Episode 11 titled “Knots Untie” of Season 6 of the American holocaust survival horror drama TV series aired on AMC on February 29 and it featured a new community called the Hilltop run by Gregory. Jesus, who first appeared in episode 10, decided to bring Rick and the gang to his community hoping that the Alexandrians and their group could work things out and co-exist.
After a thorough explanation from Jesus just moments after disrupting Rick and Michonne in bed together, Rick, Michonne, Daryl, Abraham, Glenn and Maggie head out in the RV with Jesus to meet his people. As the gang’s driving along, they see an overturned vehicle that looks like it recently crashed. Jesus recognizes the car as belonging to his people and quickly runs outside to help, details Melty.
Rick initially thought that it could be another one of Jesus’ tricks so he handcuffs Jesus and leaves him outside with Maggie while the rest of the gang searches for survivors inside a building. They save the four people hiding inside the building and take them in the RV.
When the group arrives at the Hilltop community, they were not welcomed very warmly, but Jesus shows them around and brings them to meet his leader, Gregory, who will not even speak to Rick and company until they’ve cleaned up.
Rick designates Maggie to handle the discussions with Gregory because Rick knows that he won’t be able to keep his cool. When Maggie meets with Gregory, he speaks to her rather condescendingly and keeps calling her Natalie. Maggie tries to strike a deal with Gregory to exchange food for ammunition, but Gregory dismisses her and declares that the Hilltop community is doing just fine and doesn’t need to trade with the Alexandrians.
Jesus then tells the group that he’ll convince Gregory to trade with them, he just needs a couple of days.
The message from Negan
Later on, some other members of the Hilltop community then return, but they’re one man short. They recounted that Negan kept Craig because the supply drop was too light, and they’ll return him once Ethan delivers a message to Gregory. Ethan then stabs Gregory in the stomach, but Rick and Michonne quickly restrain Ethan from doing anymore damage. Ethan and Rick start to fight and Rick ends up killing Ethan.
The Hilltop people became hostile towards Rick since he just killed one of their own and they draw their weapons, but Rick and the others pull out their guns. Jesus calms everyone down to keep the peace. Later on, Rick asks about Negan, and Jesus explains that Negan is the leader of the Saviors. He recounts that when the Hilltop walls were first built the Saviors came and Negan killed one of the Hilltoppers right off the bat to show that they are not to be messed with.
Since then the Hilltop community regularly gives half of their food and supplies to the Saviors as protection to keep the group from attacking them.
Never one to run from confrontation, Rick and the gang offer to take out Negan and his men in exchange for food. Maggie brings the deal to Gregory but tells him that they want half of everything to take care of the Saviors. Given his condition, Gregory isn’t really in a position to negotiate so he agrees to Maggie’s terms. The gang packs up their supplies and heads back to Alexandria to round up their fighters.
Surprise assault
Based on the promo of the upcoming episode to air on March 6, the surprise assault of Rick and the gang on Negan and the Saviors, Maggie and Carol will be captured by the opponents.
Carol will be given the task of scouting how many guards are on patrol in each area of the camp. She will be using a notebook page with numbers and words that seem to suggest that it is to be her crude map of the camp.