The Walking Dead Recap: S7E8 “Hearts Still Beating”

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That’s a warp on the first half of the seventh season and I have to say that I’m more excited than I should be. So let’s talk midseason finale.

Can we just get something out of the way and collectively all take a deep breath and say, FINALLY. That ending. I’ve been waiting for that ending for eight episodes now and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me goosebumps. When Rick and the gang were all reunited again, I think that was the happiest I’ve ever been while watching this TV show. Rick finally understood what is needed in this world to win against Negan and it isn’t just to sit back and watch people keep dying. So it seems as though we’re preparing for battle right now which will surely make an exciting and intense second half of the season.

Now that that’s all out of the way, let’s talk episode 8, “Hearts Still Beating.”

Rick and Aaron finally got onto the boat through the walker infested water. Once they were on it, they found a suspicious sign reading, “Congrats for winning, but you still lose.” Well, that’s good to know. It was also obvious someone was watching them and even followed them back to Alexandria. Will he/she be a help or cause problems, though? I’d find it hard to believe that they’d throw any more “enemies” at us this season so hopefully it’s a friend. Especially a friend with guns. That’d be even better.

Image via AMC

Once the two men get back to Alexandria, Rick is unkindly greeted by the Saviors. Just to make sure everyone knows who’s boss, they beat Aaron until he’s bleeding from pretty much every orifice on his face. But he survives. Then they hear a gunshot.

They find Negan in the middle of the street which a crowd of people surrounding him. He just gutted Spencer for trying to convince him to kill Rick and to make Spencer the new leader. Rosita then takes it upon herself to use the one bullet that Eugene made her to shoot Negan. She misses and shoots Lucille instead, which doesn’t make Negan too happy. He threatens to kill Rosita if she doesn’t tell him who made the bullet. She doesn’t so Negan orders one of the saviors to kill “someone.” That savior spares Rosita’s life and shoots Olivia instead. Two down this episode. Negan thanks everyone for the supplies and the good time and peaces out. And he takes Eugene with him.

Image via AMC

At the same time, Daryl seems to be making his escape from Camp Negan and Michonne seems to be making her way into Camp Negan. But Michonne is failing epically. She gets a taste of just how many Saviors there are and the woman warns her that there’s even more where she’s headed. Michonne turns back. Once she gets back to Alexandria, her and Rick have a much needed moment and Rick finally admits that they need to fight back.

The end of the episode showed Maggie and Sasha and Enid back at the Hilltop. They get a knock at the door of the community. Once they open it, it seems to be everyone from Alexandria. We see that Daryl made it back to the Hilltop, probably with the help from Jesus. And everyone has a very emotional reunion that I’ve been waiting for this entire season. They all agree that they need to take down Negan because they can’t keep living like this.

And we couldn’t agree more.

Image via AMC

So we’re gearing up for a fight during the next half of this season- something long overdue in this show. But that leads us to a few questions. Will Tara finally give up the location of the Seaside Community now that she watched Spencer and Olivia die in front of her. Because we need those weapons. Will Carol finally man up and tell Ezekiel that they need to fight too? Because we need that manpower. Will we finally see Negan die next season? Because if not, I’m swearing off this show for good.

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The Walking Dead will return in February.