Welcome everybody to the only TWD blog that thinks that having a tiger makes you a good leader, The Walking Dead 9 Deuce. Every week, I say positive things, because how else are you supposed to sell yourself to an audience, right? Sometimes though, there just isn’t enough substance from the episode, or perhaps I ask terrible questions, or maybe I am short on contributors that week. My point is that it’s tough for me to try to find a way to truly differentiate to an audience when we have a really great edition, but I truly believe this is easily, one of the 3 best ones that this site has ever done, and I’m really happy with it. Of course, I’m an ego maniac, so oftentimes, I feel that this blog may need my touch. This week, I feel that if I didn’t add a single comment and just asked the questions, the responses were good enough to absolutely carry this. That’s awesome from my perspective. I’m thrilled when I am part of a project where I feel it’s great enough without my contributions, that it can stand on it’s own. So I just really want to give a heartfelt thank you to everybody who reads this, but especially to my people that take time each week to do this thing. They don’t get paid, they just do it to help me out. So thank you so much Briana, Bob, Bitty, Teddy, Cece, Kristi, and Chris. No matter what ridiculous things I say to them in the comments, they keep on keeping on.
This is a super busy weekend for me, thanks to Wrestlemania as well as this being the season finale weekend. Please, if you like wrestling or know somebody who happens to like it, let people know that this blog exists. Finally, I have some exciting news. Starting this month, we are going to start a new monthly blog. It may end up being more frequent, depending on who wants to join in, but for now, it’s like a horror movie of the month blog feature. It’s very similar to this, where I’ll ask my 9 questions and 2 bonus ones at the end. For April 2017, we will be watching one of the all time greatest horror flicks, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. If you don’t own it, it is available on NetFlix. If you, or somebody that you know is a horror fan and likes to express themselves, send them my way. If you like what we do, please check out the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/9deuceblog/. You can also follow us on Twitter @official9deuce and Instagram which is also Official9Deuce. Finally, if you want to email me because all of those options weren’t charming enough, write me at Kent@9deuce.com. Sorry, I hate all of this promotion as much as anyone else. If you would like to participate, let me know. The more the merrier…….. until we hit double digits. Please note all messages in bold are written by me. Thank you and please enjoy this blog and enjoy Sunday’s season finale.
- If you could change any one aspect of this particular episode, what would you change, or would you keep it as is?
Briana: I would have wanted the Oceanside women to follow instead of just letting them take their guns and sitting back waiting for our guys to do all the work for them. (So this seemed to be the most popular nitpick of this episode, so this also goes for Teddy and Chris’ comments as well. TWD tries it’s best to be a relatively “progressive” show with strong female characters. I was very surprised by this. I was hoping that they would so Negan could kill some of the more annoying ones, but that’s because I’m a jerk.)
Bob: Gregory failing to kill a walker. No matter the value of this scene, I feel Gregory had a chance to work his way toward becoming a Gregor Clegane Instead of a Greg Heffley. (Strong start here for Bob. My love for Gregor Clegane knows no bounds. Greg Heffley, for those who don’t know the reference is not like the Hefty brand garbage bags, but is instead wimpy, wimpy, wimpy. Gregory basically pulled a pro wrestling heel move when the good guy is like “We don’t have to wait until this Sunday, we can do this right here in (insert current city’s name)! Then the heel would pretend like he was going to step up, but then run away like a coward.)
Bitty: I would’ve changed how timid Enid was. I want to see her stronger and more outgoing. Yes she held her own gun and did well but I want her to start shining more. (Remember when there was all that buzz around Enid being with the Wolves? Yeah, me neither. Enid is a cool character and since she’s not in the comic, I hope they make her a better character than Sophia is in the books. She’s going to be tough to do after the war, I feel, but if they get rid of some of these lesser characters, then hopefully they make her awesome.)
Teddy: I wish Oceanside would help honestly, but I understand their fear.
Cece: The episode, although some action, moved very slowly. I’m not sure how it could have improved but it was a bit boring. (I was expecting more than one person to say this. It was painfully plodding at times. I’m all for great, slow burning storytelling, but this type of episode, along with the Richonne episode and the OG Oceanside episode were just placeholder episodes. They knew where they wanted to end the season, what pivotal scene, and realized that they had to stretch things out. In my opinion, more time could have been spent with the Scavengers, their backstory, an update on Sherry’s whereabouts, and Heath’s story. Also, any time spent at the Kingdom is time well spent, or seeing more Hilltop stuff. You may not agree with my choices, but I think most people would agree that time could have been spent wiser this season to tell better or different stories.)
Kristi: I was really hoping the walker would have killed Gregory. (Man, you really hate this man. That’s awesome. I feel the same about Tara. I’m curious which one of us will get our wish first. I think I have worst odds as Gregory is seemingly on borrowed time, whereas Tara is a wild card.)
Chris: Oceanside would have joined team Rick. I hope they still do at some point.
Kent: Tara would have been shot, at least 92 times.
- Do you think Negan really wants Sasha to be a member of the Saviors or to simply use her in some way to get back at Rick?
Briana: Maybe a little of both. But mostly to get back at Rick. Having her join in the first place helps him mess with Rick but I assume there’s a grander plan afoot. (Nice, I think that is the first time that the term afoot has been used in this blog space. You’re right, just having Sasha in any capacity, whether she is held against her will or as a potential Savior, would mess with Rick.)
Bob: I am thinking this is just psychological torture. Negan does not need Sasha other than to hurt Rick. Negan knows Sasha will not become a Savior. And Negan is making Sasha feel like she has power and she has NONE. (Good point about manipulating her to think that she has some choice or power. Negan played it really well. I am suspicious if he had anybody keeping tabs on Eugene to see where his loyalty lies. It would only make sense, but it wasn’t something that they showed us.)
Bitty: Negan just wants to use Sasha as a bargaining chip in the end. Negan is not stupid and knows a smart strong woman when he sees one. (I don’t know if I would call her smart. I mean, she ran into Sanctuary like a crazy bitch. She is strong. Arat on the other hand….)
Teddy: Negan likes badass women, he likes to wed said badass women. (I’m just saying, if Sasha went and joined the Saviors and had Negan’s baby, I would be really happy.)
Cece: It’s always about getting back at Rick and the gang. (Isn’t it kinda silly to think that is the picture that they have painted for us? We, the fans, obviously know the threat level of Rick’s posse, but I am trying to think on a bigger scale, does Negan really sit there and worry about F’ing with Rick? Negan is in a pretty good place, I don’t know if he should be all that worried. Obviously, this is a TV show so the good guys have to win, but if you try to consider the reality of it, I don’t think Negan would care. If he did, he would have just killed the threat. Maybe I am overthinking this. OK, no maybe about it, but I’m trying to think outside of the show’s scope.)
Kristi: He is a smart guy. I don’t think he believes she will truly join me. He will try to use her to get intel on Rick but I think she will choose death before that happens. (Yeah, that is also interesting. We know the group branched off to different places, but what does Negan really know? I think it is safe to assume that Negan is still under the impression that everybody from the infamous lineup are still together, which by and large they are, but still, it’s something that I wondered.)
Chris: It’s hard to say with Negan. Probably both? He loves breaking people down. He probably likes Sasha for the same reasons he likes Daryl. (I’m glad that you brought that up. I was wondering what Negan saw in Sasha. Like, he knows that Daryl was an emotional bad ass. He doesn’t know much about Sasha other than she infiltrated Sanctuary and gunned down some people. He doesn’t know that she is a hell of a sniper. I am curious if he seems similar potential in her as he saw in Daryl or not.)
Kent: I say that he doesn’t see any potential in her being a Savior. First of all, he didn’t play her any Easy Street, which pisses me off. That alone is a solid reason. He’s not trying to break her in the way that he did with Daryl and assuredly others. The other thing that I considered is that there is no rhyme or reason for Negan to ever trust her to be a Savior. She came in guns ablazing. He can’t trust that, he’s not dumb enough to do that. With Daryl, he saw similar emotional weakness that Dwight exhibited, and thought that he may be able to break him and build up a loyal servant. They are 2 very different scenarios. One last thing that I feel like bringing up is Sasha’s selfish ways. Everybody gives Rosita shit but Sasha gets a free pass. Why? They are very similar situations. Rosita got Olivia killed and Eugene captured. Sasha got herself captured, and is going to result in 2 deaths, most likely. On top of that, she may have just royally screwed over Eugene, because I theorize that somebody saw Eugene hand Sasha the baggie. So why is Sasha being given a free pass? Because she’s more likable than Rosita to the masses. Sasha not killing herself after her failure and then trying to persuade Eugene was a bitch move. It has to be acknowledged.
- Was it wise to leave Oceanside with no guns?
Briana: Not for Oceanside. It doesn’t hurt our guys at all but it definitely leaves them vulnerable. But I think they had a choice. If they didn’t want to be left completely without guns, they could have just gone with them and helped fight. Then they wouldn’t be gunless lol. (I really enjoyed your logic, and it made me think of this quote from an all time great film, Reservoir Dogs. “Yeah, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. I told ’em not to touch the alarm… but they touched it. If they hadn’t done what I told ’em not to do, they’d still be alive.”)
Bob: Alexandrians didn’t leave Oceanside with no guns – they left with all of their guns! ???? OMGosh This is the world they live in. Remember, if you aren’t with a group you are against them. So leaving any guns with Oceanside is an endorsement of failing to follow the group and, “OH YEAH!” drink the koolaid! (Really, you just had to go there. To go back like 15 years and say “oh no you didn’t”. The whole theory that if you aren’t with them, then you’re against them is pretty spot on, or the enemy of my enemy is my friend. It does make me wonder how everything settles down between communities after the impending war is over. Also, kudos for Kool Aid references.)
Bitty: The majority of the guns were locked up!! So yeh take the ones that were in the shed but leave them with the one s on their person. This way of some of the Oceanside members changed their mind and came to fight with Rick they would be armed. (As pointed out in this blog, I think there is some sentiment that had Oceanside been left with some of their guns, the Alexandrians and Jesus run the risk of retaliation. Really, what they did was a pretty F’d up thing to do to the Oceanside community.)
Teddy: Well depends, if they truly want out of the fight then that would be the best thing. However if the Saviors find out they helped them then they fucked themselves. (Am I the only person that finds this whole Oceanside community thing a tad contrived? We sometimes talk about the organization of the Saviors. Like, shouldn’t they have been hunted down from the very beginning? If you’re Oceanside, at this point, I say that you feel pretty good all things considered. If Oceanside is discovered, they are pretty much boned no matter what.)
Cece: Not really. They could have taken a few and it would still have been fine. Anyone against The Saviors is best. (In a fair and just world, perhaps, but would you really chance it if you are Rick, and leave Oceanside with some weapons?)
Kristi: Didn’t she say to take the guns? I think I missed something here. (Good chance of it, but honestly, it’s not terribly high on the importance scale, so you’re fine.)
Chris: Probably not, but Alexandria needed the guns. If they don’t take the guns, the Saviors kill everyone anyways. (That’s really the gist of it all. Oceanside with guns won’t stop the Saviors, zero chance. Rick’s group is something higher than a zero chance, so it makes sense.)
Kent: I enjoy how there are slight variations on how people took the question. Some looked at more from Oceanside’s perspective and others took it from Alexandria’s. It wasn’t intended that way, but I am glad that it did. I still question whether they should have simply slaughtered the Oceanside folks. If they aren’t going to be involved in the war, what purpose do they serve for storyline purposes? Or why not consider the option of bringing them to the Kingdom? If the Saviors never come into the Kingdom, then they should be fine. Hey, if it’s good enough for Daryl Dixon, it’s good enough for Oceanside.
- Why did the Alexandrians waste those explosives for this takeover?
Briana: In order to do it without hurting anyone. They knew these people were as much victims to the Saviors as they are, if not more so. So this wasn’t about doing damage, just getting what they needed. The explosive worked perfectly for that. (Isn’t it a tad hypocritical of the group, or moreso the writers, when they sometimes show the group as willing to do anything by any means necessary to survive, and then other times, go great lengths to avoid killing an innocent? Like, they were very cool with the idea of not only killing all of the people in that outpost, but then to still take supplies from Hilltop. Total dick move, but it was a worthwhile risk. The writers really manipulate the fans to suit the show’s needs.)
Bob: Pomp and Circumstance. They saved all the lives of OS but also showed power and strength in hopes of having them join them. It was a way of showing them how Ill prepared they were for any attack, especially from Negan. (If you could include Pomp and Circumstance in next week’s season finale blog, I would be very appreciative. It always gets me to watch Macho Man videos. Good point on showing them how ill prepared they were. I like that take, and now wish to proclaim that I came up with it first, but I shall not.)
Bitty: I think there are more explosives. And at this point if the Alexandrians don’t know how to make them they shouldn’t be alive in the apocalypse. (This is a Tale of 2 Kitties, I mean Tale of 2 Answers. I am 100% behind you, but like not too close, regarding your first statement. The second part though, it took me aback. Is this required knowledge for the apocalypse? Now you have me wondering just how ill prepared I am for the ZA. I gotta start learning how to make explosives. I was totally looking forward to the ZA, but now you have shaken my confidence.)
Teddy: Scare tactics. Best way to put down people already scared. (I just really liked this answer. That is all.)
Cece: They wanted to make sure they had their attention. Not too sure they really NEEDED to use them. I think they could have ambushed or something and it would have been the same. (You are the only person here that really potentially questioned if they needed to use them, so you get a point. Well Bob kind of alluded to it, but he got me sidetracked.)
Chris: It was either that, or they would have wasted an enormous amount of bullets. The explosives were able to create a distraction, which allows Rick and co. to catch everyone without having to kill. (I hate the fact that I agree with your point regarding wasting bullets because that means that there is a hole in my argument. Thanks, I don’t even know you, but thanks. Haha.)
Kent: I hate this question because it hurts my head. First of all, they didn’t have Rosita, the explosives expert with them, so there’s a fail. There is no reason that they couldn’t have gone in and taken the group out like they did at the outpost, and saved the explosives for an actual threat. This was stupid theatrics at it’s finest so people can have an explosion. Terrible.
- Why didn’t anybody, aside from Natania (The leader), “rise up” against the Alexandrians, especially when the walkers started coming toward them?
Briana: I think most of them know they can’t continue this type of life forever. Everyone wants some sort of normalcy and they’ll never have that really unless they can break away from this hiding and killing everything that moves mentality. Alexandria is their way out of this lifestyle and revenge for their families lost. Natania is stubborn and probably the one who came up with the plan to hide away in the first place. (2 things. 1. In the ZA, half of that phrase is apocalypse, so I have never understood why people think that they can just survive the apocalypse. That’s a heavy word, yet we all think about it. 2. Isn’t it a shame that Natania and Gregory may never meet? Both of them think of themselves incredibly highly, and responsible for keeping their respective groups alive. I want 9 minutes and 2 seconds of them just having a sitdown negotiation.)
Bob: Most of OS is done rising up. They have no Eye of the Tiger ferocity with their current living in fear. OR maybe they are all tired of having their periods the same days every month and we’re in the midst of that cycle except menopausal Natania. (True story, I read this and legitimately raised my hands and shoulders up a bit acknowledging that there is nothing that I can add to this perfect answer. I was very impressed.)
Bitty: Oceanside is a group of women whose men were torn away from them. When they see a group of strong men and woman they will naturally gravitate towards them. Maybe the leader, Natania, had a different story. Maybe she wanted to rid herself of her man. (Ohhhhh, I like that too. Maybe she was in a Carol-esque relationship. Thinking outside the box.)
Teddy: They probably saw them as they saw the Saviors? Could’ve triggered some ptsd issues. (Good call. That seems perfectly reasonable.)
Cece: I’m not sure. I honestly think they’re just used to their own way of living. And of course the walkers are everyone’s common enemy. (To comment on the walkers, I have heard whispers that the walkers aren’t everyone’s common enemy. Sorry, I had to.)
Kristi: They are tired of giving in to the Saviors. They are considering joining Rick and the crew to f some stuff up 🙂 (I know that you are very particular about your music, so I apologize if this song doesn’t meet your lofty standards, but I instantly started singing in when I read your response.)
Chris: I think because most of them agreed and want to fight the Saviors. (Really, out of all of the communities, they seem to have the lousiest day to day living conditions, and I think that’s gotta be a factor.)
Kent: Man, everybody is killing it with the responses this week, and I am sitting here thinking, nah, I have nothing to really offer. I was going to say that she seemed like a woman who has had a hard knock life, much like that ginger orphan. I didn’t have a backstory, and then what Bitty said made a lot of sense. I picture her as never really having a voice pre-apocalypse, and now that she has some power, she doesn’t want to relinquish it. The rest of the OC, I mean OS have nothing to really lose in joining Alexandria’s cause, all things considered.
- Sooooo, do you still think Eugene has some master plan or are you starting to believe that he is Negan?
Briana: Yep he’s just the coward we all thought he was and he’s just trying to save himself and join the team he assumes will win. With the Saviors he has comfort and respect he didn’t have in Alexandria. (I tend not to be combative with you, but does playing it smart really equate to being a coward? He saw what “bravery” got Abraham and Daryl, and sure it fit their characters and some people may have respected Abe more, but Eugene is alive. Brave and smart tend not to go hand in hand as often as we would like to see it I suppose, but I think there is some bravery in playing this game that he is currently.)
Bob: The show wants us to believe that Eugene is Negan. This episode convinced me he is not just because we are due for a surprise. Eugene is just mapping everything out in his head and Sasha’s attack puts her (yes, her) life at risk. She isn’t part of the plan. She is the π that has no end point and fouls up Eugene’s algorithm.(Man, I love Pi.There’s an interesting movie directed by Darren Aronofsky, who has gone on to make some amazing films. I agree, Sasha screwed herself and Eugene would be wise to not alter course on his plan.)
Bitty: I wish we saw more of Eugene inside the walls. If we saw more of his story I could speculate better. I am still hopeful Eugene will help Rick in the finale. (I am pro more Eugene. Aside from Gabriel, I don’t think there is a character that developed as much as Eugene did this season so far. Rosita is in that discussion as well. I still think that he has a hell of a story yet to tell.)
Teddy: I still believe he is smart, but I still believe he is chicken shit at times. (Sure, he is chicken shit. Wouldn’t you be if you had his physical capabilities and the knowledge of your limitations? I would, and I have no shame in that.)
Cece: I think he is probably going to end up on Negan’s side. Someone from Alexandria will probably have to pry him from there because he seems too scared to try anything slick. (ohhhh, we have somebody who thinks that he is on Negan’s side. This is exciting. I like getting some opposing views, and quite frankly, if he is Negan, doesn’t that make this whole story infinitely more interesting than the expected “face turn” for him? I love the story that the comic tells, and knowing that the war must end at some point, I would rather have an alive Eugene than a dead one, BUT there is something to be said for a truly great bad guy. I still miss The Governor. I root to see Simon and Gregory every week. Hell, I want to see more Gavin and Dwight. Eugene turning heel, that’s Hogan joining the NWO back in the 90’s level. A guy who became underappreciated and said screw it, if I can’t get the recognition that I feel that I deserve, I’m gonna do me. I should also note that Cece and Teddy has helped me out for Wrestlemania weekend, so just saying, check that shit out.)
Kristi: I still think he has something up his sleeve. (Fortunately, he always seems to have sleeves while in Sanctuary.)
Chris: I hate to say it, but he is unequivocally Negan. (Oh shit, we got 2 people on board this Negan train. Exciting! I wish I knew more about you personally so I could integrate some kind of joke or reference, but I don’t, and I just feel that an Annakin reference is too simple. Feel free to tell me what things you are into so that I can attempt to do better.)
Kent: Hell naw. He is playing this the only way that he can at this moment if he hopes to live a better life than Oceanside ladies. Plus, this is really helping to build up his confidence. I know that people’s perspective of him is somewhat of a coward, Bri and others have said so. I question if it has more to do with confidence. Less confident people shy away from certain tasks or obligations, and tend to fall in line more. He’s definitely an introvert, and I fully believe that he says things in hopes of not being asked to talk too much I really would love to sit down and simply analyze Eugene’s psyche at some point.
- Soooooo, do you still think that Gregory lacks the testicular fortitude to pay a visit to Sanctuary? Everybody here said that he was lacking in that department.
Briana: I definitely think he’s lacking balls in a major way but do I think that’s going to keep him from paying Negan a visit? Nope! He’s planning to head there now! However, I don’t think it’s going to be a bravery trip. I think he’s going there to throw himself at their mercy and, like Eugene, join the “winning side”. Probably even sell Maggie and the rest of them out. (I like everything that you said, and yet, I start singing Sell Out by Reel Big Fish. I listen to music while doing this for hours. I gotta say, you paint an interesting picture that I can totally see playing out, and I would enjoy that. True story, Little RIchard’s “Lucille” just came on. This song has become so much cooler thanks to Negan.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Ujb6lJ_mM
Bob: He is going and is going to report some stuff. I am not convinced the show has us on equal timelines between communities. (Ding ding ding. The show plays with our minds on the time frame of events How much time has really passed since the infamous lineup? We know that Rick and Michonne spent some time. Has this season played out over the course of a week or a month? I think that it is smart to not let us know, in the same way that it’s smart to not give us a definitive map.)
Bitty: Gregory needs to get chained to the fence in Negan’s courtyard. (This isn’t Black Snake Moan, but if Samuel L Jackson showed up for just one episode, or even Timberlake or Ricci, I’d be down with that.)
Teddy: Gregory is still a bitch. Negan does not like that shit. Remember what happened to Spencer. (This isn’t really related, but I gotta say, it is nice to have somebody use similar language that I use on a day to day basis. I think the Spencer incident was meant to actually serve as some foreshadowing, or a pre-cursor.)
Cece: He would never go out of his way to get there. Hell no. He’s a total pussy and obviously doesn’t even know how to kill a walker, let alone some evil dudes at The Sanctuary. (While I concur, despite me trying to argue for Gregory every week, you make me really wonder about something. Like, what is he really hoping to say to Negan, or what is he hoping to get out of the deal? If we take the Spencer incident out of mind for a moment, I have only one real idea. In his mind, he thinks that his loyalty has value, but he’s not considering the fallout of asking for help, or looking weaker than normal. Negan appears to prefer to work with stronger willed leaders who have the respect of their respective group. It seems like Gregory should know that, but maybe I am over thinking it.)
Kristi: He can’t even kill a walker. He is testicular-less.. He really just needs to go away. (I think part of me keeps asking Gregory questions just to see your responses. It’s almost a guilty pleasure. Yeah, you can flip me off for that.)
Chris: I think he will feel like he has no choice. He has already lost his people to Maggie. He will do whatever it takes (besides doing any of the dirty work himself) to be the leader. (Well I wish I had read your response before I typed my response to Cece, but it goes hand in hand. So I will pose the same question to you, is Gregory truly that oblivious to what Negan looks for, or would you say that he knows, but he is a last ditch desperation act?)
Kent: I told you that he would go. I got tons of hate mail for saying it. I was right. (Okay, I didn’t get any hate mail. Nobody even really acknowledges that my answers exist, so it’s cool. I just want to reiterate, as Gregory would, that I was right.)
- Do you think that Dwight will betray the Alexandrians before this is all done?
Briana: I don’t know. As much as I can’t trust Dwight, I also think he really does want to be out from under Negan. I think he wants his wife back and his identity back. So I do think his intentions are true as of right now but it is incredibly possible he will betray them at some point for something. (You just gave the most American response possible. You said one thing, but left enough room for the other possibility to occur. It reminds me of South Park’s 100th episode. I think it was called “I’m a Little Bit Country” and was the 4th episode of season 7…I think. You’re right, in this moment, his intentions are true.)
Bob: With the limits already set in the show, no. Dwight said he wanted Negan dead. He means Negan, not communal Negan. That is his only word. Anything else is up for grabs and free will, so no, he will not be “betraying” the Alexandrians. (Sometimes your responses make me have to reread my initial question to see how thoroughly you deciphered it. I really like that. When I hear the term “free will” it reminds me of The Devil’s Advocate with Keanu and Pacino. Oh and Charlize Theron at her pinnacle of hotness, plus the dude who played Coach, Craig T Nelson. A young Heather Matarozzo, the girl in the very beginning, who is a cool actress. My favorite person in it though is the incomparable, Jeffrey Jones. That guy has been in so many great things and he kills it every time.)
Bitty: Yes. He will want to help the Alexandrians and will for a bit but as soon as he comes face to face with Negan he will crawl back to him. (I’m actually surprised that you’re the only one that said this in particular. We have seen Dwight crawl back in various ways in the past, so why would this be any different? More importantly, how dumb would the Alexandrians have to be in order to trust this guy? )
Teddy: Meta gaming: yes. How this is playing out: I still see it being too soon for Dwight’s babyface flip (I wanted to provide a more modern day, well done face turn. The thing is, face turns, by and large, are not done well nowadays. I have been sitting here, scratching my bald head trying to come up with a really good one. The best I have is The Shield turning on HHH and Evolution 3 years ago. I don’t know whether to feel bad that I am forgetting some good recent ones, or if WWE has simply took the joy out of a face turn. Jericho had his turn, but it wasn’t in that organic way of the 80’s and 90’s.)
Cece: From what it seems like, yes. I believe he’s still sour from what Negan has done to him and I believe he wants to truly be a good person. (This applies to you, Kristi, and Chris. Why now? That’s the only real question on my mind. Is it simply due to Sherry running away, or what he had to do in regards to Dr. Carson? I get that everybody has a threshold. I hope that we get a bit more on the why in the finale.)
Kristi: No, I think he is tired of Negan’s crap.
Chris: Hopefully not, but Dwight is kind of a wildcard. I think his wanting Negan dead will keep him loyal to Rick.
Kent: I want to say, I was watching some of the TWD marathon on Saturday night, and I was watching the Carl episode. I realized, and I fully believe that it was intentional, but Sherry is, from my perspective, by far the hottest of Negan’s wives. I know that it’s obviously a matter of taste and whatnot, but really, Sherry is a knockout comparatively. I feel that they did this so that a typical man would see a hot chick and somehow pull even more for Dwight to get the hot chick back. Seriously, this is the kind of analysis that I offer. Dwight will appear to betray the group because Daryl needs something for next season, and I think that will be his main crux. Also, are we led to believe that Dwight landed that hot of a chick? Just putting that out there.
- Everybody seems to love Ezekiel and loathe Gregory. People have said that Gregory is useless and that he is a coward. Is there a double standard here between the 2 guys? Please explain.
Briana: No. I think Gregory has proven himself to be a coward. Ezekiel will do what needs to be done to protect his group even if he doesn’t always make the right choices right away. Gregory would give up anyone anytime to save himself. I’m actually not sure whatsoever how he became their leader. (Well, I think that brings up an excellent point. Why craft a character like Gregory, but then never give us a few flashbacks of his story so that we can see how he rose to power? It would provide us with a better understanding, and maybe some appreciation. Who knows? Maybe he was a good leader initially until some things went so far awry that it changed him. Maybe he was a sneaky conniving coward from day one. I wish they would give us that info. Either way, it would make his story far more interesting. Currently, he’s been represented as very one dimensional, which is a shame. Even with the Governor, you may not have liked his tactics, but you can see why he did what he did.)
Bob: Kent. Ezekiel has a cool name and a Tiger and has witticisms written all over the place. Gregory has his name and a nice house. Both are being driven to act. Each group has what they have, but The Kingdom HAS this far kept the Saviors from entering it’s walls. Gregory has been abused and abused. There isn’t a double standard unless you root for the sisters of the poor. (OK, so I had to look up sisters of the poor, because I am not a worldly man. Really, you had me at cool name and a tiger, but then the sisters thing really sealed the deal.)
Bitty: We haven’t seen Gregory do anything productive. His people didn’t know how to protect themselves and they just serve the Saviors. However, Ezekiel is a strong leader and seems to always be in the public eye. He has an “army” who is willing to fight, he goes out on runs and he is just a better leader all around. (I really love your point about how Ezekiel appears more often in the public eye. Once again, that is shown to make us draw some conclusions as to his character. That’s a really good point.)
Teddy: Ezekiel goes out and gets shit done. He works with the Saviors but does not bow down. Ezekiel cares about his “subjects”, Gregory just wants to pee on everything. (Back to the peeing on things! We have continuity. To go with what I said to Bri, I would have liked to see how the initial meetings with Negan went with both the Kingdom and Hilltop. It would have helped serve the characters better. Maybe just never make Oceanside episodes and give us a more thorough explanation. More heads being bashed in to piss off the snowflakes of the world.)
Cece: I say they are definitely not the same person because, whereas Gregory just talks with the Saviors, Ezekiel would be the type to actually get out into the action himself. Difference between a ‘boss’ and a leader. (As it’s my job to give people a hard time, I counter that by saying that Ezekiel goes outside of town like an obedient server and greets his masters. Gregory actually pulls a show of power and actually waits for them to come to him. Yes, we know that it’s all just for show, but is there really a difference?
Kristi: Ezekiel is awesome and has a tiger. Enough said. (See Bob, I told you this is all that you had to write. Kristi gets it.)
Chris: A little bit. They both give in to the Saviors, but at least Gregory is upfront about it. However, Ezekiel stands with his people and doesn’t just look out for himself. (I think that this is the most reasonable response. I would go so far as to say, most arguments against Gregory are really lacking in substance because you can offer examples of Ezekiel doing something similar. The one big difference, once again, aside from the tiger, cool name, and witticisms, is how Ezekiel has been shown to care for his people and Gregory is fine if any of his people die, as long as he doesn’t. )
Kent: Of course there’s a double standard. One has a tiger and the other doesn’t, so everybody is like “Ohhhh Kent, look at the tiger, look at the tiger. Did you see that f’n tiger?” and I’m always like “Mom, stop swearing. Yes, I can see the fake tiger in all of it’s fake glory.” Ezekiel has the benefit of his rule being silly, which people gravitate towards in a series that is so serious. Ezekiel has a kingdom, a throne, and a Jerry. Gregory has a Jesus. While Bitches love Jesus, I think Jerry is actually more beloved, at this moment, especially since the cobbler incident. I will leave you with this thought, and although it doesn’t prove me right, I just want you to consider it. Switch Gregory and Ezekiel’s locations. Gregory runs The Kingdom, has a tiger and a Jerry. He has the same deal, meeting The Saviors outside of the walls, and he acts like a king. Ezekiel stays at Barrington house, doesn’t have the option to meet the Saviors outside of the gates because a member of the Hilltop pissed off the Saviors originally, and they now insist on coming in. That’s not unreasonable in any way, all it takes is one Spencer or Rosita. Who do you really side with? Yeah, you may find that your allegiance is more towards the tiger and Jerry. Just something to actually spend 30 seconds considering before absolutely dismissing me, which I know the vast majority of you are doing at this moment.
Bonus Deuce
- Bold prediction time! Do you think anybody is going to die next week? If so, who you got getting got?
Briana: Someone has to die. It’s the season finale! The obvious answer they want us to think is Sasha but I get the feeling her sob story to Eugene wasn’t real. I don’t think she actually was trying to kill herself so much as find a way to defend herself to escape. It feels like Tara’s time has been coming for a while but I don’t think we are that lucky haha. So I’m going to go with Eugene and Dwight.
Bob: Sasha seems like the best pick.
Bitty: Season Finale means death to some. Most likely Sasha and Ezekiel.
Teddy: Given the fact Sasha is on a new show, I say it’s her. Gregory will die but he isn’t a character, period. More like a flea.
Cece: I hope it’s Gregory. And I know for a fact Sasha should be going very soon too.
Kristi: Since this past week was mostly about Tara growing a pair and Sasha, I definitely think it will be one of those 2. I’m thinking Tara.
Chris: I think Sasha is definitely a goner! In a swerve I’m also going to say that…… Simon bites the dust (I hope not though….. At least not yet.)
Kent: I don’t want to comment too much on anybody’s prediction because it would be like me telling you that your lotto numbers are really smart and beautiful or that they are dumb and ugly. Wait, yeah I do want to say one thing. Bitty, really, Ezekiel? OK, I also wanna give props to Bri and Kristi for predicting Tara’s death. That’s an easy way to gain street cred. I’m seeing some that I think are way off, some that actually intrigue me, like Simon, and I hope that Chris is wrong. Oh, and somebody picked Ezekiel……really Bitty?
TWD tends to give lesser characters more screen time when they are close to death. Well, that leads us to Sasha, Rosita, Gabriel, Morgan, and Tara. Sasha is a goner, in my opinion, as soon as I heard that she got a role on Star Trek. I haven’t read any spoilers, so I don’t know, but I would bet my hairline on her death. I can tell you that I suspect a walker to kill somebody, and comic fans know where I am getting that theory from. Alas, the character who got the death that I am speculating on was Denise, so that’s not happening. I think that Rosita is safe, especially if Sasha dies, as it’s a way to remember Abe. Morgan is such a great talent, and he just got his swagger back, so I think that would be a huge mistake on the writer’s part. We don’t need somebody that tier (Rick, Carl, Maggie, Daryl, Carol, Morgan, Eugene, and Michonne) to die. That leaves me with Gabe or Tara, so normally I would say “Who’s been the bigger moral compass?” Tara doesn’t exist in the comic, and Gabriel lasts much longer in the comic, but his role is really small, and his death was really pathetic and almost an afterthought, so the comics don’t help. With the groups appearing to being on the verge of uniting, we don’t need eleventeen moral compasses. Tara’s death would include her apologizing to Rick for not telling him sooner about the guns and maybe make a Denise reference. We lost 2 dudes in the premiere, we then lost Olivia, Spencer, Ben, and Richard, along with the great Fat Joey. The show can afford another female loss, so I am going with my heart and my hopes and my dreams, and predicting Tara. I am also predicting that it will be so sappy that when I ask you if her death made you sad, and somebody says yes, I will furrow my non-existent eyebrows.
- Will the season end on a high note or a low note?
Briana: I think it’s going to be a cliffhanger but I’d say high note if there is a note.
Bob: Can I just say they had better not do some nonsense like they did last season, making everyone wait for something. It will be a low note with a crescendoe.
Bitty: They better not end with a damn cliffhanger!!! I freakin will flip. A low note with the destruction of the Saviors, deaths of a few good guys but the last 2 min will be hopeful.
Teddy: It’s too soon for Negan’s downfall so it’s gonna be a low note. Hopefully it won’t be the cliffhanger like the fucking bat scene
Cece: I think it will end again on a very low note. It will be sad and/or depressing. Which, usually has us all wondering.
Kristi: It will end at the beginning of the so called War. Im sure we will have a solid cliffhanger until next season.
Chris: I think It will end on a high note as we get ready for war! Rick will start with the upper hand, but how will Negan respond? (John Doe has the upper hand. Hopefully you get the reference.)
Kent: Maaaan, reading these comments, it’s like the writers and producers may have soured people on cliffhangers. I find it surprising. It’s almost like they abused the Hell out of the cliffhanger privilege last season with Glenn’s magic act, Daryl not being affected by the gun shot fade away, and oh yeah, that finale where people felt incredibly insulted after all of the other Teasers (at least one of you will get that joke). To put it bluntly, they cannot afford to sour their audience any more as ratings have been an issue, so they need to cater to us and give us something in the finale. That also means that killing a beloved character wouldn’t be terribly wise. Sasha and Tara have fans, well Sasha does, and I have read a lot of positive comments on Tara’s boobs. The thing is, I dislike her so much that I have oddly never even checked her out in that capacity, which is really strange for me. The loathing is real. This will end on a sour note The midseason finale ended with the gang together and fans rejoiced. This whole build up has been Rick preparing for war. The theme has been Rise Up. Rick now has guns and things are looking really good for Rick at the moment. Obviously, that’s not going to last. Expect a very sad note to go out on. Also, don’t message me and spoil it for me. I have to wait for Wrestlemania to get over around 11, and then I can watch TWD. I most likely will have my phone off, but I would still despise anybody who out and out sent a spoiler. You may message me and ask me if I have seen it, and then wait for a response.
One final thing. If Judith gets it somehow, I’m just saying that I will be so happy. I know that makes me an awful person, but her existence in this show never made much sense to me, and I feel that they should have gotten rid of her sooner. I’m not anti babies for you sensitive folks. It was illogical that she didn’t get more people killed though.They could have had Mika die trying to save Judith, and then Lizzie could have still looked at the flowers. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Thank you so much for reading.
All of the pictures are the property of AMC, the producers, Robert Kirkman, and all of the other people who helped make this. I am simply using the images for review purposes.