This week, Lydia is assaulted and Negan saves her while killing Margo. Elsewhere, Hilltop has a tree fall and Luke is heading to Oceanside with Michonne and Judith. My name is Kent, and I ask 5 weekly questions and then people answer them. 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, etc.
1. Who let Negan escape? Hopefully, you didn’t look at the preview for next week or read the comic.
Bob: Daryl. He was on watch…. (Daryl was busy worrying about Carol. He doesn’t even spend time with Dog anymore.)
Raylene: I would say if there were any saviors left in Alexandria it was one of them. (As far as I know, Laura is the only named Savior remaining.)
Chris: I, unfortunately, did see the preview. But for fun’s sake, I would have preferred it be someone like Daryl or Carol. I think Judith would have done it if she were there. (Judith absolutely would have, at the very least, considered it and probably do it.)
Kent: Carol would have been a fun story. I hate that they spoiled this.
2. I liked this question from Talking Dead. Who gave Lydia better advice: Negan or Daryl?
Bob: Negan did in this culture. They are a bunch of snowflakes when there are interpersonal relationship problems. (We haven’t even seen snow this season. What gives?)
Raylene: I think Negan did because she shouldn’t have to continue to put up with people’s shit. (I guess I would like to see more of the community’s interaction with Lydia. They almost took an easy route by having it be younger jaded people. Are 30 and 40-year-olds also treating Lydia this poorly? That would have been a more interesting story for me.)
Kent: Negan did based on the situation at hand. Negan is better with kids than Daryl is and has a better understanding of them given their pasts. Negan was a gym teacher, and while he has done all the other things, he didn’t forget how to handle or talk to kids. Daryl’s advice was apt, but more for someone with a better standing in the community as opposed to an outcast. Maybe somebody needs to play Daryl some Easy Street.
3. Gabe was going to be the final vote. Which way do you think that he would have voted: for or against Negan?
Bob: He avoided it, but he is voting for Negan all day. He went to see him, usually, if you condemn someone you won’t even look them in the eye. (As “badass” as they want these characters to appear to be, aside from a handful of characters, most would lack the gumption to look someone in the eye like that. Rick, Carl, Abe, Shane, maybe Carol, Daryle, Merle, Maggie, Michonne depending on their situation, and of course Negan.)
Raylene: I believe he would’ve kept Negan alive. Everyone seems to have forgotten he saved Judith during the blizzard. (Yeah, I always wonder if the writers want us to forget things or if they treat it that people don’t want to remember.)
Chris: I think he would have kept Negan alive. Frankly, I’m disappointed in Aaron. He’s talking about killing Negan when in the last episode, Negan saved his life. On top of that, he let those kids bully her earlier in the episode. He could have prevented this from happening. Gabe knows Negan didn’t do anything wrong. (Thank you for bringing up Aaron. It almost makes you wonder if there was a point in the Negan and Aaron adventure from the previous week. Aaron needs to get his act together because Negan won’t always be so kind.)
Kent: Gabe is one of the very few people who had the time and experiences to get to know Negan on a different level. It’s in Gabe’s nature to try to avoid anything too messy.
4. What is Negan going to do now that he is free?
Bob: Stumble on the Whisperers. (I guess it depends on the episode. Some episodes, those journeys may take days and some take hours, if not minutes.)
Raylene: I say he’ll try to scope out Alpha and Beta if he can get close enough to do so undetected. (I think that will prove difficult with all the supposed scouts. But it’s TWD, so why not? Stealth doesn’t seem to be Negan’s strong suit though.)
Chris: I don’t want to spoil anything from the comics, but I think there might be some blood….. (I just don’t want Lucille to bleed.)
Kent: It appears that they may go the comic route, so there is that. It would make sense to look for a better weapon, perhaps. He may have some stashed in secret locations. That would make some sense to me. My guess is that everything within a certain radius has been thoroughly picked through, so a secret stash is a best-case scenario.
5. Is Negan the hero that this show truly needs?
Bob: Yeah, he is likable, especially in contrast to his past. I liked when he put Eric’s death on Aaron. (Yup, Aaron deserved that. Aaron is having a really dumb season. I’m becoming convinced that he is dying by the end of the season.)
Raylene: Damn it, yes and you know my strugglse with starting to like him. (Eeny Meenie Miney….)
Chris: Now I want to see him dressed as Batman. Thanks, Kent! (I’m not opposed to Negan in the bat-suit and trying to talk gruffly like Christian Bale. It could be absolutely hilarious.)
Kent: So many characters are going to show restraint when they know that as a collective group, they could take care of business, in theory. Negan has had to show restraint, as well. He doesn’t have to do that now that he is free. He is his own man, and he doesn’t have to answer for anybody or worry that he may get his camp killed. Yes, he’s the hero that this show needs.
6. I guess I should ask some non-Negan questions. Are you at all concerned that Luke is leaving his main group? Is it smart for Michonne to bring Judith with her?
Bob: I’m not worried about Luke. I’m “worried” about Michonne. (I remember when I really liked Michonne. That first sight of her at the end of season 2 was amazing. I have a set of 4 TWD glasses. It has Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Glenn. I wonder if I can get a new set next year with a new lineup of Carol, Eugene, Negan, and Judith.)
Raylene: Nah Luke is trying to get some loving and I’m not liking Judith out with mom. (You know that Luke is going to be super unhappy soon, right?)
Chris: No, I don’t think the group needs to stay together. They are starting to have their own individual stories now. I don’t know if it’s necessarily smart for Michonne to bring Judith, but she needs to prepare her Incase things go south. (I agree that Judith needs to be prepared. I’m simply concerned about THIS being the right time. Michonne knew that they entered Whisperer territory and I am sure that she’s been training her. I’m not sure what else there is to be gained at this moment. The show will probably prove me wrong.)
Kent: Luke is happy and leaving the 4 people that have had his back the longest. He or his new girl are gon get got. I feel like this is a bad time to try to teach or train Judith for more. Yes, she needs to start seeing the horrors of the world, but given the tension and the known threat, it is simply a stupid idea to bring a child out in the open like that. All 3 of them are melee characters, nobody has ranged attacks. If this was a video game, you’d probably die if you got attacked. Sometimes placing things in a video game context helps me make sense of it all.
7. Ezekiel is having a bad time. Eugene is having a bad time. Do you think that they are going to pair up soon now that both are residing at Hilltop?
Bob: Ehhh, I don’t know…
Raylene: As in be another couple? Or just have a relationship like Jerry and King. (More like Jerry and the King. I wonder if the writers were a fan of Jerry the King Lawler when they did the names.)
Chris: I don’t know if they will, but I’d be ok with it. I don’t believe we’ve ever seen the two in a scene together. (If you think about, there are still so many character combinations that have never truly been explored on this show that would be truly captivating. This is one of them for me since we won’t be getting more of Luke and Eugene any time soon.)
Kent: I feel that it is inevitable and the dialogue will be very pleasing. There are so many pairings that we haven’t had the chance to see and this is a great time to really explore those interactions.
8. Magna wanted to keep fighting and Yumiko ordered the group back. Whose stance do you back more: Magna or Yumiko?
Bob: Yumiko, she is a natural leader and the others followed her. (I can think of a group that could use someone like her. Now she just needs to head west to Texas.)
Raylene: There were too many walkers for them to handle. (Was there? I don’t know what too many walkers look like anymore. The eye test is getting tougher.)
Chris: Yumiko. The group was tired and there were still a lot of walkers. (Also, why weren’t there more people helping them thin the herd? You had to rescue some people, but then there was really no reason why a lot at least another 10 people couldn’t have been out there. If the herd is taken care of or distracted, it buys your team rebuilding on the inside significantly more time. I felt they did this very backward.)
Kent: I want to say Magna, but the group formation sucked. You have 3 ranged and 2 melee. Had those numbers been reversed, then you can sustain it longer. The reload speed on the slingshots and bow are not very good. That leaves too much downtime for reloading and it isn’t unthinkable for one of your frontline people to get overrun. Yumiko was right, despite liking Magna more.
9. Last week, we discussed whether Alpha was responsible for the walker attacks. We were split 2-2 on that. We now have walkers at Hilltop and Oceanside all pretty close together. So I will ask the question again. Do you think Alpha made the order for the walkers to attack or was Gamma telling the truth?
Bob: I am going to shift gears and say it is the Whisperers. I remember the Carol scene with her upside down and the whisperer-turned-walker…. (I hope that something more comes from that scene. I’m not sure what else that they can do, but I want something further.)
Raylene: I’m throwing it out there it’s Ginny’s group. (I’m throwing it right back at you. Nobody wants that garbage. Send Ginny to Taxachusetts.)
Chris: So Kent, I’m going to defect and say Alpha is actually not behind it. I think Beta is doing it behind her back. It’s no secret he wants to attack, while she doesn’t, likely to protect Lydia. (I dig the idea that Beta is becoming more of a shot caller. It would be a welcome change.)
Kent: Huh, these results are intriguing and unexpected. Beta being the one making the call is quite interesting. Ginny is simply a bad dream. I’m going to stay stubborn and true and say that Alpha is still behind it. Really, who cares if she is lying? The honor system isn’t working too well in the ZA.
Final Thoughts – Was anybody else super excited when Negan killed the wannabe Highwayman, Margo? Also, would Carl have simply killed all 3 of the jabronis who were assaulting Lydia? Finally, ask me any TWD question that you may have.
Bob: Carl!
Carl would have pointed that Colt Python at them, then cocked the hammer. They would have walked away, Lydia would be thankful and go back in. Then, we would pan to Carl pulling up his shirt revealing a bite he received earlier in the walker fighting. (Hahaha, I almost want to reinsert Carl in the big moments since his death with every scene ending with him lifting his shirt to reveal a bite mark. Also, we need a Part 2 to that video. That covered up to season 4-ish from what I could gather.)
Raylene: If the storyline played out with Carl and her nobody would have ever been saying shit to her or marking the town up. (Yeah, Carl would have kept the painting down significantly. Alicia and Wes wouldn’t like Carl.)
Chris: I was, if only because she was a terrible character. She was shoe-horned in to create a conflict. Carl may have, but it depends on what version, sometimes Carl was ruthless, sometimes he didn’t want to kill anyone. (I think it depends on at what point Carl sees the assault. If it was starting to look a bit rapey, I think some bodies hit the floor.)
My question is about gamma. I believe she has been inserted in the show for Negan to kill. *SPOILER*. In the comic, he kills Alpha and starts the Whisperer War, but he doesn’t know what Alpha looks like. She’s too good a character to be killed off after half a season. If I’m right, we’ll have the war with Alpha still alive, giving others (Carol) the opportunity to kill her. So anyway, my question is, does this sound plausible? What do you think Gamma’s role in the show will be? (This would accomplish a lot of goals that we can assume the show has. Samantha Morton is just so damn good in her role, as is Ryan Hurst, that I truly believe that they would like to stretch this out a bit longer. Not super long like the Savior War, but even half a season would be welcome. Gamma is the great unknown. This would be a good purpose for her to serve. Let’s face it, Gamma or Alpha are gonna be dead sooner than later, I would assume. Thora Birch is a talented actress too, but compared to Alpha, Gamma is more disposable. I am all for this. Negan needs a big moment, and while it wouldn’t be as big as Alpha, it would accomplish what is needed. I like it.)
Kent: Margo was trash the moment I laid eyes upon her. Margo should have been a Marco and been a dude. That would have given us a couple of things. 1. The character would have been a male, as we know the Highwaymen to be. 2. Three guys assaulting Lydia at night would have upped the helpless vibe. For a moment, it felt a little rapey. And had they gone down that road, Negan is going to be loved even more for stopping Rapey Marco. I don’t know why they haven’t hired me as a writer yet. While Carl wanted there to be peace, I don’t think he would have tolerated that noise after everything that the community had worked and strived for. He may not have killed them all, but there would have been blood and wounds.