When we left The Walking Dead season 7 back in December, the Spencer, Olivia, and Fat Joey were dead, and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) finally woke from the stupor brought on by the violence of his first encounter with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and is ready to rumble.
Episode nine, “Rock in the Road,” picks up with some strange goings-on in the nighttime with the padre, then heads back to Hilltop to check on that reunion.
Life is better when #TheWalkingDead is back on TV
— Jeremy Patti (@Jpatt418) February 13, 2017
The episode started out with Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) perpetrating a thorough and seemingly spontaneous pantry raid. His behavior baffled everyone watching, including some of his fellow Alexandrians (like they don’t know what’s up with the good padre’s thieving by now — you’re not fooling anyone, but we appreciate the engagement effort).
Father G! What's going on, dude? #TheWalkingDead #TWD
— Josh McDermitt (@JoshMcDermitt) February 13, 2017
What are you doing Gabriel???? #twd
— Katelyn Nacon (@katelynnacon) February 13, 2017
lol gabriel was just reading his bible and now he's stealing all the food. what a great priest #twd
— chandler riggs (@chandlerriggs) February 13, 2017
Father Gabriel was like #TWD #DemDeadz pic.twitter.com/Ruzgrqtz0E
— Bald Gal Ree Ree (@AwkwardlyReeRee) February 13, 2017
Gregory (Xander Berkeley) was on fire with some of the best lines of the show, while trying to squirm out of having anything to do with Rick and Co.’s failed coup.
To Rick: “Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have.”
To Jesus (Tom Payne): “Hey, don’t you work for me? Aren’t we friends.”
To Maggie (Lauren Cohan): “I don’t know how many people we have, Margaret. Does it even matter? What are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum farmers? Cause that’s what we got: They grow things.”
To Tara (Alanna Masterson): “Let me stop you before you break into song, OK?”
To the room: “And, by the way, who would train all this cannon-fodder?”<
And, of course, “Rhe-TOR-i-cal ― OK? I don’t want to know! I never want to hear another word about any of it. Ever!”
Hilarious! Nice work, Xander Berkeley: Your Gregory has just entered the zone of characters we love to hate, as opposed to just plain hate (Dwight) or, worse, hate with indifference (Enid with the endless sulking and brooding).
Jesus has a guy he wants Rick to meet. Cue the tiger.https://twitter.com/RachealStrabala/status/831014776302092289
Your boy was really about to break into some War of the Roses declarations from horseback? You tellin' me jokes #TheWalkingDead #DemDeadz
— Black Nerd Problems (@BlkNrdProblems) February 13, 2017
Daryl asking about Carol makes me cry ? #TheWalkingDead #TWD
— Josh McDermitt (@JoshMcDermitt) February 13, 2017
"Oh, I forgot to mention the tiger." How does everyone forget to mention the tiger???? #TWD @WalkingDead_AMC pic.twitter.com/WKl6vZGKHW
— Kat (@katsterevin) February 13, 2017
Jesus: "Oh.. I forgot to mention."
Rick: "… He has tiger.."
Sasha: "..bish whet..?"??? #TheWalkingDead #TWD pic.twitter.com/W8WjsoD24F
— TJ (@Duskininja) February 13, 2017
I need Ezekiel to drop the accent and go back to sounding like Keith from Baltimore #TheWalkingDead #DemDeadz
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) February 13, 2017
Triggered by the talk of Negan’s murders, Rosita brutally recounts Team Alexandria’s deaths to Morgan.
Damn Rosita. I guess hurt ppl, do hurt ppl. #TheWalkingDead #DeyWalking
— ℍⅇℝ (@hunniieBUNCHes) February 13, 2017
Rosita gone vote for Trump but participate in the Women's March. #DeyWalking
— Rod (@rodimusprime) February 13, 2017
Rosita is throwing shade at everyone. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/SuWo8RGmed
— sodapopandpunkrock (@sodapopandpunk) February 13, 2017
An aside from Eugene…https://twitter.com/JoshMcDermitt/status/830967308466085889
Daryl is left behind, but Rick seems as excited that he’ll be making new friends at The Kingdom.
Rick and Daryl are separated again #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/Oico9YP8KM
— ⭐️jasmine⭐️ (@echosenshi) February 13, 2017
Talking Dead trivia: Director Greg Nicotero’s kids were in the background being trained in bow and arrow the Kingdom scene.
Armed with a radio that allows them to listen in on the Saviors — Negan gives a uniquely Neganesque eulogy for Fat Joey — Rick and the gang hit the road back to Alexandria.
A little Negan goes a long way- his off-screen eulogy for Fat Joey tonight was just about perfect. #TWD
— Skee-Ball Librarian (@oodja) February 13, 2017
Skinny Joey is just Joey. #walkingdead @WalkingDead_AMC #twd #thewalkingdead pic.twitter.com/O75YOMi7sy
— Laura (@lsirikul) February 13, 2017
Running across a booby-trapped roadblock, they dismount the minivan for some foraging. An enormous herd of Walkers conveniently shows up while they’re disarming explosives, sparking instead what some saw as a bonding moment for Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira)— aka, “Richonne.”
Just the best thing ever. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/AhyCGaVVuP
— Dalton Ross (@DaltonRoss) February 13, 2017
That Richonne mega walker kill was so romantic. #TheWalkingDead #DemDeadz
— Eve Vaughn (@Eve_Vaughn) February 13, 2017
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Wires kill walkers
Dynamite does too#Richonne #ValentinesDay#TheWalkingDead #PFTWD #DeyWalking— D Donuts (@DeeDonuts) February 13, 2017
a couple that slays together, stays together. ? #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/9h4Cwtrl6T
— diana, #obviously. (@daikou) February 13, 2017
When someone sped up around me , but we both end up at the same light #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/44tEBFZ2G2
— Hesjus Shuttleworth (@KidLavon) February 13, 2017
@WalkingDead_AMC That scene has me feeling like…… #TheWalkingDead #RiseUp #TWD ?? pic.twitter.com/eKR72grEFW
— AustinBrooke (@Austin_BrookeRN) February 13, 2017
Thought it looked familiar… Talking Dead later revealed that the stretch of road where Rick and Michonne mow down the walker herd was seen back when Carol’s ill-fated daughter Sophia went missing.
The Saviors show up just behind Rick and the gang. The pantry raid has been discovered, but no matter — the Saviors didn’t come for food and sundries.
Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) is nervous about Aaron (Ross Marquand) participating in whatever the hell the plan is to take down the Saviors. Selfishly, he’d rather remain not dead, rather than undead or dead dead or whatever form of deadness the Saviors might exact upon them should they be caught.
Eric, you lay it out for him. #TWD #DemDeadz
— We So Nerdy (@WeSoNerdy) February 13, 2017
Loved filming this scene with @jwoodsrobinson – one of my favorites, by far. @WalkingDead_AMC #TWD #RiseUp
— Ross Marquand (@RossMarquand) February 13, 2017
Benjamin (Logan Miller) went for a stroll and met up with Carol (Melissa McBride) — in full-blown hermit mode — then brought word back to Ezekiel.
Carol is so savage #TheWalkingDead #TWD #RiseUp @WalkingDead_AMC
— Josh McDermitt (@JoshMcDermitt) February 13, 2017
Ezekiel asking about Carol is any middle schooler with a crush. "What did she say? Like her exact words?" #TheWalkingDead
— Brittany Blackerby (@Burtney0714) February 13, 2017
“My dad used to say, ‘If you’re asked to be the hero, be a hero,’” young Benjamin said to King Ezekiel (Khary Payton). But the king didn’t want to upset Hilltop’s shaky relationship with the Saviors and put the community at risk.
Rick’s smile at the end when they stumble on the goth camp was EVERYTHING.
? #TWD pic.twitter.com/wcNfPDhSw2
— The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) February 13, 2017
Watch the full scene:
10/10 for this episode , i loved every second of it !!!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ #TheWalkingDead
— steven (@GrimesYachty) February 13, 2017
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC
