In the zombie apocalypse, no matter how many people you’ve killed, to retain your manners is probably the biggest thing you can do.

*spoilers*

Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham are still on the road confronting Negan’s gang. Of course Abraham has to ask, “Who’s Negan?” but the gang isn’t there for questions. It looks like Sasha and Abraham may get it while Daryl is showing another gang member the insides of their truck, when an explosion erupts and the gang is dead. Turn around to see Daryl holding the rocker launcher.

The opening sequence just told you how this episode was going to be.

Well, after twenty minutes.

We slowed down a bit after that. Rick and his group got through the mega-herd for the first part, but then did what we thought was the stupidest thing he’s ever done, gave Judith to Father Gabriel. He promised he would care for her. Obviously it was the shows way of getting Judith out of there before the big event happens.

Denise and Alpha Wolf are running through the herd and he claims he’s going to “change” Denise. She’s having a panic attack while Alpha Wolf tells us some bullshit about the town trying to put up a fight, but not being able to win.

Meanwhile Glenn and Edith are in a church, coming up with a plan to help Maggie. Edith looks ready to bolt again but Glenn convinces her to help.

Then there’s Tara, Rosita, Eugene, Carol, and Morgan stuck in that house. Tara wants to go help Denise but Rosita is there to give the reality talk. You just can’t help her without getting killed. Eugene wants to do something, but again, Rosita tells him what we’re all thinking: what the hell are you going to do Eugene?

Carol wakes up and eventually Morgan does too. Carol is upset she didn’t kill Morgan when she had the chance and Morgan tells her she wouldn’t any way.

Alright, those little talks are out of the way, let’s get back into the action, and it all starts with Rick’s group.

Sam tries to tell us he can make it through the herd without freaking out, but he remembers Carol’s speech about him not being able to handle it and he doesn’t…Sam freaks out. He doesn’t yell or anything, just moves off to the side and sort of shakes his head when everyone tells him to keep moving. Eventually the walkers see him and Sam goes down in front of Jessie’s face. Jessie proceeds to scream and the walkers get on her, while Rick…*laughs* has some flashbacks of moments with Jessie.

I’m sorry, you couldn’t convince me those two had a real thing.

Any way, Jessie was holding Carl’s hand but doesn’t let go. Carl can’t get away so Rick chops Jessie’s hands off. Ron is ready to go off and holds the gun up to Rick. For a second you think he’s going to shoot but Michonne is still there and stabs Ron. However, the gun still goes off and grazes Carl’s eye. Now I’ve never read the comic, but I know of this scene so it wasn’t a BIG shocker. I was more in shock that Carl got hurt and asked for his dad and proceeds to fall over.

It’s not something you want to see happen to one of your favorite characters. Carl is a…well not everyone likes him. I however do. I think growing up in this world while dealing with puberty has to be the shittiest situation you could be put in. Even though he went through some angst, Carl has grown up, and it’s just hard to watch.

So Michonne leads the way, killing walkers, while Rick runs Carl to the med house.

But what about Denise? She and Alpha Wolf are trying to run for the wall when he gets bit. She tells him if they can make it she can help him, but while they’re running, Carol is watching from atop the house and shoots him. At that moment I clap because damn I was tired of him and didn’t really care about the subplot. However, this changed Denise.

She gets back to the med house and Heath, Aaron, and Spencer are there. OMG Heath! I swear I was the only one wondering where he was. They make room for Carl and Rick and Michonne come busting in. Rick asks Denise to please save him and then GOES OUTSIDE without his walker poncho. Oh god Rick what the hell…

Michonne helps Denise stitch up Carl before giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, and running outside to help Rick with the three boys coming behind him for assistance. Those five are taking all the walkers head-on.

Seeing them fighting causes Rosita, Tara, Carol, Morgan, and even Eugene to go out and fight as well. This is Eugene’s moment you guys…

This ALSO causes many Alexandrians to come out and fight, including Aaron’s boyfriend (who I was also wondering about.) Even Father Gabriel (who has Judith safely in his arms) gives her to a woman and goes out along with some others and a sequence starts of everyone fighting the mega-herd and it’s so awesome. They’re sort of in a circle and I thought of the Avengers…

Meanwhile Glenn is distracting the walkers away from Maggie who FINALLY sees that Glenn is okay, well for now. Edith tries to climb up to help her and Glenn is also fighting a bunch of walkers, but eventually runs out of bullets and for a second you think this is it…Glenn had a good run and Maggie is yelling for him…when the walkers go down. Turn around and see Sasha and Abraham standing atop the wall, shooting at the walkers.

I about jumped up and screamed at that moment. It was amazing.

Daryl is there and they help Maggie get off the platform. To get the walkers attention, they light the lake on fire, and the blaze distracts them from Rick and everyone else fighting them. In the end the walkers either drown in the lake or are put down in an awesome shot of everyone fighting the walkers that ends with Rick. Oh it was so cool.

Now it’s the next morning and everyone is sitting outside the med house while Rick is inside talking to Carl, a speech out of the comics, and the camera pans to Rick holding Carl’s hand who closes around Ricks. It’s a new world Carl, and you need to be there to see it.

Or partially see it.

Not only is this the best mid-season premiere of the show so far, but one of the best episodes ever. Although it slowed down a bit, it was only building us up for the shit storm that never stopped coming.

And speaking of a shit storm that’s never gonna stop coming, Negan won’t taking losing his men lightly.