The Walking Dead Season 6 episode 9 recap: All Together Now?

Holy crap! The Walking Dead Season 6 returned tonight … and with a BANG and a lot of bloodshed!

When we were slapped with the much-hated season break, Sasha, Abraham and Daryl (aka RAWR!) were faced with a group of motorcycling Negan-minions. I don’t know about you, but I have NOT been looking forward to Negan’s arrival. It’s inevitable, but I still don’t want it … being grounded for having parties while my parents were up north was inevitable, too. I hate the inevitable.

Anyway! Negan’s unnamed chimp … which I will call him because of his ginormous ears and my lack of interest in researching his name … orders our triumvirate of awesome to give up their side arms, and they do. I’m thinking SH-T, but I should know better. Chimp instructs one of the minions called ‘T’ to escort Daryl to the back of the fuel truck — you all remember the truck — to find more loot. It all belongs to Negan, now … ah, false confidence!

Daryl don’t play.

While Sasha and Abraham wait, Chimp threatens their lives. First, Abraham for inquiring about Negan. Then both when Sasha intervenes. Chimp pulls two guns — one for each — then puts them back down, stating he’s not going to kill either. It’s a crappy ruse. He changes his mind, which was already made up, and pulls the guns again … he’s gonna kill them both … but BLAMMO! The whole bike brigade is taken out.

Turns out, Daryl finds a rocket launcher whilst searching for Negan’s’ loot. Goodbye minions! Chimp’s smoking head is a beautiful sight! Don’t mess with the best. I think it, but Daryl says it. “What a bunch of assholes.” I love Daryl.

Back at Camp Alexandria, our group of Those Who Have Covered Themselves In Gore to make it through the walkers, in hopes of reaching the vehicles left at the quarry, continue on. When they get to a place where they can safely speak, concern arises regarding Judith. Father Gabriel, who has been trying to prove himself, offers to take her back to the safety of the church. He swears he’ll keep her from harm’s way. Rick allows it; I see a change in Rick. Carl hands her over. Jesse tries to convince Sam to follow Father Gabe. He won’t. Damn kids.

In another place — Morgan’s unfinished quarters — Tara is concerned about saving Denise. Rosita tells her it’s futile. Um, yeah it is. Carol and Morgan wake up from their knock-outs, and Morgan, of course, asks about his Alpha project. He is informed that the creepy Wolf has taken Denise.

Morgan, I had your back once. I’m done.

Outside, still within the safety of Morgan’s gated homestead, the Alpha Wolf and Denise are waiting for an opportunity to make it over the wall. Denise, as usual, is scared to death. Alpha tries to calm her and almost seems to have some kind of compassion, but manipulation is part of surviving in an apocalypse, methinks. He needs her to survive so he can do the same.

Glenn and Enid make it to the church and lock the doors. They are looking for weapons and anything else they might be able to use to deal with the unfortunate situation. I think, CRAP! Gabriel needs to get in to keep Judith safe! But my thoughts are of no consequence. The whole Glenn-and-Enid thing is more about Enid grasping the fact that she needs to go on to keep those whom she’s lost ‘alive’. Seems she’s starting to get it … she’s all about saving Maggie, who is still trapped on the lookout with no ammo.

Glenn urges Enid to stay in the church, but she’s not having it. She will follow Glenn wherever he goes. Good for her. Finally, she is understanding how to keep her humanity in a world that’s mostly lost it. She finds a gun stashed in the altar. Paydirt!

Night is falling, which makes things even sketchier for Rick’s group. Sam-aged goods becomes more fearful as he remembers Carol’s words about being eaten up. I thought Carol was in the right for being honest, but, alas, Sam freezes up and cannot continue on. He sees nothing but Walkers who want to eat him up, and his hesitation and whining make it happen. Mama Jesse tries her best to coax him onward, but cannot. She falls victim, as well. Rick sees images of her as she was before the sh-t hit the fan. It makes me sad, but seriously, I’d be a complete idiot to expect anything less. Someone had to go … par for the course in this zombie soap opera.

Unfortunately, Jesse has Carl’s hand in a death-grip, and Rick is forced to chop off her arm to free his son. Ron sees it, and we all know that Ron is just dying for the opportunity to be rid of Rick. Now his entire family is dead — AND Rick just hacked off Mom’s arm. Carl falls to the ground and loses his gun. Ron takes his opportunity.

Dammit, Rick! You had to trust the little dipsh-t enough to teach him how to use a gun.

Fortunately, Michonne runs him through with her katana, but not before he fires a shot. It doesn’t hit Rick. It hits Carl — but we all knew the kid was going to lose an eye. Before he drops, he says, “Dad,” and we see the gaping hole. Rick’s plans are foiled again as he gathers up his son. Michonne and katana lead the way back into Alexandria. The look on Michonne’s face can be described as nothing but horror. She has changed, too.

As has Eugene. Things are quiet in the unfinished brownstone. Eugene says, “Sooner or later, we’re fightin’ our way out.” He grips a machete with conviction. Rosita doubts him, but I don’t. His mullet is screaming business in the front. Go Eugene!

Alpha and Denise continue to wait for a gap in the fray to make it out of Alexandria. The whole time, I have been thinking that this won’t happen, and of course it doesn’t. He forces Denise to run for it. They do, and just as they reach the wall, the Walkers win … sort of. The Wolf I’ve been wanting dead since last season is bitten! Whoo-hoo! I’m so glad I don’t have to look at that poorly-manicured grill anymore! But Denise tells him to get her back to the infirmary so she can save him. After all, he was bitten trying to save her. Lovely. Denise, forget your conversation with Morgan. One Aikido idiot is enough in a zombie apocalypse.

I’m so happy Carol sees them running back into the infirmary. Carol being Carol, she shoots Alpha. Finally! It’s over…ish. Prior to this, she and Morgan had a little talk about Mr. Alpha. Carol tells Morgan he’s not on board with what’s best for the group, and his little “project” had nothing to do with the group — it had everything to do with him and his unrealistic state of mind. She’s right, but when she says she should have killed him, he responds with, “You can’t.” The look on her face says he’s right. Meh.

Denise gets into the infirmary with a new passion for doctoring. She’s welcomed by Heath, Aaron and Spencer and is immediately concerned about her patients, who have been moved upstairs due to the situation. Denise has also changed.

While the situation remains bleak outside, she sees Rick and Michonne approaching with Carl. She knows Carl has not been bitten and astutely orders the necessities be prepped for his arrival. Wow.

Carl is tended to immediately, while Rick — filled with a load of emotions — looks at the crap storm going on outside. He grabs his ax and runs out into its midst. I feel it. I have been in a place where an ax and a bunch of zombies would cure my ills, but I’m fairly certain I’m not alone. Rick is … but then something fantastic happens.

Even though they watch Rick hacking away at the evils with looks of fear, confusion and guilt, those Alexandrians who knew nothing about defending themselves prior to the break run out to join Rick in the battle for what is theirs. Heath cries, “We have to! This is it!” He’s right. It is. Everyone has changed. The Grimes group and the Alexandrians have finally meshed.

This episode is all about change.

Inside the church, Father Gabe hands Judith off and grabs a machete. He says they’ve been praying to God to save Alexandria, and He has — by giving them the courage to save themselves. He joins in the fight.

Carol follows suit with her group — including Eugene. “No one gets to clock out today, and hell, this is the story people are gonna tell.” Rock that mullet, man. You got this!

Ironically, Morgan faces his Alpha, now a walker. He has to kill his little project, but he apologizes beforehand. Good freaking grief.

Back to Maggie and Glenn and Enid. Enid effortlessly climbs the wall, and Glenn uses the ammo he has to fight the sea of walkers. For a moment, it seems he’s lost, but a sudden spray of bullets says otherwise. It’s Abraham and Sasha! Abraham grins and says, “Can you get the gate?” (I am now standing on the couch and cheering. I need a life.)

Daryl is there with the fuel truck, and Glenn climbs in. He tells Daryl to lead them away, but Daryl (RAWR) has better plans: take out a bunch, rather than a few. He backs the truck up to the pond in the middle of Alexandria and dumps the fuel. Brilliant. The trusty rocket launcher sets the water on fire and, sure enough, a mass of walkers follow the flames. It’s beautiful.

The group … all of them … every hero and every coward … eliminate the rest. I am teary-eyed. Tissue please. Stupid zombie soap opera, making me cry and ruin my furniture.

Morning comes. The living stand among the dead. There is no more separation. Grimes group and Alexandrians are now one.

Michonne holds Judith, and Rick sits with Carl. Rick acknowledges his wrongs … the Alexandrians aren’t incompetent … Deanna’s dream can be reality … a reality he wants Carl to see. The reality is possible with teamwork. Rick gets it now. He remembers who he was before everything went to hell. He wants to show Carl the new world, the new reality … it can all be OK.

Carl squeezes Rick’s fingers. There is hope?

COMMENTS! I know you’ve been dying to talk The Walking Dead!

So let’s discuss! Bust it out in the COMMENTS! I wanna talk!

• Will Rick’s dream of rebuilding Alexandria come to fruition?
• Negan … let’s hate him together before he shows up.
• If you could design Carl’s eye-patch, what would it look like? (heh)
• Is the change we’ve seen in this episode a strength or weakness for the group?
• How many times are we going to have to see almost-dead for Glenn before we lose our sh-t?

New episodes of The Walking Dead premiere Sundays at 9/8CT on AMC.