The Walking Dead: Season 9 Episode 7 - Stradivarius

Hello friends and welcome back to Walking Dead season 9 minus Rick!  We were treated to one of the famed expositional episodes of serialized television tonight.  We got some insight on what has happened during the 6 year gap while learning more about the newbies.  It was an "okay" hour of television but important in setting up the new stakes.  It's a holiday week, so maybe I'll be a little briefer (more brief?) than I normally am!  Let's get started.

Discussion Points

• Carol was recruiting Daryl to watch over Henry at Hilltop.  We found out Daryl has been looking for Rick's body but acknowledged it was never found.  While he's not claiming Rick's still alive, he found it easier to just stay out in the woods with his make shift rafts, snake food and his new dog (look out Dixon's Vixens, Daryl has a dog now.  Does this make him even more irresistible?).   Daryl/Henry had the usual reluctant mentor/mentee relationship where Henry was forced into action to save him.  This apparently was all part of Carol's master plan to get them bonding.  The trio ended up in Hilltop where everything seems to be coming to a foot.  
• In Hilltop Jesus is running the show, but there's a woman behind the man in Tara.  She's trying to keep Jesus straight who has just won a reelection in Maggie's absence.  (as predicted she's chilling with Georgie starting up a new community.   Pretty good out for Lauren as she tries her hand in on network television)   Jesus is reluctant to be the leader and wants to be out in the trenches.  He is having secret rendezvous to train Aaron with his Iron Fist (i'm guessing not an immortal fist though).  We all know where this is going, but at least they didn't go straight for secret frolicking in the woods first!  Aaron and Jesus are keeping the lines of communication up between Hilltop and Alexandria.  Clearly there was some falling out between Michonne and Maggie, but we are not privy to what this is.  Maybe it's around Negan, but they seemed to be on same page the last time we saw them 6 years prior.  
• By the way, Hilltop is thriving 6 years later.  They have some new age 80s rock tunes, water towers, crops, trailers, you name it!  It's a full fledged civilization.   Of course, we know this is gonna be bad news once the Whisperers come to town. 
• Aaron and Jesus found Rosita who abandoned Eugene in a barn to go for help.  She's freaked out, she's recovering.  But word is getting out about Eugene and the crews are getting together and will learn of this new threat. 
• Michonne, meanwhile, is taking the new crew to Hilltop with Siddiq.  She doesn't want to go to Hilltop herself so she's planning to take them most of the way and head back.  She eventually learns that Siddiq knows about Aaron/Jesus' lines of communication and caught Michonne up (besides naming his source).   Siddiq really wants Michonne to go to Hilltop with them and keep Carl and Judith's dream alive.  
• With the new crew there is a mixture of distrust and need to trust amongst the crew.  Deaf Girl, Luke and injured girl from last week are all about trusting the new crew for a chance to have a safe existence at Hilltop.  Magna wants her weapons back.   In the end they all get their wish as they have to fight the same herd that got them in trouble in the first place.  Magna had to come face to face with Bernie whom she seems to have fallen for.  I liked the backstory on Bernie and the paisley shirt so that we were able to tell who he was at the end without them having to tell us it's him.  Michonne was more sympathetic to the crew by the end but still kept the tough love going.  
• Luke/Siddiq bonded over musical instruments.  Hilarious that Michonne sliced up the Stradivarius, but it led to another infamous metaphor about civilization.   Humans vs. Neanderthals.  Humans vs. Zombies.  ART will make the difference in the end!  Can't wait to see the campfires where Walkers and Humans are rocking out to Siddiq's new recorder! 
• Once Michonne found out about Eugene and Rosita she decided she will join the crew to Hilltop.  
• We end the episode with Daryl, Jesus, (Aaron too?) and Dog heading out to look for Eugene.  Tara would stay back to deal with Kazoo drama and all other presidential issues.  
• Note:  We also saw that Daryl also has an X marked his back just like Michonne.  What does this represent?  Some drama they got into in the past 6 years?  A way to commemorate Rick or the crew that was with Rick from the beginning (close to the beginning)?   We'll find out eventually I'm sure. 
• Oh, and the whisperers totally were on Rosita's tail and deaf girl totally sensed someone tracking them on their way to Hilltop.  So stuff is about to go down! 

And with that I'm going to take my leave!  We'll continue the discussion in the comments.  Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving for those that celebrate.  I'll see you next week for the mid-season finale!