| "New Best Friends" | |
|---|---|
| The Walking Dead episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Jeffrey F. January |
| Written by | Channing Powell |
| Original air date | February 19, 2017 |
| Running time | 52 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"New Best Friends" is the tenth episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on February 19, 2017. The episode was written by Channing Powell and directed by Jeffrey F. January.
The episode focuses on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his group's encounter and discovery of a mysterious collective, while searching for a missing Alexandrian; its inhabitants are unlike any they have come across. It also features the reunion of Daryl and Carol.
King Ezekiel, Morgan, and several other members of the Kingdom, including Richard, meet the Saviors for their weekly supply drop. During this, Savior Jared gets confrontational with Richard, and demands his gun; Richard refuses until Ezekiel orders him to do so. Richard hands it over with an insult to Jared, causing Jared to lunge at him but Morgan uses his wooden staff to stop it. For the infraction, the Saviors take Morgan's staff when they leave and warn them to avoid these types of incidents in the future.
Back at the Kingdom, Richard hands Daryl a new crossbow and explains that they share the same goal: killing the Saviors. Daryl is asked by Richard to help him defeat the Saviors; Daryl agrees. Richard leads Daryl to a hiding spot on a highway that he knows the Saviors use. He wants to attack the Saviors when they pass, so that when other Saviors discover the scene, they will follow a trail to a weapons cache he planted at the cottage occupied by Carol. Richard anticipates that if the Saviors kill Carol, Ezekiel, who respected her, will be incited enough to declare war. Daryl, learning that Carol is at risk, refuses to do anything with this plan, vows to harm Richard if Carol is hurt in any way, and leaves on his own.
Elsewhere, Rick and his group are escorted into a giant junkyard by the Scavengers, a group of strange-acting survivors. Their leader, Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh), tells the group that the Scavengers now "own" them and they must "buy" themselves back. Rick attempts to plead for them to help support his fight against the Saviors, but Jadis seems unimpressed. Gabriel appears, having been kidnapped by the Scavengers the previous day, and holds one of them hostage, trying to convince Jadis that should they beat the Saviors, they can have some of the spoils. Jadis is intrigued and she takes Rick to a high pile of trash. She explains she is still not sure of the deal, and pushes Rick into an enclosed trash pit, where a walker, covered in spikes and wearing a metal helmet, lunges for him. Rick is able to use the trash to defeat the walker, proving his mettle to Jadis. Jadis tells Rick they had been watching the boat that he and Aaron had taken supplies from, looking for someone with the capability of reaching it. Jadis agrees to offer the Scavengers' help if they are rewarded with "a lot" of guns, a third of the Saviors' stores, and a portion of the Alexandria supplies, to which Rick agrees. As the Scavengers disperse and Rick's group is allowed to leave, Gabriel thanks Rick for rescuing him and believing he did not steal the supplies.
At Carol's house, she greets Ezekiel and accepts his gift of cobbler. After Ezekiel leaves, Carol is surprised by another guest: Daryl. The two hug, and Carol tells Daryl that she left Alexandria as she didn't want to lose anyone else. Daryl catches her up on events in Alexandria, though lies about the deaths of Glenn and Abraham. Daryl returns to the Kingdom, and while befriending Ezekiel's bengal tiger, Shiva, he asks Morgan to help convince Ezekiel to join the cause against the Saviors. Morgan refuses to do so. The next day, Daryl sets out to return to Hilltop to help prepare there.
"New Best Friends" received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 84% with an average rating of 7.38 out of 10, based on 31 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "New Best Friends" balances absurdity and dramatic tension as it introduces a bizarrely entertaining new community, even if some moments feel forced and contrived. [1]
The episode received a 5.3 rating in the key 18-49 demographic with 11.08 million total viewers. [2]
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.
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.
The seventh season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 23, 2016, and concluded on April 2, 2017, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the fourth consecutive season. The seventh season received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Horror Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 43rd Saturn Awards.
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"The Lost and the Plunderers" is the tenth episode of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 4, 2018. It was written by Angela Kang, Channing Powell and Corey Reed, and directed by David Boyd.
Jadis is a fictional character from the horror drama television franchise The Walking Dead, appearing in the self-titled television series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which air on AMC in the United States and are based on the comic book series of the same name. She is portrayed by Pollyanna McIntosh. Jadis is an original character in the television series and has no counterpart in the comics.
"Still Gotta Mean Something" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season and 113th episode overall of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on April 1, 2018. It was written by Eddie Guzelian and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.
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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.
