The Walking Dead 1001 recap: Lines We Cross

Bird Wisdom

We return to the moment when Aaron was on the radio earlier in the episode. Instead of following the story we just saw in Oceanside, everything shifts to Alexandria. Father Gabriel is on the other end listening to Michonne’s orders.

Elsewhere, Rosita kick boxes while Eugene measures the baby. We see Eugene taking all kinds of measurements and calculations, and he even tries to sneak a peek while Rosita is feeding baby Coco. He’s keeping detailed notes on her sleep patterns, eating habits and growth. He watches her while Rosita works out.

Gabriel ends the transmission and walks into the house to find Eugene reporting his findings to Siddiq, who appreciates all of the detail even if he won’t use it. Rosita jokes that Eugene is the one who fixed the radios and all Gabriel does is talk. But Gabriel’s expression reveals that there’s something very wrong.

The meeting room has been transformed into a school and Lydia is with a bunch of young kids learning how to read. She struggles and then closes the book, noting that she made it this long without knowing how to read. The Council comes in and clears the room, but they wonder if Lydia should stay. She doesn’t stay.

Outside, Lydia works on her stick skills (in a nod to Morgan). She’s frustrated and angry. Negan notices and calls to her. He’s nearby tending tomatoes in the garden. He asks if everything is ok, and she lies and says everything is fine. He saw the big meeting and that people are giving her the side eye. He gets called back to work, but Lydia approaches and tells him that everyone is on alert because they found a skin. He asks what it means, and she asks what she should know. “It means you should watch your back, kid,” he tells her. The council leaves, and Negan gives them all a wave.

Siddiq puts Coco to bed, starting up the whimsical hanger and paper swan mobile over the crib. He starts to have flashbacks of the time in the barn as Alpha was killing everyone. He sees a spiders and has flashbacks, but he’s interrupted by the new doctor who came into town. He’s new, so he wants to know what the “yellow alert” means and the whole deal surrounding the Whisperers. He jokes that Siddiq should kiss him already because of how he’s looking at him, but the shellshocked Siddiq tries to shake it off.

Gabriel finds Negan in his cell and he’s surprised that he ended work early today. Negan says it’s all starting. He wants to share what this all means. People get mixed up on who they hate, he says. Yesterday it was Negan, and now he works in the garden. He wants to remain in the “semi-us” category while the focus is on the Whisperers again. “People are puttin’ their shittin’ pants back on” and he says that the council needs to make people feel secure. Gabriel thinks Negan wants them to lie, but Negan says you do whatever it takes to keep people alive even if it’s an omission of the truth.

Gabriel tells everyone outside to lock the gates and double up security for the night.

There’s a boom in the sky and Eugene takes off running. He calls Oceanside and Rachel answers, and he says he needs to talk with Michonne immediately.