Walking Dead: Rock in the Road

"Rock in the Road" is the ninth episode of season seven of the survival horror television series The Walking Dead, and the ninety-second episode of the series overall. It was directed by Greg Nicotero with a script written by Angela Kang. It first aired on AMC on Sunday, February 12th, 2017 at 9:00 pm. In this episode, Rick Grimes and the gang try to convince Gregory of the Hilltop Colony to join them in their struggle against the Saviors, but Gregory refuses to even acknowledge them. They journey to the Kingdom where they meet King Ezekiel, but he too seems reluctant to join in the upcoming battle. To spice up an otherwise boring day, Rick and Michonne take out literally hundreds of walkers on the highway.

Starring
Note: Listings marked with an (‡) symbol indicate cast members who are credited in this episode, but only their voice is heard in the episode, without making an actual appearance.

Appearances

 * Rick Grimes
 * Carl Grimes
 * Ezekiel
 * Maggie Greene
 * Michonne
 * Morgan Jones
 * Paul "Jesus" Rovia
 * Rosita Espinosa
 * Sasha Williams
 * Tara Chambler


 * Aaron
 * Benjamin
 * Carol Peletier
 * Enid
 * Eric Raleigh
 * Gabriel Stokes
 * Richard


 * Gregory
 * Negan
 * Simon


 * Alvaro
 * Andy
 * Eduardo
 * Freddie
 * Henry
 * Shiva
 * Tobin
 * Wesley


 * Saviors


 * Humans
 * Zombies
 * Insects
 * Horses
 * Tigers


 * Virginia
 * Alexandria
 * Alexandria Safe-Zone
 * Hilltop Colony
 * Barrington House
 * The Kingdom
 * Saviors' Sanctuary


 * Baseball bat
 * Lucille


 * Colt Python
 * Holy Bible
 * Katana
 * Pistol

Notes & Trivia

 * The Walking Dead was created by writer/executive producer Robert Kirkman and developed for TV by Frank Darabont.


 * "WD: Rock in the Road", "TWD: Rock in the Road", and "The Walking Dead: Rock in the Road" all redirect to this page.


 * This episode is rated TV-MA. It contains strong language and acts of extreme violence, which may be too intense for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.


 * This is the first episode of the second half of season seven. This half of the season was billed under the "Rise Up" tagline.


 * This is the first episode of the series to air in 2017.


 * This episode includes a closing dedication. "In loving memory of James Heltibridle". James Heltibridle is a production designer who worked on the film short "Death and the Robot".


 * Co-executive producer Denise M. Huth is credited as Denise Huth in this episode.


 * Actor Peter Luis Zimmerman is credited as Peter Zimmerman in this episode.


 * Actor Josh McDermitt is credited in this episode, but his character, Eugene Porter, does not make an appearance.


 * Gabriel Stokes is the first character to appear in this episode.


 * This episode aired on the same month and day as the season two episode, "Nebraska", which aired in 2012.


 * Jeffrey Dean Morgan does not make a physical appearance in this episode. However, Negan's voice can be heard over a walkie talkie. This is original material, and not audio archive.


 * The Saviors' Sanctuary only makes a brief cameo appearance in this episode. Exterior of the upper levels only.


 * Behind-the-scenes appearance of Skinny Joey, who is now just known as Joey.

Allusions

 * The title of this episode is taken from a parable that Rick Grimes tells to Ezekiel. It is a story that Rick's mother told to him when he was a child, about how helping others will yield great reward.


 * Abraham Ford is referenced twice in this episode. He is referred to as the "dead man" that both Rosita Espinosa and Sasha Williams slept with. He is also mentioned as a casualty of Negan when Rick describes their first encounter with him in "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be".


 * Reference is made to Glenn Rhee in this episode. Rick Grimes mentions him to Morgan Jones when speaking of Negan's victims. Along with Abraham Ford, Glenn was brutally murdered by Negan in "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be".


 * Negan makes reference to Fat Joey in this episode. Fat Joey was one of the Saviors, who was killed by Daryl Dixon in "Hearts Still Beating".


 * Reference is made to two deceased Alexandrians, Olivia and Spencer Monroe in this episode, both of whom were killed in "Hearts Still Beating". Olivia was shot in the head by Arat, and Spencer was gutted by Negan, and ultimately put down by Rick Grimes after he reanimated.


 * This is the first time that Rick Grimes' mother has ever been referenced in the series.

Zombie kill of the week

 * There's really only one zombie incident worth mentioning and that is when Rick Grimes and Michonne mow down more than a hundred walkers using a steel cable tied between two vehicles.


 * Runner up for zombie kill of the week is Rosita Espinosa. By discarding the pack of dynamite that she didn't like the looks of, she puts the cherry on top of the cake that is the Richonne zombie party massacre as an explosion in the background sends dozens of walkers sailing through the air.

Questions

 * What is the significance of "BOA", which is written in Gabriel Stokes' bible? And why does he have a sketch of Lucille, Negan's baseball bat, included in his bible? Up until this point, Stokes has never seen Lucille in action.


 * Who the heck are all of those people that surround Rick and the gang at the end of the episode. It is notable that the majority of people in this scene are women. Could one of them be the mysterious boot-wearing individual who appeared at the lake and outside the gates of Alexandria in "Hearts Still Beating".

Quotes

 * Michonne: We're the ones who live.

Crew

 * Robert Kirkman - Executive producer
 * David Alpert - Executive producer
 * Greg Nicotero - Executive producer
 * Tom Luse - Executive producer
 * Gale Anne Hurd - Executive producer
 * Scott M. Gimple - Executive producer
 * Sharon Bialy, CSA - Casting
 * Sherry Thomas, CSA - Casting
 * Gohar Gazazyan, CSA - Casting
 * Bear McCreary - Composer
 * Rachel Goodlett Katz - Editor
 * Grace Walker - Production designer


 * Michael E. Satrazemis - Director of photography
 * Jolly Dale - Producer
 * Caleb Womble - Producer
 * Ryan Degard - Producer
 * Matthew Negrete - Co-executive producer
 * Channing Powell - Co-executive producer
 * Corey Reed - Co-executive producer
 * Angela Kang - Co-executive producer
 * Denise Huth - Co-executive producer
 * Amy Beth Barnes - Co-producer
 * Alex Coley Brown - Co-producer
 * John Marler - Associate producer