Chokepoint (The Walking Dead)

Last updated
"Chokepoint"
The Walking Dead episode
Episode no.Season 9
Episode 13
Directed by Liesl Tommy
Written byEddie Guzelian
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick
Original air dateMarch 10, 2019 (2019-03-10)
Running time41 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Guardians"		Next →
"Scars"
The Walking Dead season 9
List of episodes

"Chokepoint" is the thirteenth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on March 10, 2019. The episode was written by Eddie Guzelian and David Leslie-Johnson McGoldrick, and directed by Liesl Tommy.

Contents

In the episode, Daryl's (Norman Reedus) daring rescue mission forces Alpha to unleash a group of her own, led by Beta (Ryan Hurst), to retrieve her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy), even if the price is paid in blood. Meanwhile, The Kingdom's plans to reunite the communities are put in jeopardy.

The episode received mostly positive reviews, particularly the fight scene between Daryl and Beta.

Plot

As Daryl and Connie have fled with Henry and Lydia from a group of Whisperers, Alpha's second-in-command, Beta, watches another Whisperer die from the walker attack earlier in the night. He vows to bring Lydia back, or failing there, to turn her whole group into walkers.

As the Kingdom prepares for their fair, one of their scout groups, led by Jerry, has been ambushed and robbed by a group called The Highwaymen. Jerry relates this to Carol and Ezekiel. When Carol learns of this, she suggests that because The Highwaymen did not kill Jerry's group, they may be open to negotiation. Meanwhile, Tara worries that Daryl's group hasn't arrived either, and she leads an expedition to locate them, accompanied by Yumiko, Magna, Kelly, Tammy, and Earl, fighting walkers along the way.

In the morning, Daryl's group is led by Connie to an incomplete high-rise that her group had taken shelter in before, where she shows Daryl that they could isolate the Whisperers by laying an ambush on the upper floors. They argue whether or not to bring Lydia back to home with them, with Connie writing on a piece of paper that she and Daryl have friends, whereas Lydia has none.

Ezekiel, Carol, and other Kingdom members go to the Highwaymen's headquarters, and lure the group into a trap so that the Kingdom group can overpower them. Ezekiel tries to convince the Highwaymen to help them keep the roads clear for the other communities traveling to the fair, offering them access to the Kingdom in return. While the Highwaymen initially refuse, they agree after Carol convinces them that they would have an opportunity to see a movie if they help. The Highwaymen then return the gear they stole and later help Tara's group make their way to the Kingdom.

Unsure about Lydia's trustworthiness, Daryl locks her in a closet with Dog while they prepare for Beta's group to arrive. When the group arrives, Beta and his allies are forced to abandon the walkers on the ground floor, giving Daryl and Connie the ability to kill them. Lydia, fearing for Henry's safety, breaks out of the closet, in time for Dog to attack a Whisperer that was about to kill Henry, though Henry still ends up injuring his leg. Daryl then has a brutal one-on-one fight with Beta, which ends with Daryl pushing him into an open elevator shaft. With the Whisperers subdued, the group work to lure the walkers out of the ground floor so that they can escape, unaware that Beta is still alive at the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Production

Discussing the fight scene between Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Beta (Ryan Hurst), episode director Liesl Tommy explained: "I worked really hard with Monte [Simons] and Josh [Lamboy], our stunt guys, to make a fight that felt worthy of these two actors. So you just want that fight to be as visceral and brutal and, at the same time, feel like these are two men who may not be physically matched, but they match in intensity." [1]

Reception

Critical reception

Norman Reedus by Gage Skidmore 4.jpg
Ryan Hurst in 2017.jpg
The fight scene between Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Beta (Ryan Hurst) received high praise from critics.

"Chokepoint" received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 90% with an average score of 7.40 out of 10, based on 20 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "'Chokepoint' brings a welcome dose of crunchy action to The Walking Dead, spotlighting Norman Reedus' physicality while introducing an intriguing new gang of rogues into the mix." [2]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode a positive review with a score of 7.9 out of 10. He praised the fight scene between Daryl and Beta, writing: "And it's here that we get a really awesome fight that allows Daryl to shine as the kind of action hero this series has needed for a long while." Overall, he felt: "If 'Chokepoint' had focused solely, or even a little more, on Daryl and Connie's clash with the wicked Whisperers, it would have felt like a stronger installment. Because all that stuff, even with Henry in mind, was pretty awesome. The Kingdom's side story, which sprinkled a whole new faction into the stew, was both harmless and head-scratchy. Payoff for it will hopefully come down the line, the sooner the better, but the other stuff was so strong that it just came off as bloat." [3]

Jeff Stone of IndieWire gave the episode a B+, writing: "The whole action scene with Daryl's team vs the Whisperers is a stand-out, especially since the unfinished building provides ample hiding spots and surprise dangers, like the saw blade Beta nearly finishes Daryl with. Unlike the Savior years, here's a conflict that isn't just two groups of grimy extras shooting at each other from behind cover. The relative rarity of firearms, post time jump, has done wonders for the show's human vs. human fight scenes." [4]

Erik Kain of Forbes praised the episode and in his review wrote that "Beta is terrifying" and "that whole fight scene was just phenomenal." He went on to say that "'Chokepoint' was, for the most part, a fantastic episode. It's certainly the first episode of 9B that had me on the edge of my seat. Mostly that's because of Beta who is just wonderfully scary and intimidating. The guy is huge, for one thing (at 6'4" he's got an inch on me) and in his trenchcoat and walker skin he's quite the striking figure, whether shambling slowly with his "guardians" or charging through a wall to attack Daryl." [5]

Ratings

"Chokepoint" received a total viewership of 4.83 million with a 1.8 rating in adults aged 18–49. It was the highest-rated cable program of the night and improved in viewership from the previous week. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daryl Dixon</span> Character from the television series The Walking Dead

Daryl Dixon is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead, and the protagonist of its last three seasons, replacing Rick Grimes. The character was created for the television series by writers Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee and Jack LoGiudice specifically for Norman Reedus, and does not have a counterpart in the comics on which the series is based. The character was introduced in the first season as a southerner, expert tracker, living in the shadow of his older brother, Merle. Despite his bad temper and volatility, he is tolerated by the core group of survivors due to his skills in hunting animals and fearless efficiency in killing walkers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Peletier</span> Fictional character

Carol is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Melissa McBride. Carol is introduced in the third issue of the comic's first volume, "Days Gone Bye", and the third episode of the first season of the television series, as a meek housewife and mother of Sophia at the survival camp in Atlanta, Georgia. Her arc in the television series was described as a "hero's journey" by executive producer Scott M. Gimple, having made many difficult decisions in order to survive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Ezekiel</span> Fictional character

King Ezekiel is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, on which he is portrayed by Khary Payton.

Alpha (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Character appearing in The Walking Dead media franchise

Alpha is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she was portrayed by Samantha Morton. In both universes, Alpha is the leader of a group of survivors called the Whisperers, a mysterious group that wears the skins of walkers (zombies) to mask their presence. In the television series, she first appeared in the ninth mid-season premiere.

Beta (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Beta is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Ryan Hurst. In both universes, Beta is the second-in-command of the Whisperers, a group of survivors who wear walker (zombie) skin to hide their presence from actual walkers. He serves as Alpha's right-hand man and after her death, becomes de facto leader of the Whisperers.

Lydia (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Lydia is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Cassady McClincy.

Connie (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character in "The Walking Dead"

Connie is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and on the television series of the same name, where she is portrayed by Lauren Ridloff. In both universes, Connie is part of a small group of roaming survivors who are led by Magna. She is the first deaf character in the Walking Dead universe, and the actress who plays her on the television series, Lauren Ridloff, is also deaf.

Jerry (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character

Jerry is a fictional character from AMC's horror drama series The Walking Dead, who first appeared in the seventh season as a recurring character. The character was created for the television series by Scott M. Gimple and is portrayed by Cooper Andrews. Jerry is a former resident of the Kingdom, where he served as King Ezekiel's steward, bodyguard and advisor. After the war against Negan and the Saviors, he married Nabila and several years after Rick Grimes' assumed death, they conceived three children. Much like Daryl Dixon, Simon, and Sasha Williams, Jerry is an original character that does not have a counterpart in the comic book series of the same name.

"Omega" is the tenth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 17, 2019.

"Bounty" is the eleventh episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 24, 2019.

"Guardians" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 3, 2019.

"The Calm Before" is the fifteenth and penultimate episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 24, 2019.

"The Storm" is the sixteenth and final episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 31, 2019.

"Silence the Whisperers" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 27, 2019.

"Bonds" is the sixth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 10, 2019. The episode was written by Kevin Deiboldt and directed by Dan Liu.

"Stalker" is the tenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 1, 2020. The episode was written by Jim Barnes and directed by Bronwen Hughes.

"Morning Star" is the eleventh episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 8, 2020. The episode was written by Vivian Tse and Julia Ruchman, and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

"Look at the Flowers" is the fourteenth episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 29, 2020. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer.

"A Certain Doom" is the sixteenth episode and second-part finale of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 4, 2020. The episode's teleplay was written by Corey Reed, from a story by Jim Barnes, Eli Jorné and Reed, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

References

  1. ↑ Squires, John (March 11, 2019). "If You Missed It, Watch the Kickass Daryl vs. Beta Fight Scene from "The Walking Dead" Last Night". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Chokepoint". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  3. ↑ Fowler, Matt (March 10, 2019). "The Walking Dead Season 9 Episode 13: "Chokepoint" Recap". IGN . Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  4. ↑ Stone, Jeff (March 10, 2019). "'The Walking Dead' Review: 'Chokepoint' Is a Tense, Rewarding Hour". IndieWire . Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  5. ↑ Kain, Erik (March 10, 2019). "'The Walking Dead' Season 9, Episode 13 Review: 'Chokepoint' Is The Best Episode In Ages". Forbes . Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  6. ↑ Welch, Alex (March 12, 2019). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Shameless' finale climbs to season highs, 'The Walking Dead' ticks up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.