Warning: General spoilers ahead

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m seriously pumped after last week’s episode of The Walking Dead. Rick is back to his old self (well, at least almost), is ready to fight the Saviors, and what’s more, we have a new community. To make it even better, this new junkyard group isn’t in the comics and so, throws a huge unknown into the mix as our heroes gear up for All Out War. This week, we get a closer look at this strange new group, while elsewhere, others grow tired of waiting for a unified front and take matters into their own hands.

So, first things first, what about this (very large) junko group? What do we know, and what can I tell you? Well, their leader is named Jadis (the woman Rick is speaking to in below Promo), and so, if these people turn out to be bad, that means she will dethrone Alpha from the comics as the first female villain in the television series. They appear to be a tight-knit group and according to Jadis, have been at the same location since the beginning of the outbreak. As we may recall from the ending of last week’s episode, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) smiles when he sees the staggering size of their numbers and believes he can convince them to join forces with Alexandria to fight the Saviors. Unfortunately, I think Rick may have been a tad bit overconfident because Jadis flat out says “No.” Her bluntness is actually almost comical. But, that’s when Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) steps in and pretty much saves the day. Not only does he help Rick and Co. gain the upper hand in a big fight that breaks out between the two groups, but he also makes a very convincing argument of why Jadis should at least hear Rick out and allow him to prove himself. I personally am loving how they have developed Gabe’s character, as he has become a total bad-ass and won’t even hold back killing somebody if it’s warranted and for the better of the group. Anyways, Jadis ultimately decides to give Rick his 15 minutes thanks to Father Gabriel. Unfortunately for Rick, those turn out to be 15 very intense, very painful, and very bloody minutes, which includes Rick fighting a walker named “Winslow” who’s covered in spikes and armor. Does Rick succeed on gaining Jadis’ confidence and forging an alliance? You’ll have to watch and see, but I will say that even if he’s successful, I’d recommend keeping an eye on these people. After all, Jadis’ motto is “We take. We don’t bother,” and if you think about, there’s another very bad group we know who has the same philosophy.

Elsewhere, while Rick is fighting to create new alliances, others decide on their own that it’s time to act. Richard, for instance. Up until now, I actually liked the guy, and I even agreed with him that The Kingdom needs to step up and help take Negan and the Saviors out. However, after watching this episode, all I see now is a very angry man with a black heart who is willing to do anything to blot out the Saviors, even if that means killing innocent people. He hatches a plot to kill small pockets of Saviors, and with an offer of a new crossbow, he’s also able to recruit Daryl (Norman Reedus).  At first, Daryl is completely on-board, but that quickly changes after he hears all of Richard’s plan. To prevent the Saviors from tracing the attacks back to him and The Kingdom, Richard sets up an “escape goat” to take the fall if they are caught, but when Daryl hears who this escape goat is, all bets are off. By the end of the episode (and after a very teary reunion with Carol), Daryl decides to hell with The Kingdom and pushes forward with his own plans.

Finally, remember Oceanside? We haven’t heard from them since that single bottle episode earlier in the season, but one scene this Sunday should definitely remind us of the group. In the final moments of the episode, Rick says it’s imperative that they find some guns and very soon, and mentions to Tara (Alanna Masterson)  that since she’s been further out than anyone else in the group, perhaps she can tell them where not to look. She just laughs off the comment, but judging from the look on her face, you can tell she’s conflicted, and she’s worried. It doesn’t help that Rosita (Christian Serratos)  goes off on Tara much like she did Sasha last week. As I had said in my review of the Oceanside episode, that group I’m sure will become very important later on down the road. And, given Rick’s desperation and their dire need for guns and ammo, I think we all have a pretty idea where this is all going.

Episode 7.10 of The Walking Dead  is titled “New Best Friends” and airs Sunday at 9/8c on AMC.

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