This week, if you like women empowerment or Rick and Negan doing silly shit, then this was the week for you! We also got to see a glimpse of what Simon would be like if he ran the Saviors. All of this and more in this week’s blog. My name is Kent, and I ask 9 episode-specific questions, and 2 bonus questions, and that’s how we get the 9 Deuce. Any comments in BOLD are written by me. I hope you enjoy and if you or someone you know may want to do this blog, contact me, leave a comment, whatever. The contact info is at the bottom of this blog.
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The 9
- Rick’s car chase with Negan was the silliest thing in the Walking Dead since _______?
Bob: Glenn survived underneath a garbage can. (I figured somebody had to take one of my 2 answers. I could probably provide 17 of them, but this is one that always sticks out because there is actually evidence that I painstakingly gathered to prove that they filmed it poorly just to be like “Hahaha, gotcha!”)
Bitty: Maggie having a teeny tiny baby. (I think Herschel will be a good sized 3 year old coming straight out of her baby cannon.)
Kristi: Killing off Carl. Cooorrraaalll! (If you take it literally, Coral’s death was the last BIG silly moment, and one that still makes me want to don my Jigsaw mask and play some games.)
Chris: Casting Tara. (I read this the day you wrote it, and I laughed. I came back a day or two later, forget this, and I laughed again. This is one of the most brilliant responses in this blog’s history. Kudos, and a gold star.)
Kent: I could write an essay about it. One of the 5 biggest badasses getting bit earlier in the season, but Rick is just tossing them around this week and seemingly every week when him and Michonne are doing silly shit. So many Rick and Michonne scenes, the “in the nick of time” scenes that they have been employing lately. But I want to take you back to season 5. Daryl and Carol saw the car and were looking for Beth. They get in an ambulance. I have not edited these photos, they are in chronological order as seen in the episode. Physics are a hell of a thing and this along with Glenn were the only 2 instances that made me so crazy that I had to go frame by frame and screenshot. Also, never forget Herschel’s unlimited ammo in season 2 finale.
- Did you feel a little uncomfortable with Rick wielding Lucille?
Bob: actually, I did. I felt uneasy like something was just out of balance. Why would Rick sleep with another man’s wife? I was wondering if he might accidentally prick his hand on the barbs. (Well, he did sleep with Lori when he came back, and I believe Shane had clearly yelled “Claimed” one night in the tent, so per Joe and the Claimers, rules are rules. So Rick is basically a terrible person. And yeah, why would they already have Negan dip Lucille in blood only to have Rick, the one character who can’t die, be the first to wield her unknowingly? This was silly itself.)
Bitty: That scene was aces. Rick holding her was epic. I wish he had gotten pricked by her or something. At least we know how to push Negan’s buttons now. (Rick the Prick getting pricked would have been poetic. It’s good to show Negan’s weaknesses of sorts. It was a fun role reversal for a bit. Had I never seen an episode, I would have wondered if Rick was a bad guy.)
Kristi: Yes I did. He didn’t know it was covered in walkers blood so I was concerned he may cut himself. (But….but Carl was a visionary and he knows that Rick and Negan will garden someday. Carl somehow also knew that Rick would have a cane. Seriously, why is nobody questioning this??? How does Carl know that his dad ends up with a cane? Did he read the comics?)
Chris: Yes. You don’t take someone’s girl. And you certainly don’t light her on fire and start hitting walkers with her. What did Negan ever do to Rick to deserve this? Oh wait… (It is kind of funny though to picture Rick picking up a female, lighting her on fire and swinging her at walkers at the most absurd level. I like this mental image. Maybe make it Hilary Swank.)
Kent: Of course I did, or I wouldn’t have asked the question. So now there’s a part of me that hopes Negan captures Michonne and sets her on fire to prove a damn point. Make it a bad burning, like when Andrea from TWD got burned alive in Silent Hill. Eugene could rig that up.
- Does Maggie have a bit of The Governor in her?
Bob: No. She has angry pregnant lady syndrome. (I will be so glad when I can stop saying that pregnant lady hormones are a hell of a thing, but this pregnancy is just going on and on and on.)
Bitty: I hadn’t thought of this until they mentioned it on Talking. I could see that storyline happening only because she is still so bitter. (Hypothetically, if we can get Maggie to a point where Governor was during negotiations with Rick right before Herschel gets got, I would be on board. Like Simon gets captured and Negan comes to make a deal and Maggie borrows Michonne’s sword and we get a slow-motion clip of Maggie saying NO and beheading Simon, then we could be onto something. Until then, nah.)
Kristi: I don’t think so. She is just trying to survive and keep her people alive. She made the right choice in the end. (Until we learn that Georgie is the next big bad evil after the next big bad evil thing. I still struggle to believe that we will make it that far on the show though.)
Chris: She just needs an eye patch. In all seriousness, I think there is the potential for her to snap like the Governor, but I think she is inherently a good person. She has been through a lot, so I couldn’t blame her for becoming a ruthless dictator, but she has people with her to keep it from happening. (Yeah, even if Jesus wouldn’t roundhouse some sense into her, Morgan and Carol would shut that shit down if they saw her change too much. By the way, I really want to do a couples fight to the death tournament. Rick/Michonne, Carol/Morgan, Tara/Denise hahaha, Daryl/Beth, Carl/Enid, Abe/Rosita, Shane/Lori, Governor/Andrea, etc.)
Kent: Nope, Maggie isn’t smart like the Governor in that capacity. She is very good at manipulation, but Governor was good at manipulation, but also had a plan. He had a scientist working on make a better tomorrow and to learn about current threats. Governor had a plan that was still the best. He just didn’t have the right people supporting him. Maggie has the better supporting cast, but she doesn’t have the foresight. She also doesn’t have the supplies in all fairness.
- Are you relieved that Rick and Daryl appear to be on the same page again?
Bob: Meh. I am not terribly impressed with all the guilt riding on Daryl. (I think whoever wears the vest ends up feeling guilty forever.)
Bitty: That was a real awkward bro moment. I don’t think we’ve heard Daryl talk that much in awhile but I honestly don’t think it worked with his character. A simple nod or should pat would’ve been sufficient and more ‘Daryl’. (Yeah, Daryl is a guy that opens up to Carol and Beth and that is it. Not a fan of this scene.)
Kristi: It really wasn’t a concern for me in the first place so I feel no different. (Yeah, most people didn’t give a damn, but here we are having this conversation because they impose it’s importance.)
Chris: The Daryl/Rick thing didn’t interest me in the first place. Daryl has surprisingly felt like an afterthought to me this season. At least they didn’t hug it out. (Daryl is going to have a big season next year I think. That or his riding with Norman Reedus show will suffer. Actually, he’s better in that show than he is in TWD, ha.)
Kent: Wow, I thought somebody would have cared, but everybody seems to give as many F’s as I do, and that would be zero. I may have to listen to Easy Street now to feel more enthused finishing this blog.
- We know that Jesus is out scavenging. Will we get any updates on his character, or will he just show up to save the day randomly?
Bob: I forgot about him. I think we will get an update maybe with a new group connection? ORRRR he will show up as a prisoner. (I definitely thought about him being a prisoner. I don’t think it will happen due to time constraints, but it was something I thought of.)
Bitty: Who’s Jesus again? Oh right, one of the really awesome characters that we never see anymore. Maybe he’s chilled on the beach with Oceanside. (I don’t think you are that far off with Oceanside. I’ll explain in my answer.)
Kristi: I also forgot about him! I think he will show up with some more survivors to join the group. After all, these people being taken out, they need to start adding some fresh characters. (Entirely possible that he found a group of Red Shirts that Negan had bullied or some nonsense. Otherwise, a fresh group wouldn’t just join…..oh wait, it’s TWD….my bad.)
Chris: I think he will show up to help fight the Saviors. I forgot about him to be honest.(Doesn’t this just scream a TWD moment of extreme convenience of him showing up at the exact right moment?)
Kent: Notice that 3 of the 4 people above me had forgotten about this beloved character. Odd right? I have my theories. Obviously, he could have found Heath. That would be best case scenario and therefore least likely. I miss Heath. Here is my best guess. He’s either showing up at the moment that they need him most or think about this. Jesus finds Aaron in some capacity. Maybe he is a prisoner of Oceanside, or maybe he meets Aaron by happenstance. Let’s face it, they have 2 gay male characters. Like they ain’t gonna make that shit happen.
- Should Dwight have tried to take out Simon when they were alone?
Bob: Not at all. He is very afraid right now. In other words he is all good but the carpet could be pulled out from underneath him at any moment. (It’s interesting that Dwight is in some ways one of the most vulnerable and most powerful characters at the moment. He’s playing the long game and taking calculated risks.)
Bitty: No, Dwight is still trying to figure out the right angle. Plus I think he thought that Simon would just pick up roots and leave. Not kill everyone first. (Simon did mislead him to an extent, and that’s why Simon is the man. The man who is going to die very soon, but still the man.)
Kristi: If he knew what he did to the garbage people, I think he may have. I think he was hoping he had some good in him. (Interesting take. If he knows about the Scavengers, does Dwight buy into any of Simon’s rhetoric? I doubt it. I hadn’t considered that aspect.)
Chris: Perhaps, but it was also risky. He’s still undercover, and there was the potential Negan was nearby. Plus Simon is a badass. I’m not sure he can beat someone with that kind of mustache. (The fear factor of Negan being nearby was my initial thought. I did wonder though, if Negan witnessed it, would Dwight have felt any repercussions from Negan? Also, and I was going to include this in my answer, but I think people underestimate Simon’s toughness. I think he is a scrappy, dirty fighter that is tough to kill.)
Kent: Spoiler alert if you haven’t seen last season’s Game of Thrones and that potentially matters to you, skip my response. Okay, so remember when Jaime made the decision that he had to try to kill Dany when he had that opportunity, despite Drogon being there? Not many people agreed with me, but I felt that he had to take that chance to kill her, no matter how small his odds were because he may never get another shot at winning the war for his side. In this case, I think Dwight should have gone for the kill. Negan was assumed injured, escaped, and hiding, or potentially dead. That leaves Dwight and Simon as the top dogs. Dwight wants to end this war. With one 50/50 chance, he can be the hero. You’re damn right he should have taken that chance because then he is way more in control of his destiny than in any other scenario. In the ZA, being in charge of your destiny as much as possible is incredibly important. He should have taken that chance in my opinion to end it all.
- Did you want Maggie to trust Georgie?
Bob: Yes. For a bad reason. I like Jane Atkinson. (Yeah, I know that she has been in a few things that you are a fan of, so I assumed you would be pleased.)
Bitty: Yes!! I’m a huge Criminal Minds fan am so happy to see her join the cast. I hope we see more of her. She’s a cross between Deanna and Dale for me so far. (I miss Deanna and I have never seen Criminal Minds.)
Kristi: I did. Although she seemed odd to me, I thought try to keep her captive was a bit extreme. I understand they had food that could help them, but she willingly met so I didn’t feel threatened by her. It was nice to see someone do something nice for a change. (It is refreshing to see, what appears to be an act of kindness. That would be the third one this season, at least. Carl saving Siddiq, and Oceanside allowing Enid and Aaron to leave unharmed were 2 others.)
Chris: This whole part was odd to me, but yes I did want her to trust Georgie. They need someone to break all the tension. I’m excited to see where it leads. (You’re right. A character like this adds intrigue and a bit of lightheartedness briefly. I bet her and Bob Stuckey would have gotten along well.)
Kent: I am split on this. I really spent time thinking on this. In a way, I think the right thing would have been to do as Maggie initially did. Her people needed the food and they have been tricked or misled so many times, Terminus happened people, so in my mind, I wanted Tobin and Kent to be fed, so I wanted Maggie to keep everything. But here is why I am glad she did what she did, and it is for a dickheaded reason. The last thing I need is two or more female characters having drama between them in a show that I am partial to. Imagine how irritating Michonne and Maggie would have been had Maggie just took the food? We got a glimpse of that annoying “We’re women, we can discuss things through” bullshit. Here’s the reality, they would have been catty as hell if Maggie didn’t agree with Michonne’s perspective and it would have devolved. We all remember Queen Bee Lori at Herschel’s. Was I not supposed to remember that?
- Is Georgie trustworthy and will we see her again?
Bob: I bet she is and I can’t believe we won’t see her again.
Bitty: again, yes and I hope we do!
Kristi: Yes. I don’t believe she would have given her the book of the future if she had malicious intentions. I do believe we will see her in the future.
Chris: Yes and yes. Though I’m guessing not again til next season.
Kent: Wow, nobody said no. What is wrong with you people (or me if I am wrong…damnit)? I truly believe that Georgie is one of the smartest characters on this show. She may be nice to her people and strangers, but she has had to rule and in the ZA, you know that she will clash with Maggie and Rick. Make no mistake about it, I think people are buying into an act. That’s a good thing because it adds intrigue either way. I am just skeptical all the time.
- What will Jadis do with Negan?
Bob: “Mate” with him. (I don’t know man. I don’t think they are going to be that good of friends. I do want this to happen though in a very weird way.)
Bitty: Paint him. Ha! Actually thinking she will trade him for Simon. However, at this point, Negan wants Simon dead so I’m sure so this will be a weird twist. (Yeah, the double cross could be a fascinating plot point that I could enjoy. I accept that Simon is dyingm unfortunately.)
Kristi: I’m following my last comment that Negan will let her take Simon out. Once she realizes that Negan didn’t know what happened they will bond in a sense. I need this to happen. (Yes, when I saw the Jadis scene, I remembered your comment from before.)
Chris: I’ve been wondering. My first thought was to give him to Rick. However, I think she will try and make a trade to get to who she really wants, Simon. (Yeah, Rick can sit this one out.)
Kent: I don’t see any other good stories that doesn’t involve using Negan as a bargaining chip to get to Simon. More importantly, what will come of Jadis after her vengeance?
Bonus Deuce
- Would the Saviors be better off with Simon running them as opposed to Negan?
Bob: No. Simon is a believer in Torched Earth. That’s not good for anyone.
Bitty: Hell no. The Saviors should keep Negan if they at all can. Simon is power hungry and doesn’t see the “helping people” side of things.
Kristi: No. Simon is more power hungry than Negan. I will be happy to see him go.
Chris: I have a feeling we will get our answer next week. I think Simon’s time as leader will be short.
Kent: Nobody is taking the bait this week. Negan is actually the best leader that we have had in this show, for better or worse.
- I know that this topic comes up a lot, but it is always evolving. In principle, do you find yourself more on Rick’s side or Negan’s as far as what they are trying to accomplish and the methods that they are utilizing?
Bob: I find myself not really knowing what Rick stands for anymore. Negan I can still see so even though I don’t agree with it, it is better than chaos. (I think that is the big takeaway this season. When Rick is focused and has a good plan and good control, he’s fine, but how often has that truly been? We got used to how he did things, but a lot of the time, it’s been reckless.)
Bitty: This question was an easy… Rick… for me, LAST season. However this season I’m slowly going over to the dark side. I wish he hadn’t killed, Glen or Abe or terrorized Rick and humiliated Daryl but his thought process is growing on me. I wish we knew a little more about the workers and their system. They have so many people and Ricks group have so few. He must’ve been done something right. (Yeah, while we want to believe that Negan leads everyone by fear, and he does to an extent, I truly believe that if you gave the Saviors an out, I think most would stay. That tells me something. Dwight wants out because of Sherry. Other people would also leave if given the chance, I am sure. It’s not like people haven’t left Rick’s group or ideology.)
Chris: What is Rick trying to accomplish exactly? He’s not very good at killing Negan (we’re talking stormtrooper aim.) Rick’s answer seems like it’s always killing. He’s angry about Carl, which Negan didn’t have anything to do with. Plus he always wants everyone else to stick to the plan, then goes off on his own. I’m not either side. Negan is a psycho and Rick never has a plan that works. Go team Maggie! (If that last word was Ezekiel, I would like it more, haha. Like, the leaders are supposed to be the smart ones, the ones who are best prepared. This episode was practically a comedy at times. Maggie is at least accomplishing something at the moment, and has the best place. The Kingdom is a decent fallback. It’s in better shape that Alexandria, The Dump, and Oceanside.)
Kent: Negan is the answer. Everybody has a directive. Everybody has and serves a purpose. The plan is to be executed. When people veer off of that path, there are repercussions. Negan teaches accountability Millennials would hate working with Negan. Rick has punished one whole person, and that is when he gave Carol the boot, one of the most loyal people, who did the right thing. Rick is not that great of a leader. I feel that for every triumph you can offer, I can come back with more failures, more disobedience. And as Chris said, why the hell was his aim so off this week?
Final Thoughts – Also, hey did you know that only women can solve things peacefully while men are barbaric in solving issues?
Bitty: Can someone fill me in on where I missed the solar panels and helipad? Also I was reading on another WD blog a theory that Georgie may live under ground. I thought this was a cool theory especially since those twins were all cover up with brim hats and sun glasses, like they hadn’t seen the sun in a long time. (Simon mentioned the solar panels and helipad last episode or the one before it I think. I may have the wrong person, but it was brought up. I like the idea of underground Georgie. It would be smart.)
Chris: I enjoyed this episode. I’ve always loved Maggie’s character, and I was happy to see some focus on her. I think Simon is going to bite the dust next week, but I’m wondering who will get to kill him. (Simon has to die within the next 2 episodes it seems.)
Kent: I liked this week. This second half of the season is proving superior to the first half, in my opinion. I would like to see more Eugene, Gabriel, Carol, Morgan, Negan, Jadis, Simon, and Dwight this week. Give me half of those and I will be happy.
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