The Walking Dead, Season 7 Part Deux

[Mano]

Oy, this episode. Wouldn't it have been smarter for these "Junkers" to just patch the leaky boats (clearly metalwork is in their wheelhouse, also they have a landfill with probably a thousand discarded canoes) and figure out a way to get past the floaters (weighted nets perhaps) than risk infiltrating a gigantic walled compound without knowing how many people and guns might be on the other side? They don't seem very smart. Also how in a couple years time does a communities dialect become so stilted and curtailed, they'd still sound like normal Americans, is their leader from Denmark or something? Double oy. Hopefully they bear the brunt of the coming fight and become the Whisperers or something.

I know, I know, suspend disbelief. I still watch the show and have through 6 1/2 seasons now, even though I know there's just no way our military could ever be overrun by a zombie horde such as the ones that inhabit this world anyway.

 

[Chuck]

Definitely a weird group in the junkyard, but it's believable that there would be many cults that would pop up. The change in diction is a bit odd, however. As said above, very sci fi. Mad Maxish to me.

Rick needs to worry about the "we take, we don't bother" statement. They kept saying it, and they showed that they are not a particularly humane group in waiting for someone else to do their work (the boat), stealing the goods forcefully, and then keeping Gabriel prisoner. That doesn't sound like the lazy/riskless interpretation of "we don't bother." To me it sounds more like "we take stuff and don't care who we hurt." The statement reminds me a bit of the "To Serve Man" episode of Twilight Zone. Multiple interpretations. I can see them screwing everyone if there is an opportunity in the future.

I'm not sure if the leader dropped character in a few places or if her robotic persona is just an act. My favorite, however, is when she smirks when saying "no" to Rick's original terms for their help. It was such a tough-guy Rick moment and she almost laughed in his face.

The rest of the episode was clunky, but gratifying on the whole. I still don't understand the Gabriel abduction. Seems off. Darryl's lie is going to be short lived. It's not like he ran into Carol alone in the woods. She's within the sphere of the Kingdom and the Alexandrians are now within that sphere.

 

[meyers7]

Good episode last night I thought. Best part was Haircut liking Easy Street.



I know some people won't like a story about Dwight and Eugene, but if you are gonna bring down Negan and the Saviors, you're gonna have to have some inside defectors. I liked how we not sure if Dwight and Eugene are really "Negan" or are both (or either) playing some kind of con.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I know some people won't like a story about Dwight and Eugene, but if you are gonna bring down Negan and the Saviors, you're gonna have to have some inside defectors. I liked how we not sure if Dwight and Eugene are really "Negan" or are both (or either) playing some kind of con.

So Dwight hides the escape of his wife, leaves her the beer & pretzels as his old self was supposed to, lies and then revenge kills the doc for talking smack and you aren't sure what side he is on?!
Mostly boring episode but was fine as long as they don't now go back to singular group look-ins and stop moving story forward.
They've definitely veered away from grisly scenes by not showing the doc in the oven - proves fan reaction can truly impact show.
Minorly ridiculous that everyone close to Negan wants to kill him and he's got no clue

 

[meyers7]

So Dwight hides the escape of his wife, leaves her the beer & pretzels as his old self was supposed to, lies and then revenge kills the doc for talking smack and you aren't sure what side he is on?!

I guess it's more not sure what his end game is. To escape, kill Negan, take over the Saviors, help someone else bring them down? He's obviously on "Dwight's side", but with his wife gone, that is not gonna be thrown in his face everyday. Hence he may now just cement himself in the Saviors and grab as much control as possible. Or he still could be plotting a get away. Or he could be plotting to take the entire Saviors down. Don't know yet. And it will be interesting to see how it does play out. Like he said on TTD, he's moving chess pieces now.

Mostly boring episode but was fine as long as they don't now go back to singular group look-ins and stop moving story forward.
They've definitely veered away from grisly scenes by not showing the doc in the oven - proves fan reaction can truly impact show.
Minorly ridiculous that everyone close to Negan wants to kill him and he's got no clue

Not sure that Negan has no clue. Maybe he is getting too overconfident or maybe, like as has been shown in the past, he's actually a step ahead. We'll have to see how that plays out.

 

[Dove]

I simply can't grasp how a guy can become such a tyrant and get a bunch of people to just bow to him. Many of the subjects look like people who in pre-collapse life were real winners and tough guys themselves. There has to be a back story show coming. That will be a good one, if acted well.

Was he an urban school elementary school principal? A garage mechanic? A n out of work Desert Storm veteran? Ex punter for the Panthers?

Still not diggin' the too-school-for-school delivery.

 

[meyers7]

I simply can't grasp how a guy can become such a tyrant and get a bunch of people to just bow to him. Many of the subjects look like people who in pre-collapse life were real winners and tough guys themselves. There has to be a back story show coming. That will be a good one, if acted well.

Was he an urban school elementary school principal? A garage mechanic? A n out of work Desert Storm veteran? Ex punter for the Panthers?

Still not diggin' the too-school-for-school delivery.

Not sure what they are doing for a back story in the TV show. If they do anything?? But I believe in the comics he was a school gym teacher/coach and a part time car salesman. Probably a Mr Woodcock.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I simply can't grasp how a guy can become such a tyrant and get a bunch of people to just bow to him. Many of the subjects look like people who in pre-collapse life were real winners and tough guys themselves. There has to be a back story show coming. That will be a good one, if acted well.

Was he an urban school elementary school principal? A garage mechanic? A n out of work Desert Storm veteran? Ex punter for the Panthers?

Still not diggin' the too-school-for-school delivery.

That's my problem with the character all along. I think he's simply the kind of guy that other people would have taken out long, long ago, without a second thought. He has no classic leadership skills or qualities, no real charisma, and he's not physically imposing.

 

[meyers7]

That's my problem with the character all along. I think he's simply the kind of guy that other people would have taken out long, long ago, without a second thought. He has no classic leadership skills or qualities, no real charisma, and he's not physically imposing.

I disagree. I think he has a lot of leadership skills, and tons of charisma. While JD Morgan isn't really that imposing, the comic book Negan was supposedly much more imposing.

This guy tries to explain it.

 

[Dogdeacon]

There truly is no response to Meyers putting up the Negan is a genius picture, I'm saving this with the Carl is a great child actor, Governor was a good villain, they didn't stay too long at the Prison/Farm and Shane/Rick dynamic was interesting in the pantheon of Walking Dead Kool aid flavors.

 

[Fishy]

They could make The Walking Dead 50% better by leaving everything the same, but getting rid of the Negan character.

I've enjoyed this season, but they have created a one-trick character based on Arthur Fonzarelli and his bat.

 

[Dogdeacon]

They could make The Walking Dead 50% better by leaving everything the same, but getting rid of the Negan character.

I've enjoyed this season, but they have created a one-trick character based on Arthur Fonzarelli and his bat.

Too true, the plotting now all about the numbers and weapons, yet thematically it is 1 guy creating a vicious circle that makes keeping him around as important as killing him.

Ironically if they actually went with their own 'we are all Negan' thing it works better, fits in show theme of there is no escape b/c every time they kill 'Negan' its whack-a-mole.

 

[StoweD210]

I disagree. I think he has a lot of leadership skills, and tons of charisma. While JD Morgan isn't really that imposing, the comic book Negan was supposedly much more imposing.

This guy tries to explain it.

When Negan first appeared, I was going to complain about this. After thinking about it some more, I realized it's pretty baseless complaint. Comic book Negan looks a little more imposing, but it's not like he was Lord Humongous:

It wouldn't have hurt if Jeffrey Dean Morgan hit the weights like he did when he played the Comedian, but it really doesn't make a difference.

In terms of why one of the Saviors hasn't tried to kill Negan, I think fear and mistrust have a lot to do with that. It seems like all his soldiers, the people who go out and act like jerks at Hilltop, Alexandria, the Kingdom, etc, are all pretty loyal to Negan. The people in that group who might have been "soft" and questioned Negan's methods were probably weeded out a while ago. If you're one of the regular people back at the Savior's compound, you also need to be careful voicing any anti-Negan statements. Say it to the wrong person and you could end up as a walker on the fence or being tossed into a furnace. I don't think there's a shortage of people there who want to kill Negan, but they're unsure who they can trust and how they'll get a chance to take action.

 

[meyers7]

There truly is no response to Meyers putting up the Negan is a genius picture, I'm saving this with the Carl is a great child actor, Governor was a good villain, they didn't stay too long at the Prison/Farm and Shane/Rick dynamic was interesting in the pantheon of Walking Dead Kool aid flavors.

You do realize that is not a picture, but a video...right? nah, you probably aren't that perceptive.

 

[Dogdeacon]

You do realize that is not a picture, but a video...right? nah, you probably aren't that perceptive.

I'm glad you have the time to watch videos about opinions about supporting characters on tv shows, but it doesn't give you license to hurl personal insults. As always perception can be about seeing more than what's on the screen, but when so many disagree, its possible the execution was flawed AND that its an overreach. Others aren't smart enough to see what you see is a blindman's stick.

Good episode last night, liked everything but ironically the ending Negan assignation plot again.
Michonne + Rick buddy caper bottle episode could have carried the day. It appears they operate under budget constraints with characters not appearing in episodes. Weird that creatively they (mostly Kirkman who seems control freak otherwise) agree to that.

 

[meyers7]

I'm glad you have the time to watch videos about opinions about supporting characters on tv shows, but it doesn't give you license to hurl personal insults. As always perception can be about seeing more than what's on the screen, but when so many disagree, its possible the execution was flawed AND that its an overreach. Others aren't smart enough to see what you see is a blindman's stick.

Good episode last night, liked everything but ironically the ending Negan assignation plot again.
Michonne + Rick buddy caper bottle episode could have carried the day. It appears they operate under budget constraints with characters not appearing in episodes. Weird that creatively they (mostly Kirkman who seems control freak otherwise) agree to that.

You don't have to watch the video, probably beyond you anyway, but you should be able to tell the difference between a picture and a video. Which was the point.

 

[intlzncster]

The trash people are stupid. Wannabe Yodas.

 

[wethyhusky]

The trash people are stupid. Wannabe Yodas.

I was thinking weak ass vulcans

 

[Dogdeacon]

You don't have to watch the video, probably beyond you anyway, but you should be able to tell the difference between a picture and a video. Which was the point.

No one is watching that other than you, so serves as a picture for all of us scrolling thru thread. There is a play button making this your most inane argument ever which is an achievement.

 

[Mano]

Episode was good up until the last two minutes.

• Fun little diversionary road trip to score some booty. Felt almost videogame-esque where Rick and Michonne beat the dungeon and took home the bounty.
• These garbage people would be fine if not for their stupid dialect. It's been like, what, 3 years since the end of civilization? How have they evolved a language in that time? Just dumb, and annoying.
• Sasha and Rosita are being predictably shortsighted. Yea they think they're cutting the head off, but the rest of the Saviors would still have all of Hilltop, Alexandria and the Kingdom outmanned and outgunned. I mean just look at how easily they infiltrated Hilltop with that burning car/walker attack. Unless their plan is to take out as many of Negan's lieutenants too.

 

[StoweD210]

Episode was good up until the last two minutes.

• Fun little diversionary road trip to score some booty. Felt almost videogame-esque where Rick and Michonne beat the dungeon and took home the bounty.
• These garbage people would be fine if not for their stupid dialect. It's been like, what, 3 years since the end of civilization? How have they evolved a language in that time? Just dumb, and annoying.
• Sasha and Rosita are being predictably shortsighted. Yea they think they're cutting the head off, but the rest of the Saviors would still have all of Hilltop, Alexandria and the Kingdom outmanned and outgunned. I mean just look at how easily they infiltrated Hilltop with that burning car/walker attack. Unless their plan is to take out as many of Negan's lieutenants too.

Agreed. I guess they need something to set them apart, otherwise they'd just be the folks from Hilltop living in a garbage dump.

I can't even get mad at the show for the garbage dump people demanding even more guns. How often does a specific number come up in the search for food, guns, ammunition, etc? Even Negan doesn't ask for that, so why would Rick or anyone in his group think that 63 guns wouldn't be enough? It moves the plot along with Tara having to tell Rick about the fisherwomen and their arsenal, so it served a purpose.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Agreed. I guess they need something to set them apart, otherwise they'd just be the folks from Hilltop living in a garbage dump.

I can't even get mad at the show for the garbage dump people demanding even more guns. How often does a specific number come up in the search for food, guns, ammunition, etc? Even Negan doesn't ask for that, so why would Rick or anyone in his group think that 63 guns wouldn't be enough? It moves the plot along with Tara having to tell Rick about the fisherwomen and their arsenal, so it served a purpose.

That's funny & 100% right that Rick's count was probably the first very specific counting of guns, gas, water or food we've EVER seen on this show. They've assiduously avoided b/c its not what the show is about and they'd easily get bogged down/confused/contradict if they tried to grapple with anything other than vague scarcity of resource (i.e. the infamous grain = intellect chart from congresswoman & Alexandria chief Deanna comes to mind).

However this is an example of why they can never mention #s of anything again. Despite his master negotiation ('say yes', done for comedies sake I know) Rick might have asked how many the first time and certainly should have asked how many more the second time.

 

[Fishy]

"I really do not get the Walking Dead. Some guy runs around acting like a sociopathic and everyone lets him get away with it."

"Sounds like the Boneyard."

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm going to throw this out because it occurred to me when Rick and Michonne found that cache of food and then all the weapons. They have cars. Hell, there was a Humvee at the fair or whatever. Pack up the people you care about, including Jesus and anyone from Hilltop and The Kingdom who has proven useful and move on. Get out of range of the Saviors.

Isn't that the right play at this point? Alexandria is nice, but it's not irreplaceable.

 

[Mano]

I'm going to throw this out because it occurred to me when Rick and Michonne found that cache of food and then all the weapons. They have cars. Hell, there was a Humvee at the fair or whatever. Pack up the people you care about, including Jesus and anyone from Hilltop and The Kingdom who has proven useful and move on. Get out of range of the Saviors.

Isn't that the right play at this point? Alexandria is nice, but it's not irreplaceable.

I'll take you one further, pack up and head north. Find a nice spot where the winters don't offer too much snow but the temps get to freezing for days on end, then take a sledgehammer to some zombie popsicles. At the very least, while they'll have to worry about firewood and staying warm, they won't have to worry about walkers for a couple months out of the year.