The Walking Dead Season 9: 4 Ups & 1 Down From 'The Bridge'

1. Aaron's Amputation

With a new beginning in full swing and everything going right for our protagonists, it's easy for our characters to grow complacent. What's more, we the viewers get used to the status quo and therefore we don't expect anyone to die - not without warning first - which is simply unrealistic in a show of this nature.

Aaron's arm injury is something unexpected, but it's necessary for the show to include shocking moments like this one, as they remind us (and the central characters) that no matter how much progress is made, there's no escaping the harsh realities of this post-apocalyptic world. Sometimes, there's a price, and Aaron is the one that paid it in The Bridge.

Moreover, the writing is pretty clever here, because not only does Aaron's injury prove that there's no such thing as a happy ending in TWD, but the fact that a Saviour is indirectly responsible for this incident gives Daryl with the ammunition he needs to voice his concerns on the subject of the Saviours to Rick - which provides for a lot of the conflict throughout the episode.