The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23 review

"What the f***?" The final words of The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23, exclaimed by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), sum up the penultimate episode of the series.

We were initially told not to fear the mindless wandering zombies that populate the Walking Dead world. But now they have evolved – they can climb, turn doorknobs and even pick things up!

But as Chris Martin would say – let’s get back to the start.

The episode is centered around Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) who remembers her father Rick, mother Michonne and brother Carl in the opening moments. Much against the wishes of Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), she joins our band of heroes in the plot to take down Pamela Milton. In The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23, our heroes take a train in an attempt to topple the corrupt leader.

They have a man on the inside. Michael Mercer (Michael James Shaw) is firmly on the side of the good guys now, hiding Eugene (Josh McDermitt) from Pamela Milton. But the leader of The Commonwealth has her suspicions. She even entrusts Colonel Vickers (Monique Grant) to keep an eye on the Commonwealth general.

But there are heartbreaking moments in The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23 as well. Lydia (Cassady McClincy) is separated from Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) and her arm is subsequently bitten by a walker. In an emotional scene, Aaron (Ross Marquand) reminds her just how much she is loved, as Jerry (Cooper Andrews) hacks off her arm to prevent it from infecting her further.

Gunshots ensue in The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23 when Pamela Milton’s forces come up against our group. But to save Maggie (Lauren Cohan) from being shot at, Judith steps into the firing range. She is shot and carried out by Daryl in what is a truly difficult scene to process.

But while she’s being ferried through the zombie and Commonwealth troop-infested streets, she utters, "Daddy?"

Does this mean Rick Grimes is coming back for the finale? One can hope.

---

The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23: How evil is Pamela Milton?

Everyone has had to do bad things to survive in the zombie apocalypse, you posit, dear reader. Why is Pamela Milton such a villainess then?

Well, when she hears about this new variant walker breaching the supposedly impenetrable walls, she asks Colonel Vickers to divert the walkers to the lower wards. She recommends that the Commonwealth Army should protect her quarters.

With The Commonwealth now infested by a swarm of zombies, without an army to defend it, one wonders how much gore and bloodshed awaits us in the very final episode of the season.

The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23 brings us back to what made us fall in love with the show in the first place – the perseverance of man against the undead. Who will live and who will perish in the upcoming melee?

Yes some scenes are ridiculous! Former ace marksman Daryl missed all his Commonwealth foes when firing with a gun, but then hit an airborne fire extinguisher with no effort. A variant walker climbed and feasted on a Commonwealth soldier in such a manner that he fell on a lever that opened the Commonwealth gates. That said, The Walking Dead season 11 episode 23 has significantly more good than bad.

---

Watch the final episode of The Walking Dead next week on AMC and AMC Plus.