Season 7 episode 10, titled, “New Best Friends,” of The Walking Dead has it all, suspense, fun, drama, action and a budding romance. A lot to critique and recap. So, by borrowing the words of Daryl who barked to Aaron from season 5’s episode 13, titled, “Forget,” keep up, keep quiet!
Events are getting ramped up. The episode begins at a pick up location as King Ezekiel and his small crew, Jerry, Richard, Dianne, Benjamin, and newest member Morgan (Lennie James) all await the arrival of the Saviors to collect their weekly goods. Usually always food taken from the Kingdom, whereas when the Saviors arrive at Alexandria they may take anything from food to household goods. A reason why the Saviors arrive in a caravan of trucks at Alexandria, while they may arrive in a single SUV or truck with a smaller group to collect from the Kingdom.
Like in a previous episode, the Savior Jared just can’t seem to let things be. After Gavin, leader of the small group of Saviors, agreed with Ezekiel that the required quota of goods had been met, Jared seems to always feel the need to antagonize and not simply let things go in a peaceful way of plundering. And as before, he likes to direct his hostility at Richard (Karl Makinen).
“I want his gun. In fact, I don’t think this a**hole should have a gun, ever. No guns for bad boys,” Jared boasts. “You hit me first, prick,” Richard replies sternly towards Jared. Spoken in truth, for Richard didn’t back down in their previous encounter, giving Jared a beat down.
Soon after, guns are drawn to a standoff as Jerry and Dianne backup Richard. “Okay, where do we go from here?” Gavin asks, to calm down matters with his gun drawn. Richard hands over his gun after being ordered by Ezekiel, yet saying insulting words to Jared while doing so. A brief fight breaks out as Jared is about to attack Richard while Morgan intervenes with his bo-staff, quickly followed by Benjamin using his bo-staff, who had been taught by Morgan.
During the fight, Morgan was struck with a glancing blow to the side of his head yet remained conscious when all settled. Leaving Gavin (Jayson Warner Smith) to give a warning, “Ezekiel, you know I can’t have this.” Followed by Ezekiel, replying, “We can’t have this. Richard will refrain from attending our future exchanges.” Weekly exchanges that only a select group knows about, such as Richard, Jerry, Dianne, Benjamin, and Morgan, who has gained Ezekiel’s trust. For as leader, Ezekiel has kept secret the exchanges with the Saviors from the general populace of the Kingdom. When all was settled, Jared is also allowed to take Morgan’s bo-staff.
All things considered, Ezekiel appears decent enough as a man who does care for the welfare of his people. That is, as a man. While as a leader, that’s a whole other story.
In season 7 episode 2, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) asks Morgan to train Benjamin (Logan Miller) to use a bo-staff. Then when Benjamin assists during the brief fight, he’s berated. “You were a trifle too quick. Just because you know how to fight doesn’t mean you should seek one,” Ezekiel says to the young man, even after witnessing that the obnoxious Savior Jared had started it all.
So far we’ve been left wondering what it would take for Ezekiel to join forces with Rick against the Saviors. In this episode we’re given a clue, his affection for a woman. And her name is Carol (Melissa McBride), who had left Rick’s group and Alexandria in season 6 episode 15.
In the meantime Richard, one of Ezekiel’s top lieutenants, is about to explode out of Ezekiel’s reluctance to fight the Saviors. Who was present, when Jesus arrived earlier to try to persuade Ezekiel to join forces with Rick’s group and those recruited by Enid from the Hilltop Colony.
Ezekiel isn’t the only one, for Morgan, fully knowing what the Saviors are capable of, is also reluctant. That is for now. Despite Daryl (Norman Reedus) calling Morgan out as soon as he saw the group arrive back at the Kingdom.
“You went to see them, right? Yeah. Part of your deal? What the hell’s wrong with you? You’re bleeding. They did that to you. You know what they are,” all spoken by Daryl with firmness. “I do,” Morgan replies softly with a grazed head wound. Leaving Daryl to remind Morgan that if Carol knew about Abraham and Glenn, she’d be ready to take arms and kill them all, the Saviors.
Following soon after, while having taken asylum in the Kingdom after his escape from the Saviors, Daryl meets Richard while he practiced with bow and arrow. Richard then offers Daryl a new crossbow, who was told by Morgan that Daryl is a bowman. “Why?” Daryl asks simply. “Cause we want the same things. I need your help,” says Richard, who let’s Daryl in on his plan.
After having led Daryl to a secret weapons cache and supplies, Richard and Daryl leave, both armed, while Richard says, “We need something to move Ezekiel.” Later, they arrive at a road driven on by the Saviors to hide and wait as Richard’s plan is to hit the Saviors. Then, leave evidence of a trail leading to a house where a woman resides whom Ezekiel has an affection for.
This gets Daryl curious, especially after being told the woman is brave. “What’s her name?” Daryl asks. “Maybe they’ll kill her, maybe they don’t, but it’s gonna show Ezekiel what he needs to do,” Richard explains. “Say the damn name,” Daryl demands impatiently.
Shortly after Richard reveals that it’s Carol, a Savior’s truck arrive, leading Richard to get ready for an assault. Yet he’s stopped by Daryl, who angrily pummels at Richard while the two remain hidden as the Savior’s truck passes by unawares. Leaving Daryl, who threatens Richard’s life if any harm overcomes Carol whatsoever. Which is a totally unexpected new low for Richard.
Meanwhile, the large group who had surrounded Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Aaron, Michonne (Danai Gurira), Tara, and Rosita, had also taken Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) as a hostage. Soon, the leader of the large group called the Scavengers, named Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), appears, saying, “We own your lives. You wanna buy them back?” Leaving Rick to basically saying they don’t own squat. Calmly telling the Scavengers at their junkyard that his group are owned by the Saviors, who will also later own the Scavengers whom all are dressed in a faded grayish black.
Rick first wants to see Gabriel. Which is allowed. Followed by Rick boldly saying, “You only have two options when it comes to the Saviors, either they kill you or they own you.”
Jadis had had enough, and calmly ordered her group to take out Rick’s people. Rick’s people fight back, until Gabriel grabs ahold of the Scavenger Tamiel, holding a knife at her throat while telling Jadis what Rick is capable of. Soon after, Rick is forced to fight a walker the Scavengers had named Winslow in an arena pit, a walker the Scavengers had adorned with metal spikes.
Rick gets wounded, yet kills Winslow. After arising out of the pit triumphant, Rick brokers a deal with Jadis who wants guns before joining in the fight against the Saviors. Jadis also adds that the deal expires, leaving Rick and his group to hunt for guns. Rick saw opportunity in the midst of peril. One of the reasons when he smiled when his group discovered the Scavengers.
The episode also had comic relief from Jerry (Cooper Andrews), one of Ezekiel’s top lieutenants. Plus, Daryl meets Carol during a heartwarming moment. Yet when she asks if Rick’s group are ok, Daryl lies to her about Abraham and Glenn, prefering to leave her at peace. Episode 10 of season 7, titled, “New Best Friends,” of The Walking Dead gets five stars out of five, grand slam.