Dwight returns to Virginia and reckons with his past.
Big Bad Wannabe: Marty thinks he’s a huge, intimidating threat but comes across like a wannabe Negan. He’s not nearly as clever as he thinks he is and gets his men all killed, failing to kill Dwight for the death of Phil and being killed by Phil’s walker he threatened to feed Dwight to.
Bottle Episode: After most of the season has focused on the ensemble cast, this episode dials back the focus to Dwight, Sherry, June, and Dove.
Break the Haughty: Dove stubbornly refused to believe the group could save her or the other kids. She is humbled and becomes much friendlier when the group succeeds in saving her life.
The Bus Came Back: Dwight and Dove both reappear for the first time since "All I See Is Red".
Finch died in "All I See Is Red" and Dwight and Sherry split up out of despair at the loss.
The Cameo: Via archival footage, Daryl Dixon, Negan Smith, and other characters briefly appears in Dwight and Sherry’s flashbacks.
Central Theme: The idea of making something good out of something bad. Dwight and Sherry lament how they failed to do so in their original time at the Sanctuary, Sherry wants to help reform PADRE despite Dove’s doubts, and Dwight leads the group into the furnace which is the only place secure and protected enough to do the surgery on Dove.
Dwight returns to his and Sherry’s old home in Virginia. He last visited it in The Walking Dead Season 8's finale "Wrath", after Daryl exiled him from Virginia and tasked him with finding the then-missing Sherry. He also briefly indulges in his old pastime of carving wooden figures.
Jay is a diabetic and needs stolen insulin to survive. It reminds Dwight way too much of his long-dead sister-in-law Tina, who died back in The Walking Dead Season 6's "Always Accountable".
The Sanctuary returns, having fallen during the second Time Skip of The Walking Dead Season 9. It last appeared in the season finale "The Storm". It’s once again become a base for a group of malicious survivors who have even chained up walkers along its gates.
Dwight also goes past a discarded iron and the open oven where Negan branded his face offscreen between the episodes "Always Accountable" and "Twice as Far".
Dwight kills Phil by shoving him into the furnace just like Negan executed Dr. Carson in Season 7's "Hostiles and Calamities", which Dwight orchestrated.
Contrived Coincidence: Dwight lampshades the utter absurd irony of how similar Jay’s situation is to his family’s back in the days of the Saviors.
Death by Looking Up: One of Marty’s men dies after looking up in time to see some debris coming down to obliterate his body.
Death Seeker: Upon finding Jay dead and reanimated, Dwight openly wishes that Daryl had killed him back in "Wrath".
Despair Event Horizon: Upon seeing Dwight, Sherry, and June’s bickering and self-loathing in action, Dove becomes convinced that she’s right that the new PADRE is not worth being loyal to and even tries to remove the bullet from her body herself.
From Bad to Worse: The group is already struggling with Dove only for a herd of walkers to approach and threaten the integrity of the fragile, dilapidated Sanctuary; and then Marty’s group arrives.
Handicapped Badass: June’s abilities as a medic have been compromised by the loss of one of her fingers, though she admits her own trauma has destabilized her confidence in herself as well.
Heroic BSoD: Dwight, Sherry, and June all are in the lurch thanks to their recent failures.
Jerkass Has a Point: Dove observes the cyclical nature of the series (and arguably the franchise) that the heroes inevitably lose any home they settle into.
Make an Example of Them: Phil says he’s going to make an example of Dwight upon finding him, and the irony isn’t lost on Dwight given the confrontation is taking place in front of the Sanctuary’s furnace.
Played With. Dove is on the group’s side initially but she turns out to still be loyal to PADRE’s original mission and wanted to leave because she had no faith in the group once they took over. The episode revolves partially around her reforming for good.
Strand is in command of PADRE but has Tracy captured to presumably serve as leverage against Troy.
Refusal of the Call: Dwight refuses to join the fight against Troy out of despair over losing Finch.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Dove only came with June and Sherry to get a chance to flee PADRE out of despair at the old PADRE having fallen.
"Shaggy Dog" Story: Jay ends up dying before Dwight returns from the Sanctuary. Awareness of how this ended up being Finch’s trope as well is what drives a lot of Dwight, Sherry, and June’s grief throughout the episode.
The Starscream: June and Sherry want Dwight to return to PADRE to take over due to not trusting Strand in command.
Superman Stays Out of Gotham: Despite the group being in decent proximity to the Coalition, Dwight doesn’t propose going there for Dove. It’s justified since the Sanctuary is the closest place he knows is still available for medical treatment and Dove desperately needs urgent care. It’s also possibly because Dwight worries that Daryl would make good on his threat to kill him if he returned - and even if Daryl could be talked down, it’d waste valuable time that Dove doesn’t have.
Token Evil Teammate: Downplayed. Dove turns out to not be loyal to Madison and the reformed PADRE, but she wasn’t intending to fight them over it.
Trash the Set: The Sanctuary, already having long fallen into disrepair since the failure of its crops years ago, collapses thanks to the horde’s attack.
Wham Shot: The episode ends with The Reveal that Strand is holding Troy's daughter Tracy prisoner at PADRE.
What the Hell, Hero?: Dwight, Sherry, June, and Dove all take turns ripping into each other for their lack of faith in themselves.
Where It All Began: The episode primarily takes place around the former Sanctuary and Dwight and Sherry’s house, where their character arcs began back when they debuted.
Your Days Are Numbered: Jay admits he’s doomed now that the man who was making new insulin is dead, but says he’d prefer to live one last week instead of dying now.
