TWD 9x02 "The Bridge" episode discussion... **SPOILERS**

[MinionZombie]

Please keep all talk of episode 9x02 "The Bridge" specifically inside this thread. If you have a theory for a following episode, please use the "spoiler tags" (visit the HPOTD FAQ to find out how to use them if you don't already know). Similarly, if you're going to discuss plot points from the comic book, please use "spoiler tags" - not everyone is up-to-date on them, and some people don't read them at all. Enjoy! Directed by: Daisy Mayer Written by: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick The communities join forces to restore a bridge that will facilitate communication and trade. Someone is gravely injured at the construction site.

[Moon Knight]

Anyone have a guess as to who is killing Saviors? Really enjoyed this episode.

[MinionZombie]

Aye, another really good episode. I'm loving all the cross-community tensions, the striving for greater meaning - of a shared goal - and the trials along the way that they have to deal with. Lots of meat on the bones to chew on. Some nice glimpses at more of their organisation, too, what with the cherry picker watch posts and the wind-up sirens to try and redirect the walkers ... speaking of which - massive logs vs walkers! AWESOME! Not-so-awesome was poor Aaron losing an arm, but it was good to see Enid stepping up to the plate when needed. That whole scene got me squirming, as well. You're shown just enough to get the idea and then it's all reactions with your mind filling in the blanks. *shudders* As for the vanishing Saviours? Well, you're assuming they're dead. What if they're not? My guess would be The Whisperers. There was a hint of them in the comic-con trailer, and the footage they use for that all tends to be inside the first half of the season (or indeed the first, say, 4 to 6 episodes) ... so I reckon we'll be seeing them this side of Christmas. So ... a theory:   The Whisperers have been watching and have seen disaffected Saviours leaving the bridge project. They kidnap them and are seeking to brainwash/recruit them into their community - so these disaffected, directionless, dejected Saviours get absorbed into the Whisperer ranks.

[Moon Knight]

My initial thoughts were the Whisperer’s too, but, as I mentioned in an earlier post I believe there is a second time jump coming. That’s not confirmed or anything, just my thoughts based on the trailer. Also, Justin seemed to know the person. My guess is Oceanside but I don’t think any of the females in that group can grab a man the size of Justin and just in Imcapacitate them so easily. I said killing them for this reason. Again, I don’t do spoiler sites, I only pull from what AMC gives us in the trailers.   Justin can be seen being eaten by walkers. If you look closely, you can tell it’s him. Of course, I could be wrong. I also believe he’s the bloody boots, not Rick.

[MinionZombie]

Ah, you've been analysing the trailer more than I did this time around. Obviously the thirsty Saviour arse clown knows - or at least recognises - whoever was in the woods. If it was a fellow human, but a stranger, he'd have likely said "who are you?" or been more on guard, something like that. That's why I was thinking that maybe it could be one of the Saviours who have disappeared in recent days. Interesting, too, that this episode represented 35 days since episode one. Man alive, I've been wanting these kind of 'mini time jumps' on TWD for years now. Gimple's insistence on always telling stories in very compressed time frames threw up too many storytelling constraints. That's not to say that it can work from time to time (e.g. the first half of season six), but it was too common in Gimple's era that not enough time was passing during and between episodes. Hopefully Kang & Co maintain this kind of flexibility. Nice to see Daryl not only getting more dialogue but more story to play with, too. Likewise for several other supporting players, some of whom felt really sidelined in the last couple of seasons. There's such a large, but great cast of characters (with so many hugely talented performers behind them), that it's good to really see more of them together on screen in these groups both large and small, and mixing it up during the narrative.

[Moon Knight]

I got too excited when Rick said 35 days lol you’re right, that’s exactly what the storytelling needs. All killer no filler. The fact that everyone is together, working alongside one another and intergrating much more as a community is awesome. With such a big impressive cast I don’t want to see anyone off doing their own thing anymore. So tired of that old structure and so far this is such a breath of fresh air. I believe Kang realizes this complaint too considering what she had written for Daryl last episode; about how the group was much better when everyone was together. Same goes for the show. Last couple seasons they constantly had Rick separated from the main group.

[shootemindehead]

They're trying to flag wave Daryl, cos Rick is leaving the show. I hear Maggie is on her way out too. That's going to leave some serious vacuum. But, I don't think Daryl has the umph to replace. TBH. Not a bad episode again. Not great. But not bad.

[MinionZombie]

But they're also giving more juice to other characters - especially Michonne as she leads the way on creating a charter of common laws. There's many others who are actively part of the larger team. I think Daryl's wearing his more talkative role well, to be honest, the character has grown an awful lot over the course of the show but he'd been sidelined to 'cool zombie killer/mopey victim' for the last couple of seasons. The dude's got skills and has been allowed to flourish under Rick's tutelage, so it's about time he got to put his POV across in the group. The Anne/Gabriel scene at night was a little surprising. I don't recall Gabriel ever getting lucky in the comics, but here he is on watch getting a hand shandy (I presume it wasn't a blozzer). I liked the call back to the church organist as well (we saw her as a zombie in season 5 when they went to that building with the manky, water logged basement). I'm very much agreed on how it's so nice to see these characters together in bigger groups. Gimple got too caught up in 'separated stories' with some folks disappearing for episodes at a time, or having very little to do. Injecting more voices and POVs into a scene gives you much more to play with in a scene - and it's working really well for these cross-community tensions.

[Moon Knight]

Maggie is only leaving for this season. The door is open for her to return. We’ll see. I personally love that they are at least reverting Daryl back to what made him popular to begin with. With Rick leaving they kinda had to. Like MZ said, too, all the other major characters are getting some needed shine too. How about how they are turning Aaron into comic Rick? Looks just like him and now without a limb. He even has a child to look after now haha.

[MinionZombie]

Maggie is only leaving for this season. The door is open for her to return. We’ll see. How about how they are turning Aaron into comic Rick? Looks just like him and now without a limb. He even has a child to look after now haha. 1) IIRC there was a line of dialogue in this episode that was mentioning that, whatsername, Georgie (???) - the book lady - had extended some offer for Maggie to join her for some reason. Perhaps Maggie will go there? 2) Yeah, I wonder if Aaron will have the 'claw' hand that Rick has in the comics. It made sense not to do it in the show with your main character, and Kirkman himself said he'd probably not cut off Rick's arm if he did it all over again because it then became this pain in the ass to figure out how Rick would do things with only one hand. It threw up various issues.

[Moon Knight]

1) IIRC there was a line of dialogue in this episode that was mentioning that, whatsername, Georgie (???) - the book lady - had extended some offer for Maggie to join her for some reason. Perhaps Maggie will go there? 2) Yeah, I wonder if Aaron will have the 'claw' hand that Rick has in the comics. It made sense not to do it in the show with your main character, and Kirkman himself said he'd probably not cut off Rick's arm if he did it all over again because it then became this pain in the ass to figure out how Rick would do things with only one hand. It threw up various issues. 1. Yes! You are right. I believe you just figured it out. That definitely wasn’t a throw away line. 2. Yeah I hated Rick lost his hand in the comic. Always saw it as a mistake. I was always under the impression that the show skipped it because of practical and cost issues. Now a prosthetic piece is much easier to produce consistently on film thanks to the upcoming time jump. (If there is one.)

[shootemindehead]

Yeh. It was a bad move to chop Rick's hand off in the comic. Writing 101...you can hurt you lead character all you want. But, don't cripple him.

[facestabber]

Finally got to sit down and watch it. Fun watch. The Anne FG stuff creeped me out. I just don't trust her.

[MinionZombie]

Finally got to sit down and watch it. Fun watch. The Anne FG stuff creeped me out. I just don't trust her. Hmmm, I don't see any reason not to trust her at this point. She lost all of her people and was completely alone, but she got taken in and ditched all of her silly/irritating mannerisms (and that awful haircut) and has evidently been living with them comfortably for some time now. She's still plenty randy it seems, though. "I'm Episopalian" must be Father Gabriel's go-to chat-up line.

[facestabber]

Hmmm, I don't see any reason not to trust her at this point. She lost all of her people and was completely alone, but she got taken in and ditched all of her silly/irritating mannerisms (and that awful haircut) and has evidently been living with them comfortably for some time now. She's still plenty randy it seems, though. "I'm Episopalian" must be Father Gabriel's go-to chat-up line. Did Jadis really have a choice? She was the lone survivor of a slaughtered group. Highest bidder gets her loyalty. Granted for 18 months she seems to be on the level as far as we know. But that bitch shot Rick. She has snake in her.