Alliances are forged and broken as tensions threaten to boil over in The Commonwealth, and the security of its walls is breached. The head of the Milton family attempts to extricate the administration from a worsening crisis through a reset, but her efforts might yet be thwarted by the murderous intentions of the spurned Hornsby.
A New Deal is an episode full of incident, as it tracks turning points in the storylines of characters on all sides of a fast-fracturing conflict. It accelerates the fragmentation of Maggie’s and Daryl’s group into smaller units, as they are forced to combine offensive and defensive operations. It’s also the episode that delivers the long-hoped-for comeuppance for one of The Commonwealth’s most repellant antagonists.
Carol’s success in using her diplomatic wiles ensures that Daryl’s pursuit of the discredited Hornsby does not end in a bloodbath. It’s a non-aggression pact premised on the reform of the Milton regime and the prosecution of Hornsby for his crimes and misdemeanours. Yet the compromise protects Pamela Milton from any culpability and insulates her odious offspring, Sebastian. Working independently, Eugene and Max try to extract leverage against Pamela from the imprisoned Hornsby, but he’s plotting vengeance of his own. All of this tense political manoeuvring is deftly handled in Corey Reed’s packed script.
Director Jeffrey January has worked on the show since Season Five, but A New Deal is far from his best work. The underwhelming way in which the resolution of last week’s cliffhanger is staged in the opening moments is a precursor to the oddly flat action scenes which punctuate the episode. There’s a stilted, static quality to the chase and combat sequences; the extras making up The Commonwealth crowd seem awkward and unsure, and there’s some pretty shonky walker make-up.
January is on much better form when it comes to the episode’s character dynamics. The highlight of these is the exchanges between Judith (Cailey Fleming) and surrogate father Daryl (Norman Redus), expertly played by both actors, in which the pair clash on matters of duty and her parent’s legacy. As with Lockdown, A New Deal begins with a montage of retrospective moments from the series’ past, voiced by the character of Judith. These reflect on the costs and consequences of sacrifice and survival, without tipping over into the mawkish or the melodramatic.
The episode ends with the vindictiveness of one villain colliding with the hubris and contempt of another. Judith, Daryl and the rest of their group are certain to be implicated in the aftermath. There’s intrigue too in Aaron’s and the gang’s mission to rally Oceanside as allies in the struggle to come. Although, given the shocking events of Acts of God, it’s uncertain what they’ll find. Yet while A New Deal does move some character arcs forward, it leaves unaddressed the question of where the battle lines of The Walking Dead‘s final conflict will be drawn.
New episodes of THE WALKING DEAD – SEASON 11 premiere Mondays in the UK on DISNEY+/STAR
Read our previous reviews of THE WALKING DEAD below:
