Survival of the Fittest.

**shudder**

 

I was dying through the whole thing. It also made me hate alpha a little bit more knowing she was breaking her own rules to retrieve her child while making that new mother surrender hers. At least it had a happy ending and the baby now has a new family that will love him/her.

 

That was a tense scene. While I was pretty confident they would not show an infant being consumed on TV it still had me on the edge of my seat.

I guess we now know why they had Connie run into the cornfield last episdoe.

 

Not really, Alpha has always told people to be quiet (her backstory when she killed the guy banging on the boarded window for help, she told him to be quiet).

She even said as much when she told Alden why the baby had to be sacrificed...you have to be silent to live amongst the dead which is what they do.

Also Lydia is older and knows to be silent, the baby has no clue yet.

Funny how she brought the baby in case of "conflict" as a deterrent from attack by the group but also as a ploy to get the Hilltop to rescue the baby as a linchpin to launch an attack on Hilltop as well.

 

I get it but it was also the rules, according to Lydia, to leave captured, missing or injured people behind. I thought it was an interesting juxtaposition to see that Alpha was unwilling to follow her own regulations when it came to her child but expected that mother to fall in line when she couldn't shush her kid.

I personally think it's Alpha's way of keeping her group to a finite number of people. It would be very difficult to raise infants and young children in that environment so I imagine eventually every child born into the group gets sacrificed sooner or later. We're animals she said, but even animals protect their young so I think she flatters herself.

 

I thought it was one of the best scenes of the series. It shows that Alpha is unlike any of the other people the group has faced. Babies have been a major theme of this series, ever since Lori found out she was pregnant. The idea that a baby is dangerous to have around and they stand little chance of surviving in their world. Yet they also symbolize the future and what you are willing to risk in order to have a future.

Then here comes Alpha who is willing to sacrifice an infant for no reason.

 

I think it is not a coincidence that in this same episode that Jerry is shown to have 3 kids, especially making a scene to let Jerry announces his wife's pregnancy.
This might be set up as a contrast between the Kingdom and the Whisperers. The former will prosper while the latter, with their twisted mentality towards their young offspring, will die out sooner or later.

 

Yeah I also took the methods of how each groups captive was received by their own group when returned as a symbol.

Alden and Luke were shown love, Alpha smacked the shit out of Lydia...

 

I rewatched last night, and that scene was so chilling. You could see the desperation even through the walker skins for the momma.....and Alpha shrugs.......chilling.

 

One of the only scenes in this ep that I really liked. Dramatic and showed the difference between the Whisperer culture and the other people.
I liked Connie's world that the audience was shown when she was running away with the baby. Very cool.

 

And the absolute lack of empathy from Alpha.

 

She smirked!!! All the while declaring possible conflict if Daryl doesn't return Lydia.

 

The smirk was important to show Daryl and the others exactly what they are dealign with. I don't think they faced anyone as ruthless. Brutal, crazy, desperate yes, but this is a new level of Ruthlessness.

 

We haven't quite seen the full extent of how ruthless any of the other Leaders could be given or not given the situation.

I think The Governor and Negan wouldn't be as ruthless BUT had the Hilltop taken his daughter (Governor) hostage would he have gone thru any means to get her back? Would the Wolves or Gareth from Terminus have sacrificed (or in Gareth's case taken a child or baby for food)?

I think Alpha brought the baby along as a means to avoid attack by the Hilltop but with the extended talks (Alpha even said as much) the baby ultimately began to cry for whatever reason thus deterring the Whisperers primary objective which was getting Lydia back.

The Hilltop was ready to "light them up" until they saw the baby then once they realized they had Alden and Luke the Hilltop ultimately backed down from that threat.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of leaving the baby out for the walkers to eat but your point is well taken.

 

That shrug. *shudder*

 

They gave her the perfect whisperer face. I am starting to realize it was more the mask that showed the desperation than her body language. LOL