Scars (The Walking Dead)

"Scars" is the fourteenth episode of the ninth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 17, 2019.

Sometime later, Michonne and Daryl wake up bloodied and tied to a pipe, and realize that Jocelyn has brainwashed the children to be vicious and nearly feral.

In the present, Aaron alerts Michonne of Daryl's group's presence at the Alexandria gates, including Connie, Henry, and Lydia.

They stay long enough for Henry to get the medical care he needs, but Michonne refuses to provide them an escort to the Kingdom.

They soon arrive and enter the Kingdom, unaware that a pair of Whisperers are watching them and plan to inform Alpha.

Because of the story featuring violence toward children shown in this episode, AMC took several precautions to minimize any psychological harm to the child actors.

Once the cast was selected, they and their parents met with the writers Corey Reed and Vivian Tse, and the assistant producers to review their roles.

All props used were rubber and the crew took extensive time to choreograph the action scenes to further avoid any surprises.

Further, the episode's structure, alternating between flashback and present, allowed them to cut away from any of the children's deaths, instead using Michonne's attacks on the walkers instead.

The critical consensus reads: "An emotionally lacerating installment of The Walking Dead provides crucial backstory for the series' new status quo with a flashback structure that culminates in a shocking set-piece that will leave even the most hard-bitten fans shaken.

"[4] However, Jeff Stone from IndieWire gave a negative review, along with a D+ rating, stating, "After a relatively solid string of episodes, "Scars" is Season 9's first big stinker, a nasty piece of work that doesn't even have the courage of its own convictions.