The Walking Dead 1005 recap: What It Always Is
Negan is on the run and there are big secrets at Hilltop in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. Here’s your recap of “What It Always Is.”
The Walking Dead 1005 starts out with Kelly in the middle of the woods. The sounds of nature are all around her, but she can’t hear them. We see that she’s tracking a pig, but as she lines up the shot we see (and hear, thanks to the amazing sound editing) that her hearing is moving in and out. When she hits the pig, she runs over to kill it and it lets out a squeal, attracting walkers.
Soon she’s running along, trying to keep track of the walkers but she can’t hear and it’s throwing off her sense of direction. She tumbles down a hill, blood coming from cuts on her head and face. As she rests against a rock, a walker reaches for her.
Cue the credits, here we go!
Negan stares at his reflection in the stream. He scoops some water on his face but hesitate before drinking it because the last time he did, he got sick. Suddenly Brandon appears, telling him not to try anything. Then he laughs, tossing Negan a canteen. He praises Negan’s speed, telling him it took forever to catch up.
Negan smiles.
Yumiko gives orders to kill the walkers still outside the fence, and upon her return inside the walls we see that Hilltop is in the process of being repaired. Eugene is talking with Alden and Earl about how they will be forced to sacrifice the look of the wood in order to make use of every bit of it, leading Alden to laugh that Eugene is going “zero waste” on this project. (Eugene says they’re going to use the bark for basket weaving). Yumiko approves.
Yumiko starts to walk away, and Alden follows, telling her that he and Earl think they should make some defensive weapons with the extra wood. Yumiko agrees, but she doesn’t think this is the time for it. Earl disagrees, citing the “attacks” made by the Whisperers, but Yumiko reminds him that they don’t know this was the Whisperers yet. While they’re talking, she gets a report that food was stolen from the cellar overnight.
When Yumiko learns that Magna was on watch, she goes into the main house to find Magna reading a book and listening to music, much the same as when Jesus was alive and tara used to come give him reports. Magna isn’t interested in anything that Yumiko is saying and the cold shoulder is definitely a carryover from their argument in last week’s episode. Yumiko reminds her about the strain they’re under and asks that Magna do what she’s supposed to do, but Magna turns the music back on and continues to ignore her.
Ezekiel is watching over the community when Daryl and Siddiq arrive. Daryl waves at Connie and signs that he’ll talk to her later as the King asks about Negan. Siddiq says that they looked overnight and didn’t see any sign of him. This bothers Ezekiel, who knows what Negan did to Alexandria. Siddiq reminds him of his own troubles at Hilltop, and Ezekiel takes the opportunity to ask for help in the infirmary. They had been planning to leave the next day but Siddiq agrees. After he walks away, Daryl asks if the King plans to ask him about Carol, but Ezekiel isn’t going to ask. He walks away.
The hunting party returns and Connie asks about Kelly. They thought she came back there and say that she should have been back by now. Connie looks worried and gives Daryl a look.
Negan works on a stick while Brandon practices his whistle. When he returns to Negan’s side he asks if he got the whistle down. His father used to tell him all about the Savior whistle, but Negan doesn’t want any part of the conversation. He asks for the granola Brandon brought with him. He apologizes for the state of the food and supplies, noting that he left in a hurry.
Brandon wants to know who let Negan out, but Negan isn’t in the mood to talk. He wants to know what they’re looking for, and Negan says that he’s looking for a safe space. Brandon understands the need for a safe place, noting that the Sanctuary had been safe until Rick Grimes came along and killed their parents and took them to Alexandria in a quest for community. Negan doesn’t argue that point.
Negan does have an issue when Brandon says he heard that Negan made Rick cut off Carl’s hand and then he shot and killed Carl. Negan’s face twitches as he says that he didn’t do that, and he would never kill a kid. He gets right in Brandon’s face to deliver that message. Brandon says they’re both Negan, nervously thinking that this is what Negan wants to hear.