The Walking Dead: Who died in Service?

The Walking Dead episode ‘Service’ brings Negan to Alexandria earlier than expected. And he does not go away empty-handed.  Did Rick and his group all survive Negan’s first visit?

After tragically taking the lives of Abraham and Glenn, Negan tells Rick that he will be arriving in Alexandria in one week to collect his first offering from them. As the cameras focus on Alexandria in The Walking Dead‘s season 7 episode 4 “Service” the survivors are trying to prepare for Negan’s visit.

Eugene is attempting to repair a portable music player.  Rosita and Spencer are leaving to scavenge for supplies that may please Negan.  Michonne is doing different preparations all together. She is out in a clearing practicing her shooting skills, to little avail, only accidentally killing a deer instead of the walker for which she was aiming.

But Negan arrives early, about 4 days early.  He arrives at the gate demanding to be let in.  And so the torment begins.  Negan terrorizes the Alexandrians throughout the episode.  We become scared for several characters’ lives.  Let’s take a look at the losses that “stacked” up in this week’s episode.

Stuff and Thangs

Surely you noticed the mattresses that were “stacked” up in the woods having been torched and dumped.  Negan and his men removed most of the mattresses from the homes in Alexandria. And it turns out that they weren’t really looking for more bedding for the Sanctuary.  This was just another way to demoralize the Alexandrians and remind them that they are now under Negan’s thumb.

We see the Saviors loading up all kinds of furniture into their box trucks. They rummage through every nook and cranny to find anything of value.  They even find Deanna’s video camera with the original footage of Rick upon his arrival to Alexandria.  Negan uses the video of a harsher looking, much more confident Rick from the video as a means to knock Rick down another peg in the present day.

Of course, guns and medication were on the hit list, both of which led to some very close calls for some of Rick’s group.

Missing inventory ‘triggers’ a threat to Olivia

Olivia’s life hung in the balance when the actual gun count did not match her written inventory. She insisted the inventory account was correct, which meant someone had taken 2 guns without her knowledge. Negan announces that she will be killed unless they turn over the 2 missing guns.

Olivia is terrified.  We are terrified for her.  Who has the guns?

Rick holds a meeting in the church demanding that the missing guns be turned over.  No one comes forward.  Everyone begins a frantic search for them.  The clock is ticking.

Rick has suspicions about Spencer as he has been known to steal before.  Rick feels a loose floorboard around an air vent in Spencer’s house, which he removes to find a whole stash of stolen items, including the 2 guns.

Olivia is saved.

Enid’s memories are almost ‘deflated’

Enid has a close call of her own when threatened by one of the thugs.  He is taking her green balloons, her last physical connection to her memories of Glenn.  She begs him not to take them.

The Savior terrorizes her with his words and by stroking her cheek, insisting in a very threatening way that she say “please”.  She does say “please” and is allowed to keep the balloons.  This was a very uncomfortable situation and I was so relieved that Enid came away unscathed.

Carl almost takes a ‘shot’

Carl is defending the medicine in the clinic.  The Saviors are trying to take all of it.  Carl has a gun pointed at one of Negan’s men.  I’m guessing he fired once as Negan and Rick hear the gunfire and come running.

Negan makes it very clear to Rick that this will not fly.  But poor Carl has had enough and seen enough in his short life.  He continues to point the gun until Rick finally convinces him to lower it and stand down.

It was quite a showdown and felt like it lasted much longer than it really did.

Judith’s paternity

The question of Judith’s paternity has finally been put to bed.  No more hoping she is really Rick’s. No more calculating weeks and days of Lori’s pregnancy. No more analysis of Judith’s physical features.

Rick flat-out tells Michonne that he knows that he is not Judith’s biological father. But he makes it very clear that Judith is his in all aspects of love, loyalty, family, and protection, something that always been clear to us.

Indeed so many characters have become his family and he refuses to lose any more to Negan.

My respect for Spencer

It’s dead. I am done with him. I tried to give him a chance to come around and be a team player. But his words to Rosita and then to Rick himself cut very deep. He is an armchair quarterback in the worst way.  Keep him on a short leash because I think his attitude and selfishness are a danger to the entire community.

Final count, O

There were no deaths in this episode of The Walking Dead, save for some walkers.  But there were most certainly several close calls and a long thread of threat and terror throughout the episode. Negan made sure of that.

Next: Service with a smile: Reveiw of The Walking Dead season 7 episode 4

How are the Alexandrians going to maintain any reasonable supply of goods for themselves?  So much has been taken from them physically and emotionally.

Rosita is certainly trying to find a way to fight back when she asks Eugene to make her a bullet. Oh, that Rosita, she is no shrinking violet and I love it! It gave me some hope to end on that note.

We will reconvene next week to explore more loss on The Walking Dead.