Faith

Starting to get to the build up to the finale, this episode has some great full circle moments such as a reverse of the line-up scene with Negan that was brilliant and Negan and Ezekiel carry most of the episode along with other characters search for their children making for an intense and dramatic episode.

Having Alexandria back also brings most the characters and storylines together ready for the final act of the season. This probably should have happened earlier in the season but its still effective here. Many character arcs are getting closer to conclusion and this episode makes the commonwealth seem more like a threat.

Could have been better but still a great episode.

Rating: 86%

Just a terrible final season. This show lost all it's guts years ago. Lame, lackluster storytelling, massive plot holes, characters get to walk in the stupidest manners: need I mention Michonne's departure? Other than alpha and beta what major characters have been killed off? The show has taken a drastic turn from the comic and it's been bad. I feel this is going to end weakly and be disappointing. The whole motorcycle chase was ridiculous. It took Daryl two seconds to catch this guy! Really? Since Season 9 this show has gone doooooowwwwwnnnnnhhhhhiiiiillllllll. I'm sticking with it because I'm a fan, but only the new Star Treks have let me down worse.

Aaron, Lydia, Elijah and Jerry encounter Luke and Jules who had managed to escape from the takeover of Oceanside. Hunted by the Commonwealth, the group cover themselves in walker guts to hide amongst a massive herd. However, Commonwealth soldiers begin leading the herd somewhere and it is shown to contain at least one variant walker who picks up Lydia's dropped knife. At the Commonwealth, Eugene stands trial for the murder of Sebastian with Yumiko using the trial to reach out to the working class, stirring unrest. Eugene is found guilty and sentenced to execution, but Mercer and several soldiers break him out, secretly defecting to the side of the revolution. In Alexandria, Ezekiel and Negan plot a rebellion against the sadistic Warden, trying without success to enlist Tyler Davis, now a fellow prisoner, to their cause. Using the sewers, Daryl, Connie, Carol and Maggie manage to sneak in and rescue Hershel, but Rosita's daughter remains missing. After the rebellion is discovered, Negan attempts to martyr himself before Ezekiel leads a number of prisoners in stepping to Negan and Annie's defense. Ezekiel is able to convince most of the soldiers to stand down and they turn on the Warden who is subdued by Daryl. With Alexandria retaken by its residents, the Warden defiantly refuses to tell Rosita where to find her daughter, so she feeds him to a walker in revenge.

Episode 22, "Faith," of "The Walking Dead" Season 11 is a poignant and emotionally charged installment that explores the characters' faith and resilience in the face of adversity. The episode follows the survivors as they grapple with the aftermath of a devastating loss, forcing them to confront their own beliefs and values.

One of the key themes of this episode is the importance of faith in times of crisis. As the survivors struggle to find meaning in their circumstances, they are forced to reevaluate their beliefs and find hope in the midst of despair. The episode also delves into themes of redemption and forgiveness, as characters are faced with difficult choices that test their moral compass.

The performances in "Faith" are particularly noteworthy, with the cast delivering powerful and moving portrayals of their characters' emotional journeys. The episode is also visually striking, with stunning cinematography that captures the bleak yet beautiful landscape of the post-apocalyptic world.

Overall, "Faith" is a standout episode that showcases the best of "The Walking Dead's" storytelling. It is a powerful and thought-provoking installment that will leave viewers reflecting on the nature of faith and resilience long after the credits roll.

This episodes script was so all over the place it could only have been on purpose. The decision must have been made to go full b grade cheesy schlock.

From the ridiculousness of the court room, where apparently the authoritarian state of the commonwealth has a Judge Judy show that lets prisoners give anti establishment speeches to the attendees. Not sure why they didn't have it live streaming to people on their home tvs, why not eh?

Then our team of harden survivors held captive in a hard labour prison camp shifting a hilariously conspicuous pile of fresh dirt into a wheel barrow (we need them to be doing something while Negan and Ezekiel heart to heart so just dump a pile of dirt there).

Then the team in the woods hiding from the patrol behind there wagon pulled by a living horse??? "the fugitives we're looking for aren't there, all I can see is a horse and cart in the forest". Move on.

Then the team on a car with a spot light scanning for our team in the zombie hoard. Which they would have easily spotted cos make up decided not to put any blood and guts on their face this time, ewww ick etc.. It's like they don't even care any more.

Then all it took was one guard at a hard core prison camp where the officers take glee in tormenting the prisoners, to be disgruntled cos he and wasn't allowed to visit his sick brother (nice touch writing team, shades of covid lockdown, contemporary!), suddenly they're not all authoritarian pawns any more and the rebellion has started, and even better Eugene's speech hit it's mark and the guy who let his girlfriend got to a hard labor prison camp decides he wasn't that hard after all.

The thing is the actors deliver all of this with a straight face, like it's shakespeare or something. So either it's meant to be ridiculous, or these fine actors are in a prison cult, being forced to deliver terrible dialog and plot.

So if you're reading this fine actors who deserve so much better than this, blink twice if you being held captive and need to be rescued.

So the writing of this show continues to stay perfectly above mediocre, and I was gonna give this one an 8, but the ending was too good to to that and overall the episode wasn't that bad either.

One of the biggest misses they've done is introducing new variants when there are only 5 episodes left and they only utilize those new walkers in one or at most two episodes, so makes you wonder what the point is if they're not gonna be a big threat like Whisperers were. They might be introducing them to use them in new upcoming spin-offs, but what's the point if there aren't gonna do much in the main show, especially when there are only 2 episodes left now?

One thing about this season that was disappointing was how quickly they got rid of The Reapers. I was totally expecting them to be the season's big bad guys or at least ham them for longer, but they went out as quickly as they came in. I wanted the same treatment with the Commonwealth, meaning that they're in the picture for one only one part of the season and the third part be about another group, optimistically Rick and Michonne's.

But obviously, Commonwealth is way way bigger of a threat than The Reapers so it makes sense it's taking the better part of this final season. The problem is tho, that the hugeness of the Commonwealth is kinda not felt? Like they say there are +50k people living in there but we don't see much of that or we're not shown many streets and houses to feel how big this community actually is.

I also think that Ezekiel and Negan's subplot is way too overdramatic to the point of cheesiness and even cringe. Like it's kinda to the point that the writers think they're making V for Vendetta. This season's plot and storyline obviously is reminiscent of that movie and this has always been a serious drama, but for some reason this one feels way too over the top and overdramatic for its own good.

Rant aside, I thought this episode was decent enough but the ending did it for me. Some problems still get solved really weirdly and easy and borders on unrealistic and you can nitpick the hell out of that final prison scene, but overall the episode was good in itself, not sure about it being the third to last episode of the entire show though.