Recap: The Walking Dead 6.12, "Not Tomorrow Yet"
The Walking Dead has rarely – actually, almost never – been about the music, but “Not Tomorrow Yet” makes a point of reminding fans that, zombie apocalypse or not, a quality soundtrack never hurts. Because rival channel HBO now has Vinyl in the same timeslot, perhaps the bosses over at AMC decided to invest in some licensing fees instead of just woodsy background noise and zombie snarls. The episode opened with Parsonsfield and ended with Hozier, and in between there was a pulsing synth track that perfectly underscored the intensity of Rick’s attack on the Saviors.
The attack on the Saviors returns The Walking Dead to a familiar state of moral uncertainty. Were the Alexandrians justified in launching a preemptive strike on the Saviors? Or will the characters soon come to regret their decision to fight? Maggie agreed to Gregory’s deal at Hilltop in order to secure much-needed food for the people of Alexandria, but even she felt reluctant once the time came to carry out Rick’s gross-but-ingenious plan. Granted, the Saviors had attacked Daryl, Abraham, and Sasha earlier in the season, and it likely would be only a matter of time before they attacked the Alexandria Safe-Zone.
But killing unknown enemies (living enemies, not walkers) as a matter of self-defense is a quandary that extends beyond the narrative of the series. The episode will doubtlessly factor heavily into wider discussions concerning the show’s relevance; it is rare that the zombie action thriller speaks so clearly on current issues. Ethical questions aside, with only four episodes remaining in the sixth season, “Not Tomorrow Yet” sets the stage for a confrontation with the surviving Saviors that will surely cost Rick and his crew something (or someone) very dear to them.
Big Moments:
Carol’s back!
Apparently she was baking cookies this whole time. Specifically beet and acorn cookies, which she hands out to the entire community, who capably mask their excitement. Also, for the Caryl shippers out there – it’s over. She’s with Peyton Manning now. (Editor’s note: not actually Peyton Manning; the character’s name is Tobin.)
Tobin! Congrats on the promotion from (mostly) background rando.
Meet Tobin, everybody. He does not like beets. And Carol both terrifies and enchants him, which is How It Should Be.
Bye, Rosita
Abraham dumped Rosita in the most brutal way possible: “When I first met you, I thought you were the last woman on earth. You’re not.” Ouch. A simple, “It’s not me; it’s you” would have sufficed.
Glenn sees the damage (presumably) done by Lucille
After saving Heath from having to kill in cold blood, Glenn sees photos of… Of some pretty nasty stuff. Warning: spoilers and comic-based speculation follow. Glenn sees photos of human heads smashed like jack-o-lanterns, which is almost 100% guaranteed to be dark, dark foreshadowing of events that occur in the comics.
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