"The Walking Dead" latest installment titled: "Still Gotta Mean Something" can easily be considered as one of the best episodes of the otherwise weak season. From the action-packed sequences to some strong character moments, episode 14 just had it all. As always, I am going to break down the interesting, but not so obvious details. But before delving into all that, let's discuss everything that happened in the episode.
Spoilers for "The Walking Dead" Season 8 Episode 14: "Still Gotta Mean Something" will follow.
A quick recap
"Still Gotta Mean Something" was one exciting episode.
Things got wrapped up nice and tight, meaning that we are now heading into the final stage of "All Out War" in full swing. The main mystery from last week's episode was solved pretty quickly as we got the confirmation that Tara is going to be fine which, by her own admission, can only mean that Dwight hit her with a non-infected arrow.
We also saw both Rick and Morgan in their "clear" modes while on the mission to hunt down the "Saviors" who escaped the Hilltop prison, and Carol managing to find young Henry after the extensive search. But, in my opinion, the most interesting scenes were those involving Negan and Jadis where we got to learn a whole lot more about these two intriguing characters.
Now let's get right into the interesting details you might have missed in this episode.
Another 'The Commonwealth' Easter Egg?
Ever since the beginning of the episode, it seemed as though Jadis was expecting someone to pick her up at the junkyard. Why else would she be constantly checking her watch and packing a suitcase? The answer came in the form of a mysterious helicopter whose pilot was unable to see Jadis, despite the fact that he was pretty close to the junkyard in broad daylight.
This is the second appearance of the helicopter in this season as Rick already saw one in Episode 5. So I guess, he wasn't hallucinating after all.
This was by no means an unexpected visit, so it is only logical to suspect that Jadis has strong connections or is, in fact, the part of the larger group, maybe even "The Commonwealth" from the comics.
If so, it wouldn't be the first time that "The Walking Dead" teased "The Commonwealth" arc this season as we already had the ham radio Easter egg and a character named Georgie who totally looks and acts like "The Commonwealth" leader Pamela Milton.
Rick's familiar line
At some point in the episode, Rick and Morgan got captured by "The Saviors" who escaped from the Hilltop. And while trying to make a deal with them, Rick said a familiar line which just so happens to be the title of the episode. "I'm giving you my word," Rick said in a rather trustworthy voice, "There's not a lot that means much these days, but a man's word, it's gotta mean something, right?"
This is the same line Rick told one of the "Saviors" in Season 8 Episode 3.
But unlike that time, where he looked horrified after Daryl killed the man on the spot, in this episode Rick broke the promise and killed every "Savior" in the group, even the guy who eventually set them free.
Rick and Morgan's conversation foreshadows things to come
Rick asked Morgan why did he save him when they first met back in Season 1, and Morgan replied that was because his son Duane was there. In my opinion, this was a foreshadowing of what will happen at the end of the "All Out War." Rick will decide to spare Negan's life. For that's what Carl would have wanted.
Right now, it's impossible to imagine Rick sparing any "Savior" let alone their leader, but there's no doubt that he will have a change of heart after he reads Carl's letter in the opening minutes of the next episode.
You can watch the sneak peek down below.
Carol finds Henry in a familiar place
The last time a kid went missing back in Season 2, Carol lost her daughter Sophia. This time, however, she was able to find Henry and bring him safe to the Hilltop. This is rather symbolic not just because the actor who plays Henry is a brother of an actress who played Sophia, but because Henry was found in a place that looks exactly like the place where Rick last saw Sophia alive in Season 2. And "Talking Dead" even confirmed that the two scenes were filmed in the same location.
Is Henry the new Carl?
It's worth noting that once Henry got back to the Hilltop and said he was sorry, Morgan replied with a familiar line: "Don't ever be sorry," which is something he said to Carl way back in Season 3's "Clear" episode.
The similarities between the two kids are fairly obvious at this point, so much so that it would come as no surprise if they decide to give Henry Carl's comic book post "All Out War" story arc.
Michonne's callback
While trying to convince Rick to finally read Carl's letter, Michonne recalled her agony: "You keep moving to move away from it," she said, "Andrea stopped me, and now, I am stopping you. Carl wrote that because he wanted you to read it."
This was a clear callback to Season 3 when Michonne was introduced. She was traveling with the help of two walkers, running from the world until she met Andrea who helped her get through her loss. But it wasn't until Season 4 that we learned that she actually lost her son.
Who was in that car?
Say what you want about Negan, but the man does have a sense of humor. The new, epic line came near the end of the episode when Negan picked up someone on his way back to the "Sanctuary." We won't get into the juicy details here, but you can watch the scene again down below.
In my opinion, the person in the car with Negan could either be Gregory who has not been seen ever since he escaped the Hilltop prison or Laura a.k.a. the only "Savior" who knows that Dwight is the traitor.
