‘The Walking Dead’ season 7, episode 5: Lauren Cohan on Maggie’s future

Gregory, the leader at the historical home-based community, wasn’t having it. But thanks to the good people at the Hilltop colony, both Maggie and her baby are fine, and she seems to have found a protector in Jesus. There’s just one problem: Gregory wants them gone. Maggie punches Gregory across the face, and makes her new name and objective heard loud and clear: “This is our home now, so you’ll learn to start calling me by my name. Maggie Rhee.” It could not have been a more fitting tribute.

Ostensibly, Rick “Beard” Grimes is, and always has been, the hero of “The Walking Dead”.

Back at Alexandria, Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Enid (Katelyn Nacon) strike out on the road for Hilltop on their own.

Carl has some insane guts, or stupidity, depending on how you see his actions this episode. Glenn and Maggie have been fan favorites since their introductions on the show, so there’s no way the audience is going to be okay with anything happening to Maggie at this point.

Enid reunites with Maggie at Glenn’s grave, before heading inside to meet Sasha for supper. A traumatized Maggie has survived the threat of miscarriage with the help of Hilltop’s doctor who recommends she stay with them for the duration of the pregnancy.

“We don’t need anything to remember him by”, Maggie explains as she later gives Glenn’s pocket watch to Enid. As promised, Jesus heads out of the Hilltop and hops in the back of a Savior truck headed for Negan’s compound. If so, then why is it spending so much warm-up time this year bopping around from one locale to another, showing us the show’s central group and how they are getting along in new digs and/or new circumstances? One vehicle accident and a rollerskating sojourn later, Carl and Enid reach the Hilltop, but Negan’s nowhere in sight – only his men and their trucks. Will Carl be a liability for Jesus?

Meanwhile, during the Hilltop shenanigans, Carl and Olivia leave Alexandria for a day of zombie killing and roller skating. Jesus’ smirk suggest fun times are ahead.

– I really hope that we learn more about Jesus this season.

The next morning, Negan’s lieutenant Simon (Steven Ogg) and several Saviors show up at the Hilltop. His absence indicates how little he thinks of Gregory.

Now that Maggie is in charge of the Hilltop, will she have to deal with the Saviors, or will Gregory keep up appearances? By presenting himself this way, Rick’s people will follow him in a similar manner when Negan visits. Sasha was even willing to leave the community to ensure Maggie was able to stay and receive proper care to protect her and her child. Even with baddie Negan (Jeffrey Dean Moran) largely off screen, he still managed to have a menacing presence, leaving his group of the Saviors to do the dirty work.

Rick is going to be the one who sets everything in place, but Eugene and Rosita’s roles are now more integral to the mission of taking Negan down, since they will be providing the bullets that ultimately put an end to Negan and his Saviors. Hopefully, he doesn’t poke around the Hilltop. Simon then makes it clear that Negan has the Alexandrians under his control now – so everybody better stay in line or else there will be hell to pay.

The beauty of The Walking Dead is in its ensemble; while some characters may not at first seem worth investing in, when moved about and paired with another, their chemistry could breathe new life into their existence. The last time that stands out in my memory are some of the episodes in Season 3 with Michonne and Andrea in Woodbury. Carl has always sort of been the flawless teenage killing machine who rarely rebels against Rick or any of the other adults. Michonne is angry but calculating. And does it feel right to waste one of Alexandria’s few precious vehicles to take out one or two walkers? But a lot of this episode is about Sasha and Maggie being there for each another, supporting each other, protecting each other. Walking Dead readers know how things turn out for Negan, but it’s possible the AMC series may deviate from that outcome. However, he’s chose to take matters into his own hand despite Negan’s own warning that the kid needs to step back for his own good. He continues to not get anyone’s name right, to back away from anything unsafe, to do whatever he feels will keep him safe and in power. Would a Negan-fee world be even more risky?

The Walking Dead airs in the United Kingdom every Monday on FOX at 9pm. There’s more with Carl and Enid, but we’ll cover that later in the review. Do you think Maggie should lead the Hilltop?