“… you wanna be like your brother.”

We open to the back of a truck bed. There is one crate. Members of the Kingdom place one cantaloupe in the crate and make sure the crate is strapped down. The truck bed doors close and the episode shifts to the opening theme and credits in what is probably the quickest intro in Walking Dead history… I’ll have to research that and see.

A woman is heard, slightly crying. A match is lit and Carol’s face appears in the glow of the flame as she lights her lantern. She sits up in bed, the expression on her face is one of sadness, tears down her cheeks. She lights a cigarette and tries to settle down. As Carol prepares herself and decides to leave her house, Morgan is inside the Kingdom, training Benjamin’s little brother with his staff, telling the child that he knows he wants to be like his brother. After the training, Carol has been showed entry and approaches Morgan, asking him why Jesus brought Daryl and the Survivors here. She also asks if what Daryl told her was true; that everyone of the Survivors were safe and had defeated the Saviors. Morgan will not tell her the truth, but says he will gladly walk with her back to Alexandria so she can ask for the truth herself there. Carol does not take him up on the offer and walks back to her home.

As Carol leaves the Kingdom, unbeknownst to her, Richard is around the corner of a building, shoveling dirt into an open grave that only contains a backpack with the name “Katy” written on it.

Morgan and Richard stand side by side as the Kingdom loads their required trade to give the Saviors. Richard explains that while he believes Morgan to be a good man, he disagrees with his stance on how to handle the issue with Negan and the Saviors. As they drive down the road, they come across an obstacle: shopping carts lined up in the shape of an arrow pointing to an open grave with a sign reading “Bury me here.” Eventually arriving at the drop, the Kingdom reveals their offering, but it turns out they are one cantaloupe short of the required number; eleven instead of twelve. As a result, one member of the Kingdom must suffer. Richard steps up to Jared, whose gun is pointed at his face. Richard is ready to accept this fate. However, Jared turns and fires, shooting Benjamin in the leg. The Kingdom rushes Benjamin to Carol, but there’s nothing she or they can do. Benjamin is dead.

This drives a powerfully emotional scene involving Morgan. After everything this man has been through and the control he has obtained, this moment brings his world crashing down. He makes his way back to the location of the shopping cart obstacle, rambling to himself, thinking of the losses he has suffered and screaming in anger. At one point, he kicks a box. That kick reveals that under the box was the missing cantaloupe. Morgan pauses, looking down at the cantaloupe, thinking back to that moment earlier and the only possible explanation as to why this cantaloupe was under a box: Richard.

Morgan storms into Richard’s room, throwing the box onto the ground. Richard tells Morgan that he had planned to have himself killed by Jared. He wanted his death to be the reason for the Kingdom to go to war. Richard goes onto explain how he lost his wife in their previous community and that his “defense only, no attack” belief eventually lead to his daughter’s death. He then asks Morgan to go along with it. He tells him they’ll win the Saviors trust until the time is right to attack and that he will explain the truth to the others and accept their judgement when the time is right.

The Kingdom returns to the spot and presents the final cantaloupe. As Richard walks the cantaloupe to the Saviors, Morgan attacks Richard and kills him with his bare hands. He then tells the Saviors that the Kingdom will continue with their offerings as scheduled. After the Saviors leave, Morgan explains to King Ezekiel and the others what Richard had planned. Morgan buries Richard in the open grave and notices the backpack sticking out of the neighboring dirt mound. He pulls it out and notices the name “Katy” scrolled on it. One can only assume that this was the backpack of Richard’s daughter. Morgan places it on the mound covering Richard’s body and places dirt over it as well.

There’s a knock on the front door of Carol’s house. She opens the door and there stands Morgan, who decides to tell her all the truth, from the Survivors killed by Negan all the way up to Richard’s actions. He then tells her that he’ll do whatever it takes to take out Negan and the Saviors. Morgan decides to stay in the house as Carol makes her way back to the Kingdom and tells King Ezekiel they must prepare for war with the Saviors.

We are then left with our last shot of the episode. From inside the house Carol stayed in, the front door is open and Morgan is sitting on the steps, his back is turned to the viewer. The sound that is heard sounds like a tool being used to sharpen Morgan’s staff. It is here, at this moment, that it seems Morgan is preparing himself to do what is necessary to protect those he cares for.