*Warning Spoilers Below*

A new weapon in the Savior arsenal proves to be a giant hurdle as fighting continues between Rick’s forces and those of the Saviors.

The Walking Dead‘ has been building up to some key moments from the comics this season and there’s been one particular moment I’ve been dreading. This is the episode of that moment and I’ll admit to have turned into the blubbering mess I expected to be.

While the battle continues to rage this episode, for the most part it’s about Ezekiel picking up from the end of last episode. Ezekiel has of course survived and is surrounded by the zombie corpses of his friends and followers. But in between the moments of him attempting to get away and being captured, we get some background about him. What he did before all of the crazy and how he came to be together with Shiva.

That’s something I’ve been waiting for this season as the comics had an excellent scene where things are explained and you get a sense that while Ezekiel is full of shit there’s a solid heart there and this is a person that really cares about those around him. He does what he thinks is good and necessary. That scene in the comics really creates a connection between him and Shiva. That scene isn’t quite as impactful in the show but what happens still packs a punch.

Much like the comics Ezekiel is injured and surrounded by zombies and when things look lost, Shiva comes to the rescue saving him and sacrificing herself. And I’ll admit, I choked up, a lot. I’m not an animal person at all but Ezekiel caring for this animal even during the zombie apocalypse, it’s touching. And to see an animal sacrifice itself so selflessly when it could easily have attempted to save itself and run, it’s an emotional wallop and despite the connection from the comic it still impacts. We the viewers have made the connection and that’s what matters.

The episode is a bittersweet one as things had been generally looking good and this one is rather grim in so many ways. We get another loss and while it’s someone whose screen time has been minimal it’s someone that stood out. Moments like in this episode are what makes the show special and keeps me watching.

Overall rating: 8.05