SPOLIER WARNING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN EPISODE 17: “Home Sweet Home” YET!
The Walking Dead has been on a hiatus since October 4, 2020. Usually a typical season only last 16 episodes but this is not the case for season 10. AMC announced that an additional 6 episodes will be released starting on February 28th. AMC +, a streaming service offered by AMC, allowed anyone that had a subscription to watch it on February 21st. Season 10C picks up where season 10B left off, on Maggie’s triumphant return since Season 9 episode 5, “What Comes After” with the time skip of 6 years. Season 10C will fill any plot holes. It will highlight a low amount of characters during the season, with Daryl, Carol, Negan, Maggie, Princess, Yumiko, Ezekiel, Eugene, Aaron, Gabriel, and Judith, just to name a few. “Home Sweet Home” highlights Daryl, Maggie, Negan, Kelly, the masked character, and one of Maggie’s allies…
Via: Comicbook.com
In the opening scene, Maggie catches sight of Negan. This is a moment I wanted to see since he was let out of the jail cell from Carol. This is going to be an interesting dynamic to monitor throughout the rest of season 10C. Maggie storms off angrily and Negan says “well.” He realizes that he’s in trouble and will have to fight off the consequences of all the hurt and pain he caused Maggie throughout season 8 & 9. However, Judith is also with Maggie so maybe she will talk Maggie off of the “ledge” since Judith has a great relationship with Negan and show Maggie that he really isn’t the same guy from the previous seasons.
In the next few scenes the audience and characters find out where Maggie and her son, Hershel JR was the last 6 plus years. She has a heart to heart with Daryl, who still is the best listener in this entire show. She was at the Commonwealth with Georgie but got separated because Georgie never returned from Virginia. Using Maggie’s natural leadership skills, they go community to community but most of them fall. However, she did bring back two allies with her, Cole and Elijah. Cole is a new character but Elijah was the mystery masked man in season 10 episode 16, “A Certain Doom”, saving Gabriel’s life from a Whisperer. Maggie is still really angry that Negan is out of jail and in Alexandra but Daryl reassures her. Daryl asks her to come back home to Alexandra (which she does at the end of the episode) Daryl explains to her that nothing is decided about Negan, so Negan’s redemption arc in season 10 could be for nothing…
You also see in this episode that Kelly is still searching for her sister Connie. Connie disappeared with Magna in season 10 episode 9, “Squeeze”, but Magna escaped and returned in season 10 episode 12, “Walk With Us.” You find out that Daryl & Kelly have been searching for her this entire time. I still think that Daryl has feelings for Connie but many other viewers don’t think so, or is holding out hope that one day Carol & Daryl will be together. Kelly has a connection with the newcomer, Elijah. Elijah has also lost his sister but Elijah’s sister has died. He wears the mask to strike fear on whoever he is looking at, to cover up the sadness and grief on his face from his sister. They develop a connection with one another through the loss of their siblings and I think they’ll have a bond throughout season 10C.
The most important thing that happened in this episode was the introduction of the Reapers, the new “villain”. Cole & Maggie talk to Daryl about how they burned their home and have been hunting them ever since. Daryl and Maggie run into a sniper, which is assumed to be one of the Reapers. Once Maggie & Daryl takes him down, they try to get him to talk, but it is no good. He instead blows himself up with a grenade. The reapers are not in the comic so it is a show only story line. I assume that this will be the villain for the remainder of the season but I want to know how it will connect to the whole story. My bet it connects to the Commonwealth since that is what the series finale, season 11 is about…
I thought this whole episode was kind of “filler” and I am afraid this season will only be that. I know that these are supposed to be “extra” but I thought that this episode was unexciting. I liked the Negan & Maggie part in the beginning of the episode, seeing how much Hershel JR grew up in the time that Maggie was gone, & of course, seeing Daryl & Maggie hunt down that sniper. I hope that the Reapers aren’t just thrown in as a “side villain” until season 11 and actually connect to something. I just want to see that Negan back story episode with Lucille. In my opinion, that episode is going to be the best one in season 10C. I am really excited that The Walking Dead is back for another 5 weeks and we finally have some new content to check out. My score for “Home Sweet Home” is 2 and a half stars out of 5…
Make sure you check back in the next couple of days for my breakdown of episode 18, “Find Me” promo trailer. It sounds like we’ll be getting Daryl content looking for Rick after the time skip between episode 5 and 6 of season 9! Also, make sure you check back next week for my thoughts and review for episode 18!