The Walking Dead s11e23 Episode Script

Family

But we don't have to be.
Please shut up!
Mom!
Hershel!
Where is my daughter?! Where is she?!
The Commonwealth finds Eugene Porter
guilty of murder in the first degree.
Time to fuck shit up.
For the longest time, we
were just fighting to survive.
Trying to get back what we lost.
This family, my family,
we would do anything
to protect each other.
And we're fighting
now for something else.
Something bigger.
A new beginning.
But that comes with a cost.
There's always a cost.
I never got to know my mom Lori.
My brother Carl dreamed of a day
when we'd all live together in peace.
My mom Michonne tried
to hang up her sword.
My dad, Rick, was searching for mercy.
And me?
Well, I guess I'm a Grimes, too.
I keep thinking about
something my mom told me.
A secret saying she used
to share with my dad.
It was like a good luck charm.
For me and RJ, too.
I was afraid to say it out loud.
I was afraid to say so
many things out loud.
But we didn't know when we started this
that this would be the day
everything changed forever.
Is there anything you know
that can help us find
where they took the kids?
When I was a soldier,
kids without parents
would end up at the
city's children's home.
You know where this place is?
Find out.
Let's go! Come on! Now!
Yo, does anyone actually
know how to drive a train?
Operate? Is it
wait Conduct the train?
Uh, yeah, I think one of the prisoners
used to be an engineer.
Uh, okay.
Here, Maggie.
Thank you.
Any thoughts on how
you're planning to do this?
Do what?
Take out the bitch.
Pamela?
Look, I get that others
have their own reasons
for going back, but as
far as I'm concerned,
none of us are safe as long
as she's still breathing.
I'm assuming you agree.
Look, Maggie,
together, you and I, we get this done.
We don't need the others.
We're not a "we."
Come here.
I love you.
See you soon.
You be careful.
Ah, you know me.
I always am.
I'm gonna hold down the fort.
You make sure to come back in one piece.
Yes, ma'am.
Take care.
I'll be back soon. All right?
Till then, mind your sister, yeah?
I'm coming.
No.
- But
- I need you here.
That's crap.
This isn't the future my brother wanted.
Not what my mom and dad fought for.
Not yet.
What we're doing could help everyone.
Not just us, but maybe
everybody everywhere.
I want to be part of that.
To make what my family believed in real.
We've all been so focused
on what's right in
front of us for so long.
You're thinking about what's after.
It's a good thing.
Maybe we could all do
a little more of that.
All right, but you stay
right with me, okay?
Come on.
Will you watch him? Yeah?
- Okay.
- All right. We'll be back soon.
Thank you.
Eugene.
- Are you okay?
- I am.
Thanks to your brother.
Why didn't you tell us?
It was safer for all of you.
You've joined a long line of people
who've saved my ass through the years.
I will never forget.
Okay, so what next?
Are we gonna try and leave?
Mnh-mnh. You three need to lay low.
- But we can help.
- Yeah, we lost in court.
But we were heard. People are angry.
We just need to push them
past the tipping point.
First I need to gather enough troops
willing to make a move on Pamela.
But if you and Max can
keep the public fired up,
it may give us enough cover
to put things in place.
How can I best assist?
By staying here, out of sight.
Repeat Anyone have eyes on Mercer?
Sorry, sir. We're out of time.
Rose here. I don't
see him at the moment.
He's taking a statement
from a potential witness.
Soon as he comes back,
I'll send him your way.
Time to go.
Out. Of. Sight.
We'll be back as soon as we can.
Let's get this dog
and pony show started.
Once we're in, the group is gonna move
the prisoners into hiding.
Hopefully getting Mercer on our side.
And as they work on taking out Pamela,
we go for Coco heading through here.
The lower ward? Why not the estates?
More money, more patrols.
We don't stand out as much in the wards.
We're gonna use this access road,
and it should bring us
behind the children's house.
We're gonna hit it from behind.
Yes?
You know we're gonna get
our daughter back, right?
Is that your faith talking?
In you, yes.
I'm glad you're here.
When you get it, just
leave the top outside.
Weird ending up in a place
like this again. With you.
What?
Sorry for what happened.
Dude, thank you,
but I don't have time for your sorries.
I'm trying to get in contact
with the guy who can help us.
She says she's happy we found you.
Look, we've been looking since
that night at Pamela's party.
Hey. Society threw you away.
You were desperate and mad.
I've been there.
I wanted Pamela to hear me,
but I shouldn't have hurt people.
Shouldn't have done a lot of things.
You can fix your mistakes.
The Governor might have
not even listened to you,
but soon, the people in
the Commonwealth will.
We deserve to know!
Come on! Tell us the truth!
Incompetence.
So you're telling me you have
no idea how Porter got away?
No, ma'am.
Clearly he had help.
Clearly.
Lot of people are
unhappy about the verdict.
It'll take some time to
narrow down the suspect list.
There have been reports of people
going missing in the
Commonwealth for a while.
We don't have many answers,
but maybe this time we get lucky.
Just do your job, Michael,
before more people get hurt.
Keep an eye on him.
I want a door-to-door search for Porter.
If he's found, shoot him on sight.
Yes, ma'am.
And the crowd?
Would you like us to try to disperse?
No. We'll find some bones to throw them.
If things escalate, options
are in place to deal with it.
B17.
Now is our chance.
Now is our chance.
Get to the trees.
Get to the trees. Get to the trees.
What?
I never thanked you.
For getting in front of those rifles.
Thank you.
Why'd you do it?
A lot of reasons.
Dying a martyr is too easy.
You living, making something
positive out of your days,
now, that
that'll keep me from giving in to anger.
Over what I lost.
I don't want to live out whatever days
I got left in bitterness.
You know?
I'm not even supposed to be here, man.
The dead came for me,
and yet I smile.
War came for me, yeah,
and yet I smile.
Cancer.
Yet I smile.
I try to, anyway.
I try.
So
So why'd you tell the Warden
your name instead of mine?
For my wife,
my kid.
To leave a better story about me
than the one you've been telling.
That when it mattered,
I did something right.
And it wasn't to prove anything.
It wasn't to get anything in return.
Hell, it wasn't even to save my own ass.
It was to save all of you.
You all are better than me.
And if you think I don't know that,
then you haven't been paying attention.
Haven't heard from
my mom in a long time.
Tried a few times,
but nothing came back.
Could be a lot of reasons for that.
But she can take care of herself
better than just about
anyone I've ever known.
She'd be real proud of ya.
Your dad, too.
Carl, too?
You two are a lot alike.
He died saving people.
Yeah, he did.
I wish I had more time with him.
I wish we had more time
to just remember them.
We will, Judith.
And when this is over, I'm
gonna tell you every story
I remember, about all
the people that loved you.
Come here.
You really think I had
something to do with his escape?
I don't know what to think.
All I know is, Eugene is missing
and you were the last
person talking to him.
Ms. Okumura, if you know where he is,
- it would be in your best
- If I knew where he was,
I'd be with him,
not stuck here having this conversation.
Sir.
Someone is trying to
raise you on the radio.
Name's Aurora.
I'll take it in here.
So, we done?
For now.
Thank you for coming in.
I need the room.
This is Mercer.
Hey, it's me.
Let's switch to another channel.
Uh, your old apartment number.
You there?
Yeah. You all right?
I'm fine. How's Eugene?
Safe, for now.
Where are you?
On a train, headed back to you.
A train?
We're bringing people
Prisoners that Hornsby
and Pamela disappeared.
What are you planning to do?
Change things, take Pamela down.
Think you'd be okay with that?
Yeah.
If you can get those prisoners
back to me, they're witnesses.
I'd have legal grounds to remove Pamela.
The train takes us
to a depot a ways out.
If we can make our way to
the city, can you get us in?
Old access tunnel under the west wall.
Leads up into Union Station.
Industrial building,
basement entrance, guarded,
but I can meet you there.
It's good to hear your voice.
- We've got an alert.
- Oh, yeah. Of course.
There's a swarm
approaching from the east.
Up ahead.
- Up ahead.
- Up ahead.
To the RV.
To the RV. To the RV.
No, no.
No.
Aah!
Aaahh!
Go! Go!
- Lockdown procedures initiated.
- Come on!
- Hustle, hustle!
- Proceed to your residences.
Follow all instructions.
- Remain inside until further notice.
- Go!
Hey!
Large crowd gathering
in the square. Over.
Don't worry about that right now.
- Lockdown procedures initiated.
- What's happening?
Swarm's approaching the city.
We're being sent out to divert it.
This is exactly what Pamela did before.
She used a swarm as an
excuse to clear the streets.
- How?
- I don't know,
- but that doesn't change the goal.
- Lockdown procedures initiated.
- Proceed to your residences.
- Everyone has to report home, Max,
- including you. No exceptions.
- Follow all instructions.
We don't want to give hotheads
an excuse to start trouble.
So we just wait for you
to deal with the swarm,
end the lockdown?
If we're lucky.
My girlfriend's coming back.
And she's bringing her friends with
Lockdown procedures initiated.
Proceed to your residences.
Follow all instructions.
Remain inside until further notice.
Lockdown procedures initiated.
I was supposed to go meet them myself,
but if I can get them in, you and Yumiko
have to go meet them in Union Station.
Vehicles ready to roll, General.
Is this everyone, sir?
Lockdown procedures initiated.
- For now.
- Proceed to your residences.
- Let's go!
- Follow all instructions.
Remain inside until further notice.
Keep them hidden till I get back.
Lockdown procedures initiated.
Proceed to your residences.
Follow all instructions.
Remain inside until further notice.
Lockdown procedures initiated.
Proceed to your residences.
Follow all instructions.
Remain inside until further notice.
No! No! No! No! No! We can't
just leave him out there!
- We don't have a choice!
- Let go of me!
- We gotta do it now.
- Lydia! The infection!
I don't care! I don't care!
Dude! Stop!
I can't lose him. Please.
Then he's gonna lose you.
You understand?
We'll find him. Soon as we can.
But you know what we gotta do.
Oh, no.
Aah! Ah!
- Hold tight on that.
- Okay. Okay.
Aah! Hey.
You know it happened to me.
Yeah.
- I made it all right, yeah?
- Yeah.
This is the hardest part, okay?
You are so loved, Lydia.
We're gonna get you through this, okay?
Okay.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
Hey, we are sitting ducks.
He ain't coming, and we can't wait.
It's time for a new plan.
Guys, please. Mercer's gonna show up.
- We're running out of time.
- I'm gonna head around,
try to find another way to slip in.
- Be careful.
- All right.
There's only four of
them. We could take 'em.
Those guards go missing,
clock's ticking on us.
Hey!
Hold on a minute. Did you hear that?
Sector D, gather all available units
and report to the East Gate immediately.
Mercer needs bodies to
deal with an incoming swarm.
- Copy.
- Copy.
Sir, does that include Tunnel H?
Yes, that includes Tunnel H.
So are we supposed to
just abandon our post?
God damn it, soldier, it's locked!
We've got it covered on this end.
Stop wasting time.
- Move!
- All right, let's move.
You heard it! Move!
I think we're good.
You sure?
All right. Let's go.
Governor, come in.
Anything yet?
No, ma'am. Saw his sister,
then reported to the wall.
He just pulled additional
backup to deal with the horde.
Nothing unusual.
Where did he take them from?
Sector 7 Processing and Tunnel H.
Did you want me to recall
any of those troops?
No, I'm sure Mercer has his reasons.
Echo, come in.
Copy. This is Echo.
Once you're in position,
peel your section west.
- Copy.
- Theta, follow at a distance.
Copy that. Approaching now.
Once your piece is clear,
double back and work east.
Shit! Echo just swerved into the horde!
They're out of control!
What the hell happened?
Unclear. We're moving to assist.
Look out!
Theta, report!
Theta, report!
Does anyone have eyes on
All units, fall back now.
Fall back. Regroup on me.
Armor up!
Heavy ammo!
Once the others regroup, we roll out
and knock the hell out of this thing
before it gets to our city.
Mandatory search by
order of Governor Milton.
Open up! Mandatory search!
I have the right to enter with force!
Trooper Brooks, what's your 20?
We have to go.
Easy. You lost a lot of blood.
They need us.
Elijah needs us.
Hey, you need a doctor first.
Elijah, Luke, Jules, they're all pros.
No, no, no, no, we don't leave them.
We don't leave them, Jerry.
They need us.
Just
Don't sweat it, okay?
You've lost enough.
I'll find him.
- I'm going with you.
- No.
You two get that arm looked at.
We'll meet up later.
You sure?
Yeah.
I find them, I find you.
Piece of cobbler.
See you on the other side.
Yeah.
- What's wrong?
- Something ain't right.
Come on, guys! We're almost there!
Get down!
Now, we've already lost
contact with Echo and Theta.
Michael Mercer, you're
under arrest for treason,
by order of Governor Milton.
Any resistance will be met
with life in prison or death.
Lower your weapons.
I'll go, but you need to
fortify the city's defenses
before the swarm reaches the perimeter.
The Governor insists
that the walls will hold.
There's something going
on out there, Vickers.
You gotta listen to me.
This is bigger than Pamela's bullshit.
Stop the dead before it's too late.
- Go, go, go!
- Aah! Aah!
Look out!
Get them outdoors!
Take them out now!
Go, go, go!
Get 'em!
- Get out!
- Take 'em down!
- Uhh!
- Let 'em have it!
Take 'em out!
Fire!
Come on!
No! No, no, no, no.
Wake up, Judith.
Jude, wake up.
Wake up!
We gotta go!
Aah!
You did this.
You did this!
We gotta go!
We gotta go now!
Throw it!
Let's go around.
Let's go! The chain's off!
Come on!
Daryl, this way!
Let's go! Let's go!
Guard. We lost visual on the hostiles.
Watch the doors, and sit still.
- Copy.
- Copy.
Hey.
Miko.
Come on, let's go.
Where the hell's our backup?
We need every available
trooper at the East Gate, now!
Christ, they're climbing the walls!
We need backup right
now at the East Gate.
The rotters are climbing.
I repeat, the rotters
are climbing the wall
No! Nooo!
What the
They're climbing the walls?
Trooper down! Trooper down!
Governor, the perimeter's been breached.
Section F is overrun with rotters.
We've lost 15 troopers, more civilians.
I don't understand.
The dead are in the
Commonwealth, Governor.
That's not possible.
This was a standard
This was just supposed to be a lockdown
while they cleared the swarm.
The dead, they are climbing the walls.
They are flooding in.
They are flooding in!
But
we can still make a stand.
If we hold here, maybe
we can stem the spread
and save a big portion of the city.
To be honest, it It's a long shot.
No. Pull our forces back to the Estates.
- Ma'am
- Place additional troops at my home
and secure the surrounding area.
Divert the swarm toward the lower wards.
That will buy you time to
gather essential personnel.
Governor, that would leave thousands
of citizens unprotected.
That is a death sentence.
We protect the Estates!
Seal the rest off.
The clinic's not far now!
This way! This way!
Fall back.
Fall back!
They're not following us.
Wait! What is that?
They'll follow noise!
They're penning us in!
Lock the gate! Lock it up! Time to go!
What the fuck?
Luke!
Move! Move!
Cut 'em off! We got that alley.
Clear a path!
Push 'em back!
No!
Daddy?
You may not think this
place is worth saving
but it's worth it to me.
Help me!
- Come on! Jump for it!
- Come on!
Hold the line!
Aah!
This family, my family
we would do anything
to protect each other,
and we're fighting now
for something else
Something bigger.
We've really felt like this episode
is our characters having to kind of
pick up their weapons again
after a period of peace.
They're getting ready to gear up
for what they know is
probably going to be
a difficult fight.
And I think that for
Judith, she kind of thinks,
"I have a personal responsibility
to fight for the things
that I believe in."
And I think that that's what
she believes her values are,
and if it requires a physical battle,
she's ready for that.
Like, she feels that she
wants to be part of the fight.
What we're doing could
help everyone, not just us.
Maybe everybody everywhere.
I want to be part of that,
to make what my family believed in real.
And I think R.J.'s now getting older,
and she's sort of giving the hat to him,
and the hat is something of the
continuity within their family.
Like, it's something that reminds them
of the loved ones always
kind of being near and dear,
even when they're gone.
So I think there's just
this really beautiful
big sister gesture to say,
"Even if I'm walking away, I
want you to have this hat, too."
Tell us the truth!
So you're telling me you have no idea
how Porter got away?
No, ma'am.
Clearly, he had help.
Clearly.
This scene between Pamela and Mercer
with Laila and Michael
is really fun to watch,
because both of those actors
are bringing so much nuance and layering
to that performance.
I think Pamela thinks
that Mercer's full of shit,
and I think Mercer is
getting in his digs at her,
and that's just kind
of where they're at.
There have been reports
of people going missing
in the Commonwealth for awhile.
We don't have many answers.
Maybe this time, we get lucky.
Just do your job, Michael,
before more people get hurt.
Mercer knows that at some
point, she may be on to him,
so he's being careful,
but at the same time,
he's poking at her a little bit,
because he's realized how much
she's lied and manipulated over time.
This is definitely one of our
bigger Walker sequences we've done.
Of course, there's a
lot of smoke and mirrors,
because a lot of the zombies
in the herd are digital.
But I think everybody does a great job
of blending the real
and the CG together.
It takes a lot of energy and preparation
to kind of get ready to do
a big zombie action scene
where there's this very scary
kind of emotional element,
but, you know, everybody
is so good at what they do
and they're such pros.
There's a certain amount
of fun for our actors, too,
when they get to be in the middle
of a big sequence like this.
Cassady, who plays Lydia, she's amazing.
She can tap into the Lydia pain spectrum
so well and so quickly.
So it was really moving when
we saw the footage come back
and, you know, she's trying to, like,
reach for the person that
she loves and hang onto him,
through when she's bitten
and through when she knows
that she has to have the limb severed,
because she's still
thinking about somebody else
in that moment.
We can't just leave him
out there! Get off of me!
We gotta do it now.
- Lydia, the infection!
- I don't care!
I don't care about the infection!
Dude, stop!
I can't lose him! Please!
He's gonna lose you.
She really brings so much
emotion and sensitivity
to that character.
I think Aaron and Jerry
are very parental
Like, they're very good at
keeping people around them
feeling safe when they're in that mode.
You know what happened to me.
Yeah.
I made it alright. Yeah?
Yeah.
This is the hardest part, okay?
You are so loved, Lydia.
I really love the work that they did
in doing a sequence like this,
'cause these are always
challenging sequences,
kind of from every side, I think.
Sorry.
I think the fight at Union Station,
it's a very complex sequence
and there's so many
different pieces to cover.
Get down!
Even though it doesn't take
tons and tons of screen time,
a sequence like this is just
very, very time-consuming
to stage, to shoot.
The work is meticulous
from our entire crew
and our director and our cast
to kind of capture
the vibe of this scene.
We wanted to slow down a little bit
the events that are
happening, because often,
when something really
scary or horrific happens,
people kind of describe it
as things almost feel like
they're in slow motion or
you can't quite understand
what real life feels like,
'cause you're just so focused.
Wake up!
You did this!
So we thought that that
just, artistically, felt like
it kind of tracked with what
was happening emotionally
to the characters.
We definitely wanted it to
feel reminiscent of the scene
where Rick was carrying
Carl after he was shot,
and it's kind of the question of, like,
is history going to
repeat itself with Judith
and what's going to
happen next with her?
All of those thoughts are
running through Daryl's head
as he's running with Judith,
out to try to find safety.
It was really important
to kind of talk about
this sense of found family
that our people have,
as well as literal
families that people are
fighting very hard to
reunite with and preserve.
So we just think that that
is one of the most important
kind of emotional themes that
runs across the entire series,
and it's something that we
really wanted to highlight
as we kind of get to the
very end of the series.
And obviously, it ends with a
very dramatic moment for Daryl,
as this person who is
like a child to him
Daddy?
She means the world to him,
and so he's going to do
everything in his power
to try to make sure that she
doesn't just die in his arms.
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