Note: Major spoilers for the episode of The Walking Dead, you have been warned.
"The Next World" episode picks up some time after the previous episode, but we aren't really told just how much time has passed. Everything seems to be getting back to normal around Alexandria, Carl has healed up and is now wearing an eye patch, and Rick and Michonne are seen getting ready for the day in their house. We soon find out that Rick and Daryl are going to be going out on a supply run, while the others remain at Alexandria. We are given the impression that this has become a routine of sorts, with the two men going out and looking for anything that will help the town and to see if they find any survivors.
As they prepare to leave the town, they get several shopping lists from the other residents. Everybody has their own special thing they seem to want, if they happen across any of the items. The mood around town seems to be upbeat, similar to how the last episode ended with things looking like they are finally working out for the group. I found it to be an interesting change of pace for the show, to see the people actually getting to act like people again. There is so much doom and gloom in the show, it's not often we get to see these characters acting at least a little bit like they did before the zombie apocalypse came along.
Rick and Daryl come across a large truck that is just packed full of all sorts of stuff. Deciding they have found the mother load, they leave their car behind and just take the truck to go back to Alexandria. On their way back, they stop at an abandoned gas station and start looking around. Daryl finds a vending machine that has one of the special items that was requested by Denise (soda pop in a can), and so they are trying to get into the vending machine when a man comes out of nowhere and runs into them. The man tells them that he is running from walkers, and that they are headed their way. Rick asks the man if he is with anybody else, and the man says no. Rick and Daryl say the same thing, as they don't know whether to trust this guy or not. The man introduces himself as Paul Rovia, but he says that his friends call him "Jesus" because he bears a striking resemblance to Jesus Christ. He then runs off, and gun shots can be heard behind the building. Rick and Daryl go to investigate, only to find firecrackers going off in a barrel. Realizing what has happened, the run back to the front of the building to see Jesus driving off with their truck.
Next we get to see Michonne following Spencer in the woods, and asks him what he is doing. He says he is just walking and allows Michonne to come with him. Carl and Enid are also in the woods having a picnic of sorts, when a walker wanders nearby. It looks like Carl is going to kill the walker, but then he changes his mind after he sees who it is, but we don't get to see just quite yet. It's pretty obvious that it's someone we know, and if you have been paying any attention at all, you should already know who it is, but Carl and Enid then begin to lead the walker away instead of killing it.
Cut back to Rick and Daryl who have been chasing after the truck. They find the truck sitting in the middle of the road, and Jesus has just finished changing a tire that apparently went flat. Rick and Daryl jump the man, but he puts up a surprising fight. They do end up getting the advantage on him, and they tie him up and leave him on the side of the road. Some ways down the road as they are driving, they hear a sound on the roof, and figure out that somehow the man got loose and got on the truck, so they slam on the brakes and he falls off the roof into the field where (coincidentally) there are a bunch of walkers. Rick fights them while Daryl goes after Jesus, but Jesus gets a gun and points it at Daryl. He then says, "Duck," and Daryl ducks just in time for Jesus to shoot a walker that was coming up behind him. Daryl then knock the man out and takes the gun. The parking brake gets knocked in the exchange, and the truck rolls into the lake, losing all the supplies that were in the back.
Spencer and Michonne are talking in the woods, and we see Carl and Enid walk by, and then we finally get to see who the walker was. It was Deanna, Spencer's mom. Spencer does what he has to do, and puts the walker down, and then he and Michonne bury her. Michonne later confronts Carl for not killing the walker himself, and he tells her that it needed to be somebody that loved her, that was why he led her to Spencer. He then tells Michonne that he would do the same for her, and she returns the sentiment.
Rick and Daryl are now back, and Rick gets home to find Michonne waiting for him. They make some small talk and briefly explain that they have both had a long, strange day. They then proceed to make out and put to rest any suspicions we may have had about their relationship that they have now moved on to more than just friends and survivors.
The next morning, Rick and Michonne are sleeping and someone is in their room, whispering for Rick to wake up. He and Michonne come out of bed with their weapons ready to find Jesus standing at the end of the bed. He says, "We need to talk," and that is how the episode ends.
I felt this episode was pretty strong. The pacing was good, the storylines all made sense, they did a good job of introducing a soon to be very pivotal character in the story (for those that know what happens in the comics), and it set into motion the next part of the story. We know instantly that there is more to this guy that showed up, but we don't know just how different and how important he is going to be until this final moment in the episode. I can honestly say that I'm pretty excited for the next few episodes, because there are some big moments coming as we speed into the season finale, and it has already been teased that the season finale is going to be huge. I have a very good idea of what is going to happen in that episode, but I will leave that for now as I have read too far into the comic to ruin it for those that haven't. I'll just say that you better strap in, because things are going to pick up real quick and I can't wait to see how it plays out on screen.
My rating for the episode is 8/10
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