Gene Page/AMC

(Spoiler Alert: Do not keep reading if you have not seen this week’s episode of “The Walking Dead”)

This week’s episode of “The Walking Dead” offered up some lighter moments than previous episodes this season, while still keeping the very real danger of death on the front burner.

The episode opens with a woman, Cyndie (Sydnie Park), and a young companion named Rachel (Mimi Kirkland) exploring a beach. Rachel happily kills a walker lying in the surf, and rushes over to what appears to be another one. Only it not a walker: It’s Tara (Alanna Masterson).

We flashback to Tara and Heath (Corey Hawkins) some time earlier out on a scavenging run, unaware of the terrible fate that has befallen the group courtesy of Negan. Heath has lost hope in humanity after he joined Rick’s group in killing a large number of Saviors at the satellite station during the events of Season 6.

Also Read: 'Walking Dead' Star Chandler Riggs' Mom Tries to Quash Rumors of His Exit

Later, he and Tara try to cross a barricaded bridge but are separated by a group of walkers. The last we see Heath, he has run away in fear. We then flashforward to the present. Tara is still unconscius, but Cyndie has hidden her among some trees and leaves food, water, and a makeshift spear behind.

When Tara regains consciousness, she quickly eats and drinks and strikes out to tail Cyndie back to her camp. What she finds is an entire community sprung up around an old cabin motor court populated entirely with women. As she looks on, shots suddenly ring out and Tara is on the run.

She is able to outmaneuveur another woman, Beatrice (Brianna Venkus), and get a hold of her shotgun. Tara stands able to kill her, but instead knocks her out with the butt of the gun. She continues to run but is cornered by Rachel. Cyndie intervenes and begs that Tara’s life be spared.

Masterson makes the most of the tense moments with some good awkward banter while her character’s life is on the line yet again.

Also Read: 'Walking Dead' Showrunner Weighs in on Fan Theory About Daryl Using Morse Code

Tanya, the group’s leader, asks Tara why she came to their camp. Tara lies and says she has been living on the road with a friend and that they were separated on the bridge, with Tara washing up on their shore.

Later at dinner, Tara asks where all the men are. Tanya tells her that they got into a fight with another group and all the men were killed. She then offers Tara the chance to stay and work in their community. Tara says she can’t, but Tanya lets on that she knows Tara is lying about living on the road.

Tara, knowing she is caught, begins to tell them about Alexandria and the benefits of an alliance. Cyndie begs that they reach out and begin working with other groups, but everyone else is paranoid. Tanya agrees to let a guide show her the way back to the bridge, but is vehement it not be Cyndie.

See video: 'Walking Dead' Sneak Peek Teases Prelude to War With Negan

Out in the woods, Beatrice and another woman, Kathy (Nicole Barré), tell Tara to kill a walker that lie in their way. Tara, sensing something is wrong, takes off running just before bullets begin whizzing by her head. Beatrice gets the drop on her, but Cyndie appears out of nowhere and tackles Beatrice.

Cyndie then presses on to the bridge with Tara. She covers Tara with her rifle as she runs through the walkers left on the bridge. We again flashback to Tara’s earlier run with Heath, and we see that Heath did indeed return and try to save Tara before she was knocked over a guard rail into the river below.

As Tara runs across, she sees a black walker with braids just like Heath’s, but she is relieved to see that it is not him. She makes her way back to Alexandria, only to find Eugene crying at the gate as she enters. Tara leans her girlfriend, Denise, is dead and that Negan has taken over.

'The Walking Dead': The Most Shocking and Disturbing Deaths So Far

SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.
When Andrea's sister Amy ( Emma Bell) died in season 1, it proved that no one was safe.
AMC
The death of Jim (Andrew Rothenberg) in season 1 showed the characters how to treat a bitten person for the first time.
AMC
Sophia (Madison Lintz) was beloved by all, but Rick did not hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger when she became a walker.

AMC
Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) was the moral compass of the group, but died in the midst of the discussion around executing their prisoner, Randall.

AMC
Shane (Jon Bernthal) was ready to kill Rick, but Rick acted first, proving himself to be a fearless leader.

AMC
T-Dog (IronE Singleton) gave his life to save Carol from walkers when the group tried to take the prison.

AMC
Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) died during childbirth, prompting Carl to shoot her in the head to prevent her reanimation.
AMC
Merle (Michael Rooker) proved he was a good man by giving his life in an attempt to stop The Governor.
AMC
Andrea (Laurie Holden) failed to see The Governor for what he was and paid the ultimate price.
AMC
Hershel (Scott Wilson) wanted peace, but The Governor took his head to prove a point to Rick.
AMC
Tyrese (Chad Coleman) let his guard down for a just a moment, but long enough to get bitten by a walker.

AMC
Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) killed her sister Mika (Kyla Kenedy) before Carol shot Lizzie in the back of the head.
AMC
Beth (Emily Kinney) died protecting Noah from Dawn (Christine Woods), forcing Daryl to shoot Dawn in the head.
AMC
Noah (Tyler James Williams) endured one of the most gruesome deaths in "Walking Dead" history thanks to Nicholas.
AMC
Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), Ron (Austin Abrams) and Sam (Major Dodson) all died within seconds of each other. Sam got eaten when the horde invaded Alexandria. Jessie died as she tried to save him. Ron then attempted to kill Rick, but got stabbed by Michonne and was subsequently eaten.
AMC
Abraham (Michael Cuditz) was the one we had to wait six months to see murdered by Negan. He, of course, got his head beaten in with Negan's barbwire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille.
AMC
But Abraham wasn't Negan's only victim that night. After Daryl punched Negan, Negan decided he had to make another example out of someone in the group -- and he chose Glenn.
AMC
Spencer (Austin Nichols) thought he could use Negan to kill Rick in order to assume control of Alexandria. But Negan had other plans, gutting Spencer in full view of everyone in the community
Gene Page/AMC
Olivia (Ann Mahoney) suffered plenty of indignities at Negan's hands, and he eventually repaid her by having her shot
AMC
Ole Dr. Carson made a critical error by saying mean things about Sherry to Dwight over and over again. So Dwight framed the good doctor for helping Daryl escape from the Saviors -- and Negan threw him into the furnace for it.
AMC
When King Ezekiel's crew was short one cantaloupe in its tribute for Negan's Saviors, Benjamin was shot in the leg as punishment. Unfortunately, the shot hit an artery, and young Ben bled out.
AMC
It turned out that Richard had tossed one of the cantaloupes because he wanted to start a war between the Kingdom and Saviors -- and he thought they would kill him for being short. They shot Ben instead, but Morgan strangled Richard the next day after Richard confessed.
AMC
Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) used Eugene's suicide pills to kill herself while she was theatrically locked in a casket because of some ridiculous thing Negan was doing. When Negan opened the casket she popped out as a walker and saved Rick and the residents of Alexandria in a clutch moment.
AMC
Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) returned in season 8 after having been gone since season 1, but that return was short-lived. About ten minutes in show time after Morales, his family dead and now a member of the Saviors, showed up he got shot my Daryl.
AMC
Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) got shot during the Alexandrians' battle against the Saviors, and then bled out and turned into a walker after a tearful goodbye scene with his boyfriend Aaron (Ross Marquand).
AMC
Shiva the tiger bit the dust while saving Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry from a bunch of walkers in Season 8. There were just too many and they swarmed and ate her.
AMC
Carl died in the season 8 mid-season premiere after suffering a zombie bite in the first half of the season.
AMC
Gregory got his long overdue death when he was executed by hanging for trying to murder Maggie in the season 9 premiere.
AMC
Jesus was killed when he tried to decapitate a zombie only to discover that zombie was actually a living man disguised as one -- this was Alexandria and Hilltop's first real contact with the Whisperers.
AMC

1 of 30

TheWrap looks back at those who have fallen victim to the zombie scourge–and other humans–over nine seasons

SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.

View In Gallery