved us. Gregory insists that he’s a team player. Simon suggests that the other people dealing with Gregory must have gotten soft, spoiled from dealing with him because they’re dead. Gregory feigns shock. Simon tells him that it’s ok. The people that killed the Saviors now work for them, and they’re real “go getters.” Nothing to stop Simon from having Rick kill the Hilltoppers, right? Gregory tries to send a message to Negan, and Simon makes it very clear that he’s Gregory’s Negan.
When Simon asks if there are any other hitches he needs to know about, Gregory immediately gives up Maggie and Sasha. Jesus watches in disgust and disbelief as Gregory leads Simon to the closet. But Maggie and Sasha aren’t there – just Gregory’s scotch! Which Simon hates, but he’s giving to Negan – without mentioning Gregory. Simon directs his men to take half of everything – and the painting. But before he goes, he also forces Gregory to kneel. And any respect Jesus may have had for Gregory is done.
Enid and Carl arrive at Hilltop to see the Saviors loading the trucks. Enid realizes that Carl wasn’t just taking a drive or looking for her. His plan all along was to go and kill Negan. Carl asks her to come with him, but she tells him, he’s only doing it for himself. She asks him what happens if he does it? How does he get out? Carl insists it doesn’t matter, and Enid insists that it matters to her, and the two kiss – again, flashing back to Rick and Michonne.
She asks him not to go, to come with her. She tells him that he shouldn’t go, but she knows she can’t stop him. He tells her that he’ll see her and she says, “No. You won’t.” It’s clear that she doesn’t think he’ll come out of this alive – but even if he does, will she want to see him? It’s also possible that this is the show once again preparing us for a death. Lots of rumors circulating right now that Riggs wants to leave to go to college, but plenty of other actors have juggled university and career, and he’s been accepted to an Alabama school…
Jesus has hidden Maggie and Sasha in Gregory’s bedroom closet. Jesus has finally had enough and threatens to expose Gregory’s deal with the Alexandrians. Jesus clarifies that he’s not taking charge, but that Gregory is no longer in charger either. Jesus tells him that Maggie and Sasha are staying and that they’re all going to be one big, happy, dysfunctional family. Gregory insists that he’ll see them through it. He actually thinks he made progress with the Saviors. When he tries to tell Maggie that the Saviors can actually be reasonable, she finally loses it and punches him! And then she takes back Glenn’s watch which he’s taken off the grave!! Just when you think this asshole can’t stoop any lower. She tells him he will learn to call her by her name: Maggie Rhee.
Jesus tells Maggie and Sasha that Gregory was in charge when he arrived at Hilltop. At the time, he thought the people had chosen him for a reason, but now he thinks it just happened. He says that he couldn’t imagine anyone else in his place until now. Maggie asks “who?” and Sasha and Jesus exchange a look and smile – he clearly means Maggie though she doesn’t see it herself. It’s inevitable that she’ll feel the pull to go back to the others at Alexandria. Jesus apologizes for not taking more of a stand sooner and offers to make it up to them. After Maggie leaves, Sasha suggest that he can make it up to them by finding where Negan lives. Jesus says he can but he’s troubled by not telling Maggie – but Sasha admits that she doesn’t like keeping it a secret either.
Maggie finds Enid at the graves. She’s tied the green balloons to a stick and put them on Abraham’s grave. Enid asks if she’s ok, and Maggie says she’s not, but once again the balloons give her hope, and she tells Enid that she will be. After all, it was the balloons who brought Glenn and Enid back to her before.
Maggie, Enid, and Sasha share dinner. Maggie tells Enid the story of running over her teenage boyfriend’s Camaro. When Sasha arrives, she’s happy to see Enid, who says she’s there to help. She asks about the balloons on Abraham’s grave. Enid is embarrassed, but Maggie tells her she didn’t have the heart to tell her they were on the wrong grave – but Glenn would have told her because he was a bad liar. Enid apologizes, and Sasha says it’s ok. Enid explains there’s nothing marking the graves. Maggie gives the watch to Enid, and tells them that they don’t need anything to remember them by because they have each other. Maggie says grace – she hasn’t lost her faith yet.
The final scene has the sound of Sasha sharpening her knife (fyi, she’s doing it wrong!) and segues to Jesus finding Carl in the back of the truck. I loved Jesus taking the opportunity to empty all the bottles of scotch. He’s puzzled as to why Carl is there. Jesus likes to help, but will he help Carl with this quest?
This was another terrific episode – great writing, stunts, effects, and really brilliant acting. What did you think of the episode? Is Carl doomed? Has Maggie passed a torch to Enid? Are Rick and Michonne coming to a parting of the ways? Or was that thank you a signal of something else? Do Rick and Michonne have something else up their sleeves? Where was Michonne going? The Kingdom maybe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
