'The Walking Dead' recap: 'New Best Friends'

Last week's episode of The Walking Dead left us with a new sense of hope for the group, but last night's only confirmed that feeling of hope. The episode showed us that there is yet another group of survivors in this strange, fantasy-inspired new world, two friends can be reacquainted again and relationships can be tested.

This episode, aptly titled "New Best Friends," starts off at the Kingdom where King Ezekiel and a few of his associates, including Morgan, await their exchange with the Saviors. After a brief interlude between Ezekiel and a rather groggy, boozy-looking Savior regarding the sufficiency of the supplies, Richard and another Savior square off suddenly, guns raised. Richard, as we learned a few episodes ago, has been howling for the Saviors' blood for a long time. He's been near mad with desire to take them out for good and he sees this exchange as the perfect opportunity to get the war started. However, his plan is thwarted when Morgan (renowned pacifist) breaks them up with his trusty stick.

We see Morgan returning to the Kingdom when Daryl calls him over. They talk briefly of the exchange, but most importantly, Daryl tries to subtly break Morgan of his pacifist ways by using Carol as an example. He tells Morgan that if Carol were in his place, she wouldn't have hesitated to fight them off. Morgan counters his argument by agreeing with him and telling him that that was the reason she left.

Daryl, who doesn't want to live in the Narnia-inspired world of the Kingdom, passes the time with Richard and on a mission to kill a party of Saviors, the two get into a tussle after Richard tells Daryl his plan for getting the Kingdom engaged in the war. His plan is to mow down a small party of Saviors on their way into the Kingdom as a message to the rest of them, however the plan comes at the risk of losing Carol. Daryl, who shares an emotional connection with her, tackles him and starts beating on him. He warns him if anything happens to Carol, he's going to kill him.

Next, we catch up with Rick and the group in a new, rather strange community inside of a landfill. The inhabitants are a bunch of bizarre and feral people that kind of remind oneself of the "children of the corn." The community has no real name, but it's clear they are a resourceful tribe with their own dialect. Rick speaks with their leader, Jadis, about forming an alliance in their war against the Saviors.

Initially, Jadis refuses Rick's offer and instead she takes him atop a mountain of garbage overlooking everyone down below, and shoves him into a pit. Waiting for him inside is a walker clad from head to foot in large iron spikes. The whole thing is a test of strength and once Rick takes out the walker, Jadis pulls him back up and they arrange a deal: they'll fight with Rick and his group as long as they get to keep half of what they stole from them plus guns.

After a brief, rather hilarious, visit at her house from Ezekiel and his associates, Carol is visited by Daryl-someone she probably never thought she'd see again. After they embrace each other awhile, Carol takes him inside where she cooks him dinner and Daryl catches her up on everything that's happened. Carol mainly asks him how everyone is doing and if they're all still alive and Daryl lies to her saying that everyone's fine, neglecting to tell her about Glenn and others' deaths. While some may disagree with Daryl lying to her, Daryl probably did the right thing in not telling her the truth. After all, it isn't worth risking the peace and warmth of their heartfelt reunion.

The episode ends with Daryl sitting outside of Shiva's cage, petting her, when Morgan comes into the room. He comments on how well Daryl's getting along with the tiger, telling him Ezekiel would be impressed. Daryl then attempts to break Morgan of his pacifist ways as he did towards the beginning. He tells him that they need the Kingdom's help in fighting the Saviors and how he needs to convince Ezekiel. Morgan, still stuck in his old pacifist ways, refuses. Daryl tells him that whatever peace he's still trying to hold onto is long gone and that he needs to wake up. Daryl tells him he's leaving to go back to the Hilltop in the morning.

The next morning, we see Morgan watching as Daryl leaves the Kingdom. As the gates close, we see Richard glaring down at Morgan from a nearby balcony with his arms crossed in a testing manner. Morgan looks back at him in acknowledgement, a glimmer of change playing in his eyes.