The Walking Dead: 10 Details you might have missed on ‘Bounty’

The Walking Dead’s “Bounty” was chuck full of intricate details for the keenest of eagle eyes to spot and ponder.

This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead season 9, episode 11.

1) Daryl’s Angel Wing Vest missing half a wing is symbolic

2. Daryl’s missing wing on his leather stitched vest was first noticeable post Rick Grimes time jump in season 9. It wasn’t made clear whether the ripped off patch of wing was intentional or the product of wear and tear initially. However, tonight’s episode “Bounty” subtly hinted that the missing wing was not an accident without any direct verbiage about it.

   After turning over Lydia back to her mother Alpha, an individual responsible for the bruises on her arm and promptly slaps her post-trade, Daryl makes a bold statement. “I did what we had to do today. We all did.” He tells Henry to “Live with it,” quite a departure from his sleepless nights crawling up the walls over the inadvertent death of Denise. Right after, Daryl turns away from Henry as his half wing is explicitly noticeable to the viewer for more than a few seconds. It appeared to symbolize the fallen angel, perfectly meshing with Daryl’s apparent icy personality changes. Reminiscent of the “One Winged Angel” of Sephiroth for Final Fantasy 7 fans.

2) Oceanside, Sanctuary spotted on charter for signatures

3. Ezekiel was handed the ‘Multi-Community Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ from Paul “Jesus” Rovia and Tara Chambleron tonight’s Walking Dead. A distinguished eye likely caught the signature lines for Oceanside and Sanctuary before the camera panned away. While we know Sanctuary went ‘bust’ post-time jump, the whereabouts of Oceanside’s residents has long been a topic of interest. Did Michonne have them all executed or exiled after Rick’s disappearance? If so, was it punishment for causing the events that led up to the end of the bridge or something else? A thinly veiled response to Maggie’s singular decision to hang Gregory?

   The rift between Maggie and Michonne might indicate as such. That said, Oceanside’s appearance on the charter means they were at least part of the greater plan initially. Michonne keeping the charter she originally proposed on ice might be due to Oceanside’s inclusion post-Rick disappearance. Perhaps, Maggie’s reluctance to sign was due to Sanctuary’s inclusion. Nevertheless, if there was a stalemate, it caused the dissolution of both communities.

3) Movie theater in Alpha’s lands

4. Just as Ezekiel, Carol, Jerry and the rest of the Kingdom’s group were riding off into the sunset in victory, with Ezekiel commenting about them not losing anymore… The camera showed a sign exhibiting an ‘A’ with a line over it! Alpha stated The Hilltop’s people had been into their lands during the trade off but promised no conflict if Lydia was to be returned. When Alpha and The Whisperers realize The Kingdom had ‘sullied’ their lands by entering their cinema, will they come for retaliation?

4) Enid is aware Henry likes her

5. Enid openly told Daryl she knows Henry likes her when volunteering to change his mind about giving up Lydia. It appears Henry isn’t so good about hiding his feelings for Enid to be so blunt about it. Though a high-pressure life and death situation caused the trade…

   At its core, Enid essentially asked Henry to give up his potential girlfriend so she could have her potential boyfriend back. Lydia volunteering to leave is likely the only reason Henry went along with it. The love-struck Kingdom-ite has eaten a live ground worm for Lydia prior and would likely have done anything for her even before the kiss. Post kiss, all bets are off.

5) Daryl’s tasteful scar over eye, Carol’s half-grown hair

6. Daryl has a 300-style tasteful scar going across his eye Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas would be proud of! Meanwhile, The Walking Dead kept up continuity by having Carol’s hair be only half-grown in length in tonight’s flashback with Paul “Jesus” Rovia and Tara. The long locks were given symbolic reasoning by Henry last episode.

   Carol and Ezekiel’s adopted son mentioned she used to be afraid of Ed pulling her by the hair when she would try to run away to escape. Hence, cutting it short to begin with. Now, that she feels comfortable around Ezekiel she’s let the hair flow once again like an ad for Pantene Shampoo.

6) Alpha’s crew whispers to her as well, hierarchy in place

7. Alpha slapped Lydia for calling her momma in front of the group instead of Alpha “like all the rest.” The others whisper to Alpha rather than speaking at a normal level, indicating a type of submissiveness to the Alpha of the group. Though previously it appeared they whispered to avoid confrontation with the zombies they occasionally blend into, it seems whispering is also part of a hierarchy of classes within the group.

7) Daryl acted as The Hilltop’s leader

8. Daryl was the first to ask “the hell does it matter” when Alpha requested to know who the leader of The Hilltop was in tonight’s episode… Yet, he is the one to go out of the gate to speak to Alpha and the one to ultimately make the decision to give Lydia up. Daryl has unofficially been appointed leader by the group rather than Tara, who leads in title only. It’s Daryl that’s rose to the occasion in place of Maggie and Paul “Jesus” Rovia.

8) Addy is tattletale, enters Henry’s room without permission

9. Not only does Addy eagerly give up Henry’s location to Daryl, she goes into his room post-Lydia trade without invite. Addy seems like the type you don’t tell secrets to quite frankly. Is all this stemming from a crush Addy has on Henry? Is she trying to ‘save him’ from Lydia or just being the good samaritan?

   Or is it Daryl she secretly has her sights on? Addy sure had a long stare at the shrouded in darkness Daryl before informing him of Henry going AWOL.

9) Tara’s abandonment of Alexandria

10. In the flashback during he onset of tonight’s Walking Dead episode, Tara makes it clear she took more than her share of supplies upon leaving Alexandria… And also doesn’t plan to go back and be ruled by Michonne’s law and order. Tara along with Maggie and Daryl didn’t see eye to eye with Rick’s dream of fulfilling Carl’s vision for a new world.

    She was originally on board with Daryl wanting to smash a truck into The Sanctuary, thereby ending the community… Regardless of the innocents inside. It appears this thought process has followed Tara into her current mind state at The Hilltop. One wonders if she’d drop her weapon had she met The Governor in the current era of The Walking Dead.

10) Alpha/Daryl reminiscent of Beth trade, Governor at Prison

11. Alpha showing up at The Hilltop’s doorstep with a battalion, felt like a homage to The Governor’s infamous arrival at The Prison during season 4. Even right down to having two hostages in Alden and Luke like The Governor’s Michonne and Hershel.

    The scene also recalled Daryl’s trade for Beth with Officer Dawn Lerner, albeit without tragedy striking mid-trade. The Hilltop’s impromptu leader is certainly no stranger to hostage standoffs, and what can arise within seconds of misjudgment or even the perception of such. Just as he’s told Henry dozens of time now when confronted over his decision making, “You don’t know a thing about me. Not really,”