The Walking Dead has started to close up shop on this season. The episode in question now is titled “The Other Side,” and it follows Sasha and Rosita as they make good on their plan for Negan… or so it seems. It also ties up some loose ends at The Hilltop, and more specifically with Daryl and Maggie. Following this, we have the fifteenth episode, titled “Something They Need,” in which the aftermath of “The Other Side” is wrapped up and preparations for the finale start to take form.

Spoilers Ahead! If you have not seen Episodes 14 and 15: “The Other Side” and “Something They Need,” do not read further unless you do not mind having these spoiled. These episodes also contain references to the episodes previous in this season: “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”, “The Well”, “The Cell”, “Service”, “Go Getters”, “Swear”, “Sing Me A Song”, “Hearts Still Beating”, “Rock in the Road”. “New Best Friends”, “Hostiles and Calamities”, “Say Yes”, and “Bury Me Here”, which have reviews of their own that you can check out too.

Let’s get to it.

This episode stars…

Josh McDermott as Eugene Porter

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan

Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams

Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa

Lauren Cohen as Maggie Greene-Rhee

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon

Xander Berkeley as Gregory

Steven Ogg as Simon

“The Other Side”

A series of flashbacks show how the events at The Hilltop have taken shape, such as Daryl’s arrival there after he left The Kingdom in “New Best Friends,” what Enid, Maggie,and Sasha have all done while there since “Go Getters,” and so on. Daryl refuses to even look at Maggie, still feeling guilty over the death of Glenn Rhee, Maggie’s husband, in the season premiere, titled “The Day WIll Come When You Won’t Be.” After Rosita arrives at The Hilltop, she and Sasha leave The Hilltop through a hidden passageway that Sasha says, “It leads to the other side.” Why did they leave? No, they were not in that big of a hurry to kill Negan, but because The Saviors, most notably Simon, Negan’s right hand man, were coming. As you may recall from my previous article, Negan commented this after killing Dr. Emmett Carson at The Sanctuary in “Hostiles and Calamities” just two episodes prior to this, he said “good thing we got a spare doctor Carson.” This actually refers to The Hilltop’s doctor, Harlan Carson, who is actually the brother of the now deceased Emmett Carson. This is why Simon and The Saviors have shown up.

In the intro, we also see Sasha training some Hilltoppers how to use a knife, which was referenced in “Rock in the Road” that they were untrained.

Simon meets with Gregory in The Barrington House and Gregory makes a remark about what type of alcohol Simon might want, remembering what Simon said in the episode “Go Getters” about scotch, but Simon has changed his answer to the alcohol question and says a different type of alcohol. This might be because Simon does not want people to know personal things about him or connect to him.

Daryl and Maggie are forced into a hiding spot while Enid buys them some time, but it’s not enough, as a savior goes towards their hiding spot and Daryl prepares to kill him before he stops and the savior leaves, not finding either of them. Maggie talks to Daryl, saying she doesn’t blame him for Glenn’s death at Negan’s hands earlier in the season.

Dr. Carson is taken to The Sanctuary and The Hilltop is given a giant wooden container full of aspirin as a payment for the “trade,” what a deal.

Rick is approached by Tara Chambler (Alanna Masterson) who seems to be giving up Oceanside and their guns in order to win the war against The Saviors. Tara was talking to Judith when she was contemplating telling the others about Oceanside.

Across from The Sanctuary, Sasha and Rosita prepare to take the shot at Negan, but with Eugene in the way, they can’t get a clean shot without killing him too. Sasha and Rosita both move in closer to take the shot, cutting open a fence to get to Negan. Sasha has Rosita cover her, and while she isn’t paying attention, Sasha slips through the hole in the fence and closes it off, telling Rosita it’s not her time and Sasha proceeds to shoot at Saviors as they approach her and runs off screen. On her way back, Rosita sees a shadowy figure with a crossbow…

“Something They Need”

This episode focuses on the aftermath of what Sasha did and what Maggie and company at The Hilltop are up to. Maggie Greene-Rhee approaches a leadership role as Gregory secluded himself in his office, slowly drinking himself away inside of The Barrington House. Maggie helps a Hilltopper grow a garden, mentioning that if it is done right, the plant can grow for 40 years, which Gregory hears when he exits his office. Gregory offers to go with Maggie to get this plant outside of The Hilltop and help her. Sasha, on the other hand, is in a very tight pinch. Negan has captured her, put her in (possibly Daryl’s) cell and has her as a hostage. Negan tries to convince her to change sides and help him out, giving her a choice but we will get to that right now.

Sasha Williams went from being the girl who was new to the group and somewhat sheltered to being the girl who has become the person who has lost it all. From her brother Tyreese, to her boyfriends, Bob Stookey and Abraham Ford, she has virtually no one and now she grows further into the abyss as the episode progresses. Sasha is approached by a savior named David, who offers her water in exchange for a certain kind of favor… Sasha attacks David as best as she can with her hands being bound behind her back, David rips her shirt before Negan shows up and kills “Rapey Dave” by stabbing him in the throat. Negan leaves David there to reanimate and gives Sasha a choice, take that knife from Dave’s throat and kill his reanimated corpse (or at least put him down before he can turn) and then join him and The Saviors, or she can let David turn and choose the option of death. Negan leaves before Sasha can really make her choice.

Back at The Hilltop, Maggie digs up the plant and her and Gregory talk, Gregory actually considers killing Maggie, but decides against it and prepares to kill an approaching walker, but he then reveals that he has never killed one and needs Maggie to put the walker, which is now on top of him about to eat him, down. Gregory later leaves and we don’t know why or for how long.

Back at The Sanctuary, Negan approaches the cell, opens the doors and sees that Sasha has killed David with the knife, he offers to have her join him, she finally caves and accepts the offer. Sasha asks Eugene to get her a gun or some other weapons to kill herself, in reality, Sasha wants it to kill Negan. This plan fails when Eugene gives her the pills Negan’s wives had asked for in “Hotilies and Calamities” when he had first arrived at The Sanctuary.

Tara speaks to Rick and some others, telling them about the all female community she arrived at, Oceanside, and that they have the guns they need to take down Negan and his saviors. They head out, they being Daryl, Rick, Michonne, Tara, Jesus, Aaron, Gabriel, and Eric and trap the Oceanside people, taking their guns before eliminating a herd of walkers alongside the “Oceansiders” and leaving with their guns and ammunition. The group then returns home. Upon arrival, Rosita is there, telling them that they have a visitor. Rick finds Dwight in the cell before aiming his revolver at him and telling him to get on his knees.