'The Walking Dead' recap: 'Something They Need'
— -- Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" opened with Tara leading gang Grimes to the reclusive Oceanside community. Meanwhile, at Hilltop, Maggie tends to the crops.
After the group arrives at Oceanside, we see Daryl and Jesus laying down dynamite around the community's outskirts, while Michonne takes up a sniper post in a tree.
At the Sanctuary, Sasha has already been captured. David, one of Negan's henchman, visits her and immediately gets handsy. He offers her water for an implied sexual favor. She head-butts him instead.
Just as David is about to assault Sasha, Negan comes in and lectures him about how repugnant rape is. David apologizes, and Negan stabs him through the neck. "I don't accept your apology." Impressed with Sasha's guts for her solo mission to the Sanctuary, he asks her to join him and help him run the place. He gives Sasha his knife, and a choice; off herself, or dispatch the dead David before he turns into a walker.
Eugene shows up to her cell with "creature comforts," a pillow and the like, and explains to her why he joined up with the Saviors. After Negan killed Glenn and Abraham, Eugene says, he vowed never to be that scared again, and safety was what Negan offered. When Eugene says Abraham would have made the same choice, Sasha tells him to get out.
At Hilltop, Maggie is digging out a blueberry bush, with Gregory offering to have her back. He's seemingly tempted to kill her but thinks better of it before they spot a walker. Gregory tries to stop it but chokes. Maggie takes over, saves him from another pouncing walker, then saves his pride when some of his followers see him floundering.
At Oceanside, Tara pulls a gun on Natania, the community's leader, trying to convince her to join gang Grimes in a fight against the Saviors. Natania won't hear of it; her granddaughter Cyndie ends up pulling a gun on Tara and she gives hers up; it's empty anyway.
Just then, explosions. Daryl and Jesus' dynamite distractions go off, and gang Grimes is headed into Oceanside. Natania leads Tara out at gunpoint to meet Rick. His group corals Oceanside's residents, offering to let them stay where they are or come and join the fight against the Saviors. Either way, he says, His group is taking their guns. They're at an impasse. Natania says she's going to kill Tara. Michonne, still in her sniper perch, calls out "Walkers!"
Just then, Cyndie knocks out her grandma as all hell breaks loose. Walkers close in, and Rick's gang helps the Oceanside residents kill off the approaching herd.
At the Sanctuary, Negan opens the cell to find Sasha alive, with dead walker David. Again, Negan offers her to join up.
At Hilltop, an embarrassed Gregory has a couple of drinks and fetches a map. He asks a driver to take him someplace. Seems he's going to take Simon up on his deal to visit the Saviors.
At the Sanctuary, Eugene tries to get Sasha to get more comfortable with the idea of staying; she won't hear of it. She begs him for a weapon, seemingly to off herself. "Don't let them use me to hurt our people," she pleads.
Back at Oceanside, Rick's gang carts off the guns. At the Sanctuary, Eugene gives Sasha the poison pill he made. You can tell she wished he gave her a weapon instead.
Rick's gang returns to Alexandria loaded for bear. They find Rosita, who tells them they have a visitor: it's Dwight. Daryl flips out and has to be restrained; Dwight tries to assure Rick he's there to help.
"Get on your knees," Rick tells him at gunpoint.
The season finale of "The Walking Dead" will be next Sunday at 9 p.m. EST on AMC.
