09x07 - Stradivarius

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "The Walking Dead"...

Dad, we're holding things together with plastic and tape.

We need better tools.

Someone who's trained to use them.

There's a place a lot like this one.

The leader might take you in.

You're gonna take them to Hilltop?

With you.

CAROL: Whoa.

You need a ride, stranger?

♪

[WALKERS SNARL]

WALKER: [RASPY] Where... are... they?

[WALKERS GROWLING]

[PANTING]

WALKER: She's dead.

WALKER # : But we're getting closer to her.

[PANTING CONTINUES]

♪

Don't let her get away.

♪

[GRUNTS]

[INDISTINCT WHISPERING]

[WALKERS GROWLING]

[PANTING]

[WHISPERING CONTINUES]

Get her!

[GASPING]

♪

♪

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Careful.

Traps everywhere.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

You didn't fix the boat since last time?

[DOG PANTING]

Good dog.

CAROL: When was the last time you ate?

Dog ate yesterday.

I'm not talking about the dog.

How much further have the patrols cleared?

'Til the Route D river bend.

Their rig's about five miles past that.

If their story checks out.

You'd feel better if you just say it.

What makes you think I want to say something?

I'm not hearing you deny it.

I was gonna tell you that I'm glad you changed your mind about them.

[HORSE NEIGHS SOFTLY]

But you think I should've let them stay in Alexandria.

Well, you're going pretty far out of your way not to.

Considering.

Considering what?

That you like these guys.

Really? That's what I think?

Uh-huh.

I mean, I'm not hearing you deny it.

Doesn't mean I trust them.

What do I always say about having options, huh?

Us not being defenseless out in the open because you gave them a reason not to trust us...

I choose that option.

Except, oh, wait.

Guys. Chill.

We can roll with this a little while longer.

Cool?

No, no. It's not cool.

I want my damn knives.

Look, I'm sorry about Magna.

She can be a bit hotheaded.

That's one word for it.

She's been on edge since we lost Bernie.

Was he with you long?

Long enough.

He loved getting under Magna's skin.

He, um, used to wear this absolutely horrid shirt.

It was like looking into creation itself.

In paisley.

God, it was horrendous.

But Magna hated it.

She said just looking at it gave her a migraine.

So Bernie wore it every day for a week.

Honestly, I think she came around on the shirt.

Just like she came around on him.

Like family.

This place... Hilltop.

- It's safe?
- It is.

What's it like?

It's been a while since I've been there.

Then how do you know it's safe?

I promised my daughter that I would get you there, and I will.

You're just gonna have to trust me.

[THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN'S "APRIL SKIES" PLAYS]

♪ Hey, honey, what you trying to say? ♪

♪ As I stand here, don't you walk away ♪

♪ And the world comes tumbling down ♪

[CHICKEN CLUCKING]

♪

♪ Hand in hand in a violent life ♪

Oh, hey, can you let him know that I still need more room in the garden?

On it.

♪ And the world comes tumbling down ♪

♪

♪ And it's hard for me to say ♪

♪ And it's hard for me to stay ♪

♪ I'm going down to be by myself ♪

♪ I'm going back for the good of my health ♪

Oh, Tara, I'll have the Ag output to you in a couple of hours.
- Awesome. Thanks, Oscar.

♪ And there's one thing I couldn't do ♪

She's doing great. And added one more recruit, so that makes three total this month.

- Okay. Awesome.
- ♪ Sacrifice ♪

♪

[MUSIC CONTINUES SOFTLY]

♪

[MUSIC STOPS, RECORD NEEDLE SCRATCHES LIGHTLY]

Hey.

You're spending a lot of time with Georgie's records.

It's a good collection.

I appreciate the gift.

Maggie send another letter?

Yeah. The twins dropped it off this morning.

She's good.

Happy.

What's up?

Got a list of people that want to talk to you.

I'm sure you do.

Fine. I'll just leave this here and you can deal with it.

Very funny.

Sit. I'm listening.

I have minutes before I have to be back to the infirmary.

- Hit me.
- Okay.

Mm.

Okay, Tammy Rose wants to expand the crop fields, but she needs to see how far she can cultivate.

Um, Enid still needs more room in the garden for medicinal herbs.

Um, Alden also needs your okay to send another team out for scrap metal.

There's a noise complaint from trailer .

And...

Why did you give that kid a kazoo?

You... You find a kazoo, you give it to a kid.

I'll deal with it.

And there's this.

Congrats on being re-elected leader of Hilltop.

Yeah, well, a win is a given when no one runs against you.

You could at least pretend to be happy.

Thank you, Tara.

This place is a mess.

Just take Maggie's office.
She'd want you to have it.

It's fine. I don't need it.

'Cause you still think this is temporary?

I'm gonna go check on those crop fields for Tammy.

What? Now?

I-I have a list of things that I have to go over.

And you can ask me them when I get back.

Seriously?

[WALKER GROWLING]

[GRUNTS]

[GROWLS]

♪

[BREATHES SHARPLY]

You just going to leave him there?

Yeah. Keeps the animals away.

You've been out here longer than I thought you'd be.

Longer than you said you'd be.

[BREATHES SHARPLY] Yeah, I like it.

It's quiet.

[INSECTS BUZZING]

How's the King?

He's having a hard time letting go.

I'm taking Henry to the Hilltop.

He wants to apprentice at the smithy.

[GRUNTS LIGHTLY]

Well, I appreciate your visit.

You seem real good.

[GRUNTS]

You gonna tell me why you're really here?

♪

I want you to come with us.

I can't stay at Hilltop.

We've got problems of our own at the Kingdom, and I'd just feel really a lot better if you were there with him.

You want me to babysit your boy?

It's not like that.

How is it?

Henry's an idealist, just like Ezekiel.

I love that about him. I do. It's important.

But it can be dangerous, too.

No.

He's gonna have to learn, just like everybody else.

Just like you and I did.

♪

LUKE: Oh, no.

No, no, no, no.

Sickos tore the damn place up.

Look at this place.

YUMIKO: I didn't think it would be this bad.

[SIGHS]

- Is this all that's left?
- Hey, whoa.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

♪

[HORSES NEIGHING]

♪

MICHONNE: The herd you ran from did all this?

MAGNA: No. A bigger one must've come through here.

[WALKER GROWLING IN DISTANCE]

♪

♪

[SIGHS]

[WALKER GROWLING]

♪

[WALKERS GROWLING]

♪

[WALKERS GROWLING]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[GROWLING STOPS]

sh*t. sh*t.

You should take something of his with us.

Why would I do that?

To remember him.

This is the first instrument I ever played as a kid.

My aunt got it for me for my birthday, and I had it a whole week before my mom decided, for her own sanity, that I liked painting better.

Well...

Oh, maybe for my sanity, you don't.

[CHUCKLES]

LUKE: It has to be here.

It's... It's just got to be here.

What's going on?

No, I'm not telling him that.

Yes, I have a love of the musical arts, but Connie here does not appreciate my...

[LAUGHS] No, it is not a fetish.

- [LAUGHS]
- Not a fetish.

It's not a fetish.

Can you please just help me find it?

Please? Thank you.

MICHONNE: DJ, collect all their weapons.

Hell, no. We're taking what's ours.

MICHONNE: No.

I'm not letting my men take five armed strangers into Hilltop.

Your men? What about you?

I came to see if your story checks out.

It does.

Siddiq and DJ will take you the rest of the way.

So not only have you not been to this place in who knows how long, you aren't coming with us and we can't have our weapons?

- _
- You want your weapons, take them.

Then you're on your own out here.

Michonne...

- You want an escort to Hilltop, a chance at something better, they stay with us.

I vote for the second one.

MAGNA: So we're just supposed to trust her if she doesn't even trust us?

I mean, guys, we... we made it this long.

I-I say we take our chances out there.

Nope. Second one. You with me?

- Second one?
- YUMIKO: Stop it.

Luke's right.

They wouldn't put us back together just to pull us apart again.

They wouldn't.

You said we'd be there by morning?

That's right.

Look, I know you don't like her rules...

I don't, either.

But we made it out here a long time on our own, with less than this.

So, for a real chance for a safe place to live, we can make it a few more hours.

Okay?

Sun'll be down soon.

We should find shelter.

[GRUNTING]

♪

- [BREATHING HEAVILY]
- JESUS: Rule number one.

"Always be mindful of your surroundings."

Actually, rule number one is...

"Don't forget to look up."

♪

[LAUGHS]

Ow!

♪

Not bad.

♪

[BOTH GRUNTING]

♪

Oh, sorry.

I'm sorry. Sorry.

You okay?

- [BOTH GRUNTING]
- [LAUGHS]

♪

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

You heard me coming again.

- [CHUCKLES]
- [GROANS]

You're still a little heavy on your left foot.

Wasn't today Election Day?

Or Re-election Day, as it were?

That's why I was late.

Partly.

It's been harder and harder to get away.

Tara can't cover for you?

If she knew I've been coming this far out without a security detail...

As it is, she wants to have me tried for dereliction of duty.

If Michonne knew I was violating protocol like this?

- [SIGHS]
- Same boat, my friend.

I don't suppose she's changed her mind about the fair?

Now you're kidding, right?

- [CHUCKLES]
- No.

She won't even put it to a revote.

Not since she tanked the first one with council.

Just like she did with the new people.

Yeah...

The fair's important, Aaron.

Not just for the Kingdom, for all of us.

We have to come back together.

I know.

But Michonne... she doesn't even know about Maggie.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

♪

- [HORSE NEIGHS]
- There.

♪

Rosita?

Rosita, you okay?

Hey, hey, hey.

What happened? You all right?

- Aaron? What are you...?
- Where's Eugene?

I saw you two leave together. Where is he?

I-I left him... in the barn.

- What barn?
- I don't know.

JESUS: Aaron...

I-I left him.

[WALKERS GROWLING]

We have to get her back to Hilltop.

Eugene's still out here.

It'll be dark soon.

Whichever barn he's in, we have to hope he'll be safe there till tomorrow.

Let's go.

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Your dog always do that?

Well, he's got his reasons.

[GRUNTS]

[SIZZLING]

I'm impressed.

[CLEARS THROAT]

This is really nice... You cooking for us.

You... You're good at this.

I'm sure there's people at Hilltop who know how to cook.

Wait.

Is this why we came here?

'Cause you think I need a chaperone?

And this is the guy?

- Henry.
- I can handle myself.

I never said you couldn't.

About minutes, and the food will be ready.

Well, good. That's just enough time.

Time for what?

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

[DOG PANTING]

[DOG BARKING]

[FIRE CRACKLING]

Look, I know you think I'm still lookin' for him.

♪

Are you?

I never found the body.

Ever.

After a while, it just got easier to stay out here.

♪

You have to let that go.

♪

There.

That's better.

♪

Come on.

Dinner's ready.

♪

♪

[SLURPS]

How'd you get the scar, anyway?

♪

Where's that dog?

His food's getting cold.

Dog!

♪

[DISH CLATTERS]

Dog!

♪

[WHISTLING]

♪

♪

♪

♪

[HORSE SNORTS IN DISTANCE]

♪

♪

♪

Drop it.

And turn around slow.

♪

I can't.

It... It'll...

I said drop it.

Mm. Y-You don't understand...

Aah! No!

♪

The hell is going on?

Wh...

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Daryl?

- [WALKER GROWLING]
- [GRUNTS]

♪

You following me?

What're you doing out here?

Turn it off. Go back to camp.

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

[THUD]

♪

[DOG BARKING]

♪

DARYL: Dammit.

What's wrong?

[BARKING CONTINUES]

[WALKERS GROWLING]

♪

Stay here.

[BARKING CONTINUES]

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

Shh! Come on. I got you.

I got you, pup. I got you.

[BARKS]

[GROWLING]

♪

Ohh!

- Daryl!
- Stay back!

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

[BARKING CONTINUES]

♪

Ohh!

♪

[GRUNTS]

♪

[BARKING CONTINUES]

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

[BREATHING QUICKLY]

♪

[GROWLING]

♪

[DOG WHIMPERS]

♪

[GRUNTING]

♪

Be careful... Careful, care...

You got it?

It's just a scrape.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

I told you to stay back.

Yeah, you're welcome.

[SIGHS]

[GRUNTS]

♪

How is she? Any change?

No, she's still out.

But she's gonna be okay.
She's just dehydrated.

Enid has her on an IV.

[SIGHS]

It was weird... seeing her after all this time...

Aaron, too.

What were you guys doing out there?

I've been training him.

Talking to him.

Keeping the lines of communication open.

Making sure they're still alive.

To avoid being here?

To try and get Alexandria on board with the fair.

They won't.

I can't accept that.

You shouldn't, either. It's important.

Listen, everybody here is starting to notice how much you're gone.

The fair is important to all of us, but we need you here.

Why?

Because they made you our leader.

Well, maybe they shouldn't have.

Well, Jesus...

Look, I know you think you're just keeping a promise to Maggie, but you took this job.

So stop pretending it's just for now.

She's not here. You are.

Your people are counting on you.

Maggie is counting on you.

I'm counting on you.

♪

I came... I came to tell you that I'm going out in the morning to look for Eugene.

You need to stay here, keep this place together.

[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

[INSECTS CHIRPING]

♪

Here.

Use that.

It's good for the infection.

Ohh. Hi, Dog. Dog.

[DOG PANTING]

The dog checks the traps, lets me know if I have a walker problem.

Never got stuck before, though.

Anyway...

thank you for your help.

Oh, it's no problem.

Thanks for, uh, saving me.

Can you not tell my mom about that, though?

[SMOOCHES]

Dog, hey. Go, Dog!

You know, the traps...
They're not for animals.

That's... That's no way to die, slow and painful like that.

I just want to keep the walkers out.

But there seems to be more and more of 'em lately.

[CLEARS THROAT]

You know, my mom...

She says you're her best friend.

The one who's always had her back, no matter what.

She misses you.

She worries about you.

You can... You can see that, right?

Well... she knows where I'm at.

She knows how to find me.

She shouldn't have to.

Is that what you want?

Me looking over your shoulder all the time?

It isn't just about me.

LUKE: T-This is... This is unbelievable.

It's utterly unbelievable.

[SCOFFS]

Listen, I...

Mnh-mnh-mnh-mnh.

Do you... Do you know what this is?

This is... This is an original Stradivarius, circa .
- Circa .

He found it in a mansion outside of Philadelphia before it was overrun by sickos.

[SIGHS] In the kid's room, of all places.

Like the kid was gonna miss it.

- [CHUCKLES]
- What?

Oh, so you've been traveling with a... a collection of instruments all this time?

Why?

It's art.

Here we go.

Look, for a very long time, historians and archeologists have wondered how did ancient humans survive the Neanderthals?

Okay?

How did we defeat them when they were bigger and they were smarter and they were stronger, faster?

They had better tools than us.

So why are we still here and they're not?

[INHALES SHARPLY]

And then they found a cave.

Okay?

And in that cave, they found a , -year-old flute.

- A flute?
- Yes.

A flute. [CHUCKLING] Yeah.

And then they realized that maybe ancient humans didn't defeat Neanderthal.

Not in the way that we think of the word "defeat," okay?

They came together as an answer to defeat.

They sat around a campfire.

They shared their stories with each other in the form of music.

And paintings.

And... And they created a... a common identity.

And then they, you know, they... they built communities, and they grew.

And... And then, as they grew, Neanderthal retreated, and then, after a while, they just d*ed out.

So this, yeah.

This. This.

This is the one thing that separates us from the animals.

For better or for worse, it brings us together.

And if we're trying to rebuild something, you can't ignore that.

After everything you've seen and done, you still believe that's all it'll take?

Yeah.

It's survival of the fittest.

Sharing with each other... that's part of what makes us stronger.

MICHONNE: I'll probably reach Alexandria before you get back to Hilltop, so if you need any supplies, you should take them.

SIDDIQ: I'd rather have the company, [CHUCKLING] honestly.

Come with us. It's the least you could do after murdering Luke's violin last night.

[CHUCKLES]

It's for the best.

You know that.

You don't have to worry about Maggie.

We can't take the risk.

I don't know what she'll do if she sees me.

Michonne, Maggie's gone.

Took Hershel with her.

Jesus runs Hilltop now.

♪

Where is she?

And how do you know?

Michonne.

What is it?

Walkers! Let's move!

MAGNA: Grab your stuff.

Let's go.

YUMIKO: Michonne, DJ needs to give us our weapons.

DJ: Michonne! Hey!

KELLY: How are we supposed to fight?

Michonne!

We need our weapons!

[WALKERS GROWLING]

[GRUNTS]

[HORSE NEIGHS IN DISTANCE]

♪

Michonne!

[WALKERS GROWLING]

[GRUNTS]

Ohh!

YUMIKO: DJ!

The weapons!

[WALKERS GROWLING]

♪

[HORSE NEIGHS IN DISTANCE]

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

- sh*t.
- We can't circle up, so we split up.

Luke, you're with Siddiq and DJ.

- The rest of us follow her.
- Okay.

[HORSE NEIGHING]

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

♪

[LAUGHS]

[GRUNTS]

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

Get back! Get back!

♪

♪

[HORSE NEIGHS]

♪

[WALKER GROWLING]

♪

That's the same herd that att*cked your rig.

How do you know?

[GROWLING]

♪

Oh, my God.

♪

♪

♪

[THUMPS SOFTLY]

♪

Michonne! Let's go!

We have to go.

Michonne.

[GROWLING CONTINUES]

♪

♪

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

Hey.

Hey.

How'd you sleep?

Good.

Good. You?

Good. Real good.

Good.

Good.

Be ready to go in about minutes.

[FROG CROAKING]

[DOG BARKS]

MICHONNE: I know what it's like... to worry about your family.

To carry the burden of protecting them.

To feel guilt when they suffer.

She'll be fine. [SNIFFLES]

We all will.

Because you have to be.

I would know.

I just want us to have a home, you know?

Somewhere safe.

You will.

This is as far as I go.

I should've told you about Maggie sooner.

I'm sorry.

Where is she?

With Georgie.

Someplace far.

Helping her with some new community.

That's all I know.

Mm.

I wanted to say something sooner, but I promised someone I wouldn't.

So I didn't.

This means you can come with us to Hilltop.

You should.

No.

I'm needed back home.

I kept my promise to Judith.

What about Carl?

What about your promise to him?

It's not that simple.

[HOOFBEATS]

♪

Those spears.

You from Hilltop?

We are. You?

Alexandria.

We're headed there now.

We have a message.

We have one of yours, Rosita Espinosa.

She's been injured.

♪

Let them know

Michonne and the others are headed to Hilltop.

Tell them we're safe.

[HORSE NEIGHS]

♪

YUMIKO: Connie? What is it?

DJ: [CLICKS TONGUE] Come on.

DJ, hold up.

Hold up.

Do you see something?

SIDDIQ: What is it?

♪

She says it's nothing.

Let's go. [SMOOCHES]

[HORSE NEIGHS]

[DOG BARKING]

[ENGINE RUMBLING]

HENRY: So, Enid's still here, right?

CAROL: Far as I know. Why?

Wonder if she'll recognize me.

It's been a while, and I'm taller.

Like, bigger. You know?

You're adorable.

No, I'm not.

Unless Enid likes adorable.

This is a pleasant surprise.

What brings you all the way out here?

Henry.

He's taken a stubborn interest in blacksmithing.

Oh. We might be able to help with that.

Thought I heard a bike.

Oh. Good to see you, man.

DARYL: What you doin' here?

Something up?

[HORSE SNORTS]

We found Rosita outside the walls yesterday.

She's pretty banged up.

- Is she here?
- Yeah.

And, uh, Eugene's missing.

We're headed out to go find him.

Could use a good tracker.

Yeah. Of course.

- Go.
- Yeah?

- Mm-hmm.
- Then I'm going, too.

- No.
- Mom, but...

No, come on. Let's get you settled.

♪

[HORSE SNORTS]

I know the terrain.

I know where we should start looking.

I should go out with you guys.

♪

Well, somebody's got to make this place run.

So I'll stay.

But the next time I hear a complaint about a kazoo...

I'll deal with it. I promise.

[ENGINE STARTS]

Dog!

[DOG BARKING]

♪

[BARKING CONTINUES]

Whoo!

♪

♪