The Walking Dead season 9 episode 4 recap: The Obliged

The sun is shining over the Hilltop. Maggie and baby Hershel are having a quiet moment on the porch. She kisses him and hands him off to another woman, then she looks out over the thriving community. Everyone is working and the crops are looking great.

Jesus finds Maggie as she packs her bag. He has a letter from Georgie for her, but she tells him to put it in the desk “with the others.” He notes that she has a crobar and she says she’s going to make things right. He tells her that they haven’t talked yet. They still haven’t talked about Gregory and he doesn’t want her to make the same mistake with Negan. Dianne has their horses ready and Maggie is convinced she’s ready to go. It’s time.

Rick looks out at the raging river and Eugene says that the levies didn’t hold so it’s not safe to continue working on the bridge. There is a bright side, though, and that’s the walkers are moving as expected. Eugene notes that they have named the herds after Shakespearean characters. Eugene apologizes for not having read more engineering books so that he could find a solution to the bridge problem, but Rick is grateful for everything he has done so far. He can’t blame himself for not knowing more.

Rick finds Carol in her tent. She’s taking her people home to the Kingdom. He asks about the Sanctuary and she’s not concerned about them. They’ve already headed home. The residents at the Sanctuary don’t want them there, but they also don’t want Negan there. Well, most of them, she adds. She’s leaving it up to them to choose whether she can lead them. Rick admits he doesn’t know if he’s doing the right thing but he says Carol gives him hope for how things can turn out. She says she’s still trying to figure it all out, and she says she’s sorry it didn’t work out. He knows.

As Rick sits down he hears horses and Jerry comes riding over to say Jesus called on their network of relays to say that Maggie is heading to Alexandria. Rick calls to stop her at the gate. Daryl is there and he overhears it. The Oceanside girl manning the outpost gets Rick’s message to stop her, but she sets the radio down and says that Maggie is done with talking.