The Walking Dead review: The case of the missing Saviors is finally solved

Rick watches as his plans to unite the communities crumbles as the latest disappearance becomes the last straw for the Saviors. Above all, we find out who is behind the disappearances.

The Walking Dead gave us our last glimpse of a peaceful time as Rick kisses a still sleeping Michonne and Judith and heads out to Carl’s grave to place beside it the first ripe tomato of the season. While Rick sees the tomato as a sign that Carl’s plans are finally starting to come true, there are darker times ahead that he can’t possibly see coming.

First of all, Justin aka the Savior that Rick kicked out, is seen rising up as a walker, with a small but significant wound in his back. Someone Justin knew killed him during last weeks attack. But who could it have been? Since Justin purposely failed to sound off the second siren and had a public argument with Daryl, his disappearance spells trouble for Rick.

When the Saviors realize Justin is gone, they head out at once to search for him. While looking for Justin, a menacing Savior named Jed bumps into Maggie’s carriage headed for a food drop off for the Saviors. Jed grabs a tomato and tries to intimidate Maggie believing she knows more about Justin’s disappearance then she’s telling, since she’s one of Rick’s trusted leaders. While this continues the theme that the Saviors are immoral, Laura, a former Savior herself, steps forward to assure Maggie that they will return to work on the bridge as soon as they’re done. Laura is one of the few Saviors right now that’s trying to prove the group has changed — at least some anyway.

Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Chloe Garcia-Frizzi as Judith Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Peaceful times are shortlived on this show, but when they do happen, they are cherished. Michonne and Rick make taking Judith on a trip to Doctor Siddiq a family fun day with reading, playing, and hide and seek. Rick is optimistic enough to thank Michonne for her hard work and hints at leaving it behind to work on a baby instead. But Rick’s bliss is disrupted by the news that Justin was found dead and with a wound that looks like an arrow, which means Daryl will be accused.

When the Saviors finally get a look at Justin’s dead body, they’re enraged one of their own was killed outright. They lash out at the other communities in retaliation. A Savior pushes up against Gabriel and Alden gets punched in the face, despite his having been on their side and working to get guns for them.

Carol cuts the fight short with her hand on her gun, and soon Rick charges in on his horse. The Saviors call out accusations on Justin’s death all the same. Some think that it was Daryl, but surprisingly the rest believe that it could have been Anne. Looks like Anne’s complaints about some people not forgiving her past life are actually valid.

Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Cooper Andrews as Jerry, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Sydney Park as Cyndie, Nadine Marissa as Nabila – Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Rick questions Gabriel on Anne’s whereabouts the night before, and he lies in the name of love claiming he was with her all night. That isn’t to say that Gabriel doesn’t mean to blindly believe his newfound love. Gabriel later questions Anne, and follows her back to the garbage site to discover that she’s communicating with someone over the radio.

Anne seems to be trying to contact the helicopter she saw the night before. We learn she used to trade people for supplies with them. What they did with those people, we have no clue yet. It was a dirty job she admits, but now she’s looking for them to take her with them instead. And who could blame her? Anne witnessed the communities readily accuse her of kidnapping and murder even though she had been a faithful participant for over a year.

The helicopter people will give her what she wants in exchange for an “A,” which is looking a lot like a personality type. While Anne initially thought Gabriel was a type “B,” his decline to join her and his loyalty to Rick convince her he’s a type A. Love or not, Anne hits Gabriel over the head and is going to give him to the helicopter people in exchange for a one-way ticket out.

As for the mystery of who killed Justin, Rick puts on his sheriff’s hat and begins his investigation. Despite the two being best friends and having been through so much together, Rick can’t not question Daryl. However, the crossbow-wielding survivor claims that if he had wanted to kill Justin, he would have done so in plain sight. Daryl’s still in awe that Rick can’t see that bringing all these people together isn’t necessarily a good thing. Especially when the Saviors prove time and time again that they’re set in their ways. Rick gives Daryl something to think about reminding him that Daryl forgave Rick and followed him even though he knew Rick was the same man that left his brother, Merle, on a rooftop to die.

To make an already dismal situation worse, Rick, Carol, and Maggie learn through a Beatrice, an Oceansider, that another Savior, Arat, has gone missing. Her disappearance could inevitably cause a war, but Rick is more worried about getting the bridge finished and decides to send out his own search teams without telling the Saviors that someone else has been taken.

During the search with Rick, Carol gets taken at knifepoint by Jed — we so knew he wasn’t good news. Jed speaks on behalf of the Saviors that want guns, saying they’ll take what they need and leave to set up their own community. Rick is able to distract Jed, allowing Carol a chance to stab him in the thigh with a knife she had up her sleeve. Jed waits to have his life ended just like Justin, but Carol and Rick send him back to the infirmary. With Morgan’s famous words, they tell Jed that they won’t kill him because all life is precious. Rick’s good deed does nothing to stop the chunk of Saviors that leave with Jed. It will be a long time before we see that bridge fully functional again, which means more supply and food problems.

Briana Venskus as Beatrice, Sydney Park as Cyndie, Elizabeth Ludlow as Arat, Nicole Barre as Kathy, Mimi Kirkland as Rachel – The Walking Dead _ Season 9, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Meanwhile, Maggie and Daryl are searching for Arat when Daryl recognizes an arrow in a walker. He identifies it as belong to the Oceanside group. We learn Cindy from Oceanside was moved by Maggie’s assertiveness in killing Gregory and decided to kill her family’s murderers. Maggie and Daryl discover Cindy and fellow Oceansiders as they’re about to execute Arat, who is apparently the last on their list to do so. Arat had killed Cindy’s mother and 11-year-old brother on Simon’s orders. Despite Arat’s pleas for mercy, when Maggie learns that Arat explicitly said “no exceptions” before killing the boy, she turns her back and allows the execution to happen.

Maggie and Daryl began their search in agreement with Rick’s strategy, but they were never enthusiastic about it. When Cindy tells Maggie that her actions moved their motivations, we see a new Maggie forming. This is a Maggie who is ready to be a leader, but will not accept the mercy and forgiveness that has come from Rick.

She and Daryl decide enough is enough, and it’s time to make a visit to an old foe who is tucked away in a cell — Negan.

Undead Afterthoughts

• Rick admits to having moments where he thinks about killing Negan and the rest of the Saviors. He’s always brought back by the reminder of everyone who has died. But will he be forced to rethink this Morgan-like way of life?
• Maggie had realized that Rick’s way was the best thing for Hershel. Does she now think that killing Negan will somehow benefit her son in the long run or is she now only concerned with vengeance?
• Justin reanimates into a walker in front of writing on a wall that said it was a final warning. Did Cindy and Oceanside kill all the missing Saviors or did the Whisperers have a hand at some of the disappearances?
• Will Rick’s final exit be to sacrifice himself to the helicopter people to save Gabriel’s life? We have two more episodes with Andrew Lincoln, so we hope his exit is at least a memorable one.

The Walking Dead airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.