While Maggie prepares to face Negan and struggles to confront her past, a new threat lies in wait to orchestrate a deadly assault – and Maggie’s a target.
“Sometimes I think we’re just surviving from one fight to the next”, to quote Daryl from season 10’s opening episode, “Lines We Cross”, it’s the perfect analogy to summarize everything The Walking Dead has become as a series.
“Home Sweet Home” dials down on The Walking Dead’s traditional gore factor, instead opting for a more reflective, character-driven tone. Highlights include Maggie and Daryl’s interactions, the Reapers’ sniper assault, Maggie’s impending showdown with Negan and little Glenn.
The episode does suffer from a lack of innovative storytelling and overall progression, however. Rehashing the same tired-out trope of introducing yet another big bad antagonistic group, the Reapers, while Kelly’s meandering, uneventful search for Connie ultimately leads to nowhere.
There are questions that remain. What happened to Georgie? He was last seen during “The Key”, back in season eight – a survivor Maggie allied with following her exit after Rick’s final episode in season nine. Where is Connie since Virgil located her last? Who exactly are the Reapers, and who is Pope?
Since the final moments in last year’s “A Certain Doom”, the season’s original finale, the Commonwealth were notably absent from this episode. Their arrival gave the impression that the show was, at long last, beginning to head towards a final, painfully long-awaited endgame, but “Home Sweet Home” presses pause on proceedings, and might make us wait a short while longer.
What do you think of the tenth season of The Walking Dead so far? Are you feeling good about the upcoming finale, or are you just relieved it will all be over soon? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!
