Get caught up for The Walking Dead episode 709: Rock in the Road

It has been a while since The Walking Dead has aired a new episode on AMC. Here is what you need to know heading into episode 709 titled ‘Rock in the Road’.

The Walking Dead has been on midseason break since December 11, 2016, and in that time, a lot can be forgotten or maybe even remembered incorrectly. Because of that, it is time to get all caught up on the events leading up to the February 12, 2017 episode.

Titled “Rock in the Road”, the season 7 midseason premiere will focus on Rick Grimes and the other survivors attempting to ‘Rise Up’ against Negan and The Saviors to fight for their freedom going forward.

Of course, that fight wasn’t always there. The crushing season 7 premiere left Rick in shambles after watching Negan bash in the heads of Abraham and Glenn while toying with Rick using his own hatchet and son’s arm.

Rick had never felt this powerless before, and fell into line under the control of The Saviors. Even when others tried to convince him to fight back, Rick was overwhelmed by the power Negan’s men had over the communities.

Two more deaths in Alexandria helped to put things in perspective. After losing Spencer and Olivia, Rick had a talk with Michonne about the future, realizing that if he wanted Carl and Judith to have a chance at growing up with freedom, they would need to fight back.

While Daryl was able to escape from The Sanctuary, he has since been replaced. An act of aggression from Rosita has put the life of Eugene in danger, and the scientist was taken after learning he knows how to manufacture ammunition.

Sadly, by this point Alexandria had given up all their weapons, and The Hilltop and The Kingdom only have primitive weapons. And while Jesus will introduce Rick and the gang to King Ezekiel, the question of getting firepower will need to be addressed.

Tara‘s interaction with Oceanside may be essential in the war. During her time with the women and children of that community, she noticed they had an overabundance of guns and some people who may be willing to fight back against The Saviors for killing all of their men in the community. But getting them to fight back could take some major convincing since they are living off the grid from Negan and his men.

There is hope for Rick Grimes and the surrounding communities to ‘Rise Up’ against The Saviors, there is still a lot left to accomplish before that can become a reality. They will need to convince reluctant communities to join them, get supplies, and rally behind Rick to succeed.

Next: Episode 709 synopsis evaluations

All of those gears will be put into motion on Sunday, February 12, 2017 when The Walking Dead returns to AMC for the season 7 midseason premiere. ‘Rock in the Road’ should be a pivotal episode in raising the odds for Rick and the survivors, and one that fans won’t want to miss!