“The Walking Dead:” Episode 803 “Monster”

AMC’s The Walking Dead, returned last Sunday with the third installment of the season, “Monster.” This time the survivors continue their offensive on Negan and the Saviors. Warning, SPOILER ALERT!

The episode is a direct continuation of last week, seeing Rick (Andrew Lincoln) come face to face with a former ally, Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja). Morales, who is a full blown Savior, was holding a gun to Rick’s head at the conclusion of the previous episode, but he is quickly killed by Daryl (Norman Reedus), who does not hesitate in taking Morales’ life to save Rick. Additionally, Aaron and his group of Alexandrians conquer the Savior base that they were attacking in the previous episode, suffering several casualties including Aaron’s boyfriend, Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson). Tensions also increase between Jesus (Tom Payne) and Morgan (Lennie James), as they lead the captured band of Saviors back to the Hilltop. Lastly, Carol (Melissa Mcbride) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton) continue taking down small pockets of Saviors using Guerilla warfare tactics.

Overall, the episode was a solid improvement over last week’s, achieving a proper balance between action and plot development. There was an ample amount of time given for character moments, while enough action to keep viewers satisfied. The episode maintained the momentum established last week and created a very engaging tone. Some characters that shined this week included Rick, who struggled with himself, reflecting on whether or not he and the survivors are in the moral right. Another character who was very entertaining this episode was Morgan, who gone off the deep end and regressed back to his former stage of violence. Actor Lennie James clearly had a fun time portraying this version of Morgan.

Big Aaron fans will be heart wrenched this episode, following the death of Eric. The couple has been around ever since the main group arrived in Alexandria. His death reminds fans that this season, while much more lighthearted than last year, is still subject to the brutality of war.

However, this episode did have a few disappoints, especially revolving Morales’ fate. His quick death was underwhelming for some fans who were hoping for him to play a bigger part in the season. Though, it was a nice throwback to season 1, seeing his character return and hearing references to past cast members. Also, it seems that his character served more to spark Rick’s moral dilemma than actually play a significant role.

At the end of the episode, Ezekiel, who had yet to lose a single rank, was faced with a surprise attack by a rogue sniper from the Saviors group that inevitably resulted in massacre. Viewers are left to speculate whether or not Carol and Ezekiel will survive the sudden onslaught. Also, the pending fate of Gabriel and Negan has yet to be revealed.

Tune in to Episode 4 of this season on AMC Sunday, November 12th at 9pm.