That was anti-climactic. 

Instead of allowing us to spend a considerable amount of time watching the battle unfold, The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 12 skipped ahead some time to the tail end before picking up the next day. 

We were promised a battle, and what we got were some highlights. The Walking Dead has been building to this point for some time now, and the tension was choked out of the narrative the moment we picked up the next day. 

We needed to see these characters struggle with being outnumbered on a bigger scale, and what we got paled in comparison to the excellent The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 11. 

It's nice that we followed the people involved in the battle as opposed to the separate groups they formed to escape the decimated Hilltop, but it felt a little scattered by the end.

Alpha was always going to have to be killed with the element of surprise. There was no way anyone could get close to her without there being pushback from the Whisperers. 

Negan's quick wit struck a chord with Alpha from the beginning, but there should have been a better build-up to her death. 

The sickos were either dead or trapped under rocks. We kept pushing, searching, took a turn and before we knew it, we were in the horde. Connie and I moved together, the sickos pushed forward, got between us, and her hand just slipped out of mine. I didn't find her again.

Magna

• Permalink: The sickos were either dead or trapped under rocks. We kept pushing, searching, took a turn...

Negan is slowly turning into one of the good guys, and the sooner people realize that, the better. Still, he wanted to give her a way out by getting her to agree to let her daughter live her life however she wants to. 

The former Savior's pleas for her to stop all of the killing and move on was a rare moment in which Negan shed a tear. He's softening, that's for sure, but Alpha should have known better than to trust him. 

She was concerned about the way he was acting with her and should have alerted her minions. It was painfully obvious Negan was playing a trick on her, but the death would have worked so much better had Carol been in the shed, waiting to strike. 

Fans were vocal with the theory Carol set Negan free from Alexandria, and they were proven right when Negan threw Alpha's head at her. 

While Negan has bought himself some much-needed respect from the communities, the Whisperers will start crumbling. 

Beta will put two and two together in quick succession. He's had fears about Negan joining them, and the disappearance of Alpha is only going to make things more difficult. 

It's hard to assess whether the Whisperers will sink or swim under Beta's rule, mostly because there's a lot we don't know about him. 

The Whisperer that noticed his face seemed utterly confused, leading me to believe there's much more to his story than we've been led to believe. If the Whisperers don't trust their likely new leader, they could disband. 

Negan: Oh, shit. My bad.
Alpha: Do not miss again. Many guardians were sacrificed. We must gather and replenish.
Negan: Well I really need to show y'all how to savor a victory.
Alpha: It is not a victory.

• Permalink: It is not a victory.

We've witnessed several of them express interest in leaving to start a new life after understanding what Alpha was really all about. 

It's a shame Mary got so close to starting a new life only to be murdered by Beta. Thora Birch has killed it as the Whisperer turned good guy, and it's upsetting that she was dispatched so easily. 

There was potential for this storyline to continue for much longer, but with Negan returning to the good side, he can help give the survivors the intel they need about the potential next move. 

The other big death being Earl fell flat for me. He's been a glorified guest star with little significance to the overall plot since his arrival. The moment he tried to kill Maggie, I was done with him. 

However, he was brave in those final moments. He helped the kids to safety only to kill himself upon noticing he had been bitten. He understood what had to be done to keep the kids safe, even if it was going to be a horrible way to die. 

Judith trying to ease him into death highlights her kind-heartedness. But I'm glad we finally got to see her struggling.

There would have been something very wrong with her if Judith didn't have a strong reaction to being in such a high-stakes situation. 

Judith will be eager for her mom to return before long, and we'll finally pick up with what happened to Michonne on The Walking Dead Season 10 Episode 13. 

One of the most frustrating parts of the episode was the way Eugene left everyone in the battlefield to try to get the radio. We get it, he's in love and wants to be able to communicate with the new woman in his life. 

However, he was needed on the battlefield, and people could have died because of his inertia. There's no getting away from that, and there needs to be consequences for it. 

He knew he had a date set for a meeting, so he should have stuck to that instead of putting other lives on the line. When people are relying on you to keep them safe, you need to leave everything else behind. 

Speaking of consequences, I don't condone violence, but Yumiko swinging a punch at Carol was perfectly warranted. 

Yumiko thought she lost Magna forever, so after hearing the horror she endured in the cave and beyond, she lashed out. 

Carol should have spoken to Magna to try smooth things over because there's no time like the present when you're faced with death, but it was clear Carol's mind was still on killing Alpha.

Carol is going to go on the biggest apology tour ever now that her nemesis is dead, but she's going to struggle to get people to trust her. 

At least we know that both Magna and Connie escaped the cave. 

It's difficult not to feel short-changed by the trajectory of "Walk With Us." The series has been on such a high that messing up some of these show-changing reveals could hinder the rest of the season. 

What did you think of Alpha's demise? Did you like that Negan killed her, or do you think it should have been Carol?

Hit the comments. 

Remember you can watch The Walking Dead online right here via TV Fanatic. 

The Walking Dead continues Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. 

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.