For a moment, life in the land of the undead is peaceful. Episode 11 begins with a flashback showing Jesus (Tom Payne) handing the abandoned community charter to Ezekiel (Khary Payton). Jerry (Cooper Andrews) announces that his girlfriend Nabila is pregnant. The Kingdom and Hilltop are preparing for the upcoming fair, holding out hope that Alexandria will join them. “It’s all going to work out” the King declares. But as a threat descends on the survivor communities, Ezekiel’s moment of hope is ultimately too good to be true. Here are the five best moments from “Bounty.”
Standoff
Alpha (Samantha Morton) stands firm outside the walls of Hilltop, demanding the return of her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy). Daryl (Norman Reedus) rebukes her at first and tells her to make her people turn back. She is unmoved. “You crossed into our land. No conflict. You killed our people. No conflict” she says. “Give me my daughter or there will be conflict.” Not wanting to give up his only bargaining chip, Daryl walks out to meet Alpha and threatens that he has enough ammunition to obliterate her people. No sooner does the threat leave his mouth than he sees a baby in the arms of a Whisperer. Alpha notes that Daryl balks at the sight of the baby and smiles with the knowledge that the threat is empty. Her people produce Alden (Callan McAuliffe) and Luke (Dan Fogler) and Alpha demands a trade.
Connie to the Rescue
When Daryl goes to fetch Lydia, only to find that her cell is unlocked and she is gone. Henry (Matt Lintz) let her out, leaving me to wonder if Henry is capable of making a single smart decision. While the group looks for the teens, the baby out in the field starts wailing, and its Whisperer mother is incapable of quieting it. A group of zombies approach, drawn in by the noise. Alpha gives the mother a knowing look and the woman shockingly abandons her baby on the ground for the walkers to devour. Connie (Lauren Ridloff) spies the horrific act and rushes out of her hiding spot in the cornfield to snatch up the baby. Walkers pursue her back through the maze of corn, as viewers get a terrifying POV camera shot of Connie stabbing zombies who lunge at her through the greenery. After becoming surrounded she is saved by Daryl at the last minute.
Trade
Enid (Katelyn Nacon) tracks down Henry and Lydia to convince them to come out of hiding. Henry is predictably stubborn and doesn’t want to send Lydia back into the hands of her abuser. So Enid opens up to him about the impact of losing her parents and Carl to appeal to his sympathies. Somehow he still doesn’t get it, but luckily Lydia has sense to her and volunteers to rejoin her mother. Turns out she actually misses her people. The trade ultimately goes off without a hitch. Though Lydia addresses her mother as “Momma” when thanking her for coming to the rescue, prompting Alpha to slap her across the face. “You call me Alpha, like all the rest” she demands, as she draws Lydia to her. The Whisperers depart. For now.
Side Mission
Ezekiel is determined to embark on a side mission before heading home to ready for the fair. Carol (Melissa McBride) chides him since a herd is wandering nearby, but Ezekiel is too happy about his plan for her to say no. The group of Kingdom dwellers clear a movie theater of the undead in order to explore the projection rooms. The King, you see, wants to give the gift of cinema to his people in order to add some joy to their lives and make the fair special. In their search, they even find a display box which is the perfect size for the charter. Once it’s signed of course. Carol suggests that they also prepare for the worst, given that The Kingdom is struggling to maintain crops and facilities, and may need Hilltop to take them in.
“The worst” almost happens when Jerry drops the projector bulb into a theater swarming with walkers. Surprisingly, it’s Carol who advocates fighting their way in to retrieve it, danger be damned. They’re all smiles as they depart with the bulb, but the camera lingers as they pass a sign post with a strange marking. A betting person would put their money on this symbol belonging to The Whisperers, making these Kingdom folk “trespassers” on their land.
Living With It
Henry hates what happened with Lydia, claiming Daryl should have understood not to give her back due to his own past abuse. Daryl tries to comfort the boy by saying he will find a way to live with it. Apparently the lives of Alden and Luke mean nothing to Henry because he skulks off in huff. Later that night, a note is discovered in Henry’s room reading: “I couldn’t live with it.” Realizing Henry is headed toward the Whisperers to find Lydia, Daryl prepares to go after him. Connie sees Daryl leaving and asks to accompany him. “I can’t live with it either” she writes on her notepad. They set off into the night.
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