Coming into the 13th episode of The Walking Dead’s eighth season, we know that the Saviors are on the march for the Hilltop Community. Simon, driven by an insatiable bloodlust, hopes to eradicate the community, a rash move that goes against Negan’s typically cold and calculated planning. As we’ve learned from The Spoiling Dead Fans’ weekly Q&A about the latest episode, “Do Not Send Us Astray,” the entire hour-long time slot is dedicated to the battle at Hilltop.
Where there is war, there will be a wake of dead bodies, especially as the Saviors implement their tactic of “tainting” their weaponry with walker guts and blood. The Spoiling Dead Fans staff member NinjaPancake divulged details about the episode, including specifics on who doesn’t make it and whether the Saviors’ plan works.
NinjaPancake’s anonymous source revealed that, by the time the smoke has cleared over the once peaceful community, several background characters from both Hilltop and the Saviors will have perished. Tobin, the flannel-wearing former beau of Carol, is the only known character to die during the episode, ending fan’s hopes of a Carol-Tobin (Carbin?) relationship.
The real twist, however, comes later on when the tainted weaponry starts to take effect, killing and turning members of the Hilltop community. Tobin is among the reanimated and is responsible for killing the Kingdom’s doctor, leaviong Siddiq as the only remaining doctor to look after Maggie’s pregnancy.
“Do Not Send Us Astray” also features the potential for two tragedies when Rick is cut by a random Savior and Tara is shot with an arrow by Dwight. There are little details to the former incident, though Andrew Lincoln has been reportedly negotiating his contract for season nine, securing Rick’s safety for the remainder of this season. Tara, however, is a wild card. Dwight steps in when Simon pins Tara to the ground and, considering Dwight’s flip-flop to Team Alexandria, it’s possible his arrow was untainted and meant to save her life. Her fate is left unknown by the close of the episode, but NinjaPancake mentioned that another anonymous source provided information that reveals she’ll survive.
After the conclusion of this episode, which ends with Maggie looking over fresh graves and contemplating the cost of their battle with the Saviors, there are only three episodes left to wrap up the All Out War storyline. How the remainder of the series may go is still a mystery, especially considering how Scott Gimple revealed how the final battle between Rick and Negan would vary significantly from the comics.
The Walking Dead airs at 9 pm EST on AMC and 10 pm EST on the AMC app.
