Episode 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead opens with Siddiq (Avi Nash) still having flashbacks. In fact, things are really starting to slip out and that theory about him having to behead all of his friends is starting to look more viable as the episode goes on.
Which means that is totally not what happened.
However, there is a lot more to get to before all is revealed regarding Siddiq.
Namely, like Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) taking his shirt off for way too long. After all, the audience already knows that he has a bunch of scars so there was really no other reason to show close-ups of them other than for gratuitous reasons. Ditto for that extra-long moment with Dog on the couch.
After Carol’s (Melissa McBride) little haul in last week’s episode of The Walking Dead, she has a member of the Whisperers to feed lunch to and most of the audience is wondering if she will actually poison him with her cooking.
Carol, after speaking to Lydia (Cassady McClincy), realizes that the best way to get under the skin of the Whisperers is to prove what Alpha is saying is wrong and sets out in her old soccer mom persona to try and win the guy over so that he can wander home and tell everyone how awesome Alexandria really is.
However, it turns out that guy doesn’t want to eat anything and, like any decent cult member, goes on about how much Alpha (Samantha Morton) really loves them all.
Because whipping people, and beheading them when they go against her is totally a love thing.
He then goes on to tell Carol that he would, basically, rape her for being so feisty if she were one of the Whisperers. It is at that moment that I am convinced that Daryl decides that whatever Carol does to this guy in Episode 7 of The Walking Dead is totally okay and to hell with the consequences.
However, before Carol can really get stuck into any serious interrogation, the poor Whisperer has accidentally been fed some hemlock that — according to Dante (Juan Javier Cardenas) — Siddiq packed.
Except, I am of the school of thought that Dante is actually a secret Whisperer and don’t believe any of that bullsh*t.
Aaron (Ross Marquand) is hoping to win over Gamma (Thora Birch) and thinks he is succeeding until Gamma pulls a knife on him and starts asking him questions about the communities.
Before she can seriously cut him up, though, Carol and Lydia turn up and Gamma is getting all sad because she thought she was awesome like Alpha for killing her own flesh and blood.
Except, Gamma is the only one who has actually done this and now Gamma is not sure what to make of that so runs off into the woods.
And, even though Lydia had mentioned earlier in the episode about how showing the Whisperers that Alpha is wrong is the best way to do things, and even though she had just traveled into the woods with Carol, she is now suddenly sh*tty at her for “using” her against the Whisperers.
Honestly, what on earth was Lydia thinking they were doing? There are only two trips you take with Carol, the one in which you are on a mission and the one in which she makes you look at the flowers.
Be thankful you didn’t have to look at the flowers, Lydia!
Although, I think that might have been a very loud conversation on purpose in order for any Whisperers listening in to think that Lydia had just ditched Alexandria and is now returning to her old community.
Honestly, I believe that Carol and Daryl have a secret agenda that also included the release of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). After all, this is the second person to recently defect to the Whisperers, so I am calling bullsh*t right now.
Meanwhile, Siddiq has finally opened up to Rosita (Christian Serratos) about his PSTD as a result of his abduction by the Whisperers. In the process, and after the entire episode featuring foreshadowing that is as blunt as a sledgehammer, Siddiq finally works out that the water is what is making everyone sick.
He also thinks that he is the one that accidentally turned the water from the drinkable to the non-drinkable valve. Dante is really doing a good job of making Siddiq look incompetent, and all of Rosita’s praise is not going to fix this.
As Siddiq is pining over his “mistakes” Dante comes in to have a chat about how accidents happen while doubling down on that reinforcement that Siddiq is incompetent because that’s how gaslighting works.
However, he suddenly does this weird vocal click that he has never done before, and Siddiq remembers a Whisperer who also did that during his captivity.
So, yes, it is finally revealed that Dante really is a Whisperer spying on Alexandria. It also likely means he mixed up the water and the hemlock and probably a bunch of other things in order to make it look like Siddiq is losing his mind.
As soon as Siddiq realizes who Dante is, he heads straight for his ax. This is the one that has been at his waist for the entire episode but is now on the floor and out of reach. Siddiq fights valiantly but, let’s face it, Dante is an absolute unit and he strangles the life right out of Siddiq before he can seriously become a threat.
Which makes me wonder, how is everyone else going to work out who Dante really is?
The Walking Dead Season 10 returns with Episode 8 on Sunday, November 24, at 9/8c on AMC. This episode is the mid-season finale.