The Walking Dead 10.17 Review – ‘Home Sweet Home’

Welcome back to–checks notes–more of Season 10 of The Walking Dead! Which has officially been airing since October 2019, wow. There’s not much I can say about the strangeness of this past year that hasn’t been said elsewhere, but that’s a hell of a thing. As always, I hope everyone is safe and healthy and thanks for sticking it out with me here!

It’s hard to know what to expect from these bonus episodes, as the overall narrative of the Whisperers has obviously wrapped up. Nonetheless, they’re being package as part of Season 10 and not Season 11–which will be the final season!–and at the same time, TV seasons are a weird thing between this year and last. But from this first episode, it looks like we’ll be getting a closer look at the immediate aftermath of the events of Season 10 as opposed to jumping ahead a little as usually happens after something like that.

The plot: After the defeat of the Whisperers and the horde, the survivors are all making their way to Alexandria, and Maggie is catching up on all the shocking developments in her absence: the destruction of Hilltop, Michonne’s journey to find Rick, and most stunning of all, Negan being a free man and ally amongst those he once tortured and tormented. But for now, Maggie is all about gathering the people with her, including her son Hershel. They, too, recently lost their home and many loved ones and we come to find out that they were ‘marked’ by someone named Pope and run out of their home by a group called the Reapers, who have followed them here. Sadly, their hideout here was burned, and over the course of the episode, everyone but Hershel who was in there is killed. The man responsible blows himself up when finally cornered and caught. After having time to reflect on the homes she’s found and lost over the years, Maggie decides that yes, they are staying in Alexandria, and she’ll deal with having to co-exist with Negan for the sake of Hershel and her friends.

I agree strongly with Carol and Daryl: it’s good to see Maggie again. In the vast majority of cases of someone leaving this show, it means their character has died and we’re definitely never seeing them again. I was always glad they found a way around that with Maggie, and thus it’s great to see her familiar face back on our screens. It’s also, of course, interesting to hear what’s been going on in the last six or so years of her life.

It’s a little sad, then, to hear she’s experienced yet more horrible losses, more being hunted, and is even now on the run again. But in the midst of that, there’s also been joy and love in her life. Hearing her talk about getting away for her own mental health, to be away from anything to do with Negan and focus on helping others, is heartening. Her time spent with Hershel, raising him in the beach house, sounds not just idyllic and peaceful, but healing as well, something she surely needed after so much loss, and when she was ready, she found a new home with new people. A fresh start, and a place where she clearly yet again became a leader. Always the older sister, as Kelly points out. Always looking to help others, protect them, and also help them to protect themselves.

As well, it was good to be reminded of how Daryl and Maggie were close once when she tells him about where she’s been, what she’s been through. They weren’t just comrades in arms, but found family once: Daryl and Glenn were good friends, and of course Daryl and Beth were in Beth’s final days. So it was nice to see them comfortable with one another even though it had been a long time. I liked the realness of their talk, of her not being ready to talk about everything, and him being okay with that, giving her the space she needs to get there.

There were many good talks between friends old and new in the episode, in fact. I also liked seeing Kelly and Maggie get to know each other as well, bonding over stories of and experiences as sisters (and missing sisters). Elijah and Cole show an immediate loyalty and trust in Maggie–they wouldn’t have come with her and risked their lives to save these strangers otherwise–but it’s good to see that while they are a bit reserved at first, they click pretty well pretty quickly. Kelly and Elijah’s moment was especially nice. After seeing Elijah only through the mask he wears, it was unexpected to see a young man who was clearly frightened when he finally pulled it off. But Kelly stays steady, reassuring him with sincerity, letting him know he’s not alone and that she’s with him. We don’t get to know too much more about these two men beyond that, and that Elijah has lost a sister, but we know enough that I feel like we can trust them right now. Their help and teamwork unquestionably helps save Daryl and Maggie from the Reaper later, after all.

The Reapers we know even less about, but yet again, I am intrigued! Who are the Reapers, who is Pope, why has he marked Maggie, what does that mean? What happened to their last community that it was taken down by these people? Also, the PTSD poor Maggie must have after all the communities and homes she’s seen fall, at least two of them to psychos bent on destruction and torturing others. But I’m curious how long the Reapers are going to last here–just for these few extra episodes? Into Season 11?

Finally, in plots that will definitely go into Season 11, there’s the elephant in the room, and that elephant is Negan. We’ve seen how much Negan has changed, but it doesn’t change what he did: brutally murder Glenn right in front of her. Maggie had every reason to GTFO when she could to escape being anywhere near him, no matter how much he’s changed. Her feelings on this are completely valid, and no doubt will continue to be very complicated. Having a safe home is important, and Alexandria is that–or at least, the closest to it right now–but Alexandria comes with Negan, in or out of the jail cell. She can ignore him for now, but she can’t do that forever, and it’s impossible to be able to hide the truth from Hershel forever.

Also, how freaking adorable is Hershel? The hat, the humor, that face! I know he only had one line, but I already love this kid and think it’s yet another amazing casting job.

In conclusion? This was a good episode, a nice easing back into things, feeling out the start of Alexandria’s newest normal, and bringing Maggie back into the fold in a way that makes sense and feels right. While I never mind getting a bit of a time jump to let things settle after the big arcs finish, it’s interesting to see this approach of exploring that immediate aftermath this time. Things like “Why would Maggie stay if Negan’s free?” are questions that need answering, and I feel we got a satisfactory answer in this episode.

What did you think of the episode? Of Maggie’s re-entry in Alexandria? Her new friends and new enemies? Oh, and is anyone else wondering if the city Georgie disappeared off to is the CRM one we’ve seen in World Beyond? Let’s hear it all in the comments!

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

A good segue into the aftermath of the Whisperers plot and a good re-introduction of Maggie to the show, the setting, and the survivors old and new. There's hardly a chance for the survivors to catch their breath and a new threat is already circling, but while there's hardship, there's also hope. Who are the Reapers and Pope? Will Maggie truly be able to live in the same community as a freed Negan? How will finding yet another new normal go for the rest of the survivors in Alexandria? While it's hard to figure out what the thematic through-line of Season 10 as a whole really is, that's hardly the show's fault. All-in-all, this was a nice easing back into things, though it didn't stand out in any particular way.