The Walking Dead: Knots Untie further acquainted us with the Saviors!

After a relatively calm spell,  episode 611 of The Walking Dead practically warns Rick’s group: “You think you’re free now? You don’t realize you’re in a cage.”  Although Gregory of The Hilltop Colony seems capable of reason, it becomes evident that his group is itself subservient to Negan’s group of Saviors.

One also gets the impression that, even if Eugene Porter hadn’t guided Rick and Daryl into coincidentally meeting Jesus (The Walking Dead character, not the deity), the Alexandrians would have eventually encountered both the Hilltop and Savior groups.

On that note, I have to be honest:  I find it a bit strange/unconvincing that Alexandrians wouldn’t have already known of these groups.  Then again, maybe some suspension of disbelief makes sense here.  After all, wouldn’t most gasoline have gone bad by this point in the post-apocalyptic timeline?  Wouldn’t they maybe need a carriage powered by horses?  Then again, those would be prone to attack by walkers, as we have gloriously seen in prior seasons (plus, the dead obviously can’t return to eat people in reality, so the very premise of The Walking Dead requires logical flexibility).

The Walking Dead and the necessity for deal-making

By this point in The Walking Dead, the Alexandrians are struggling to merely put food on the table.  Obviously, good ol’ “farmer Rick” from season 3 just isn’t cutting it these days.  So, when one group collides with another, they are vulnerable enough to seek an alliance against the Saviors.  Just like in real life, people can’t just share a tree on a patch of dirt and make every place a safe zone.

Due to their shared vulnerability, the Alexandrians and Hilltop folks can put aside most insults, and Gregory informs them of valuable things.  It’s really a reminder of what vulnerability means.  Yes, Rick and his crew used to say, in so many words, “I’m not sure we can depend on anyone’s word anymore.”  However, none of these people want to pledge allegiance to Negan, realizing how precarious that situation is.

Who is the leader in Alexandria?  Anybody?

Since the death of Deanna Monroe, it seems there hasn’t really been a newly installed leader of Alexandria.  Sure, we still focus plenty on Rick Grimes (and Andrew Lincoln still does a great job in the role), but it’s a stretch to say he’s led the place since his arrival.  It’s not that his intentions are not generally honorable or that he doesn’t know he has to act.  It’s perhaps that he’s trying to be more like Deanna was.  If everyone has a sense of purpose, everyone can take a bit more charge (including even Eugene, as we’ve already seen).

At the end of the day, “Knots Untie” is a placeholder episode, but certainly not the most boring one.  It really takes a bit of confidence to have these transitional episodes, but this one’s almost like the transition back into action.  Obviously, you have some fight scenes taking shape here, but mainly as another sign of what’s to happen next.  The episode has Maggie as a negotiator, but some people can’t be reasoned with, and some of them call themselves Saviors.

What are your thoughts on this older episode of The Walking Dead?  Let us know in the comments!