The Walking Dead season 9 episode 4 review: Much obliged, Rick Grimes
This week’s episode of The Walking Dead was very much a throwback to earlier seasons as we prepare to say goodbye to Rick. Here’s my review of “The Obliged.”
This week’s episode of The Walking Dead, “The Obliged”, was one of the most solidly-written episodes of the entire franchise thanks to an incredible script from Geraldine Inoa, and it was executed beautifully by director Rosemary Rodriguez.
The challenge of watching this week’s episode of The Walking Dead was knowing that 904 is the penultimate episode to feature Rick Grimes. Though Rick’s fate is open-ended until we see a body, that doesn’t make it any easier. “The Obliged” was engaging, thrilling and thought-provoking. It provided the moments that fans needed to advance the story through to the post-Rick Grimes world while also giving fans some much needed interaction between Rick, Carol, and Daryl.
The conversations between Michonne and Negan were thought-provoking. As Jeffrey Dean Morgan said on Talking Dead, Negan isn’t a liar. He might be a long-winded and incredibly manipulative villain, but he doesn’t lie. He was telling the truth about his wife, and he honestly believes that he has something in common with Michonne. Judging by Michonne’s reaction, she’s not entirely sure he’s wrong about it. They were built for the apocalypse in ways that other characters aren’t. There might be a small nugget of truth in Negan’s words and that’s going to be something Michonne must face.
Daryl and Rick got into a fight and rolled into a hole in the process. Not their best moment, because precious time was lost. They exchanged words and expressed that they don’t see eye to eye. While their fighting never leads to good things happening, they emerged from the hole stronger than ever before. The brothers aired their differences while proving that they can still work together despite having their own opinions.
The final scene was tough to watch. Seeing Rick trying to save his people by leading the herd away from was quintessential Rick, and the image of Rick on a white horse will no doubt become one of the most iconic images of the series.
Next. The Walking Dead 904 recap: The Obliged. dark
With only one episode left, it’s hard to imagine the show without Rick and yet with so many stories building there’s hope that life will go on.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC.