The Walking Dead 1109 Review: “No Other Way”

It’s so nice having The Walking Dead back on Sunday nights. The next eight episodes mark the next milestone in the march to the series finale; it’s hard to believe that only 16 episodes remain, but from the look of things in 1109’s “No Other Way” the writers won’t be pulling any punches. 

From the look of things, the Reaper story seems to be over – for now. Maggie killed the remaining Reapers but Leah remained alive. Negan went off on his own. Alden succumbed to his injuries. Judith and Gracie made it out of the basement after Aaron swooped in and saved the day. 

There were some great moments in “No Other Way” that helped break up the intensity of the episode. I loved Negan’s little smirk when Gabriel revealed that he was the sniper on the roof. Daryl’s joy at seeing Connie alive and well was a high water mark after all of the time he spent looking for her in season 10. 

And let’s not forget Eugene’s iconic introduction of Lance Hornsby to the residents of Alexandria. The world of The Walking Dead just took a huge leap and it’s going to be a whole new world from here on out. 

“No Other Way” reminded me a lot of The Walking Dead’s early seasons, when an episode was filled to the brim with walkers, nail-biting moments and plenty of human drama. Because, at the end of the day, the show is all about the drama between different groups of people. The pacing of this episode was superb; it moved quickly without jumping around too much. It didn’t feel rushed, and it gave everyone a chance to shine. 

The episode also introduced the next chapter in the story. The arrival of the Lance Hornsby and the Commonwealth signals a new era for The Walking Dead, but as the six-month time jump suggests, all is not well in Denmark. Or, in this case, what’s left of the Hilltop. That’s going to be the big question heading into the next eight episodes: What on earth led Daryl to lead troops to Hilltop, and why is he wearing Commonwealth gear?

For me, “No Other Way” checked all of the boxes. It was everything I could hope for in a mid-season premiere and it wrapped up the 11A stories in a way that made sense without glossing over too much. 

As we look ahead to the middle group of eight episodes, there’s no question that the drama will be more intense than ever. The stakes are high and there are lots of new people around who may – or may not – be trustworthy. 

These are the kinds of stories that make me love The Walking Dead. I’m so excited to see what’s coming next!