"New Best Friends" | |
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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 | |
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"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 in which the two men get into a fight that leads him to beat up Richard, then vows to harm him 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. When asked why he smiled, he reminds Gabriel that "enemies can become friends". As they leave, Rick takes a cat statue out of a junk pile to replace the one Michonne lost and claiming that his group won.
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]
Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead and the live-action 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.
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.
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 wearing a hood and pulling the shackles of two reanimated corpses for protection and camouflage. The two walkers are subsequently revealed to be her zombified ex-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.
Eugene Porter is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Josh McDermitt beginning in the fourth season of the American television series of the same name. In both media he claims to be a scientist who knows the cure to the zombie plague and is being escorted to Washington, D.C. by Sgt. Abraham Ford and Rosita Espinosa, and encounter Rick Grimes and his group and recruit them to assist their mission.
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 character in the comic book series The Walking Dead, its self-titled television adaptation, and its spin-off series Dead City. 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.
Father Gabriel Stokes is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and is portrayed by Seth Gilliam in the television series of the same name. He is an Episcopal priest from Georgia who isolated himself from the outside world at the beginning of the outbreak, after shutting out the members of his congregation, causing their deaths. He is struggling to come to terms with the new reality he faces and his own faith.
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.
"Not Tomorrow Yet" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 6, 2016. The episode was written by Seth Hoffman and directed by Greg Nicotero.
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.
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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.
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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.