Season 11, Episode 22
- Eugene’s trial gets underway as an uprising begins at Outpost 22, the former Alexandria.
- Bait-and-Switch: Twofold. Initially it looks like Ezekiel is going to be executed for spearheading the resistance, but then Negan is brought forward to seemingly be killed instead. Then the Warden reveals that he’s going to execute Annie instead to punish Negan for his actions.
- Berserk Button:
- Negan’s is pressed when the troopers begin bullying him, and he actively fights them for a bit.
- Another one is pressed regarding his family when Ezekiel says he doesn’t deserve a new life or a chance to be a father.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Despite his menace, the Warden fails to maintain order and misjudges Negan. Unlike Negan, he doesn’t “shut that shit down” when the Coalition residents begin to openly defy him, nor does he do his dirty work himself like how Negan personally killed Abraham and Glenn. This results in his men refusing to follow his orders and his death at Rosita’s hands.
- Blatant Lies: When pressed about Sebastian’s reveal about the rigged lottery, Pamela claims it wasn’t him on the tape.
- Buffy Speak: Daryl translates “sewer” into “shit tunnel” for Connie.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Tyler Davis shows up as another detainee at the prison camp after going missing after “New Haunts”.
- Luke and Jules make their return for the first time since Season 10’s “A Certain Doom”.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Negan admits that he has no idea exactly what Ezekiel hates him for, due to how many atrocities he committed.
- Call-Back:
- Tyler Davis took Max hostage in “New Haunts” and went missing after being detained.
- Aaron’s group are wary of encountering another variant walker after the events of “Variant”.
- Luke and Jules finally reveal what happened at Oceanside after “Acts of God”, that it was bloodily conquered by Lance’s forces after their fate was left in the air. Maggie also suspects that Pamela never intended to give Alexandria back to the Coalition after it was conquered by Lance.
- Character Death: The Warden is killed when Rosita feeds his face to a walker.
- Continuity Nod:
- Judith’s opening monologue revolves mostly around Negan’s story, notably showing his introduction to the group in Season 6’s “Last Day on Earth” and Season 7’s “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” and his backstory in “Here’s Negan”.
- In the opening, Judith says Rick wanted his mercy to prevail over his wrath, calling back to the Arc Words of Season 8 that were originally given by Siddiq in “Mercy”.
- Princess recognizes Tyler Davis from when he was on guard with her in Season 10’s “Splinter”.
- Carol relates to Maggie’s worry over Hershel due to her losses of Sophia and Henry.
- Ezekiel chastises Negan for the death of Benjamin that inadvertently happened on Gavin’s orders back in Season 7’s “Bury Me Here”.
- Eugene references how Abraham saved him as seen in the flashbacks of Season 5’s “Self-Help”, and also how he joined the Saviors in Seasons 7 and 8. He also references Negan’s actions in “Last Day on Earth” by saying he wasn’t the one who was holding the bat.
- Just like in “Last Day on Earth”, everyone in Alexandria is gathered to watch the execution of their ally - this time, it’s Negan being lined up for death, and is forced on his knees. It’s also what he planned to do to the AHK leaders during Season 8.
- Annie also ends up being chosen as the victim, just like how Negan killed Glenn instead of Daryl who wanted to be executed to defy Negan. Chillingly, Negan screams at the Warden to take him instead, just like how Glenn did when Negan chose Maggie in the deleted alternate take where Maggie was selected as his victim.
- Aaron’s group are forced to blend in with a horde of walkers like in “A Certain Doom”.
- Eugene is led somewhere he believes is his execution like in Season 7’s “Hostiles and Calamities”, and finds something pleasant instead - this time, it’s Mercer ready to fight the good fight.
- Convicted by Public Opinion: Averted. Yumiko is trying to get public opinion on Eugene’s side despite the judge all but being unwilling to side with anyone but Pamela. The public attending the trial is largely on Eugene’s side, with only Pamela visibly pleased at Eugene being found guilty.
- Defiant to the End: Negan tries for this when it looks like he is going to be executed by the Warden. The Warden himself goes through with this trope, refusing to give Rosita info on where Coco is and using his last words to taunt her and her friends.
- Exact Words: Negan points out that the Coalition residents largely still hate him when trying to discourage the Warden’s fears of an uprising, to convince him that nothing is going on.
- Heel–Face Turn:
- Trooper 127 is convinced to turn on the Warden when not only is he ordered to kill Negan’s pregnant wife, but the Coalition residents who put themselves in the line of fire to protect Negan and Annie. The other troopers also stand down after the Warden is overthrown.
- Mercer and a number of other troopers back at the Commonwealth defect to join the heroes’ side by the end of the episode.
- Idiot Ball: When Hershel begins calling for help, the trooper guarding him just loudly and repeatedly tells him to shut up, rather than gagging Hershel or using a weapon to intimidate him into silence. The noise draws Carol and Maggie to their location, where they promptly shoot the trooper and rescue Hershel.
- I Hate Past Me:
- Negan says he used to be an asshat like the Warden, and Annie teases him that it’s no wonder everyone hated him.
- Eugene is also still ashamed of his time with the Saviors.
- It Can Think: The walker variant is keeping a close enough eye on things that it immediately goes for the knife that Lydia discards.
- It's All My Fault: Luke feels guilty for fleeing under Rachel’s orders.
- Kangaroo Court: Eugene points out that little is getting through to the judge who seems to be firmly in Pamela’s pocket. Indeed, Eugene is found guilty and sentenced to immediate execution. No jury is even seen during the trial.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Years after his infamous lineup with Rick’s group, Negan finally learns what it’s like to be forced to his knees by a hostile group and to scream fruitlessly for his loved one to be spared.
- Leitmotif: The iconic scratchy cue first heard during the lineup in “Last Day on Earth” returns when Negan becomes angry with Ezekiel.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: After dragging his feet and protesting that his actions won’t do any good when it comes to defying the Commonwealth all season, at the end of the episode, Mercer declares he’s ready to fight Pamela at last.
- Locked Out of the Loop: To further show how Pamela has her own special forces outside the public chain of command, Tyler Davis is revealed to be in the prison camp after disappearing under Mercer’s nose.
- Make an Example of Them: The Warden gathers all the Coalition prisoners to witness the execution of Annie and discourage any further rebellion.
- Never My Fault: Negan is slow to accept blame for his altercation with the guards that cost the group their map. When Ezekiel chews him out for it, he outright gripes that he doesn’t want to hear it. And after Ezekiel goes after him for his atrocities including the death of Benjamin, Negan accuses him of living in the past.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Negan being distracted by Annie’s working results in him failing to be be able to pass a map to Ezekiel. It also causes the map to fall into the hands of the Warden.
- Precision F-Strike: Mercer gets a hell of a strike to play us out on.Mercer: Time to fuck shit up.
- Summon Bigger Fish: Lydia and her group begin traveling with a horde presumably to weaponize it against the Commonwealth.
- Tranquil Fury: Negan doesn’t lose his temper outright with Ezekiel, but visibly fumes after he is told he doesn’t deserve the chance to be a father.
- Warts and All: Despite hearing Negan admit he used to be a bullying thug like the Warden, Annie only lightly teases him about it.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The Warden refuses to give up the location where Coco is. The Grimes children and Jerry and Nabila’s children also remain missing.
- We ARE Struggling Together: When Annie is about to be executed, Ezekiel steps forward to put himself between her, Negan and the firing squad. The other Coalition members also step up to do the same.
- Wham Line: Mercer lets us know he’s finally on our side by telling Eugene it’s time to fuck shit up.
- Wham Shot: Lydia throws a knife to the ground… and a walker variant is revealed to be among the horde, and picks it up.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Annie chides Negan for losing his temper with the guards, insisting they must survive to meet their child.
- Ezekiel is more angry about it, ordering Negan to not go rogue again and telling him he doesn’t deserve a new life or child.
