Hearts Still Beating

When Rick and Daryl were reunited in this episode they could have been collectively hugging the whole audience because boy, we all needed a hug. Who likes to see their TV heroes like Daryl and rick reduced to blubbering wrecks by a pantomime villain like Negan (is it the script, the acting or the direction that's made him the most annoying person on telly when he's meant to be one of the scariest?.

Getting rid of Alexandria's most annoying character was also a masterstroke. It's the first time I've actually found myself liking evil Negan.

Now I can't wait for Rick to be reunited with Morgan and Carol when they meet King Ezekiel - a character so well acted he deserved more screen time instead of those overlong bottle episodes they choose to show instead.

When The Walking Dead returns, I'm looking forward to hearing Rick, Daryl, Michonne and the gang roar in unison with Shiva the tiger as they take down comic villain Negan.

The psychopath Negan is still in Rick's house shaving and eating with Carl, Olivia and Judith while Spencer gets closer to the Saviors. Carol is visited by Morgan and Richard that bring supplies to her. Richard asks Carol and Morgan to help him to convince Ezequiel to surprise and fight the Saviors before it is too late and The Kingdom is destroyed, but Carol refuses. Meanwhile Rick and Aaron scavenge supplies in a barge in a lake full of walkers. When they reach the barge, they find an ironic note congratulating them for winning. They return to land and while loading the truck, someone watches them. Daryl succeeds from escaping from his cell and tries to flee from the Savior's compound. Michonne is trying to find a way to defeat Negan and the Saviors. Enid learns that Sasha has a secret agenda and does not want Maggie to know. In Alexandria, the weak Spencer meets Negan and asks him to kill Rick and make him the leader his mother was. Rosita takes a decision that will affect the lives of Olivia and Eugene. What will happen to the lead characters? Will they succeed in their intent?

"Hearts Still Beating" is the best episode so far in this Seventh Season, with engaging segments. Richard is foreseeing the fate of The Kingdom; however, Carol and Morgan do not know the last events in Alexandria and refuse to cooperate. Daryl trying to escape from the Saviors is tense. The segments with Michonne and Maggie, Sasha and Enid are in principle not important. The journey of Rick and Aaron to scavenge for Negan and what they find in Alexandria is great, but the reunion of the old Rick and his "family" is the climax of this show. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Hearts Still Beating"

This was a really great episode and without a doubt the best episode since the premiere, as things are really shapin up as our characters starts to unite after a lot of episodes where we explored different characters and what they were doing!

Negan is really good in this episode, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan does a great job of portraying his different moods! Especially as we got a more angry side of him!

The events are shocking and it keeps building tension kepping you on edge! The gore is also back after some episode where not much blood and gore were shown!

When the Walking dead is good, it delivers and this episode is an example of that!

Also great to see Rick step up, showing his old self again!

Daryl makes his escape, thanks to the key that was slipped under his cell door. He finds new clothes, has his first real food in weeks, and steals his bike back, as well as Rick's service revolver. Daryl kills a guard in the process, although the essentially harmless man is begging for him to simply walk away. Daryl then sees Jesus, who has been hiding in the compound all this time. The two head for the Hilltop.

In Carol's hidden cottage near the Kingdom, Richard, a soldier in the Kingdom's army, fails to convince Carol and Morgan to help him talk Ezekiel into fighting against the Saviors. Carol wants to be left alone, and Morgan thinks there's a peaceful way to cope.

As Negan continues his way through Alexandria, he is approached by Spencer, who wants him to kill Rick and make him the leader of the community. Negan, however, publicly chastises him for conspiring against Rick. He tells Spencer that the reason he wants other people to do his dirty work is that he "has no g*ts". Negan then slices Spencer open, spilling his guts all over the street.

Rosita steps out of the horrified crowd and takes a shot at Negan. Unfortunately, the bullet instead hits Lucille, Negan's bat. Rosita defiantly refuses to say who made the bullet, which leads to Olivia's death. Eugene, terrified that anyone else might die, confesses to making the bullet. He is taken by the Saviors.

Rick arrives at the scene and, partly thanks to words from Michonne, regains his will to fight. He meets Maggie and Daryl at the Hilltop, and they prepare for battle.

The episode follows Rick and the group as they prepare to confront Negan and the Saviors, culminating in a tense standoff between the two groups. The episode is notable for its intense and suspenseful action sequences, particularly the climactic showdown between Rick and Negan.

One of the most memorable scenes in the episode is when Daryl escapes from the Savior compound and reunites with Rick and the others, signaling the beginning of their resistance against Negan's rule. This moment is a turning point for the group, as they begin to fight back against their oppressors and reclaim their freedom. The tension builds as the various storylines converge, leading to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion that sets the stage for the second half of the season.

The episode is also notable for its exploration of the characters' relationships and how they have evolved over the course of the season. Rick's transformation from a broken and defeated leader to a determined and resolute fighter is particularly compelling, as he rallies the group to take a stand against Negan and the Saviors.

While this season spends most episodes on separated storylines, they are finally intercut and mostly come together here that makes for a fairly intense episode that does a lot of dramatic heavy lifting towards the end and features a satisfying reunion.

Still not as eventful as other mid-season finales but does its job to set the rest of the story in motion and is a very well written episode with effective editing and excellent dialogue, not just emotional and intense dialogue but some hilarious lines too.

Season 7 is definitely and underrated season, and this episode is an example of why.

Rating: 88%