It opens with a tight close up of Sasha’s face in the dark. She is listening to music through head phones – Donny Hathaway “Someday We’ll All Be Free”. Very appropriate for Sasha at this moment. There is sweat on her brow, and then she closes her eyes. The music continues to play.
credits
Back to Sasha again, and the music. She’s awake. She says “wake up”. In a flashback she’s back in Alexandria at her house with Abraham. They kiss and he says “well, good afternoon to you.” They discuss their work plans. Abraham says that Maggie is in trouble with the baby. They have to take Maggie to the Hilltop. She says to him “don’t go.” This discussion would have taken place at the tail end of Season 6, before their ill-fated trip in the RV.
Next we see Sasha lying on the floor of her cell when the door opens. It’s Negan with a covered plate of food. He says “welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.”
Negan tells her she doesn’t have to die, but someone has to. Most won’t die. Negan says “we are going to help solve some shit.” He takes the lip off of her food, unveiling it for her. It’s blueberry pancakes with eggs – all nicely arranged. The blueberries are arranged in the shape of a smiley face. She asks him what he needs from her. I wonder if that smiley face is an homage to his character, the Comedian, in the Watch Men. I don’t know if it is or not, but it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the blueberry pancakes.
That scene flashes to an out-of-place outside scene with Maggie and Sasha sitting quietly next to each other.
Back to Rick and Dwight in the jail cell. Rick asks “why?” Dwight responds that he wants to see Negan dead. Tara is having none of it because Dwight killed Denise. Dwight says he wasn’t aiming for Denise, and that’s all Daryl has to hear. He rushes Dwight and aims a very large knife at Dwight’s eye. Dwight apologizes to Daryl. Michonne says you can’t trust him, and Tara yells “do it!”.
Dwight says that what he did he was doing for someone else, but she got away. He means Sherry. He tells Daryl that Sherry saved Daryl. He says that if they work together they can stop Negan.
Dwight tells Daryl that Daryl knows Dwight is not lying. Tara says “do it” again, but in the end Daryl doesn’t kill Dwight.
Rosita adds that Sasha is at the Saviors’ HQ. She might be dead. But maybe she’s hoping that with Dwight’s help they can get Sasha back.
Dwight tells the group that Negan is going to attack and that he can buy time for Rick’s group. He can create road blocks. Dwight informs Rick and the group that Negan’s HQ is called the Sanctuary. Dwight thinks if they kill Negan and his officers, they can get the workers on their side and end this.
Rick says “keep talking.”
Outside, Rick and Daryl discuss. Daryl says if Dwight is lying he’ll kill him slowly. Rick says if he’s lying this is already over.
Back to Sasha in the dark listening the music. She might not be in her cell, she might be in a box – it’s so dark, and the shots of her face are so tight. It’s very reminiscent of the shots where Daryl and Michonne were in a box last year before Negan gathered the rest of the group around in a circle.
In her flashback/memory Sasha tells Abraham that she had a dream about him. He’s happy about this until she tells him that in her dream he died.
Back in Sasha’s cell, Negan say “that’s the plan”, as we look at the happy face blueberry pancakes. Sasha looks less than thrilled.
Negan says “are you shitting me?” She says she can do it, but no one has to die. He says punishment is key. That’s how they built everything at the Sanctuary. Sasha isn’t going to let him kill people and Negan replies she isn’t “letting him” do anything.
Sasha realizes she may have overstepped, but she reiterates that no one has to die.
For whatever his reasons are, he wants to placate her (just a little), and says, “okay, how about this?” He asks “how about only one?” She agrees with this. “Only one person has to die?” she asks. He stands up and laughs. He says that Sasha has him wrapped around her little finger. Even if she had a dick he’d still have these feelings for her. What does that mean?
Back to the scene of Maggie and Sasha sitting outside again.
Maggie at the Hilltop. She recaps where they are right now to Jesus. She notes that Gregory is gone, and Maggie thinks that he’s on his way to the Sanctuary – probably to rat them out.
Jesus is glad Maggie is the one making the decisions and not him. Judith is at Maggie’s feet for some reason. Maybe Rick shipped her off to the Hilltop for safe keeping. Enid offers to take Judith, and hands Glenn’s watch to Maggie.
Outside the gates of the Kingdom, Carol tells their contingent to get their guns up now. Morgan and Carol are both wearing Kingdom armor. Carol is worried about Morgan’s solo mission.
The solo mission being another barrier of shopping carts. Ezekiel asks Morgan if he’s seeking to destroy everything he was. Morgan says he doesn’t seek that. Ezekiel asks if Morgan wants the Saviors dead and Morgan replies “yes'” Ezekiel says then come with him and join the Kingdom. A barrier of shopping carts is most definitely not going to stop the Saviors. Ezekiel notes that Morgan is wearing Benjamin’s armor, and asks him if he wears it to honor Benjamin. Morgan looks pained.
Ezekiel asks Morgan again to join them. At first Morgan shakes his head no, he doesn’t want to go into battle, but slowly nods his head yes. Jerry carries a flag, and they all move out, including Shiva. Morgan brings up the rear.
At Alexandria, an RV, a motorcycle, bikes, and trash trucks roll up to the gate. The Garbage People/Scavengers have arrived at Alexandria.
They’re impressed with Alexandria. And they’re speaking strangely as usual. Rick, Jadis, and Michonne have what passes for a conversation in Scavenger-speak. Jadis asks Michonne if Rick is hers and if she can lay with Rick when they’re done fighting. Michonne looks nonplussed.
In a truck, Rosita, Daryl and Aaron build a bomb with dynamite. They have a lot of it.
Out on the road, there’s a blockage by trees across the road. It looks Dwight has kept his word about creating road blocks. Simon wonders if “they” did this and Negan says the thought crossed his mind. Eugene has a plan that he runs by Negan.
Back at Alexandria the group gets prepared. Michonne gives a Scavenger woman a gun while they get into sniper position on a second story balcony. The Scavenger woman smiles and says “we win”, before getting into position.
Another tight close up of Sasha in the dark listening to music. I think we can barely hear a motor in the background, so I think she’s in a box on the truck – probably with Eugene and Negan.
Sasha says “you know how this is going to end”, and then back in her flashback Abraham says the same thing in their house. He asks how he died. She said he got pulled under water at the beach. She tried to find him but she started to drown too. He says he hates the beach. He tells her they need to help Maggie. She doesn’t want to go because she’s spooked by her dream.
In the corridor at the Sanctuary, Eugene asks Sasha if she changed her mind about the pills. She says yes, she did. Eugene is glad she isn’t going to kill herself.
Maggie and Sasha in the outside scene again. Sasha asks “why are we here?” Kind of a loaded question, that.
Back at Alexandria, everyone is getting into place. One of the older Scavenger guys makes calls with his voice and hands. Sort of like bird calls. I guess it’s an announcement for everyone to get into place. Rosita looks through the gate and sees Eugene. He’s got a bullhorn and has info for the Alexandrians.
Eugene uses the bullhorn to say hello to Rick. Eugene informs Rick that obedience and fealty are their only options. He asks if Rick will comply. Rick asks “where’s Negan?” Eugene replies “I’m Negan.” Yeah, we know. He was Negan before he even met Negan.
Rosita nods her head – it seems like she’s considering shooting Eugene. Rick looks pained. Rosita detonates the bomb but nothing happens. They all look bewildered. The Scavengers turn on the Alexandrians. One of them then opens the gate while Negan and Dwight step out of their car.
Michonne sees what’s happening and the Scavenger woman steps toward Michonne with her gun aimed at her and says to her, “we win.” Betrayal!
Negan mocks Rick for trusting the Scavengers. Jadis looks at Rick and says they made a better deal. Double-crossed!
Negan is upset that Rick was going to blow them all up. Negan can’t believe that they would kill Eugene. He calls Rick and his group animals. Then he orders Simon and Dwight to uncover the big box on the truck. It’s a coffin. They stand the coffin up on its side on the truck bed.
Negan says well, “you gotta like Sasha.” She’s in the coffin. Negan lists his demands. He wants all the guns, and a person of Rick’s choosing for Lucille. And he wants Daryl back. Oh, and the pool table, and all the pool balls and pool cues. If he doesn’t get those things, then Sasha dies. No one moves. He tells Rick that he sucks ass. Rick says he wants to see Sasha.
Then we see Sasha again in the box. She goes back to her flashback. She says to Abraham that the dream (of his death) felt real. And their relationship had only just started and then they lost it. He kisses her again, and they stand up and embrace. He wants them to go help Maggie. He’s calling bullshit on them not going.
He says that if we kick it it’s okay so long as we have a point. He says Maggie is carrying the future – and that’s the point. Sasha says “you’re right.” She grabs her gear and they get ready to go off to the RV. They smile at each other and leave to go. And then Abraham and Glenn were killed.
Eugene and Sasha are walking outside at the Sanctuary getting ready to leave to go to Alexandria. Eugene gives Sasha an ancient iPod that he loaded with music. He wishes he had measured up. She says he still can. She verifies with Eugene that the trip will take about two hours. Negan says she doesn’t need to be in the coffin for the whole trip – she can get in right before they arrive if she wants. She’s okay with being inside, she’s going to rest. Just give her some water and she’ll be fine. Negan says he knows how tough this is and he appreciates it. She goes into the coffin. Before he closes the lid he says “damn, you are something else”, admiration in his voice.
Inside the coffin Sasha continues listening to the music and drinking her water. And takes the poison pills? I think the opening of the episode takes place an hour or so after she took the pills, and the sweat we see on her brow is the “discomfort” that Eugene mentioned. When she closes her eyes, that is the moment she died. Oh, Sasha.
There’s banging on the coffin lid and Negan says “Sash?” He opens it and walker-Sasha barrels out and lands on Negan. She timed her death perfectly.
In the resulting chaos, the Alexandrians start a gun battle. Rosita is hit and is carried off by Tara.
Sasha tries to bite Negan but she ends up biting vegetable-guy-Savior instead. Simon rescues Negan.
Rick tries to make a new deal with Jadis but she shoots him in the side and he falls over the side of the guard platform.
Daryl is fighting, as is everyone else. Michonne is getting severely beaten up by the Scavenger woman. Jadis leads Rick down the street. It looks like The Saviors have won. Carl and the group are kneeling on the ground. Looks familiar.
Negan says “hello again” to Rick. He has Lucille in hand. Michonne and the Scavenger woman still fight on the balcony, but Michonne gets the upper hand and almost kills her.
Turns out Negan made a deal with Jadis and he tries to renege on it. She eventually relents. I wonder if that will come back to bite him next season. Negan tells Rick he is going to wish he was dead. Carl is kneeling next to him.
Negan says he guesses this is his fault, maybe he has to make this right.
Michonne and the Scavenger woman still fight on the roof, while Savior mop up operations continue.
Negan tells Rick that Rick chose this outcome, and this is punishment. He’s going to kill Carl now. Rick cries but is defiant. He tells Negan he’s already dead. Negan looks upset and then he laughs. “Damn”, he says. “Wow Rick. Okay”‘ He gets up and starts to swing his bat at Carl (he’s going to kill him with one hit because he likes Carl) when Shiva rushes a Savior behind Negan, and disrupts everything. The Kingdom has arrived and they start shooting. Shiva kills a random Savior.
At that moment Maggie arrives with reinforcements from the Hilltop and they join in the battle.
Dwight is next to Negan shooting. Negan is shocked that Maggie is alive. He says, “the widow is alive, guns blazing!” Shiva kills another Savior. Shiva is so smart, she knows how to kill only Saviors.” Good kitty.
Carol is a killing machine, as is Ezekiel and Morgan.
The Scavengers see defeat and so lob smoke bombs in an effort to leave Alexandria, kind of like squid in a cloud of ink.
Ezekiel yells, “now we finish this! Alexandria will not fall!”
Gabriel is still engaged in battle. The Savior decide to retreat as well.
Aaron slides open the gate and Daryl climbs on top of a truck. All is quiet.
Carl and Rick turn a corner and see the dead Scavenger woman who had been fighting with Michonne. They go inside the house and see a badly beaten Michonne. Rick calls her name and she stirs. The three of them sit together as a family.
Back at The Sanctuary, we see Negan, Dwight, Eugene and Simon. Negan holds up Lucille. Negan asks Eugene how Sasha ended up dead in the box. Eugene says she ran out of air. Negan looks coldly at Eugene and says “maybe.” Be careful, Eugene.
Negan addresses the Saviors from a balcony. “We are going to war!” he exclaims.
Maggie and Rick wonder if Sasha did this to herself to give them a chance. The group are out looking for Sasha and Maggie and Jesus find her. Jesus tackles her and puts her down as Maggie cries nearby.
They have a funeral for Sasha. The Kingdom folk and Alexandrians are at Alexandria. Carol and Morgan sit silently together on the steps of a house.
Daryl has his crossbow and finds a little army man with the words “didn’t know” on the other side of it. Message from Dwight?
Rosita is asleep in bed while Tara watching over her. Looks like Tara is returning the favor from a couple of seasons ago when Rosita watched over Tara while Tara was in a coma. Next to Rosita is Michonne, also asleep. Rick watches over her.
Back to the outside shot of Sasha and Maggie watching the sunset. Maggie smiles at Sasha.
Rick, Ezekiel and Maggie stand as Maggie speaks in voice over that Glenn made the decision (to fight) and Maggie is following his lead. She holds Glenn’s pocket watch as she speaks.
And now we’re ready for all out war.