Shit.
Well, as I live and breathe.
I figured you'd be gabey,
coming down to give me my last rites.
You want forgiveness?
I done what I done.
I ain't getting on my knees about it.
So what do you want?
A t—bone, beer,
maybe a scoop of rocky road.
Matters to you what I want?
What if you didn't have to die?
Didn't know you had a say
on the kangaroo council deciding my fate.
I'm not here for the council.
I'm getting that.
What I don't get is coming down here
and dealing with me when, seems to me,
you oughta be lining up the ol' skin queen
in your crosshairs.
What do you think this is?
Damn.
The stones on you...
So you in or out?
Word has it you are a certified bad-ass.
But you missed your shot.
What happens if I muff it, too?
Could make things a helluva lot worse for every man,
woman, and child behind these walls.
And despite what people may think of me,
I am absolutely not down with that.
I need this done.
And that'll help every man, woman, and child here.
And what do I get out of it?
You've been eating
whatever shit we throw your way,
hoping that one day, they'll all forget.
But they won't.
Not unless you do something to make them forget.
So you bring me Alpha's head,
and that's what the people will remember you for.
I'll make sure of it.
I have your word?
If you do it fast.
Is this what you wanted?
All right.
What do you, uh...
What do you say we get movin'?
Alexandria. Our deal.
Let's start spreading the news.
What took you so damn long?
What took me so long?
Doing your dirty work?
I don't know.
I guess I wanted to get out of there
with my head still attached.
Shit like that takes time.
I told you to do it fast.
It's done.
All right? I held up my end.
Now I am asking you to hold up yours.
Just walk me through those gates
so I can open up a new chapter in the book of negan.
I'm not going back.
Not yet.
I go back there without you,
there is a noose around my neck
the second I step foot in there.
Then wait.
Wait?
How long are we talking about?
You're free now, negan.
Do whatever the hell you want.
Wait, don't wait, it's up to you.
I need to be alone.
Shit like that takes time.
The kids are good.
All of 'em.
We got lucky.
Yeah, I'll take it.
That doesn't absolve me from failing.
Take it easy on yourself, boss.
These days, the mistakes seem to stick harder
than the triumphs.
Hey.
Hi.
Oh.
Oh, no.
Careful.
Hey.
You're alive.
Where —— h—how did you...?
I'm so sorry, magna. I...
Did you need anything?
Did you —— —no, no, no.
I—I'm okay. I'm okay.
Oof.
How're you feeling?
Great.
I can bring you to see Alex.
When we find Alex.
Mnh—mnh.
Someone else can do that.
You gotta go.
Dammit, Eugene.
Tell them already.
Okay.
Excuse me. Uh...
Uh, excuse me.
Uh...
Can I have your kind attention, please?
Um...
I have some things I —— I need to 'fess and request.
Um...
I've been in radio communicado
with someone outside our orbit.
A new person.
And we set up a time to meet.
What?
Who is it?
Her name is Stephanie and...
Wait. Is this another community?
Where is it? What —...
What'd you tell her about us?
And now you're going to meet her.
She could be another spy just like Dante.
Uh...
Eugene, how long have you been keeping this from us?
I have some of the same questions.
But if Eugene's instincts are that this...
Stephanie...
May be a new ally,
then let's hear him out before we jump to conclusions.
We're all on the same side here.
Now, some of you are well aware
that I relocated to hilltop, uh,
in pursuit of a metaphorical fresh start.
Uh...
I struggled for awhile.
I buried myself in work and community duties, and...
And that work manifested a voice from the void.
And...
She became a friend.
Some of you might claim that I'm foolish
to believe in future friends and new alliances, but...
After everything we just lost,
I'm willing to be the fool.
I simply ask that you spare me your derision,
as a hopeful expectation of new, good people
is wholly worth the risk.
You can take my horse.
For what?
You should go with them.
You never wanted to be cooped up.
You could get back out on the road,
have an adventure.
Look forward, not back.
I like it here.
I think some routine could be good for me.
Yeah?
Okay.
But someone else should have the adventure.
Meet the new people.
It's okay, miko.
It'd be leaving at the worst time. I...
There's nothing for you to fix.
Go.
Hey, buddy.
Hey, play with your sister, okay?
Jerry.
You're really going?
Yeah.
I don't think that's a good idea.
Because I'm sick?
Because I'm gonna miss you.
But can't stop a man willing to be foolish, right?
Or a fool willing to believe in future friends.
Is that all it is?
It's enough for now.
The kingdom needs you.
Make sure our legacy lives on.
You got it, bo—...
Ezekiel.
She was with negan.
Did he...
You...
You are the Alpha now.
What did you say?
She can hear you.
Take off your mask.
Can you hear her?
Are you listening?
Yeah.
What is she saying to you?
I don't know. I —...
Move closer.
I—I don't know...
Shh. Just listen.
What is she saying to you?
Aah!
Shh.
Just listen.
I—i-i can hear!
I can hear!
Hey, kiddo. Sorry ab...
Shit.
God!
Where's Alpha?!
Look, whatever Lydia told you...
Where is she?!
She is dead. She is dead.
I killed her.
You liar.
I am not lying.
I have somethin' in my pocket.
It's not a weapon.
I am slowly gonna reach for it.
Her mask ain't her head.
Oh, I know. I am getting to that.
Well, then, get to it.
The whole reason I threw in with them...
Was so I could get close enough to Alpha
to slit her throat.
Now, you talk about "silencing the whisperers."
I silenced the Alpha.
Why the hell else you think
that your girlfriend let me outta that cell?
Carol.
Caaarol...
Carol.
I'm always watching.
You are lost.
So was your boy.
You sent him away.
And he never came back.
He died out here, alone and afraid.
Just like Sophia.
No taking this head.
Unless you take your own.
I respect what you did.
It was negan drew the blade,
but it was you who ended me.
Like a true Alpha.
Stop it.
Oh, I see.
You regret it.
No.
You feel guilt.
People were hurt in the name of vengeance.
And now you can't go back.
They won't accept what you've done.
Maybe they will if you say you're sorry.
"I'm sorry you're mad at me.
P-Please don't be mad at me.
I'm sorry!"
Being out on your own —...
You've tried it before.
They always pull you back.
Always wanting more.
Love.
Motherhood.
Death.
But they don't know what you truly want.
Admit it.
What do you want?
Say it.
I want to be alone.
Yeah.
That's not it.
Do you think they'll have candy?
The new community, I mean.
What on earth made you think of that?
I was remembering my mother,
who grew up near train tracks like this.
My mother was a pistol, as they say,
so I was trying to remember something kind about her,
and I settled on these chocolate bunnies
she used to buy at easter time.
I was macking on them, and they were delicious,
though eating the heads did upset me as a child, and...
Still, I came to associate them with...
Family.
Eugene, please tell me we aren't really on a journey
to find chocolate bunnies.
Well, of course not.
We're on a journey for the future hope of mankind.
But candy would be nice.
Ezekiel, are you okay?
Or shall I delve into my arsenal of impressions?
I'm sorry, Eugene.
I'm not the best audience at the moment.
Whoa.
Whisperers?
Not their modus operandi.
So we're not alone,
but we don't know who would do this.
Worth taking a few moments to investigate?
In case this is a warning.
Whoa.
All clear!
Ezekiel?
I'm coming!
All clear here.
This whole "follow the leader" routine,
it's kinda deja vu for me.
It's the same way it went down with Alpha.
You know, I get it.
All right, you're pissed
your gal pal didn't let you in on the plan.
Nobody asked you.
Look, I'm pissed, too.
Lone wolves, they're not thinking about the pack.
Maybe I'm pissed 'cause of hilltop.
Whole bunch of children almost died 'cause of you.
Keep walking.
How's everybody feeling tonight?
Is this your plan?
Get back on a boat, take the river out?
Ed was right about you.
You're just a brainless clam.
There was no peace on the ocean.
You were thinking about me.
Wondering where I went.
Lookin' for a sign.
You even wrote that letter to Maggie about me.
Give it up, Carol.
If I know the truth, so do you.
Do you hear me, you empty-headed slit?!
You stupid cooze.
It was right here.
I swear to god, it was on that spike.
Look, we, uh —...
We —— we sit here, we can wait for Carol.
Or I can take you to find the —-
oh, come on, man.
We're talking about Lydia here.
Why would I stash her out in banjo country
unless the whole point was to keep her safe?
Unless the whole freakin' point
was just to use her as bait so I could get Alpha alone?
You sure took your sweet-ass time, though, didn't you?
What is with you guys thinking I didn't do it fast enough?
You didn't kill her. I did.
It took a minute. I had to get her to trust me.
Because I wasn't on some half-cocked suicide mission.
No, it's because you liked it.
Alpha's dead.
Because of you.
We kneel...
To the new Alpha.
(Music playing)
Oh.
Sorry, man.
I am, uh...
Just savoring the moment.
Oh.
Taking my sweet-ass time.
All right, fellas, first order of business.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
One damn minute.
I'm supposed to be the Alpha, right?
I mean, the only reason I'm asking
is I'm a little bit confused.
If I'm the Alpha,
why is someone who is most definitely not the Alpha
holding the badass shotgun?
See, that is what I'm talkin' about.
That feels good.
Right?
I mean, I never had a kid of my own,
but if I did, I would imagine
this is what it's like holding your baby
for the very first time, except for it turns out,
my baby can kill people by spitting bullets at 'em.
Daryl, knee! To the Alpha.
Damn.
It is starting to get real now, ain't it?
Daryl, you were right
when you said that I liked it.
The fact is...
I like it a lot.
You should probably shoot me.
Don't threaten me with a good time.
Shit.
Untie me, asshole.
(Horse neighs, bellowing)
What's wrong? What's going on? Hey.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa.
Lookit, hey, hey. It's all right.
It's okay.
Hey, hey. What's going on?
Oh, no, no, no.
Shh.
It's okay.
Nothing's got to hurt anymore.
It's okay.
Shh.
You're all right.
I'm sorry.
Ezekiel.
I'm so sorry.
I shouldn't have come. —why?
This was just an accident.
If I fall in there...
Promise me you'll leave me behind.
No.
He wasn't strong enough to make the journey.
Maybe I'm not, either.
I'm okay with that.
But I'm not okay with putting you at risk.
So you want to turn back?
Because of what might happen?
It's for the best. —hey.
You don't know what lies ahead for us.
No one does.
I had all these plans for my life,
and I clung to them so hard.
And f—f—for what?
No one cares what I have in mind for the future.
I'm here to find out what's possible...
What none of us could predict
or imagine.
And you know who we need with us?
That man that built a kingdom in the apocalypse.
My mom used to say,
everything works out the way it's supposed to.
Oh, just shut up already.
It's finally time.
This way, friend!
We're ready for ya.
You always knew how this would end.
No one's coming to save you.
Not Ezekiel.
And certainly not Daryl.
Not after what you did to Connie.
Stop fighting.
No matter what you do, you lose people.
Sophia, Lizzie, mika,
Henry, Ezekiel...
And if you go back,
Daryl could be next.
I could never let that happen.
Your track record does not inspire confidence.
You know what you gotta do.
I could've been anyone,
but you chose me because I get the job done.
I don't want this.
Just look at the flowers like you're supposed to.
One...
Two...
Three.
It's never too late.
Whoa.
Not to spin a broken record,
but I don't think she's comin' back.
You know, I'm —— I'm not bullshitting you.
I know.
When I said that I liked it...
That wasn't part of the act.
Yeah. I know.
You know, when your people locked me up,
I lost everything.
You know, seven years spent
staring out that little window...
Man, it sucked.
It got so bad
that even my memories had bars painted on 'em.
So when Alpha took me in...
I admit it, I —— I liked it.
It was...
It was nice feeling like I mattered again,
like I was respected.
But she took it too far.
You don't kill people that don't deserve it.
And you never kill kids.
Is that supposed to make me like you?
No.
Good.
But what about my winning personality?
What about Carol?
What are the chances of a city like this being empty?
More improbable than a baby born with a full set of teeth.
Hellllooo?
Oh, my god, hi!
Two eyes, one truth.
Thank you.
I see now.
Thank you.