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The Walking Dead returns from its summer break with the 17th episode of Season 11 this week! While this is the final season of the show that has taken us through so many ups and downs for the last 12 years, the TWD universe will live on in spin-offs for years to come.

But what about this first return episode of the season? Was it worth the wait? Was it everything we’d hoped it would be? Follow along below to read my complete review and recap.

Warning! This article contains major spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 11, Episode 17: Lockdown.

First off, let’s recap the previous episode that aired all the way back in April. It was a fractured episode that brought up more questions than answers, making the summer break all that more excruciating.

Where did we leave off from Episode 16?

In that episode, we saw Maggie finally leave Hilltop behind. This was a real shock because it’s where Glenn was buried. That, combined with her crumbling walls against Negan, really sets the stage for the Negan/Maggie spin-off that’s supposed to happen next year.

That episode also saw the Commonwealth systematically take down all remaining settlements in the area, thanks to Hornsby and his army of stormtroopers.

We also saw Connie, Eugene, Max, and Kelly expose the list of names of those Commonwealth civilians who were killed by Sebastian Milton’s antics. They finally let everyone know what a scumbag he was, which leads into a major plotline of Episode 17 and 18.

Great to have the walking dead back, finally what feels like the longest final season in tv history is coming to an end

— shalashaska (@soupycup) October 3, 2022

Let’s Get into Episode 17

This first episode Season 11 Part 3 kicks off with Negan, Maggie, Gabriel, Aaron, Daryl, and Negan’s new wife, Annie, killing off the last of the attacking walkers in the building they’re hiding out in. Hornsby and his troopers are right outside, clearing the area, while our group of heroes makes a plan.

The plan centers around Negan infiltrating the Commonwealth to have a chat with Mercer, who is slowly swaying toward Daryl’s side, but is still playing by the Commonwealth’s rules. I think it’s a no-brainer that Mercer will join Daryl’s crew, but it will take some more work.

Before he gets there, Negan and Daryl steal a couple Commonwealth SUVs and have an epic car chase through some streets that look straight out of Fallout 4. This was a really great part of this episode, in my book.

Negan eventually sits down to chat with Mercer and the two titans of egotism are able to get a bit closer to reaching common ground.

Meanwhile, Connie’s newspaper article about Sebastian Milton causes quite a stir with the people of the Commonwealth and they begin to protest in front of Pamela Milton’s office. These people are out for revenge because of what the governor’s son has done to their families (in earlier episodes of Season 11), but Pamela is a powerful woman who has her own idea for protecting her son. We’ll see that idea play out in Episode 18.

Once Negan is inside the Commonwealth, he bumps into his old friend Carol, who recruits Negan to help her look for Sebastian’s hiding place.

I do love the dynamic between Carol and Negan because you can tell that they both have a mutual respect for decisive, strong-minded people. They make quite a team (although they’re no Daryl/Carol).

The two eventually find Sebastian and bring him out of his hiding place. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know that I like to pick out my favorite quote of each episode. For this one, it happens when Negan snatches up a gun that Sebastian was hiding near him. “Do you know who I am,” Sebastian asks. But Negan turns it around in a way that only Negan can. “Do you know who *I* am?” Classic Negan.

Eventually, Carol and Negan get Sebastian out but they’re spotted by an angry civilian who alerts the others. All hell breaks loose and the Commonwealth troopers disperse the chaos with good old fashioned tear gas.

A giant horde of walkers approaching the city is a big concern for Mercer and his troops. I imagine that’s not the last we’ll see of that horde.

The Walking Dead is really back! I thought the day would never come 😅

— Mikasa (@ValChumz) October 3, 2022

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think this was a quality episode. Between the car chase and the horde-thinning from Mercer and Rosita, this episode packed a lot of action. And, of course, there was plenty of that TWD gore we’ve come to know and love.

If you have AMC+, you were treated to a second episode in the same night (Episode 18). Look for a review and recap of that episode coming soon.

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Shawn

Shawn has been infatuated with the post-apocalyptic genre since he wore out his horribly American-dubbed VHS of the original Mad Max as a child. Shawn is the former Editor-in-Chief at Massively.com, creator of the Aftermath post-apocalyptic immersion event, and author of "AI For All," a guide to navigating this strange new world of artificial intelligence.
He currently resides on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere with his wife and four children.

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