Syfy Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
SYFY WIRE The Walking Dead

A new setback in the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead

By Alyse Wax
The Walking Dead episode 1008 - Rosita fighting zombies

In This Episode...

Well, Siddiq is dead - for real. Dante is about to stab him in the head when Rosita comes in. He tries to play it cool, but Rosita is suspicious, and Dante reveals his knife. He is kind enough to allow her to put the baby in the bathtub before he attacks. The two fight as Siddiq comes back to life and ambles towards his screaming daughter. Rosita acts without thinking: she stabs Dante in the shoulder, then kills the zombie about to eat her baby. It isn't until she stabs that she realizes she is killing Siddiq. Then she returns her attention to Dante, beating him.

TWD_1008_GP_0613_0216_RT

Dante is brought before Gabriel, Carol, Daryl, and Rosita, who try to make sense of this grave betrayal. Dante claims that the plan was to encourage their paranoia, and push the Alexandrians into bad decisions. "Places like this crumble at the smallest nick."

Aaron returns from his meeting with Gamma (who admits her name was Mary) and informs the others of the deal he struck with her: she told Aaron where the herd is kept. If that turns out to be true, she will get to see her nephew.

Daryl, Aaron, and Carol meet Connie, Jerry, Magna, and a few others in the woods, looking for the herd. They find recently set traps, but there is not a single zombie in the zone Mary promised they would be. Daryl thinks they have been played and now wants to go find Lydia, their safety net. Aaron insists he wasn't wrong about this.

TWD_1008_GP_0611_0470_RT

As the group continues through the woods, Carol stops. She sees Alpha across a clearing, and gives chase. It seems pretty obvious that this is a set-up, but Carol goes after her anyway, which leads the rest of the group to follow. They chase Alpha into a cavern. Daryl is the last one in, and he goes in cautiously, with weapons drawn. Suddenly he tumbles down a hole. He finds his friends down there, and something far more sinister: the entire herd, jammed into a pit. There is just a few inches of ledge separating our heroes from certain death.

Meanwhile, Michonne leads a group that includes Luke and Judith to Oceanside. They make a brief stop at a library, where Luke is attacked by zombies. He is saved by a mysterious man who flees the scene. Michonne has bigger things to worry about because she has just heard that Siddiq is dead. The group continues on to Oceanside, where Michonne warns Rachel and Cyndie that they need to create a stricter screening process.

A commotion draws them. The man who saved Luke in the library was just caught trying to steal a boat. Michonne is ready to kill him on sight, but Luke insists that if he were truly evil, he wouldn't have saved him. Unfortunately, the man (who we later learn is named Virgil) let in some zombies, so Michonne and the others go take care of them first. Virgil tries to escape, but Judith slices his leg, kills a zombie, and holds him at sword-point until her mom can join her. Virgil insists he wasn't watching Michonne and her group; he just wanted to get back to his family. The two work out a deal. She takes him to his family, and she gets weapons. Lots of weapons. Virgil and his family are hiding out on a military base on an island. It is safe and well-fortified - and is loaded with military-grade weapons. Enough to blow up a herd. Though Michonne wants to be with her friends at this time, Judith encourages her to take Virgil home. She will return, with the boat, and weapons.

TWD_1008_GP_0611_0057_RT

Also: Gabriel, overwhelmed with anger and sadness, beats Dante to death with his bare hands. 

Dante's mission

According to a series of flashbacks, Dante walked with the zombies until he found some strangers. Then he ditched his zombie skins, yelled for help, and joined this friendly group of survivors. He goes with the group to gain entrance into Alexandria. On occasion, he leaves notes for Alpha in a tree. He was responsible for the "silence the whispers" graffiti, he sabotaged the drinking water, and he smothered Cheryl.

Daryl and Carol

Carol has a mini-meltdown in the forest and Daryl confronts her. She doesn't open up, but she cries on his shoulder while he tells her Alpha isn't worth all this. "She's a dead woman anyway. We have a future. Don't let her take that, too." It is a sweet, tender moment. I don't really ship them (I am busy still pining over Mulder and Scully) but it makes a hell of a lot more sense than trying to force a Daryl/Connie romance to happen. The pair have one single scene this episode, where Daryl thanks her (and the others) for helping them look for the herd. Connie holds up a note that reads "Anything for us." I think this is supposed to be a sign of them flirting...? It feels so awkward. The pair have never really had any emotional bonding scenes. I don't understand why they are trying to force these people together.