After an agonizing wait between Episodes 15 and 16 of the tenth season of The Walking Dead and another agonizing wait between Episodes 16 and 17, the series finally returned this week with an episode appropriately titled, “Home Sweet Home.” It was appropriate because (after watching so many episodes of Fear the Walking Dead and The World Beyond) watching the parent series felt like home again. It was also appropriate because the episode represented a huge homecoming for Maggie Greene, who returned to Alexandria for the first time in eight years.
The episode introduced a new antagonist — The Reapers — and featured a very awkward interaction between Maggie and Negan. We also got to meet two of Maggie’s new friends, Cole and Elijah. Easily the highlight of the episode, however, was the first appearance of Hershel Rhee, the son of Maggie and the late Glenn Rhee.
Hershel spent most of the episode away from the action, after having purportedly been kidnapped by The Reapers, or at least the super soldier representing The Reapers. As it turns out, however, Hershel was very successful at hiding, and so Maggie finally came upon her son late in the episode chilling in a tree.
It was the big, crowd-pleasing moment the episode needed, and Twitter exploded.
Baby Hershel wearing Glenn’s hat punched me right in the feels #TheWalkingDead
— Paul Alcohol (@PaulAlcohol) March 1, 2021
Oh my god Hershel is just a tiny Glenn I love him #TheWalkingDead
— Katie (@swiftangel2000) March 1, 2021
Little Hershel with the headshot #TheWalkingDead
— Tom Diveley (D) (@RTDiveley87) March 1, 2021
Oh my god Hershel whistling like that “hey mom” was so cute#TheWalkingDead
— Cinny (@cynamynreeves) March 1, 2021
HERSHEL!!!!! ITS LITTLE HERSHEL!!!! AND HES IN A FUCKING TREE!!!!!! #TheWalkingDead #TWD
— Kat The Mermaid ➳ (@KatTheMermaid3) March 1, 2021
#TheWalkingDead Hershel Rhee! A mini me of Glenn. Kid looks pretty good.
— Brendon Smith (@bigdogXVI) March 1, 2021
HERSHEL IS SO PRECIOUS
We must protect him at all costs#TheWalkingDead
— 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚎 (@RoseCV7) March 1, 2021
OMG, Hershel so stinking cute!!! #TheWalkingDead
— Tess (@trentontess) March 1, 2021
Little Hershel is just like his dad! Baseball hat wearing precocious little kid. What a charmer. “Hi mom!” #TheWalkingDead
— StarryMag (@StarryMag) March 1, 2021
Epic seeing Hershel Rhee for the first time on our screens #TWD and he’s wearing a similar hat as what his father Glenn wore when he saved Rick in Season One #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/uaeDim0Tp9
— Abel (@Abel_NY) March 1, 2021
Corey and I were working a really long day last summer, breaking the episode — when my exhaustion lead to an “oh shit” moment of realizing we should give lil’ Hershel a baseball cap like his pop. #TWD #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/Y1KLhe3T3c
— Kevin Deiboldt (@kdeiboldt) March 1, 2021
#TheWalkingDead #TWD Not Hershel wearing a baseball cap like Glenn used to…. pic.twitter.com/TIEWdz5Lxy
— Kira (@kiraisdreaming) March 1, 2021
That’s the kind of big, heartwarming moment we love about The Walking Dead. It’s good to have it back. The series, and Hershel Rhee, will return next Sunday.