The Walking Dead – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up!

Season 8, Episode 12
Air date: Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 9PM E/P on AMC
Rating: ★★★★★

“…we stop pretending that things just work out…they don’t.” – Enid

*** WARNING: Some Spoilers Ahead***

<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up! 2

Simon is spinning a yarn for Dwight because his idea of “moving on” isn’t what Dwight envisioned — Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

To care or not to care about others? That is the burning (all puns intended) question. This week’s installment of The Walking Dead is full of malicious back stabbing, duplicitous acts, burning bats and walkers, naked walkers, and a new group that could be friendly. All in all, “The Key” provides some interesting points of view from several characters.

Simon (Steven Ogg) knows his little act of violence against Jadis’ (Pollyanna McIntosh) people will come back to bite him sooner or later. Perhaps he wants to recruit as many people as he can to be on his side so that when the shit hits the fan, he’ll have back up. Simon sells a good line of bullshit to Dwight (Austin Amelia) about what Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has put him through but in the end, what Simon really wants to do isn’t exactly how he explains it —“Move on.” But it’s not really moving on in the way Dwight thinks. Simon has no intention of leaving Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his people alone…no. Simon is ready to do Hilltop what he did to the Scavengers. He’s tired of having his ass handed to him by Rick, Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and the others. Simon wants to cut them all down to size, which goes against everything Negan wants to do. Granted, Negan’s plan – using biological warfare with zombie guts – is disgusting and downright inhumane; at least he doesn’t want to wipe everyone out. Side note: the extremely up-close scenes where the camera pans in on the vile innards of the walkers being cut, ripped, and spilled out made me want to hurl. So gross.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up! 3

Rick is still grieving and he’s not on top of his game. All those bullets and not one hit Negan – – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus), after an anti-climactic bro-moment, team up to look out for the Saviors. While Rick is supposed to honk the horn as a signal, when he sees Negan driving alone in a black car, he takes it upon himself to pursue him instead of giving Daryl a heads up. Once again, the fight between Rick and Negan leaves me wanting. Yes, there are some great moments – Rick throwing a hatchet at Negan, lighting Lucille on fire, and using said fiery bat to fight walkers – but overall, I wasn’t impressed. And could Rick waste anymore bullets and not hit Negan…at all? What did intrigue me is Negan becoming so infuriated over Rick touching Lucille. It’s a bat, a bat covered in barbed wire and zombie guts. Why is this wooden object so important to Negan? What is the story with Lucille? Now that’s something I’d love to know.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up! 4

Where did Georgie and the Twins Hilda and Midge come from? How far did they travel and how long have they been spying on Hilltop? — Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

When strangers come around on The Walking Dead, I become wary. Hello? Terminus? People eating people, luring them to Terminus with the promise of sanctuary. Yeah, so I’m very suspect of anyone leaving a crate with a note in front of the Hilltop’s front yard. Rosita (Christian Serratos) offers to go out and see what is in the crate. The note reads: “If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records, I will gladly exchange them for a key to your future,” and includes a location to meet. Hmmm.

What in the hell does “…key to your future mean?” Why do these strangers want food or vinyl records in exchange for “knowledge?” First, Hilltop doesn’t have enough food to feed themselves, let alone to give to these new strangers. But curiosity and the thought of potential new allies persuade Maggie to venture out and meet Georgie (Jayne Atkinson), or as they mentioned on The Talking Dead, the “Martha Stewart of The Walking Dead.”

<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up! 5

Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene, Katelyn Nacon as Enid, Jayne Atkinson as Georgie, Kim Ormiston as Hilda, Misty Ormiston as Midge – The Walking Dead _ Season 8, Episode 12 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

Accompanying Georgie are twin sisters Hilda (Kim Ormiston) and Midge (Misty (Ormiston), who provide some comic relief. When Rosita questions Georgie about other communities she’s come across, Georgie answers, “What you have is special, unusual. The dead have brought out our best and worst, and the worst has been outpacing the best lately, but that won’t last forever. If, perhaps, people can believe in people again, four crates of goods is worth far less than a sustainable future, and perhaps an exercise in trust.” Georgie comments on the word ‘trust’ sounding made-up in their present apocalyptic situation, then saying, “flibberschticky.” Hilda responds with“klompf,” and then Midge gives us the word of the day: “moisture.” I literally LOL’d. I also cringed a little because of the first five letters of this word.

In Georgie’s statement, I hear Carl’s (Chandler Riggs) message rebounding back. He said there had to be a better way to move forward instead of killing. Perhaps this is an opportunity to do just that; however, can Georgie be trusted? Where did she come from? Why is she so clean and nicely dressed? Where did she get all the provisions sitting in her van? Are there other nearby communities that we don’t know about that Georgie has been able to “barter” with?

Maggie’s actions in “The Key” surprised me. I’ve always thought of Maggie as being a little more level headed, a calm-cool-collected type, but when she takes Georgie, Hilda, and Midge back to Hilltop, it raised some concerns. First, we don’t know if they are friends or foe. They’ve come to trade goods for “knowledge” but that’s all we know about them.

Michonne (Danai Gurira) wants to let them go and tries to reason with Maggie when Enid (Katelyn Nacon) steps in with her two cents,“…so why should we give a shit about people who don’t give a shit about themselves? I mean, out there, living like that? We take their stuff and we use it. We stop pretending that things just work out. They don’t.”

<i>The Walking Dead</i> – “The Key” Recap. Batter Up! 6

Maggie isn’t the same Maggie we’ve known…something’s changed in her — Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC

I’m with The Talking Dead guest Yvette Nicole Brown on this one. Enid needs to heed Michonne’s warning and take a step back. Enid’s emotions are getting the best of her and they’re clouding her judgment. Enid is also following Maggie’s lead because she looks up to her. But Maggie is changing from who she used to be to someone she thinks she needs to be now. It’s unnerving to see this type of transformation in a character known for being so grounded. Perhaps Maggie is just done but if that truly were the case, those Savior prisoners she’s keeping would have long been dead.

Overall

“The Key” is an interesting and thought-provoking episode. While I was sort of ready to see Negan bite it, I’m curious as to what Jadis is going to do with him. Oh yeah, you read that right. Didn’t see that coming, did ya?

What did you think of “The Key?” Comment below and tag me on Twitter @judybopp to chat.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.