“The Walking Dead” Recap – “Worth”

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AMC/Gene Page(NEW YORK) — (SPOILERS AHEAD) Sunday night’s penultimate episode of the eighth season of The Walking Dead starts with Rick reading Carl’s letter as he looks over at Judith playing in the distance.

Carl reads in voiceover, about all the normal things he remembered before the outbreak.

He admitted he wanted to kill Negan, but in the letter he urged his dad to make peace with Negan to “start everything over,” and bring back a normal life for everyone.

Michonne grabs the letter Carl wrote for Negan.

Meanwhile, Gregory, who has escaped after the Hilltop jailbreak, meets with Simon at the Sanctuary. He learns then that Simon — who doesn’t know that Negan is still alive — has taken over.

Meanwhile, the Oceanside women debate what to do about Aaron, who stayed behind a few episodes ago to try to rally them to his cause. They come across a walker, but before they can do anything about it, an exhausted Aaron dispatches it.

His efforts aren’t appreciated. They leave him in his weakened state.

At Eugene’s bullet factory, he tries to rally his workers — including Father Gabriel, who is there against his will — and who was caught trying to sabotage bullets.

Eugene and another Savior walk out to test-fire the bullets, when Daryl and Rosita materialize out of nowhere and grab Eugene at gunpoint.

Back at the Sanctuary, Negan surprises Dwight and asks him where his loyalty stands. “I am Negan,” Dwight replies.

Afterwards, Simon is with Negan’s other lieutenants, trying to explain to Negan why he left him. With Negan rubbing oil on Lucille, Simon coolly asks for forgiveness. Negan orders him to his knees, Lucille at the ready. “All is forgiven,” Negan says, ordering him up.

Negan then whips out a map and orders a new plan: to find new outposts, but leave Hilltop alone — but to keep them trapped, penned in by snipers and patrols until they achieve “attrition.”

He sends the lieutenants away, but asks Dwight to stay behind. Negan compliments Dwight on his ability to keep himself alive.

Meanwhile, back at the Sanctuary, double-dealing Dwight is marking up a map showing Negan’s new plan, with a message for Rick’s people to “END THIS.”

Simon knocks on the door — still thinking Dwight is loyal — urging mutiny against Negan.

Daryl and Rosita run into a pack of walkers. With them distracted, Eugene puts his fingers down his throat and pukes all over Rosita, before running. They chase him and he evades capture by hiding in the ash of a pile of burned bodies.

Meanwhile, at the Sanctuary, Simon gathers his group to kill Negan. He urges Dwight to make the kill himself.

Just then, Negan’s whistle.

He materializes, putting his hand on Dwight’s shoulder, and thanks him. Negan counts from three, and at “One,” snipers fire, dropping all of Simon’s men except Gregory and Simon.

Negan’s men come and disarm Simon, and after it all, Negan says, he’s still going to give Simon his shot.

“You wanna be the man, you gotta beat the man,” Negan tells him.

Minutes later, they face off, with all the Sanctuary watching them go hand to hand. Simon starts with a sucker punch and they go at it, viciously.

Dwight grabs Gregory and pushes him into an alcove. He shoves the map into his hands, telling him he’s got to get to Hilltop and warn Rick. “This is the only move you’ve got left,” he tells the coward, who does as he’s told.

Meanwhile, Negan has Simon down on the ground. As he strangles him, he tells him that because of Simon’s failed attack on Hilltop, they will keep trying to fight back, leaving Negan no choice but to have to kill all of them. And with his bare hands, he kills Simon.

Gregory returns to Hilltop, and is put into the pen. Maggie hands Dwight’s map to Rick.

Back at the Sanctuary, Negan promotes Dwight, who vows to “finish” the fight against Rick.

“You already have,” Negan says, before showing Dwight to his room — where Laura, a Savior who witnessed Dwight turn on his own people, is sitting. Dwight is cornered. 

Negan then informs Dwight that he set up a fake plan knowing Dwight would get it to Rick, and that bad intel will lead Rick “right into the line of fire.”

Just then, Eugene returns to the bullet factory, where he’s informed that Negan is back in charge, and that they need bullets for a final strike on Hilltop.

At Sanctuary, Negan unveils a new walker fence “guard,” Walker Simon.

Negan gets a call on the walkie. It’s Michonne, who offers to read Carl’s note to him. “I hope my dad offers you peace. I hope you take it. Start over. You still can,” Carl implores through Michonne. Negan is affected. But his mood changes.

“There is no going back now,” Negan says.

“Winning is killing every last one of you. I never wanted this. Rick made this happen. No more talk,” he says, before smashing the walkie.

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