“The Walking Dead:” Episode 802 “The Damned”

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” returned Sunday night after a strong start to season 8 last week. Episode 2, titled “The Damned,” sees the main group continuing their conquest on The Saviors outposts. WARNING: Spoilers ahead!

The episode follows four different teams of survivors who are each attacking different Saviors outposts. First, Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl (Norman Reedus) infiltrate an unknown Savior stronghold in search of guns so that the Saviors would be unarmed to face the walker threat from the last episode. Second, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Carol (Melissa McBride) lead a group of survivors in hunt of an escaped Savior who they fear will warn the other Saviors of their upcoming attack. Third, Jesus (Tom Payne) and Tara (Alanna Masterson) take over a satellite base that was introduced in Season 6, while Morgan (Lennie James) goes on a killing spree. Fourth, Aaron and a band of survivors engage in a gunfighting battle against an unnamed group of Saviors.

The episode right from the start is starkly different from anything that has been seen in previous seasons. No more are the slow, uneventful episodes that plagued the preceding season. Instead, fans are treated to quick, intense action that keeps viewers glued to their television screens. The episode presented many moral dilemmas, as shown with Jesus and Tara, as well as Rick. While Tara is adamant about killing each and every Savior, Jesus is merciful, giving each Savior the chance to surrender. Rick, who murdered a Savior without any second thought, has a change of hearts when he finds out he killed the father of an infant. These moral conflicts will likely be a common theme in episodes to come.

In terms of acting, Lennie James, who plays Morgan, clearly brought his A-game this episode, as Morgan grew unremorseful. James proved his capability as an actor as he gave depth to his character, who is slowly turning into a killer. Also presenting a top tier acting performance this week was Khary Payton, as Ezekiel. His inspiring speeches kept both his group’s and the audience’s hopes alive, convincing them that they will be victorious.

There were, however, a few clear issues with this episode. To start, much of the runtime was filled with mindless gunfire, adding nothing to the already cluttered story. Much of the time that could have been spent developing the plot was instead wasted on meaningless action. This season, surprisingly, is on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to last season as it relates to the plot. Whereas last season, there was too much emphasis on setup, with little to no payoff, this season jumps straight into action with a lack of setup. While this can be exciting, it quickly grows stale and leads to some confusing encounters.

The episode left viewers with their mouths wide open with the return of a familiar face, Morales. For those who don’t remember, Morales and his family left the group back at Atlanta right before they headed to the CDC at the end of Season 1. While attacking one of the Saviors’ bases, Rick encounters Morales, who is a full-fledged Savior now, loyal to Negan. The episode ends with Morales holding a gun to Rick’s head, prompting many questions for the next episode. Will Morales have a change in heart? Will Rick get captured by the Saviors? For now, all we can do is wait. Tune in to the next episode on Sunday, November 5th, at 9:00pm Pacific Standard time.