"Honor" | |
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The Walking Dead episode | |
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Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 9 |
Directed by | Greg Nicotero |
Written by | Matthew Negrete Channing Powell |
Featured music | "At the Bottom of Everything" by Bright Eyes |
Original air date | February 25, 2018 |
Running time | 56 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Honor" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on February 25, 2018. The episode was written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell, and directed by Greg Nicotero.
The episode is the final regular appearance of Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes, who had been on the series since the first season. It also marks the departure of actor Jayson Warner Smith as Gavin, who had been part of the recurring cast since the previous season.
Following Negan and the Saviors' assault on the communities of Alexandria, the Kingdom, and the Hilltop convoy, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his allies deal with the aftermath of events. In a flashback, Carl, having been bitten by a walker while trying to bring Siddiq to Alexandria, keeps his bite mark hidden, makes sure Siddiq finds quarters in the sewers below the community, spends time with his toddler sister Judith, and writes several letters to those he knows.
In the present, while Gavin and the other Saviors of his group keep watch over Ezekiel inside the Kingdom, outside Carol has led the survivors far enough away and instructs them to continue toward the house she used outside of the Kingdom for shelter, while she goes back to rescue Ezekiel. Henry, who is trained in both firearm and melee combat, and whose older brother Benjamin had been killed by Jared, a Savior, insists that he come along to assist, but Carol orders him to stay with the others.
Rick and Michonne regroup with all the other Alexandria survivors in the storm sewers and come to learn of Carl's impending death. They decide to wait until Negan's assault is over and then head off to the Hilltop to regroup. Rick knows Carl will not survive the journey, and he and Michonne remain with Carl. Before leading the rest away, Daryl commends Carl on their survival due to Carl's intent to stay out of the war with the Saviors and the preparations he had made. Carl and Rick spend much time discussing the past; Carl explains why he brought Siddiq here, and how he felt remorse for having killed a youth back during their time at the prison; Rick forgives him for these past transgressions.
Carol meets up with Morgan, who had escaped the Saviors' massacre of Rick's snipers watching the Sanctuary. However, Morgan has become bitter and once the two are inside the Kingdom, he becomes brutal in dispatching the Saviors. At one point during the mission, Morgan disembowels a Savior as Carol and a rescued Ezekiel watch. Gavin, the last Savior of the group left alive, flees and attempts to hide, but Morgan easily finds him. Morgan prepares to kill Gavin, but Carol senses that Morgan is conflicted and attempts to convince him to spare Gavin. A distressed Morgan balks, trying to decide what to do, when suddenly Gavin is stabbed through the neck from behind by Henry, who had followed Carol and is seeking revenge for the murder of his brother.
As Rick and Michonne move Carl up to the church, Carl insists that Rick can become a better person; in his mind (shown in a dream sequence first seen in "Mercy"), Carl imagined his father in the future becoming compassionate rather than vengeful, and devoting his time to raising their family and leading the Alexandria community. All survivors, including Negan, work together harmoniously to make Alexandria a thriving community in this dream. The next morning, a near-death Carl sends Rick and Michonne out of the church, and shoots himself rather than force them to have to do it once he dies; Rick and Michonne prepare a burial site to lay Carl to rest.
The ending of the episode intercuts between Carl saying his goodbyes to Rick and Michonne, and Morgan's struggle to kill Gavin with Carol and Ezekiel attempting to talk him down. Director Greg Nicotero saw these scenes in direct contrast with each other, spending more time planning out how these two scenes would be merged. Nicotero saw Carl and Morgan's struggles mirroring each other, and had shot Carl's scenes with him on one side of the frame, and Morgan's on the other, to represent this mirroring. [1]
The episode received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 80% with an average rating of 7.50 out of 10, based on 30 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Focusing on the farewell of one of the series' original characters, "Honor" delivers an emotional mid-season premiere." [2]
The mid-season premiere drew a total viewership of 8.28 million with a 3.6 rating in adults aged 18–49. This was an increase in viewership from the mid-season finale, which had 7.89 million viewers. [3]
Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, the character made his debut in The Walking Dead #1 in 2003. Rick is a small town sheriff's deputy and is married to Lori. They have a son, Carl, and a daughter, Judith. He awakens from a coma after a life-threatening gunshot wound to find the world overrun by reanimated humans dubbed "walkers".
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.
Carl Grimes is a fictional character and is one of the main protagonists in the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Chandler Riggs in the American television series of the same name. The character was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore, and debuted in The Walking Dead #2 in 2003. In both forms of media, Carl is the son of Rick and Lori Grimes.
Michonne Grimes is a fictional character from The Walking Dead. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the television series of the same name, in which she is portrayed by Danai Gurira. Armed with a katana and harboring a mysterious past, Michonne is introduced clothed under a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified boyfriend and his best friend. In both the comic and TV series, she has a prominent role in the conflict between the town of Woodbury led by The Governor, and the Prison group.
Morgan Jones is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead, portrayed by Lennie James in the American television series of the same name and its companion series Fear the Walking Dead. In both the comics and television series, he is a devoted father struggling to get over the recent death of his wife. He and his son, Duane, seek refuge in Rick's hometown after the outbreak occurs and are the first survivors that Rick encounters after awakening from his coma. Morgan is characterized by his catchphrase "you know what it is", which he repeats regularly throughout the television series.
Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Washington, D.C. In the comic book series, she joins Rick Grimes' group after they leave the prison and go to DC. Eventually Eugene is revealed to have lied but they continue on to Washington anyway, since he was still convinced the city would offer greater chance of survival, and they eventually find the Alexandria Safe-Zone.
Negan is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the Sanctuary that oppresses other survivor communities and forces them to pay tribute to him. In the comics, the character's appearance is based on Henry Rollins, as confirmed by Charlie Adlard. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays Negan in the television series, having first appeared in the sixth-season finale.
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