Hi everybody, this is Kent, and I’m back for this week’s TWD blog. Bitty, Kristi, and Chris lend their thoughts and opinion on this week’s episode. We are still missing some people, but hopefully we will be at full strength soon. Bob, you and your family are in our thoughts. This week was a really good episode and we had a lot of varying thoughts, so this is an interesting read this week. Any comments in BOLD are written by me. Please enjoy.
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The 9
- In Michonne’s segment, she seemed far more concerned with that flaming structure in memory of Carl. Shouldn’t she have tried finding a way to preserve the wood panels that have Carl and Judith’s handprints, from a sentimental standpoint?
Bitty: maybe so yes. However, it made for a way more dramatic moment. I didn’t understand trying to save that structure, we never really saw Carl on the roof there much. (Right, it’s not like he had great moments there or any one big moment. So they seemingly tried to make something significant without any validation. Typical female……)
Kristi: Absolutely! That would have been a great idea. (Thank you, thank you. I will be here all night….because this is where I sleep.)
Chris: I would have loved if she cut out the painted hands to give to Judith as a memorial. Maybe she still has hope that they can return to Alexandria? (Yes to your first thought. What you said in the second sentence though is the main question, right? Like ALexandria got F’d up!!! Yet Rick’s house was fine….go figure. They are taking a dramatic directional change from the comic, and in a way, I am curious what they do with Alexandria moving forward. They will probably show a montage of them rebuilding set to some awful hippie jam band playing music. If they play Easy Street though and we see Daryl rename a street Easy Street, I am so sold.)
Kent: Yeah, obviously I am going to agree with my question.
- Do you think that Negan fears for Gavin’s safety at this point?
Bitty: I don’t think Fear is the right word. Isn’t suspicious of something, I think so. (Yeah, fear wasn’t the right word. I get it. I failed.)
Kristi: I don’t think Negan fears much of anything. I’m sure he knows something is up but I don’t think it’s a huge concern for him. (I think Negan fears loneliness above everything else. Having read the comic and seen how they portray him on the show, I don’t think anything would bother him more than social seclusion…..hint hint hint.)
Chris: Ok don’t think he fears for him. At this point, he knows something went sour, but he didn’t seem overly worried. (I don’t think Negan values Gavin as much as he does most of his other lieutenants or whatever they are called.)
Kent: Goddamnit people! I didn’t think everybody here would take the word fear that literally, but you did and now I look like a moron. Thank you, everybody!! Should I have put “Negan is concerned for Gavin’s well being”? Yeah. Missed opportunity here, just moving along. No gold stars!!!!
- Is it really important to have Oceanside join the war?
Bitty: Hee Hee. Yup!! They have guns, warrior women, amo and are healthy!! (Didn’t Rick take most of the weapons and ammo? They aren’t Lucy Lawless. Screw a serious response. Like 2-3 years ago, I came across this Skinemax film called Sexy Warriors, and it was fucking hilarious. I never can find it for a reasonable price, but I will someday own it.)
Kristi: I don’t think so. Extra people would be good but I think Rick will figure it out either way. (I’m still not sure why they should even help Rick’s group. They have done a lot of damage to the Oceansiders. They just want to be left alone, not sure why they should risk their lives for 2 groups of assholes, from their perspective.)
Chris: ugghh no. They are boring. I’m not sure what their purpose is, but they have no guns. How are they going to help take down the Saviors when better groups have struggled? (Okay, I know this is lewd, but man to man hear, sex still sells in the apocalypse, and I feel that would be their best weapon. Distractions are incredibly valuable. That is their only real use, well that and fish. The extra protein could truly be a game changer in the war. If one side is malnourished with a lack of protein, we know that can be a huge hindrance in the real world. Look at professional fighters who cut weight in stupid ways. They get beat usually. That’s why Macho Man was tough to beat. He snapped into Slim Jims prior to his matches and he had amazing breathe during his matches.)
Kent: No, I declare them obsolete.
- Did you think that Simon went too far in how he executed most of the Scavengers or was it the right call given their betrayal to the Saviors?
Bitty: I was really surprised Simon went that far. I’m not sure it was what he should’ve done. They did play both sides but he should’ve known they will play for whoever gives them the better deal. He broke almost like Morgan broke when he killed the savior. (It’s tough to say when somebody goes too far. If you get betrayed in our current world, it may sting or hurt, but probably won’t be life-threatening. In this world, betrayal can get you got. So the ramifications are totally different, so I don’t know what is “too far” in all honesty.)
Kristi: Yes, I think taking out a few of them was necessary but taking out all of them was a bit extreme. They were, after all, just following their leader. (See, and that is the difference between Negan and Simon. Negan would have gotten wood, Lucille that is, seeing how loyal these people were to their leader. Simon simply wanted to flex his nuts.)
Chris: No. They turn on every alliance. They would have turned on the Saviors again. Besides, he went there with the full intention of killing them all. He kept egging Jadis on hoping she would do something stupid. (I loved how Steven Ogg and Pollyanna played that scene. It was really well done. You’re right, he wanted to push her so he felt validated. In the end, he said screw validation, and he became a millennial for a moment, seeking his instant gratification rather than consider the long term. Plus he was just pissed at how Negan talked to him.)
Kent: I think that Simon was right in what he did. I know that sounds harsh. The Scavengers are whoooores. Hear me out. They chase the money. Well, you get used enough with no loyalty from that skank, and eventually, ou order your posse to kill a bitch. I bet Tarantino would agree with Simon.
- What will be Simon’s punishment from Negan for disobeying orders?
Bitty: Simon will not get in trouble. I don’t think there will be another visit to the garbage heap. (Once again, I wish I would have worded this question differently. Instead of punishment, I wish I would have asked what consequences Simon will face. Oh well. There’s really no sense to go back to the garbage heap……oh wait…solar panels and helipad. Come on Bitty!!)
Kristi: Lucille. She needs some action. (Maybe this makes me a sick fuck, but I want Lucille to quench her thirst. I know she’s thirsty. I would accept Simon dying to her. I guarantee that Steven Ogg would be super excited about it.)
Chris: There might not be any. Negan might not realize what actually happened until too late. (Yeah, without any knowledge of timelines, it’s tough to really guess. We assume that the war ends in 6 episodes. That is not much time for Negan to be worrying about this stuff.)
Kent: I think it may get overlooked and the repercussions won’t be felt from Negan, but somebody else obviously. Negan has to worry about the betrayals in his ranks that are more important. Gavin is dead. Simon and Dwight have betrayed him, his wives wanted him dead, and there’s a Mullet Revolution still brewing I believe.
- Wild prediction time. Who do you think will kill Simon?
Bitty: A walker. I think Negan will toss him out of the inner circle soon. Negan is not stupid and he can sense that Simon is beginning to disagree with him. Simon will try to leave on his own and get bit or attacked. (I think it was just last year that I was bitching that we needed the walkers to get more kills. Then Carl happened. A second big name would help us believe in the threat again util Rick and Michonne fight off 173 of them in 3 minutes.)
Kristi: Either Lucille or Negan will allow Jadis to do it. (That latter option would be very interesting. If Simon is away on a mission and Jadis pays Negan a visit. That could be very delicous.)
Chris: I have 2 choices. Either Maggie or Jadis. (I hope it’s not Maggie, but you are right. The show is hell bent on trying to make her seem powerful and dangerous. I don’t like that you are right/)
Kent: Janis Got a Gun? I feel Bob would have possibly answered in this way. Miss ya buddy.
- Do you feel bad for Janis? Also, how cool was that grinder scene?
Bitty: As you may not know I hate horror films and gore. (Say what???) However, there is something about walkers that I can tolerate… BUT THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY NAUSEATING. Do I feel bad for Jadis? Somewhat yes. She lost everyone she was with and now is solo so in that respect I feel bad. It was really interesting to hear her speak in complete sentences. Turns out she was playing a part like Ezekiel. (Yeah, how interesting was it to hear her talk like a normal person? That was fascinating TV to me.)
Kristi: I did feel bad for her. Losing everyone you care about must have seriously sucked. It was nice to hear her story and hear her speak like a normal person. It actually made me like her a little. The grinder scene was pretty badass. Very smart of her to do that. It was almost kind of her to get it done so her friends didn’t have to be Walkers for long. (I found peace in the grinder scene, unlike Aaron just letting Eric be a walker.)
Chris: I kind of feel bad, but she was setting herself up for this with all the double-crosses. The grinder scene was awesome. You could feel Jadis’s pain. Looked like zombie chili….. (I believe they kept referring to it as chili on Talking Dead. She had to finally pay the piper. I am curious if she joins another group now.)
Kent: This is exactly why I was so thrilled to see Pollyanna on this show. I am very familiar with her work on screen and she is so talented. It was great to see her finally get to act a bit and she nailed it. Of course, I don’t feel bad for her. Even in the non ZA, if you keep screwing over large groups in a large capacity the way the Scavengers did, then at some point, bad shit is coming your way.
- Is Rick making a mistake in not heeding Carl’s plea for peace? At this point, who wants peace more: Rick or Negan?
Bitty: Ugghhh that scene between between Rick and Negan was heartbreaking. It really made me question who is right. Rick, Negan or Carl. Carl wanted a peaceful future and rick just wants a future no matter how he gets there. (This episode truly had some of the best acting from this whole show’s history. Between this and how the Jadis and Simon thing, damn. It’s basically, Carl wants the idealistic scenario, while Rick and Negan want the achievable one.)
Kristi: This is a hard one.I think Rick wants to have peace but Negan did kill Ricks people. That can’t be forgiven. Negans peace is controlling people and hurting those who don’t follow his orders. That’s pretty crappy and not at peaceful. Rick at least let’s his people live without too much disturbance. (Well, how many of Negan’s people did Rick kill before any of his group got killed? A LOT! Rick’s group shows up, takes over Alexandria from the previous regime quintessentially, and then doesn’t like their current situation, so they make a deal for a better life at the expense of Savior’s lives. It’s far more complicated because we didn’t have 5 seasons dedicated to the lives of those that Rick killed first. I like things in black and white, but man, there is a sea of grey here, at least 50 shades of it.)
Chris: I think it’s too early to tell. More people are going to die, but even if he quit Negan would punish them and kill people. I think they both want peace. Negan just wants a peace ruled by fear, while Rick doesn’t. (Rick does not really like it when people disagree. He gets in fights with them like Shane, Daryl, and Pete. Then to go back to how the whole thing went with how he handled Tyrese’s groups. The whole thing, it’s tough. I will ask this. If another group came by that worked similarly to the Savior’s, would Negan declare war against them, or would they combine resources? Most assume war. Maybe ALL OUT war.)
Kent: Negan wants peace more, Rick wants stability more, from my perspective. The Saviors save people.
- Rank the 6 segments from best to worst. The segments include Michonne, Negan, Enid, Simon, Janis, and Rick.
Bitty: Rick, Negan, Enid, Simon Jadis, Michonne.
Kristi: Jadis, Simon, Rick, Negan, Enid, Michonne- although the walkers face being ripped off was pretty great. (YES! Now that is some gold star worthy shit right there.)
Chris: Jadis, Enid, Simon, Rick, Negan, Michonne.
Kent: Rick, Simon, Jadis, Negan, Enid, Michonne
Bonus Deuce
- Sooooo there is a helipad and solar panels at the dump. While I think we can all agree that the helipad is more interesting, which of these 2 items will prove more useful moving forward?
Bitty: I must’ve missed that totally. helipad. (You know that look of disappointment that I have been known to give with a dash of disbelief? Good, now you know what I look like.)
Kristi: The helipad. I feel it will be more useful. Not sure for what but I’m sure it will play a part of something badass in the future. (Bad ass……I hope so. It could be the tool that leads the group toward where they are in the comic, but where are now…..but I don’t think we ever see that in the show if I am betting my hairline on it.
Chris: Alexandria already had solar panels, so I’ll go with a helipad. After all, walkers cannot fly. (Wouldn’t it be safe to assume those panels are damaged? I would think so.)
Kent: I have to go solar panels here. I actually thought I was going to have to come up with some wacky reason to say helipad, but nope. I know that if I am alive in this situation, I have a much better chance of learning how to use the solar panel than the helicopter, which we don’t even know where that may be.Plus the fuel that the chopper is going to need. Solar Panel 50% of the time, every time.
- In the real world, not TWD, what would Aaron realistically hope to accomplish given everything that has happened to the Oceansiders?
Kristi: He just needs some friends. (He could possibly enjoy gossip too! A place with all women, that is a gossip center.)
Chris: It would be an accomplishment to not die. ???? (Fact.)
Kent: I’ll toss this out there. What about trying to repopulate the world a bit? I don’t that goes against his orientation, but it’s a thought if he could pull off that magic trick.
Final thoughts:
Bitty: I hate to say I want to see more emotion like that from Negan. Raw real emotion, not cocky bs.
Kristi: I really enjoyed this episode. I have had zero interest in Jadis the whole time. She was just a filler character for me since she arrives. I feel for her now and really want to see what happens to her. I’m also super excited to see Negan’s reaction when he finds out what happened. Great episode altogether.
Chris: Great episode in my opinion. I want to see what happens with Jadis. I am finally interested in her character.
Kent: We weren’t alone in thinking this episode was great. Prior to this episode, the 2 high points for the season was the previous week’s 7.0, and the episode where Gabriel got Negan to talk some before they battled the horde got a 7.4. This episode got an 8.1. It deserves it. I talk to a lot of people about the show, and just this week I talked with Bitty and Kristi at least, Chris and I do not gossip much. The big thing is that this episode finally allowed even the biggest Negan hating people (I will not say haters….damnit, now I did) to at least question things. Is Negan really 100% pure evil, or is he simply a villain to the main audience because of the lineup. And go back and consider the lineup. He couldn’t take Rick or Carl out, so he took out the guy that seemed to be the biggest trouble maker, which was Abe. As much as I loved Abe, Negan wasn’t wrong. Abe would have been a HUGE pain in Negan’s ass, and may have killed him. Everything after that wasn’t 100% on Negan. Daryl caused Glenn’s death. Had Negan not swung the bat a second time, would the group have truly feared him or taken him as seriously? No, it would be the Terminis situation all over again. Not a big scary threat. Negan needed to look all powerful in that moment after having lost 30-40 people to Rick’s reckless antics.The Saviors do save people. A lot of the current Saviors would have been zombie food by now without Negan and the Saviors. We forget about that because it doesn’t jive with out narrative. It’s easier to simply look at Negan and think evil man. How many people has Rick truly saved? Maybe 5% of the people that Negan has. Rick has been a bad ass too. What makes this story so damn good, when they do it right, is that there isn’t a good or bad, it’s just what we have been brainwashed to consider our good group. Let’s not forget Morales and how he was saved, until he got killed by Rick’s group. And I want you to consider, which group do you think has killed more people, The Saviors or Rick’s Group? In some capacity or another, Rick’s group is responsible for all of Woodbury to be dead. That was a good, thriving community. Terminus was thriving, if not awful people. How much of Alexandria’s citizens are still alive since Aaron brought Rick through those gates? Yes, Negan is the antagonist to this story, but is he really the greater evil? I feel that Brian would have appreciated this rambling.
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