Review: The Walking Dead Continues to Make Good Choices in “The Bridge”

*SOME SPOILERS AHEAD*

Last week’s premiere was a pleasant surprise and this week, “The Bridge” continues that positive momentum. Interesting plot ideas and questions, character development and action, it’s almost as though someone finally remembered what this show was all about.

Ricks big plan of peace for everyone has never been realistic. The reality is in this world, it just won’t happen. However you have to give him credit for at least trying, getting the communities working together, supply lines going, advanced scouts for walkers and other threat etc. Unfortunately, this week the cracks in his plan begin to take shape and a familiar face pops up to tell Rick how it’s all going to come crumbling down.

Construction on a new bridge continues, which will help the supply line greatly, but there is tension in the air as not everyone is happy with Rick’s little Utopia. Fights break out, threats are made, most of which surrounds a single Savior but in reality, it’s just a minor part in a much bigger problem. Some Saviors miss Negan, miss the way they did things and don’t really care for this ‘civilization’ that Rick and company are building. To make matters worse, there are bits of conversation that talk about Saviors that have gone missing, adding to the already building tension.

There is accident a lumber site as well that leads to Aaron getting injured and ultimately losing an arm. This whole scene was well done, from the walkers to the fight to the amputation. What caused the accident revolved around a certain Savior not pulling his weight, which eventually leads to more fighting and Rick kicking him out of the group. Again, whether this guy deserved to get kicked out is not the issue, but the growing tension surrounding certain Saviors and what to be done about the whole mess.

Michonne heads to Hilltop to try and get some supplies off of Maggie and discovers that the Hilltop has not received their shipments of ethanol. Now it seems both people and supplies are disappearing, which makes it a question of who is doing it? A new enemy, or one hiding in plain sight? Regardless, there is some great dialogue and conversation about leadership, deciding peoples fate, making laws, things that were fluffed over, ignored or butchered last year. I was actually interested to hear what a lot of characters had to say, thanks in no small part to the vastly improved writing so far.

The episode ends in two parts, one being Anne in a lookout tower spotting a helicopter (we still don’t know what that means to her or the big picture) and the expelled Savior getting taken down by what looks like a familiar face. Add to this the narrative by Rick off and on from start to finish, describing the hectic day to none other than Negan, and you have one very well done episode. Two episodes in and The Walking Dead already resembles nothing of the disaster known as season eight and yes, I know it’s still early, but things are definitely looking up.

Four stars out of five