Here are burning questions as we head into the remainder of season 7.
Warning: Spoilers ahead:
Where's Father Gabriel?
Leaving his Bible behind, Father Gabriel cleaned out the pantry of weapons and food and loaded the supplies into a car. He then drove off with a shadowy figure in the passenger seat.
Episode 9, picked up where we left off at the closing of the first half of the season. As Gabriel took the nighttime watch over Alexandria, we see someone watching him from afar.
Who's the new group?
At the end of the show, Rick and the gang go back to the spot where the boat was only to be cornered by a large number of survivors. They are surrounded by this new group who put guns to their heads. Before Rick can start reasoning with them or defending his people, a huge grin appears on his face.
The fact that Rick is smiling, which he rarely does lately, hints at possible reasons. Rick's main focus right now has been to enlist as many supporters as he can as he prepares to fight Negan's group, the Saviors.
What will happen if Negan and the Saviors find the explosives?
After meeting with King Ezekiel, Rick leaves Daryl at the Kingdom for his safety since he's on the run after escaping captivity with the Saviors. On the way backk to Alexandria, the group comes across a walker booby trap created by the Saviors with explosives attached. Rosita disarms it, allowing the group to swipe the incendiary materials.
Considering Alexandria gets a visit from the Saviors every couple of weeks, where will Rick and the crew hide the explosives? And if they are found, what will Negan do? Hopefully they're used in battle before he and Lucille drop by for a pickup.