The Walking Dead S11 E10: "New Haunts" Review
The Walking Dead Season 11 Episode 10: "New Haunts" Review
[WARNING: Major spoilers for The Walking Dead seasons 1-10, spoilers for season 11.]
After a rather eventful mid-series premiere, the second episode of Part 2 of The Walking Dead's final season slows things down a bit, allowing viewers more insight into the Commonwealth as our ensemble of protagonists start settling in. For the first time in a while, it appears the show is building toward an all-encompassing mystery, one that--while it took a bumpy road to get there--looks like it will pay off in the end. This episode in particular featured a number of different plots and side-plots that occurred all at once, but it was presented in a way that allowed everything that was transpiring to feel balanced and natural throughout.
The most prevalent plot throughout the episode involved Daryl and Rosita, now living at the Commonwealth a month after the events of the previous episode, learning to deal with their new lives as soldiers for the Commonwealth's army. It isn't all that clear as to why they decided to don the Stormtrooper-like armor and go into the Commonwealth despite the rebuild efforts Commonwealth is assisting Alexandria with. It's implied that they've done this to keep their children safe--Judith and RJ for Daryl, Socorro for Rosita--and to give them normal lives, which I appreciated seeing during the episode. Judith's small interactions with other people in the town and her first shared scene with Princess was nice to watch, as it reflects how Daryl and Rosita are willing to do as many dirty jobs as they have to in order to keep their children safe.
And dirty jobs they do indeed do, such as assisting the Commonwealth military in clearing Walkers out of houses, much akin to the punishment Eugene had to endure during his time in prison. This time, however, it acts as both a training mission and to establish both of them as talented candidates for the military. There is an established level of trust here between Daryl, Rosita, and the head of the military, Mercer, which makes me think that there will end up being some kind of alliance between the three of them as the series progresses. This is because of the ending sequence of events that transpired in the episode, something we'll touch on a bit later. For now, though, it's interesting to see characters we've known as "on the road" for so long suddenly come into a world that is very much like the one before the dead. It's almost surreal to see Daryl and Rosita worrying about money and more practical things that feel very much "before the fall." It's a little jarring, but I think that's what the crew behind the show was going for--to give the audience a similar whiplash the characters must be feeling now that they're part of a world very much like the one lost long ago.
Though what felt very familiar was Carol's role to play during this episode. After the Commonwealth took her in, she discovered that Ezekiel was low on the list of patients who needed emergency surgery in the community, despite his rapidly growing tumor. Taking it upon herself, Carol decides to sneak around to discover more about the Commonwealth, learning that its spokesman, Lance Honrsby, isn't favored by Governor Pamela Milton as much as he could be. Using this to her advantage, Carol seeks to help Lance make an upcoming party shine with his excellence, an attempt to barter Ezekiel up the list of patients who need surgery. This isn't anything new for Carol, but it is interesting to see her do this in a setting that feels more akin to our world than it does a world of the dead. It also initializes a flimsy level of trust that goes into what happens at the Commonwealth, as it appears anyone with the right agenda can ensure they get what they want. For Carol, this is safety and good health for Ezekiel--how this may play out for other characters should they get involved remains unknown.
What I do know, however, is that--while by themselves these plots were rather mundane for an episode of The Walking Dead--everything converged at the very end, allowing for a larger plot to be built around the smaller ideas presented earlier in the episode. This had to do with a party being held by the Governor, Pamela Milton, in honor of the Commonwealth's recent achievements and as a hopeful brandish of an ever-improving future. All appears to be going well...until it no longer is.
BEGIN SPOILERS
During the party, a former Commonwealth soldier--who has since been demoted to a waiter because of his failure to keep Princess contained in a boxcar in a previous episode--begins to rant at Governor Milton, stating that the Commonwealth mistreats many of the people who work hard to protect it, often because of a single mistake. Given what we as the audience know about his situation, it's clear that there is a level of truth to what's being claimed, as the soldier had been thoroughly demoted after his inability to keep prisoners from Alexandria in line. What makes this scene interesting, however, is the soldier's claim that there are thousands more like him--people who are fed up with the system of government and punishment in the Commonwealth who are more than willing to rise up against the Governor and her inner circle.
His outburst was later followed up with the discovery of anti-Commonwealth propaganda in an apartment by Rosita and a squad of troopers, a strong indication that what the punished soldier claimed has some level of truth to it. When it comes to the homes our heroes have discovered over the years, there has always been some level of distrust involved. Here, however, it appears to be insurrectionary, something that we've only caught glimpses of throughout Alexandria's history. To have a possible rebellion in the Commonwealth begs two questions: How many people are involved? And why do they believe rebellion would be the best solution to problems they have with the community? How this conflict evolves throughout the rest of the season may prove to be a make or break in terms of quality within The Walking Dead's final season. I'm interested in how the show will handle an inner threat as what appears to be the final "big bad" of the series, an indicator that perhaps those beyond the walls of a community are not the only people to be on the lookout for. How this will create an evolution of trust or mistrust within the Commonwealth will also be interesting to see play out.
Another note of interest regarding spoilery developments this episode was the begrudging relationship Daryl starts to form with Sebastian Milton, Governor Milton's son. This is the same kid who got Eugene arrested for a second time despite the fact Eugene was trying to help him stay safe from a few straggling Walkers. After the rebellious soldier says his peace and defaces a painting of Governor Milton's father, he runs away from the scene, prompting Daryl--as a Commonwealth soldier--to give chase. When he corners the runaway, it turns out that Sebastian had followed him. After some snarky remarks, Daryl allows Sebastian to take credit for the capture of the soldier, which he does smugly. While he'd previously been established as a nuisance, the fact that he is now attempting to find common ground with Daryl indicates his presence may be a large one sooner rather than later. I honestly think the show's done a great job at getting me to hate this kid, so I can't wait to see what else he does to make my blood boil.
END SPOILERS
Overall, while this was a much slower episode than what came before, The Walking Dead is starting to make small improvements as it continues in its final season. I enjoyed learning more about the Commonwealth and having a seemingly shadowy villain set up for this final act of the show, something I'm excited to see play out as episodes continue. Whether or not the Commonwealth is perfect remains to be seen, though, so it will be interesting if the conflict set up turns out to be a rouse for something greater. Only time will tell. For now, though, Part 2 of this season is off to a strong start. While the show is still not as immersive as it was in its glory days, I feel like this new direction of dealing with a community that has pretty much brought the world back to the way it was should prove interesting. With 14 episodes to go, though, anything is possible. My hope is that The Walking Dead can maintain this level of quality and doesn't trip over itself, shambling to the finish line.
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