The Walking Dead Season 9, Episode 14 Review: ‘Scars’

(Photo Credit: AMC)

The Walking Dead

Season 9, Episode 14

By Garrett Yoshitomi

After months of speculation, we finally learn the story behind Michonne and Daryl’s mysterious ‘X’ scars, as well as the true reason behind the strict ‘no fly’ rules imposed on Alexandria during the time-jump. Season nine, episode fourteen, ‘Scars,’ shifts between two timelines, exploring the past events that caused Alexandria to close its walls to the outside world, and the consequences these events have on the present storyline. Because this episode takes place outside of the trade fair-Whisperers storyline, it’s fair to label it as filler. But, as we’ve seen this season, filler episodes under the Angela Kang-era haven’t been the outright throwaway storylines that we’ve seen in years past. Instead, ‘Scars’ is an absolute thrill of an episode, leading some to call it the show’s best ever. I’m not sure if I’m willing to go that far, but I honestly can’t say those claims are wrong, as ‘Scars’ is insanely good, and sucks the oxygen out of the room in a way that very, very few Walking Dead episodes ever have.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

You can evaluate ‘Scars’ in two ways: as a standalone episode and as another piece to the wider narrative puzzle. As a standalone episode, ‘Scars’ actually starts off noticeably slow, but this is intentional to better play into the twist that takes hold halfway through the hour. The twist itself isn’t entirely unexpected, but the lengths to which it goes are, and I think this dynamic is what makes the episode itself so compelling. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of gruesome fates befall characters both good and bad; but for me at least, this is the first time The Walking Dead has ever shown me something that was actually unsettling. I can understand how this could be experienced as a turnoff for some viewers, and I’ll admit that I did spend a minute or two during a commercial break trying to unpack my thoughts about what I had just watched. But, regardless of your feelings towards this episode’s climax, I think the fact that an episode of The Walking Deadis able to elicit such a strong emotional response is a good thing and speaks to the high-quality writing that Angela Kang and her staff have helped bring to the show.

When looking at this episode in the context of the rest of the season, though, things get a bit more complicated. Throughout the whole season, we’ve been teased with hints of something truly horrible happening to Michonne and Daryl during the time jump; and now that it’s finally time to collect on that promise, a few plot points stand out that leave me scratching my head at what’s otherwise a stellar episode. For starters, it’s hard to feel fully invested in the betrayal that Michonne suffers, when the traitor in question is introduced in the very same episode as their double-cross. There isn’t a ton of context provided for their relationship with Michonne either, and while it doesn’t diminish the horrifying nature of what Michonne suffers, it does feed some doubt as to whether the betrayal of a friend from over a decade ago, is enough to completely erode the relationships that Michonne has now.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

So often in The Walking Dead,we’ve seen our heroes struggle to hold onto their faith and humanity, only to ultimately find strength in their allies. Time and time again, the wider benefits of unity and companionship have far outweighed the more practical “survive at all costs” mentality that our group spent season after season dispelling. Michonne exhibited these beliefs quite possibly more than any other character, and it does seem uncharacteristic for her to forego her friends in her greatest time of need. Sure, we’re supposed to be convinced that what happens in this episode is so terrible that it drives even Michonne to turn her back on The Kingdom and The Hilltop. But just because something is objectively terrible, doesn’t mean that it automatically gets to overrule characterizations that have run deep for several years. This episode gives us a satisfying answer to why Michonne, and by extension, Alexandria has closed itself off to the world - I’m just not entirely convinced that it’s the best version of that answer that we could have gotten.

One thing that holds true for this episode, whether you’re looking at it in isolation or within the larger season, are the performances from its two leading women, Danai Gurira (Michonne) and Cailey Fleming (Judith). After spending most of the season on the periphery, Michonne is front and center this week, in a storyline that goes beyond typical Michonne badassery. It’s not often in film and television that you get to see a pregnant woman display the kind of agency that Michonne has in this episode. Nobody has to come to her rescue, and nobody has to fight for her, as Michonne proves that baby or no baby, she’s more than capable of holding her own against even the most unlikely of foes. Gurira’s performance throughout the last act of this episode is extremely powerful, some of the best stuff we’ve seen on The Walking Dead. You can feel her desperation as she staggers through the building she’s trapped in, and every swing of her katana feels like a memory that’s etched forever not just in Michonne’s memory, but in ours, as well. And, when Michonne finally reunites with Judith, a taste of bittersweetness fills us, as we know just what it took to bring these two back together.

(Photo Credit: AMC)

Fortunately, the present-day scene of Michonne finding Judith is much more of a heartwarmer, and Cailey Fleming once again proves that she can hang with the big girls, establishing herself as a major player in this show thanks to her precocious portrayal of the sweet, yet capable, Judith Grimes. Fleming’s portrayal of Judith has been a low key super important part of season nine’s success. It might feel like the show’s latest leading Grimes was always going to be a slam dunk fan favorite, but The Walking Deadhas had an uneven track record with creating likeable child characters, and coming into the second half of season nine, there was some uncertainty with where exactly Judith would fit. So far, she’s been used sparingly, which is smart – small doses are a good thing, and as progressive as The Walking Deadcan be, a nine-year-old child is still a character who you probablyshouldn’t try and fit into every subplot. The parts that Judith is in, though, are perfectly tailored to showcase her grit and autonomy, and she displays great rapport with strong personalities like Negan and Michonne.

We’re only two weeks away from the season finale, and surprisingly enough, it feels like there’s still a lot to cram into these final two hours. At this point in a typical Walking Dead season, the pace starts to slow to a crawl, as the inevitable conclusion to the season is just within grasp, but the remaining story needs to be stretched out to meet the required number of episodes. Given how strong this season has been, I’m expecting Angela Kang to send her inaugural season out with a bang. Comic readers will surely know what’s in store next, but the writers have done a skillful enough job at hiding their hand that even diehard fans can’t be 100% sure how things will unfold – yet another reason why season nine of The Walking Deadcould be the show’s best.