The Other Side (The Walking Dead)

"The Other Side" is the fourteenth episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 19, 2017.

The episode focuses primarily on Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) accompanying Rosita (Christian Serratos) on a secret mission to assassinate Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) in order to avenge their late boyfriend, Abraham Ford.

Elsewhere, Simon (Steven Ogg) and the Saviors pay an unexpected visit to the Hilltop with plans of taking more than just supplies.

At the Hilltop, Sasha and Maggie have begun training survivors, including Enid, in the use of knives offensively in preparation for the imminent war against the Saviors.

Surprising everyone, Simon and a crew of Saviors raid the community, forcing Daryl and Maggie to hide in the cellar.

Aware of the Saviors' arrival, Sasha packs her bag and takes Rosita to a secret escape hatch that passes beneath the perimeter wall.

As Daryl readies his knife to attack the Savior searches the cellar, but soon leaves with some supplies and shuts the door.

As gunfire breaks out, Rosita flees and sobs in frustration after she hears Saviors approaching, but eventually stops to catch her breath and notices a dark figure, holding a crossbow, watching her from a small distance.

On Rosita's backstory, she commented, "She knew that what she had to offer was her appearance and that it could benefit her if she chose to utilize it, and that’s what she did to survive.

Actor Tom Payne promised “he is the same as he is the comic books in that regard,” and later said, “I was excited to first establish Jesus as a kick-ass ninja, then have the fact that he happens to be gay dropped in later.

The site's consensus reads: "The Other Side" delves into the sorrowful aftermath of losing key characters with a slow-building narrative that gathers speed—and gains power—along the way.

He commented that the episode "manages something I thought was nearly impossible at this point: it made me care about Rosita and Sasha’s friendship.

[6] Metro's Adam Starkey praised the episode, calling it "an effectively emotional build with some standout performances", enjoying the comfort moments between Sasha and Rosita.

He said, "In a series where the moustachioed soldier's death was - somewhat understandably - overshadowed by original character Glenn (Steven Yeun), this moment feels like the Abe tribute he's deserved for some time now.

He felt that the episode was "an excuse to give Rosita some semblance of character development, something she’s been sorely lacking over her four seasons on the show.

"[9] Noam Cohen of New York Observer was more negative of the episode, saying, "When it decides to slow down to give us character-centric vignettes, rather than letting their personalities and emotions emerge from their involvement in the plot, it starts to lag, and feel like a lot like filler.

The scenes involving Sasha ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) ( pictured ) were noted as highlights, but most critics felt Sasha's decision to sacrifice herself to save Rosita ( Christian Serratos ) was manufactured.