'The Walking Dead' Season 10 Episode 11 Review: Hilltop comes under attack but has Negan joined Whisperers?
Spoiler alert for Season 10 Episode 11: 'Morning Star'
It's the Alpha's horde and her Whisperers vs Hilltop in 'Morning Star'. Those who hoped for some trademark 'The Walking Dead' action wouldn't be disappointed. Adding to it are some burning questions the episode throws at us.
The first of which would be: Has Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) joined the Whisperers? At this stage, it definitely looks like he has. One of the scenes shows him and Alpha (Samantha Morton) whipping their forearms and he also gets a mask by the end of the episode when the bloody scrimmage ensues.
The entire battle sequence might have been the final act that was predominantly done to induce the intrigue factor, but there are plenty of storylines woven in around most major characters that make the episode a decent affair.
Connie (Lauren Ridloff) and Magna (Nadia Hilker) are not forgotten. However, if Yumiko's (Eleanor Matsuura) words are to be looked at seriously, then the pair just might have been dead. That dire news is the least of the problems as Lydia informs Hilltop that Alpha's hordes are on the way.
This latest piece of news sees the cave search plan abandoned as the team preps for the impending war. There is a plot point between Ezekiel and Carol which ends on a good note for the couple. The former, with the unshakeable feeling that his time is drawing to a close, decides to stop keeping the news of his tumor a secret. He also finds a friend in Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) who formulates a plan that the onus is on them to get the children out of Hilltop in case things go south for one of them.
For the first time after the mid-season premiere, Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) gets a bit of his story told as well when it is revealed he has a romantic connection with Stephanie, his radio friend.
Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos) stumbles upon this secret and that sees a brief argument between Eugene and her, but that's a minor storyline for her as it gets resolved just as quickly as it happens. There is also a pleasant surprise for Iron Maiden fans when Stephanie and Eugene sing 'When The Wild Wind Blows' while the team prepares for battle.
Moving on to the whole battle sequence, Hilltop gains the upper hand for a brief bit until the Whisperers throw a spanner in the works by dousing the entire area with gasoline bombs and then shooting fire-tipped arrows, leaving Hilltop in tatters. With the episode ending there, another question pops: Will there be reinforcements for the Hilltop? Will we see major character deaths in the upcoming episode? Or will Hilltop work a miracle?
'Morning Star' makes up for the quietness of the previous episode. The spotlight is on the main support characters who finally get some screen time to lend more depth to the post-apocalyptic drama with their own storyline. It has been a rather different season of 'The Walking Dead' after its mid-season break with each episode posing more questions than answers. It might be too much for the fans who will probably come up with ample theories, but it is interesting to see how it all ends.
'The Walking Dead' Season 10 airs on Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC.