The road to all out war between The Saviors and the Survivors on The Walking Dead

“Knots Untie”

Episode 11 of Season 6 didn’t show the Saviors, but their actions in this episode set up the slaughter at the outpost. “Knots Untie” was the episode where Jesus takes Rick, Maggie, and the group to Hilltop to talk to Gregory. At the Hilltop a group comes back from making a drop of supplies to one of Negan’s outposts.

One of the returning men stabs Gregory in the gut, on orders from Negan. The Saviors are holding the man’s brother hostage and threatened to kill him unless the man returns to the outpost with Gregory’s head.

A fight breaks out and Rick is nearly killed by the man who stabbed Gregory. But Rick kills him by slicing open his jugular vein. A blood-spattered Rick threatens more of the Hilltop residents but Jesus intervenes and calms everyone down. Gregory lives.

Maggie, Rick and Daryl make a deal for supplies with Gregory. They agree to take out the Saviors and Negan if Hilltop gives Alexandria half of everything they half. After some grumbling Gregory agrees because he knows that Hilltop can’t survive if they have to keep giving half of their supplies to Negan and the Saviors.

This sets off the infamous chain of events that ends with Abe and Glenn meeting Lucille up close and personal. If Rick had bothered to even do a bit of investigating before attacking the Saviors Abe and Glenn might still be alive.