#we DID have the moral heart of twd but negan killed him

[mytwdblog]

the negan stans are so funny because they’ll say stuff like:

“[said character did this bad thing that isn't on the same moral level as negan's actions]

[this bad thing that said character did that is treated in canon as the bad thing it is and said character is held accountable for, when negan's actions aren't treated as such nor is negan held accountable for]

[a character did a bad thing that is understandable in a zombie apocalypse, unlike negan's actions, e.g., r*ping women and intentionally creating a system that exploits them, especially disabled or sick women]

[a bad thing said character did that isn't as bad as negan's actions, yet they have suffered far worse for it than negan has for his]

[some comment along the lines of ‘negan was just murdering and terrorizing people to keep people in line/to create order in a post-apocalyptic world’ and they somehow think this is ok despite seeing multiple communities live in peace with each other and fairly trade for food and supplies without the violence negan caused]

[abuse apology]

[rape apology]

[racist comments]

[something that is the result of writing that doesn't make sense that anyone one with the most basic critical thinking skills should be able to see]

[something that is false]

[misogynistic comments]

[something ableist]

[victim blaming statements]

[something a character did that the negan stans have intentionally taken out of context to make said character look like they are on the same moral level as negan]

[something that amc wants viewers to believe because they know they can get more money if they get people to believe it]

[something they wouldn't believe if amc wasn't pushing it and making money off of it]

[some comment along the lines of ‘negan isn’t a r*pist because he says he’s not a r*pist’ like thousands of r*pist haven’t gotten away with r*pe because of statements like that]

[some statement defending negan’s misogyny, ableism, fat shaming of olivia and/or abuse while claiming to be against those things]

[some comment in which they admit they do not understand the difference between a totalitarian dictator and the people who are subjugated, despite most of them living in and/or witnessing the horrors of a totalitarian state]

[some fatphobic comment against ann mahoney (olivia's actress) for saying something true (i.e., something they don’t want to hear), but gets mad when someone rightfully calls out jdm for the problematic things he says and does (e.g., the time jdm wore a ‘blue lives matter’ shirt and posted a rant against people who rightfully called him out on it. but they say that listen to lizzo and they think it makes their fat shaming ok]

[something a character did that they don't see as bad when negan does it, even if he does it worse than said character]

[some derogatory and/or misogynistic comment about sherry, tina, amber, frankie, and the other women negan r*ped, as well as any woman who doesn't like negan, discrediting them when they say something true (i.e., something that they don't want to hear) about negan]

[some comment about how they think the alexandrians are abusing their poor precious innocent little baby negan and about how they think the alexandrians need to suffer because the negan stans think anything that isn’t them letting negan r*pe anyone he wants, go wherever he wants, do whatever he wants, talk to anyone he wants, and murder anyone he wants for any reason he wants whenever he wants (i.e., not being punished at all) somehow constitutes as abuse. somehow doesn't see their hypocrisy]

[some comment along the lines of 'all rick and co had to do was fall in line with negan no matter how cruel and brutal he was, let him kill and terrorize innocent people, rape, and kill children’]

[a racist and misogynistic comment towards michonne about how they think he could run alexandria better that her, despite negan losing a war, several of his own people turning against him, simon (his own right hand man), being unable to keep simon in line TWICE (that we know about), people running away from the community he ran, knowingly sending his own people to die, the community he was leading falling, and none of his former followers coming to his aid because these are totally qualities of a good leader (note the sarcasm)]

[them saying a statement that basically boils down to 'of course i love female characters, but they have to love negan, worship negan, make their whole lives revolve around negan, do whatever negan says no questions asked, let negan r*pe them whenever he wants, and not call negan out on his flaws' and if you call the negan stans out on it they'll call you the misogynist]

[brings up something that the negan stans themselves do and a lot worse than said character]

[some comment about how they think rick fairly negotiating with hilltop for a fair trade is on the same moral level as negan threatening, killing, and terrorizing innocent people]

[judges maggie's morality solely on one of the most justifiable murders in twd but thinks negan should get away with murdering innocent people. somehow doesn't see the hypocrisy of this either]

[some comment that shows the negan stans conveniently "forget" anything that doesn't suit their own narrative, e.g., the fact that the saviors attacked rick's group first]

[something that is actually negan's fault, but isn’t framed as such]

[something that jdm said because he knows he will stay on the show and get paid more money if he can get people to believe negan walks on water, and because he gets paid by amc, who makes money by getting people to believe a certain narrative]

[something another actor, a producer, chris hardwick, or someone else associated with twd and/or amc said because they'd get fired if they said otherwise]

[something that ignores the character development of the character they are slandering]

[some comment that shows they don't have the most basic grasp possible on the geography of the country where a lot of them live]

[additional comments that show they don't have critical thinking skills]

[some comment along the lines of ‘i liked glenn but [justifies negan killing him/unfairly criticizes the love of his life/says things glenn wouldn't believe]']

[some comment along the lines 'i don't hate maggie but [some comment about how think they know better than her/ some misogynistic comment about her/unfair criticism of her/some comment that show they they are unwilling to sympathize with her on the most basic human to human level possible]']"

and think its irrefutable evidence that negan is the moral heart of twd 

[twdmusicboxmystery]

FTWD 6x08: First Analysis

Okay, let’s talk about this episode. 1) It SUCKED. 2) It also SUCKED. Anyone want to take a stab at what I’ll list for #3?

Why? Character death.

I’ll put all spoilers beneath the READ MORE. If this makes you at all worried about Beth’s return, read what I’ve written below. It will make you feel better.

***As always, spoilers abound for 6x08 below. Don’t read until you’ve watched!***

Okay, so I’m sure you already figured this out, but John is probably my favorite character currently on FEAR, so I’m super-bummed that they decided to kill him off. And I totally didn’t see it coming. The screeners talked about something big happening in Fear, but I didn’t think it would be this. Yeah. SUCKS.

But let’s discuss, shall we?

Because there was and still is a lot of Beth symbolism around John, I know that’s going to unsettle people. I don’t want this to come across as me being worried in any way, but I’ve already gotten quite a few Asks and messages, so clearly others in the fandom are worried that because John dies here, it might mean Beth really did die, too.

Let me assure you, there’s nothing further from the truth. 

I’d like you to keep the following 6 points:

1.       It’s all about the attitude of the character in that moment. (A.k.a. the symbolism can change.)

2.       His death will spur on the current storyline and affect other characters.

3.       There is plenty of precedent for killing off true love couples. Unfortunately.

4.       This was a replay of Grady.

5.       John does not = Beth in this season. Morgan does.

6.       Major clarity on the Door symbol, and that’s freaking huge!

It’s all about the character’s attitude in the moment.

This is something I’ve addressed before when looking at the dialogue various characters have before their deaths. In most cases, they accept their deaths or become negative in some way. And that’s not to say that they all want to die or try to commit suicide. For example, Dale. He didn’t want to die and he wasn’t suicidal. But before his death, he said he no longer wanted to live in a world where they killed Randal. That’s basically, through symbolic dialogue, announcing his own death.

Another good example is Glenn. There was tons of Beth symbolism and even a lot of her dialogue around Glenn in S6, just before his death fake out. Now, clearly he didn’t want to die in 7x01, and he didn’t really say anything to that effect. But the point is, the hopeful, Beth symbols around him wasn’t present in 6x16/7x01 as it was in 6x03. So, the symbolism around a character can change if their attitude has changed and their heading toward their own death.

Do you see what I mean? While there has been lots of Beth symbolism around John and June in the past, in this episode and even a few previous to this, he became very hopeless and dark. You could say he parallels to S2 Beth who also tried to commit suicide. Not to S4/S5 Beth who was hopeful and determined to live.

Throughout the episode, Morgan gives John tons of chances to change his mind, and he refuses.

One more example and I’ll move on. Heath and Tara.

I’ll admit this symbolism is a little confusing, and I had to think through it several times to square it in my head. In 7x06, Tara fell off a bridge into a river, and washed up in a new community. She lived. Here, John falls off a bridge into a river and washes up in front of his own cabin. But he dies.

We’ve always attributed the Tara symbolism to Beth, yet John died here. But Tara DID live, so which is it?

Again, it just depends on the attitude. Before Tara went off the bridge, we saw her being positive and hopeful, while Heath was being super negative and hopeless. Tara lived. She found herself in captivity, but eventually escaped and made it home. Heath didn’t die in that case, but disappeared into the CRM. The point is, something bad happened to him because he was being negative and hopeless. And to this day, he’s never made it home. See what I mean? So, it’s all about where the character’s head is at. Unfortunately, John had given up.

And the other confusing thing is that he seems to get his hope back right at the end. The last thing we see him say is “It’s not too late.” But I think the idea is that it’s just too little too late at that point. If you follow the sequence of events back, it’s clear that if he hadn’t gone back to the cabin and tried to kill himself, he wouldn’t have been on that bridge and Lizzie—I mean Dakota—wouldn’t have killed him. So his death was the result of his own actions.

His death will spur on the current storyline and affect other characters.

This is something the showrunners really emphasize on TTD. And I won’t say I’m a fan of it, but we do have a precedent for it in the show. Glenn’s death kicked off AOW. Jesus’s death happened at the start of the Whisper War. The death of the pike victims spurred Carol to let Negan out to kill Alpha. So, while I wish they’d used someone other than John for this (cuz I heart him), this is something we’ve seen in other story lines before.

Will it happen with Beth? Well, I don’t think Beth will die at the beginning of the CRM war, if that’s what anyone is thinking. But I think someone will. I’ll talk more about this below, but for now, know that there probably will be a sacrifice of some kind. I actually kind of wonder if it will be Eugene. Only because of the Sampson template. I’ve said before that I think, like Sampson, he might do something to save TF, kill their enemies, and give them a fighting chance. But that remains to be seen, of course.

There’s even a line in this episode where John says, “this river has a way of bringing people back to life.” Clearly, that doesn’t apply to him. But I think it applies to the rest of his group who will “come alive” and finally fight off Virginia’s evil yoke.

There is plenty of precedent for killing off true love couples. Unfortunately.

Another reason I know this makes people nervous is because this is a true love couple with major symbolic ties to Bethyl. I get it. But actually, we’ve seen similar things with lots of other Bethyl proxy couples.

The one that first comes to mind is Sasha and Abraham. They had TONS of Bethyl parallels. They did get together and get some time together, though not much. Then Abe was killed off, and Sasha followed him a season later.

There’s also David and Betsy from S6. Admittedly, there were SUPER minor characters, but still.

The other big one is Glaggie. I’m not saying there were tons of Bethyl parallels there, except in the fact that they’re both soulmate couples and both have death fake outs. But the point is, TWD hasn’t exactly shied away from killing off soulmate couples.

So what does that mean for Beth and Daryl?

I’m really not trying to scare or depress anyone. I’m not saying they’re going to kill off either Beth or Daryl after she returns. My point is that pointing at John and June as a soulmate couple and trying to extend this death to Beth and Daryl doesn’t really work. This is just another beloved character fatality, and TWD has given us a LOT of those.

So might they kill Beth or Daryl down the line? I mean, anything’s possible, but I really doubt it. I’ve said this before, but they wouldn’t do all this epic foreshadowing just to pull a Morales, or make them “just another” tragic couple.

Plus, it’s Daryl. His romance was always meant to be epic and I really think they’ll both be standing at the end of the series (including the spinoff) whenever that is. So, it’s not something I worry about.

This was a replay of Grady.

I’ll go into this more tomorrow in my Details post, but there are specific things here that make it clear to me that this is something of a replay of Grady. For today, just look at it this way: we have someone falling off a bridge (Daryl and Carol did so in 5x06) and someone being shot (John and Beth). Walkers are also involved in a big way. The difference is that John dies while we think Beth lived. And we can be confident in that because, as I explained above, her attitude was exactly the opposite of John’s.

John does not = Beth in this season. Morgan does.

Keep in mind that, as I said above, John because S2 Beth here. He sort of retrogressed into hopelessness, and that’s why he died.

If anyone is a Beth proxy in this season of Fear, it’s Morgan. He’s sort of “come back from the dead,” reinvented himself, is searching for his lost love (Grace) who happens to be pregnant (child/baby symbolism) and in this episode, John even calls him a ghost.

I’m just saying.

Major clarity on the Door symbol, and that’s freaking huge!

Okay, this is the big one for me, and about the only real silver lining of this episode. This is something we’ve been stumped over for a LONG time. Specifically, since they were filming S5.

Review: while filming the lost ‘white cabin’ scenes we know Emily was in for S5, and which we still haven’t seen yet, Steven Yeun posted this.

It’s a picture from inside that white cabin, and he captioned it with, “Open the door!” but then deleted it. We never understood exactly what that meant. I think most people assumed it was a tease about what might be or what might have happened in that cabin.

But this episode with John is called “The Door.”

They have this whole theme in the episode about how John wants to close himself in his cabin and commit suicide. So, closing the door = death. Opening the door = life. 

My fellow theorists and I have been talking a lot about the cabin symbol as a tomb, since 10x18. We think Leah’s entire cabin represents a tomb. Which not only shows that she might be dead/a hallucination, but it represents Daryl being emotionally dead. Closing himself off to the living and indulging things that aren’t even real.

We’ve seen other examples of this theme as well. In S4, Carol and Ty tried to stay in the little cabin, rather than moving forward to find the others, and it resulted in death (Lizzie killing Mica).

Also in S4, Sasha tried to stop rather than pushing forward. It probably would have resulted in her death. Thankfully, she came around, and that led to her not only living, but reuniting with Tyreese.

@wdway also pointed out that we just recently saw Lucille this. She entombed herself in the basement, shutting the door and leaving a note. And while she was dying of cancer anyway, she didn’t wait for cancer to kill her. She took her own life. So she entombed herself and chose death.

John wanted to do the same thing in this episode. He didn’t get a chance to, but as I discussed above, that’s why he died.

But do you see why this is so significant. Steven posting the cabin with the “open the door!” caption is his way of showing that something about the cabin in how Beth lived.

Opening the door = life.

So while I kind of hated this episode and am super bummed about John, it does shed some light on a lot of the symbolism.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk more about the episode details.

Thoughts?

[wolfwhiteflowers]

twd thoughts and on 8x09. (carl fans, dont read this.)

“Make it real” /premise

-twd spoilers and twd comic spoilers.

me as a fan, im just like in the middle of being faithful of the show rn and being a passionate fan who quits. idk yet. but i will someday. that’s how being a fan of anything happens. 

i know it’s all unpopular opinion but the way the writers did it, Carl’s death does make sense storywise, and it’s like very moving in what writers were thinking.....with the future, Henry, and Carl. And Negan. 

ok, Carl’s ‘future’ dream I think is what comic-Rick had thought about during AOWar-rebuilding ASZ better than before, and why he didn’t kill Negan (because that’s uncivilized). I really liked that part and it’s interesting how the TV writers took that and made it really special like. Carl, wow a what young man and a hero.

And it was during AOW and making it some new premise for TWD/Rick to make Carl’s dream real and setting it up for “The New Beginning”. I think that’s a good premise or for me, imo.  I noticed Skybound ...were also thinking Carl took comic-Andrea’s death. I think so too and I also think TWD show did the’ comic-Andrea’s death’ better. Well because I feel there was meaning and something that forwards to the story. In the comics during whisperer war, comic-Andrea died but I felt like nothing special happened afterwards, storywise. But it’s probably too soon to say because it’s very recent in the comics and it’s not done. ( i just realized Carl died like tv Andrea and comic Andrea. He even mentioned prison time-s3 and how they went back to ‘living’ in s4)

So it’s like TWD show writers wanted that comic-Andrea death to happen, and Gimple thought it would fit with Carl and during AOW. Well Gimple said he wanted something to make (more?) sense to have Rick change his mind and not kill Negan and prisoned him (and then Negan’s redemption. I’m guessing because of Carl’s death). I liked that it’s during AOW because it’s after the war, it’s the “New Beginning” and we see a lot of changes, goodness, and success kind of thing.

I know that Carl is very important to the story and it was like he died for Negan to live (and Michonne?) kind of thing. Like that’s dumb writing, short term plan-writing...why do the writers want to do the comic-Andrea’s death anyway? Or why not have Father Gabe or any moral compass character to die in 8x09. But I think the show can still work, IMO and that it doesn’t seem to be like destroying the show completely or disrespecting the show and character. (like omg twd fandom is so lucky and stuff. I know I have unpopular opinion but fans that give up ..like u guys are lucky in a way that you’re not alone and the media agrees. k. As a Neal fan in OUAT ..it was so shitty on how they did it and the majority didnt care. I guess it depends on a fan and any situation. Like with Star Wars TLJ-that I feel mad on what they did. But I’m still faithful to TWD so far.) But, IMO, I also feel that TWD show still works for me because it had two premises but one premise-Rick’s show is that is more where we are at and he’s still the main character. In the comics, Carl isnt a leader yet. The show’s ending soon sorta so..it’s all Rick’s show. I think even if Carl still lives in the show, I think it’s still Rick’s show just because how long the show is and I think soon the show will end. (Cast leaving, BTS drama stuff).

However with the whole death is like why did happened? sigh. it’s also like why the tv writers care about comic-Andrea’s death ..to add it. Idk. But Gimple wanted a good reason to add in the story of Negan not dying but prisoned and perhaps anything that grieving sad comic-Rick will make sense and to adapt from comics be about tv-Carl for tv-Rick (instead of tv-Michonne?). Well I just like the TV version better it makes it the war and sadness, more deserved when we see the “The New Beginning.” Comic-Andrea’s death didn’t change ..much storywise. idk. 

Idk if it’s correct but Kirkman didn’t plan to do the time-jump at first. He wanted to show how ASZ and other communities rebuild and everyone being happy. But, Michonne is sad and that kind of story is like long and not dramatic ...so he just went for a timejump. (Michonne Telltale game). I guess I’m saying the tv show made the timejump mean something and more special like.

Another thing about how the show is like not ruined completely for me is because they respected Carl (hero of ASZ) and ..I think of the premise. I think it’s about Rick. It’s interesting so far imo that we see a plot of a father losing everything. (rare plot) I think the old premise works well with the new one. At first Rick wants to save his son, and now he’s making Carl’s dream real and be a better man for Carl. 

Yeah i know it’s still sucky. Like why does the show keep killing major characters? idk. So if the show keeps sucking and all, I would just think TWD ended in s7 finale. S9 is gonna crazy. Huge change again. Kang as showrunner & Gimple chief..maybe she changes things up for the better, same, or worse. Idk maybe we’ll have a small main cast and stick with them like most shows do. Better dialouge and more interactions from our faves/ladies. idk.

Anyways, I still think the writing is done well or s4-8- as usual. (They can always be improved.) I really like how Carl’s death was like uplifting..hopeful like. But, yeah I’m still like why Carl? He’s the future the heart of the show..but ok..it’s Rick’s show.

 sigh. I was confused why have the Kingdom group plot but OMG the ending. Wow idk what you call it. Parallels/contrasts between what Carl said about living and doing what’s right, with clips of Morgan going crazy to protect a/for a kid, to Henry doing what Carl was like in s3 in, killing Gavin. I’m wondering what will happen to Henry. Will he be featured more and have the ‘psycho killer’ comic-Carl parts or is he a character that pushes Morgan to be in FTWD(comic Michonne pirate arc, I think). Idk Henry got potential for future plots. If Henry becomes one of the recurring characters, he could be like “Carl 2.0″ but I mean he got that comic-Carl pyscho parts that I think tv-Carl doesn’t really have..he’s more like a better man ..more compassionate. idk. Ofc, we don’t care as much for Henry but, I think Carol and Henry might have some future plot later on.(like Michonne and Elodie?) idk. I miss Carick... Carol with Team family. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/thewalkingdead/comments/81i3em/who_believes_the_show_will_actually_get_better_in/

interesting post and comments.  TNB arc may make the show interesting again for some fans. I am interested in after the timejump but who knows if different medium works well or not and how the writers do it. Plus other BTS changes too. so idk. I just wanna see everyone what they are like and they look like after the timejump.  Also, this reminds me how ..well some annoying parts of the show may still continue..because of what Kirkman wrote and stuff. Like I think there’s more main characters separated far apart. etc.

uh basically, I think we just want to know what’s the endgame and feel sure when the show ends. Right now I feel like it’s hard to be faithful and excited about the show when the show is old, cast going away, BTS drama, and we don’t know the ending .. or what kind of ending. Story ending naturally or when AMC ends it with Negan and Daryl show. sigh. 

[superleeleehipster]

Let me just start by saying that I seldom let myself become negative about the show, but there are some moments, like today, where I just can’t help but vent out my frustrations. This has some spoilers from last night, so beware. It’s basically a mixture of reviews from the season, my thoughts... and just venting. I swear I’ll lighten up after this, I just need to rant.

I was scrolling down my homepage and I came across Daryl gifs from season 3 and season 4 while they were still at the prison, and my heart began to hurt. Like my stomach literally squeezed into a knot at the reminder of how TWD used to be, and how our characters interact with each other, and I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken over it. I’ve watched the first three episodes of this season, and although it doesn’t let up on the action, the character development (for me) is suffering right now. There is so much potential for each and every character on the show, but the negligent writing and dialogue are just destroying what TWD used to be. All the writers care about right now is the plot line. Aka Rick vs Negan, and they are bringing all of the characters into that story line, sometimes unnaturally so, so that it could fit their image of what they want to show on screen. 

What I’m trying to say is that I miss the old days. I miss the days where Daryl had more than a few sentences that weren’t inarticulate mumbles. I miss the days where the original group was together and actually interacting with each other. I miss the days when the fandom wasn’t crazy enough to bully actors off social media. It feels like a runaway train that AMC doesn’t know how to correct or steer, they’re just glad it still makes money.

It just seems like the writers have completely disregarded the characters, and have created unnatural arcs for them so that it could fit the story line. For example, Carol’s isolation in season 7. The ONLY reason I could think of for that to happen, for her to abandon everyone, is that Gimple wanted her out of the equation in regards to Negan b/c he knew she wouldn’t bend to him. She would see right through his bullshit, and Gimple would’ve had a more difficult time writing the first half of season 7 as dreary and hopeless if Rick constantly had Carol in his ear telling him to grow some balls again. Although many have argued it was a weird arc for Carol, it didn’t matter, b/c her story line had to be written away from the main plot so that the main plot would work. That’s all the writers care about, is the main plot

I miss the days where Daryl was a “good man” and not a hot headed wildcard, when he was loyal to his family and there for ppl who needed him. Now I’m not saying he isn’t loyal to his family now, but Daryl seems so focused on revenge that he is disregarding everyone else’s feelings and heartaches. Daryl has every right to be angry and vengeful, but it’s gotten to the point where I’m just tired of it. Last night, I would’ve at least expected Daryl to show some sympathy to Aaron. Maybe a small smile and a nod, or even a hand on his shoulder before he walks away, but he didn’t. The writers spent half of season 6 developing a friendship with Daryl and Aaron and then showed absolutely none of it last night. 

Again, problem with the writers, but we didn’t get to see Daryl voice any concerns over how Carol was doing. If she was okay with fighting, or if she needed to talk. Daryl didn’t tell Carol about Abe and Glenn b/c he didn’t want to destroy her, that’s yet another plot hole that hasn’t been filled, and that should’ve been filled on the first episode, or even the last episode in season 7. 

The writers have basically made Daryl into a vengeful, angry mute, an attitude that has spanned three seasons now, and it makes me wonder if we’ll ever get to see a smidgen of the season 4-5 Daryl again. I mean, what is their plan with Daryl after this, how will they write him after the war, b/c this vengeful attitude will have to end sooner or later. At this rate, I feel like Daryl will become just a different shade of Merle by the time the war ends. Either something so drastic happens to Daryl that he lightens up (Carol?) or he gets killed, b/c his attitude is just not going to work for a life after a war. 

I feel like the writers are taking short cuts so that the character’s storylines could fit into the main storyline, and now we’re stuck with weird endings to story arcs, or no endings at all. Morales, for example, was like Gimple cheated his way out of filling that long awaited plot hole. I’m sure he used it for shock value, and it’ll fit in with Rick’s character arc, but that’s exactly my point. Gimple uses other characters, sometimes unnaturally, to fit into Rick’s story. And it leaves us scratching our heads, wondering why that felt so anticlimactic.

I’m a Caryl shipper, first and foremost, but I also recognize the need for good romantic buildup. I fully expect moments between Carol and Ezekiel throughout the season, but personally, I don’t think Carzekiel will actually happen. Be that as it may, if they have the entire season flirting with the Carzekiel ship, only to have the Caryl ship go canon in the end of the season (just a theory), that’s disrespectful to both ships. Not only would the Caryl ship not have the natural build up of a possible romance, but the Carzekiel ship would have all this build up and then a huge slap to the face. I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen (and God knows I will believe Caryl is endgame till the day I die), but I also think that Ripley is right too. AMC is going to use every single potential ship they have to get ppl to watch the show, and I don’t expect any actual canon for any ship till the end of the season. 

I’m not trying to be negative on purpose, I just had a moment where I needed to vent. I hate how badly the writing has become on TWD, I hate the mundane dialogue, I hate the half assed filling of plot holes, I hate watching potential for character interaction and it doesn’t happen, and I hate how they’re neglecting the main characters (aside from Rick). I don’t know if Gimple’s plan is to try and close up plot holes at the end of the season, or use those ‘flashforwards’ to show what will happen in the future. Lord knows war isn’t a good time to start a relationship, but at least give the audience what they want to see. Give us interaction between characters that have chemistry. Give the characters the respect they deserve. Obviously what Gimp wants to see isn’t working, so why not actually listen to the audience?

PS. On a random note...

Did anyone else find Carol’s smile to Ezekiel just a little bit strange? I don’t know why, but her smile just seemed forced or unnatural to me. And I swear up and down on my life I am not saying this b/c I’m biased about Caryl or threatened by Carzekiel. I want nothing more than to see Carol actually smiling again, and if it takes Zeke’s antics, then so be it. But her smile at the beginning of the episode was kind of weird to me. Her other smiles towards Zeke were what I would more likely expect from her. Cautiously optimistic, still suspicious of Zeke, but letting her guard down just enough for a small smile. But that first smile... I don’t know, it just was weird to me, especially when Zeke pointed it out, and she kept smiling. Anyone else?... Or am I the one that’s weird XD

Anyways, rant done. Thank you for listening!

[wearetakingthehobbitstogallifrey]

Thanks for the tag, @theamiableanachronism!  I really enjoyed this one!

rules: choose any 3 fandoms (in random order) and answer the questions. then tag some friends.

i choose: • Batfam • Scarlet Heart Ryeo • The Walking Dead

the first character you loved:

• Bruce Wayne and Alfred.  My first real intro to the Batfam and DC was Batman Begins, and I thought Bruce Wayne was the coolest, bravest guy ever.  And Alfred was THE BEST.  Kind, fatherly/grandfatherly, loyal, sarcasm lord

• Wang So.  Obviously.  Even before I had actually seen a single episode, because I heard he had a tragic story, and he was also as beautiful as an angel.  A dark, wounded angel, but an angel none the less.  When he stormed onto the scene and revealed himself to totally be a murder angst cupcake, as advertised, well, I was bewitched

• Dear sweet Glenn, who sasses the heck out of Rick while saving his butt.  Yeah, Glenn, the pizza delivery boy who was the bravest, most unselfish of them all.  Who became one of the most trusted leaders.  He could have turned and left Rick to die, no one would have known or cared, but he didn’t.  He helped out a stranger, and saved a heck ton of other people by that simple act.

the character you never expected to love so much:

• All the Robins, honestly.  Look, when I watched the Dark Knight trilogy, all I knew about Robin was from a clip or two I had seen of the old campy Batman show, and I kind of was glad a legit Robin never showed up in the films just because I thought it would be ridiculous.  I was SO wrong.  I had no idea.   I had no idea what dark, tragic, beautiful, light, funny, DEEP stories surrounded the MANY kids who would take up the Robin mantle

• Eun, I guess. I never hated him, but since he was always rather immature, it was easy to laugh at him and make fun of the things he did.  Then things happened, and while he remained naive in many ways, it was rather sweet and sad at the same time.  My dorky son deserved better

•Daryl Dixon.  Starts out seeming like a rough, angry, slightly racist redneck whose one redeeming quality is his concern for his even more messed up brother.  And then I realized how much of a softy he was underneath everything, how much he cared about Sophia, and how it destroyed him what happened to her.  I saw him connect with Carol, and befriend Rick and Glenn, and become Rick’s brother essentially, and be softened by Beth.  And as the seasons go on he becomes more badass, more caring, more indispensible to the group, and he loses the undesirable traits he picked up from his childhood.  We find out what his childhood was.  Daryl with Glenn is Rick’s right-hand man, and HE JUST CARES SO MUCH ABOUT EVERYTHING DON’T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT MAN

*I’m gonna cheat and add another person for TWD: Carl.  In the first season or two he is a little kid, kind of annoying at times, but boy does he grow up and mature.  It’s a terrible tragedy what he goes through, the things he sees and has to do that no kid should ever have to.  But he is so freaking strong, and he respects his dad so much, and I love his friendship with Michonne.  I love his concern for his little sister.  I love how he shoulders responsibility, how he does what he thinks is necessary, how he worries sometimes that he is becoming a monster too.  I FREAKING LOVE HOW HE WILL nOT PUT UP WITH NEGAN HE HAS NO EFFS TO GIVE FOR THE GUY HE IS TOO MAD AND HAS SEEN TOO MUCH

the character you relate to the most:

• Well, I can relate to Jason’s love for books, to Tim’s often more quiet and reserved nature.  However, I definitely relate to Dick Grayson the most.  He is more outgoing than me, more outspoken, but he has such great love for his friends and family.  The care for his little brothers (in canon and fanon) is something that particularly calls my attention.  You see, besides two older siblings, I have four younger brothers, and I have helped raise them, I have fought against them, fought with them, fought for them, laughed with them, and busted with pride over their accomplishments.  I have been the person who tried to organize them, to tease them, to keep the peace, to enforce the peace.  And maybe I am projecting but I just really see a lot of myself in Nightwing.  The man who hopes, the man who tries to bring light to the darkest of places, the man others trust to help them when they fall.  (I also just hold him in the deepest admiration and its a thing, I try to be a better and braver person so that if he were real I would be worthy of his friendship and respect...)

• A little bit Hae Soo, because I also would get increasingly frustrated by the culture at the time.  We also share a deep love with Wang So :)  Seriously though...maybe Baek Ah?  Because he is the quiet and introspective type, he suffers quietly, he listens and hears things and tries to help those who need it, he tries to bring the outcast brother back into the family.  He is a healer of sorts, a healer of the heart, and he loves little kids and everything beautiful.  He sees things.  

• Maybe this is me projecting again but Glenn?  Kinda small and nerdy, scared of a lot of things, but bravely keeps on trucking.  And slowly rises to being one of the most integral parts of the group.  A man who has strong morals and isn’t afraid to punch an ex-military man twice his size if that man gets between him and the people he loves

the character you’d slap:

• I’d say the Joker but honestly he deserves something more like a bullet to the head.  I would totally slap a lot of the writers who don’t know what character development means, and I would slap at least half the Batfam because sometimes they just don’t know how to communicate feelings properly.  And they frequently hurt each other even without meaning to.  After all of this, however, I would pull them all in for individual hugs.  Oh, I will also totally slap anyone who ever so much as tries to give Dick Grayson grief about the awful things that happened in the Blockbuster and Tarantula incident

• Wook.  UGH.  Also his sister and Queen Yoo.  The king, whatshisface.  Taejo?  also the little creep Won.  I would slap Yo but I would be afraid to mess up his eyeliner, which is on point at all times and is too wonderful to destroy

• Andrea.  I am so sorry but I could not stand that woman ever.  I rarely actively dislike a fictional person, and I apologize to fans of the comics, I realize that the show screwed over her character, but I despise Andrea with everything I’ve got.  Mostly because she runs around proclaiming how much better she is than everyone while at the same time making colossal mistakes.  And honestly her end was ridiculous.  If Glenn can take out a walker while beaten up and duct-taped to a chair, you can figure out how to pick up pliers with your feet

three favourite characters (in order of preference):

• Dick Grayson is the love of my life, and then I guess Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Damian are tied for second place, and then directly behind them are Barbara, Cass, and Steph (I need to read more comics and fics about them, and I am sure they will advance to make the second tier even more crowded).  Alfred is in a special category all on his own

• Wang So (love of my life), Bae(k) Ah, and I guess a tie with Hae Soo, Jung, Woo Hee, and Lady Oh

• Glenn is first in my heart now and forever, and Carl, Daryl, Carol, Michonne, Maggie, and Rick all hold second place.  I like a lot of the other characters, but I’m going to give third place to Tara, and she doesn’t have to share with anyone.  She is just that cool (also awkward and adorkable)

a character you liked at first but not anymore:

• I love every single member of the Batfam to with all my heart.  (The ones I am familiar with, don’t know much about Duke and Harper yet.)  To go beyond, to characters in the universe, well I won’t say I ever liked the Joker but I thought he was a really great bad guy, Batman’s ultimate foe, someone who should always be around throwing wrenches into things and whatnot.  This was after I had seen him in the The Dark Knight.  Then I started actually reading comics related things and HE KILLED JASON TODD.  MY SON.  NOW I DON’T CARE I WANT THE JOKER DEAD I WANT HIM DESTROYED, OBLITERATED, AND NEVER LOOKED BACK ON. 

• Wook. I thought he was occasionally sweet, if not exactly the strongest of persons.  And then I met his wife, who deserved SO MUCH BETTER.  And then Wook revealed himself to be a jealous little eggshell

• SHANE.  He’s kind of like The Walking Dead’s version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo’s Wook.  Originally a decent guy, a good friend, but when things go south, he gets selfish and self-centered and bad things happen.

a character you did not like at first but now do:

• No one really?  I think?  Unless you want to bring the show Gotham into this picture...which I don’t, because that would also make me want to write a book about my love for it and certain of its characters

• can’t think of anyone this applies to

• Hmm, I guess Herschel? He was kind of annoying with his whole “let’s round up walkers and take care of them in my barn.”  Then tragedy and a near death experience and eventually he winds up being the cool old grandpa

3 otp’s (in order of preference):

• I actually don’t have a strong preference as of yet...I kind of like BatCat, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.  I haven’t experienced much media with either pairing yet so I have read and enjoyed both DickBabs (I still say it should be Dabs) and DickKori.  Ooh I like Tim/Steph (is there a ship name for that?).  I ship Jason with happiness.  Actually I ship the whole Batfam with happiness and peace and a good night’s sleep.  I don’t ship Damian with anyone because he is just a bby birb :)

• SoSoo, Baek Ah x Woo Hee, Eun and Soon Duk (Deok?).  Also, So x Happiness/Peace/A Living Family Who Loves Him

• GLENN AND MAGGIE FOREVER.  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND.  Richonne is great and I definitely like Caryl.  (I shipped Bethyl just a little, once upon a dream.)

this was fun :) if any of y’all want to do this @itspileofgoodthings @thelonelybrilliance @nalavistahlia @blackaquokat @castieltaking-hobbits2gallifrey @camsthisky @abadpoetwithdreams @tabbyofwisdom ...I feel like there are other people I want to tag but it is way late (early) and my brain is dead forgive me if I left you out and please consider yourself tagged!

[bethgreeneishopeunseen]

Genekie: The Next Great Gimple Ship™?

(photo credit to @bethgreenewarriorprincess​)

We all know the Gimple Ships ™: Richonne, Bethyl, Carzekiel. The slow-burn ships of people with the same hearts wearing complementary armor. When I first watched 7x11, Eugene’s interactions with Frankie caught my attention. Their relationship was tinged with warmth and chemistry. I dubbed them “Genekie” as a play off of “Jinkies”, Velma Dinkley’s catchphrase, as it seemed like something Eugene might say. After further studying Genekie, I believe that Frank will probably play a role in Eugene working against Negan.

Before I go into farther into the sweet abyss that is Genekie, I would like to focus on Eugene. At the end of 7x11 he had declared that he was Negan, and he has stuck to that for the most part, to the end of the season. Gimple foreshadowed this part of Eugene’s arc back in 3x12, as Morgan’s walls read, “Eugene turned.” Many fans denounced Eugene’s decision, while others believe he will become a double agent like Dwight. Personally, I think the latter. Eugene did not choose to join the Saviors; he was abducted and forced to join their ranks at the threat of death by Lucille. He will likely not remain a Savior long-term and during the war, he will start working against Negan, who already suspects that he had something to do with Sasha’s death. In 6x14 Eugene described his transition into a survivor as being similar to that of role play:

“It's simple, really. As with any RPG, tabletop, electronic, or otherwise, the key to survival is allowing oneself to be shaped by the assigned environment. In doing so, a broad range of capabilities are acquired, allowing one to flip the script and use said capabilities to shape said environment for maximum longevity. I'm saying I'm in the process of said stage two. I've changed, adapted. I'm a survivor.”

That is what Eugene is doing at the Sanctuary. Being Negan’s engineer keeps him alive and awards him certain privileges that he can later use against the Saviors. For example, being an engineer allowed him to take valuable medical supplies without question. Furthermore, Eugene is trapped in an abusive situation. Abusive relationships and systems of oppression flourish from the same roots of thought (superiority, entitlement, selfishness, etc.), and Negan is both. Eugene has to work for the Saviors. the fact that he gave the pills to Sasha speaks volumes to how strong he already is. He could have fully submitted Negan and not help Sasha at all, but he did at risk of his person. I live in an abusive family, fighting against manipulation, minimization, and psychological abuse as well as the occasional threat of bodily harm. I have  to suppress a large of my personality in order to cope while also playing the good daughter, the good sister. Much like Eugene, I have no allies. At the end of the episode, Eugene said that he and Dwight were Negan, and by that point, Dwight had already turned, lying about Sherry and Dr. Carson. For me, that foreshadowed that Eugene will also turn. Right now though, he’s immersed in his role as a Savior. The only person who is possibly more manipulative and better at lying than an abuser is the abused. You have to learn the game being played against you. Frankie will probably/hopefully be a catalyst for Eugene, because Eugene’s allegiance to the Saviors began and will end with Abraham.

In 7x15, Sasha and Eugene discussed his situation. She tried to appease to his sense of honor, his character. Eugene cited Abraham’s murder as his reason for cooperating:

“You know, I believed I could be brave, that I could be a survivor like Abraham was, and ridin' that RV into the sunset was some of the greatest 37 minutes of my existence. But I know now that I was full-tilt delusional. I have never in my life been as scared as I was that night in the woods, kit to the grit, fully believing my number's about to be called, then seeing it happen to someone brave, to a survivor. And then the pants-pissing terror of the rinse and repeat of that very same event -- I just I couldn't. Being here means I'll never have to again.”

The writers even stressed this connection by having Eugene callback to Abraham’s speech in 5x02, when he convinced Team Family to go to Washington. TWD often uses a circular narrative style, such as the season six finale and season seven premiere being an inverse of the season five premiere. Eugene is not a bad person, nor is he a true coward. He was willing to sacrifice himself so Maggie could get to the Hilltop, and then he confessed to making the bullet. He may still be afraid, but ultimately he doesn’t let that fear stop him. Eugene’s family empowers him to be a good man, to be brave. Right now, he is without his family, trapped with a murderous tyrant. He needs someone at the Sanctuary, someone he cares about, to help push him. He already defied Sasha by giving him her the pills. He’s almost there.

The key to decoding the connections between Abraham and Eugene’s arc lies primarily in 6x14. @diamondcitydarlin first noticed the connections, writing that:

“[T]he fact that we revisit some central moments in his and Abraham’s friendship (’pump your breaks, red’ as repeated to Frankie, the suggestion of pouring molten metal over the walkers as per that walker that attacked him that Abraham ultimately had to save him from) seems to me all very intentional subtext to the fact that Eugene is not truly Negan.” (X).

The situations are mirrors of each other. Eugene told Abraham to “pump your breaks” as he wanted to kill the molten walker himself, and he told Frankie the same thing when she urged him to help Amber. One conversation involved killing a dead thing, while the other involved killing a person. Furthermore, the first molten walker tried to kill Eugene, pitting him against Abraham. Yet Eugene’s solution for the fence walkers saves him, as it makes him useful to Negan. Both situations also build on the theme of “usefulness”. In 6x14, Eugene angrily said that Abe was now useless to him, as he could survive, while in 7x11 Negan cites Rick not taking full advantage of Eugene’s abilities. Abraham mentions that “ghosting hostiles” was his skill set, and in 7x11 Eugene described attacks as “hostiles and calamities.” Much like Abraham, Negan is crude, womanizing, and physical intimidating. He does not see Eugene as a survivor, only as a smart tool.

The episodes did not have the same writer nor director, meaning that these parallels were less accidental than most thematic connections in storytelling. The writers wanted to intentionally connect Frankie to Eugene through his relationship to Abraham.

We were first introduced to Frankie in 7x07, when Negan showed Carl his harem. She sat in the background as Sherry comforted Amber. Then in 7x11, Frankie had a name, and she became a real character. Of the three wives who met Eugene, she showed the most interest in him. She offered him a massage, she hugged him after he exploded the balloons and also tried to get him to smile. She wanted him to enjoy himself. Neither the massage or smile were necessary to convince Eugene to help them, and she offered him the massage before she even knew how smart he was. Then, when she and Tanya went to him to “help Amber”, she appealed to his character, calling him a good man. Her interest and relationship in Eugene stems from his as a person. She values his intelligence, but she doesn’t see it primarily as a tool. This is her face when he explains how he would make a bomb from kitchen-based supplies:

Shock, with a bit of wonder mixed in.

In addition, cinematographic elements connect her Eugene more so than Tanya. When her first and last scenes with Eugene end, the camera focuses on her looking at him (X) (X). While she was furious at him for refusing to give her and Tanya the pills, she does not call him a coward and she waits for a moment before leaving after Tanya. Furthermore, TPTB set up her first scene with Eugene to maximize her closeness to him, implying that she was interested in him. By the time Eugene settles into his room, he had moved the armchair and television set, and Tanya chose to sit next to him, using a chair that was originally near the door. I looked around his room again and noticed a spare chair by the microwave. Frankie chose to sit on the arm of Eugene’s chair not of necessity but want.

In film, every prop serves a purpose. The extra chair speaks to Frankie’s personality and her burgeoning relationship with Eugene. The furniture had already been moved, so why not move the armchair just a little more so she could a chair in? Because TPTB wanted to portray Frankie being the most interested wife. The chair placement also reminds me of the iconic Bethyl meals in Alone. Daryl had moved his chair from across the table as a physical expression of him being emotionally closer to Beth. Bethyl is the central romance of the series and will resume once Beth returns (X), and Gimple’s other original ships (Richonne, Carzekiel) share many similarities with them. So does Genekie.

Genekie as a pairing actually makes a great deal of sense. Much like Bethyl, Eugene and Frankie have complementary personalities and types of intelligence. Eugene thinks strategically, planning an outcome like assembling a puzzle, and I believe that Frankie would follow her heart, i.e. her appealing to Eugene through his morals and feelings (you’re a good man). Following Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (X), Eugene has logical-mathematical intelligence and Frankie has bodily-kinesthetic and interpersonal intelligence, which means she knows how to use her body, like athletes, and how to communicate with others. Furthermore, they would have a natural understanding of the other. They're both being used: Frankie as a wife and Eugene as an engineer. Frankie signed up, but she's had to make herself a tool to survive, like Eugene lying about D.C.

Eugene and Frankie are both underestimated as Bethyl is. Daryl was the redneck asshole, and Beth just another dead girl. Eugene’s first encounter with a molten walker was actually an inverse of the scene in 4x12 where Beth killed the butler walker. In 4x12 Beth struggled with killing the walker, and Daryl just watched, as he believed she could take care of herself. In 6x14, Abraham killed the walker even after Eugene had called dibs as he didn’t believe Eugene could do it. Now, Eugene is the “Daryl” of the Saviors, in a sense. He has value in the apocalypse because of his specific skill sets, while Frankie is “replacable” to Negan. Like Beth, Frankie also is a nurturer. After Sherry left, Frankie took care of Amber the most, paying attention to her and comforting her. This part of Frankie’s character is very important to Genekie’s success. Eugene probably/likely has Asberger’s (X), so he sees the world differently from most and would struggle socially, as we’ve seen. I see parallels between Daryl and Eugene’s poor social skills. Daryl is a survivor of childhood abuse and likely has complex P.T.S.D., which would alter his brain. (Complex P.T.S.D., or C-P.T.S.D., is essentially long-term P.T.S.D., as it develops from multiple traumas over a long period of time, shaping the person’s identity, and usually arises from a situation with little hope for escape. Child abuse is probably the most common cause. While it’s not in the DSM yet, the concept has been in the medical field for twenty-five years, and it will be added to W.H.O. book next year.) Both of their brains are different from the majority of people. Everyone also has an inner child, and for those going through abuse with a tyrant God-figure like Negan, that inner child comes to the front. Daryl definitely has an inner child, and while he grew up with Beth, that child will always be there ready to take over during times of crisis. I thought about Eugene taking Grembly Gunk, and that’s when the child connection clicked. As a survivor of child abuse, I still keep a stuffed animal with me when I sleep. It makes me feel less alone, and having something to hold helps as I was probably neglected to an extent. Touch is so important for abuse survivors as it allows us to repair and forge connections. As Daryl needs a nurturer like Beth, Eugene needs a kind, patient, and understanding individual as a partner.

And it makes sense that Frankie would be interested in Eugene. He is everything that Negan is not.

Gimple has plans for Frankie. In the comics the only named wives are Sherry and Amber. I believe that he is adapting Eugene and Rosita’s relationship from the comics as Genekie. Rosita is very different from her comic counterpart, and a romantic relationship with Eugene would not work. While she cares about Eugene, she is more aggressive and emotionally unstable than her comic version. Comic!Rosita was known for her kindness and emotional stability. In the comics, Rosita used her body in order to be protected while traveling on the road, before  she met Abraham. So comic!Rosita and Frankie are similar in those regards. TPTB acknowledge this different in character in 7x15:

“A lot of guys wanted to protect me, like there was no way I could know how to take care of myself. And I didn't. And I hated the way that felt. So I rolled with it. They didn't even notice I was picking up everything they knew how to do and doing it better. Then I'd outgrow them and bounce. The sex was just for fun.”

The writers didn’t need to mention why Rosita had sex with the men who proceeded Abraham as there had never been any earlier reference to them. Unless the writers were acknowledging comic canon. As I mentioned in another post, TPTB treat the different TWD universes as interconnected in a sense (X). They want those familiar with the comics and the show to make comparisons. If Rosita will not end up with Eugene, then who will? Frankie makes hte most sense as of now. The other night I read diamondcitydarlin’s Genekie fic, and a large part of the story centers on Eugene helping Frankie escape the Sanctuary when she discovers that she’s pregnant with Negan’s child. Eugene later joins her after the war, raising her baby as his own. In the comics, after she married him, Rosita became pregnant with another man’s baby, and then was murdered by the Whisperers. Reading diamond’s story helped Genekie’s potential click for me. It makes so much sense that Gimple would adapt Rosita’s comic story and expand upon it. (He wouldn’t create an original character, pair her up with an iconic comic character, and then kill her.) Sherry took a pregnancy test in 7x03, so it’s possible that Negan would be trying with his other wives. Even if the pregnancy storyline does not play out in the show, Frankie is vulnerable to an extent. Abraham was the most important relationship in Eugene’s life, and Red protected him. Now Eugene would protect Red. From protected to protector, like a Cowardly Lion who steps up at the darkest hour, Eugene will find his courage again for the woman he loves.

[mdwatchestv]

The Walking Dead 7x15: Women and Children First

Hi.

I really enjoyed last week's episode of the show. It gave me hope that the season might finish strong after an uneven start. I realize now I should never have let myself feel optimism, this is my own fault and I take responsibility for it. Last week reminded us of what the show could be (and has been before). But that was last week. This is this week.

This week  hit us over the head with supposed 'grey area' morality with all the subtlety of Lucille. It's getting to the point where I'm not even sure what the writer's intentions are, or what conclusions we are meant to be drawing. Let's unpack.

For example, was this week an attempt to draw parallels between Rick and Negan, blurring the lines between righteousness and cruelty? If it was an attempt to find some moral grey area common ground between the two it was too little too late.

This episode was all frustratingly disjointed in the storylines it was attempting to further, so let's break it down and try to parse what meaning there was to be gleaned from this hour of television.

Last week ended with Sasha tearfully bidding goodbye to Rosita as she embarked on what was almost certainly a suicide mission to kill Negan. It was a beautifully crafted, urgent moment that I loved. Well turns out she failed and is now languishing in good ole Savior jail. A Savior minion even comes to rape her when he is stopped (and killed!) by Negan. Negan then gives a speech about how rape is reprehensible and not allowed and he's sorry blah blah. This speech was a perfect example of a 'what are we supposed to think about this' moment. I honestly don't know. For all his righteousness here Negan really doesn't have a moral leg to stand on, also he is essentially a rapist himself (he keeps a harem of women, and although they 'choose' to be his wives, the consent there is still murky at best). Who was this speech for? Was it for us, the audience, in an attempt to drum up sympathy for him? Was it just a mind fuck for Sasha in order to gain her trust? I have absolutely no idea what we were supposed to take away from that scene.

Even more befuddling were Eugene's visits to Sasha. First of all he seems to be truly drinking the Negan Kool- Aid and tries to convince Sasha that Savior life isn't so bad. He specifically calls out never wanting to feel the fear of Negan's Death Circle (tm) ever again. He even says (and I quote): "Being here means never having to deal with that again." Literally what are you talking about Eugene. Negan still holds bi-weekly mandatory face burnings. Pretty much everyone but you is scared and miserable. I can easily believe that Eugene would conform to Savior life as a way to survive, he is after all a self-proclaimed coward. But that speech was just...nonsensical.

Speaking of nonsensical was Sasha pleading with Eugene for a means to end her life (a bit of acting from Sonequa Martin-Green that was heart wrenching), but her otherwise moving monologue ends with her smiling in a suggestively sinister way accompanied by a menacing music sting? I took this to mean that she wasn't truly suicidal but was trying to get her hands on a weapon in order to take one more run at Negan. Do we think that Eugene knew her plan all along and purposfully thwarted her by bringing the pill? Or do we think his aid was sincere? Are we even supposed to know?

Let's never speak of this storyline again.

Meanwhile Rick and co go to the Seaside Ladies Resort in order to rob them of all their guns. Sure they need the guns to kill the Saviors, an act that will benefit all post-apocalypse communities, but this was still an asshole move. What made it even more assholey was Rick's assertion and Tara's eventual agreement that they 'didn't have to feel bad'. Why not? You risked the lives of abused women and children. I think it's pretty okay to feel bad about that. Were we the audience supposed to draw a parallel between the kneeling innocents of Lady-ville and Negan's Death Circle (tm)? Were we supposed to call into question Rick's leadership and potential for cruelty? Were we supposed to see Rick as a Negan here? I honestly don't know. Because while this was a dick move by Rick, it still doesn't come close to atrocities committed by Negan.

Over at Hilltop Gregory continues to suck while Maggie is still the best ever. I enjoyed seeing her use her farm girl skills to wield a trowel both in the ground and into a zombie. Gregory is also cooking up some vaguely threatening road trip, perhaps to tattle to Steven Ogg. Go wild Gregory, you are no match for Queen Maggie.

Finally the episode ends with Rosita back at Alexandria where she has a new friend - Dwight! Dwight's eventual change of allegiance has been projected all season, so while this will be an interesting dynamic to explore it was not really a satisfying twist. But it did bring us this smoldering Rick stare.

Next week is the season finale and while the producers have promised not to end it on another disastrous cliffhanger I also don't see how the Negan story can be wrapped up in a meaningful way in just one episode. So much time (for better and ill) has been spent on the threads making up this showdown that it feels impossible to be able to finish it off neatly in one outing. That being said TWD has shown us time and time again that it can deliver large action sequences and is at its best when its heroes are working together. My mistake this week was setting the bar too high, and I see that now. My hope for next week is simply to see the tiger kill and eat one person. I think this is a reasonable expectation.

XO MD

PS Carl also spent the episode aiming with his eyepatch...read more here.

[nieladasdenani]

The Walking Dead 7x11 - Hostiles and Calamities

I mean, I’d say ‘poor Dwight’, but, no? Float him. What a pathetic spineless dude. I’m just... Listen I get why we all suspected Sherry instantly, but that’s because we’ve seen it. But Negan, having all this people oppressed and most of them probably suffer a lot under his colonization, is it really that absolutely obvious it would be her?

Oh, Easy Street. What’s with the song? It probably wouldn’t work with Eugene anyway. I guess Negan saw Eugene is just a coward, and also not a threat to anyone. Unlike rebellious, fierce Daryl? No need for dog-food sandwiches and dark cells, I guess.

So, the deal is, if you bend to Negan you are part of the cronies who can take whatever they want and just be general assshats, but if you have morals you get to be a slave. Geez, what a message TWD people.

I wonder if Negan plans with the designed jailer how to deal with the prisoners? Is this girl following a premeditated scheme to bend Eugene? Or does she have free will and hoping for the best?

Negan is, simultaneously, the most charismatic and the most despicable villain. Eugene continues to be pathetic. Yikes. I mean, I guess we’ll end up having a ‘wow, Eugene did that’, if it turns out he’s being smart and playing double agent?

It is, though, kind of genius to cover the walkers with metal. 

So, was there premeditation on Negan’s part to have a wife with each hair color: Blond, Black, Red, Brunette (Sherry, who’s no longer), or was it coincidence? 

Yeah, I still can’t feel bad for Dwight, sorry. She tried, Sherry, to change my mind. But only cemented that she’s the better one. The fact that she doesn’t know if he’s coming to her or for her? Meaning, to be with her or to take her back (possibly kill her).

I get it, she’s not free of guilt. They both decided to get back to Negan, despite having the chance to either try and flee or join Daryl, back last season. I’ve never get the going back, specially if the sister died, what did they thought was going to happen?

Are they... Are they plotting to kill the blonde girl, or is this genuine? It’s kind of fishy.

Wha... Why would he get the only doctor killed? What the... I don’t get why Dwight or Negan, for that matter, would sacrifice the doctor. Because he was not completely horrible?

Oh, I knew it was fishy, just a good fishy. Yeah, I gotta agree with Eugene. Kind of hard to see them getting away with it, tbh. I mean is risky, and desperate. Desperate is not good for this. If you want to kill Negan, poison is probably not going to work well. I think, maybe? I mean he is not stupid, he must know these girls despise him and are not with him by choice.

Which is why I think Eugene could be actually doing something intelligent. he certainly is a guy who has to rely on his quick thinking, Because he is indeed a coward, and pretty much useless in any physical activity. So he must use his brains and learn how to use others to his advantage.

He did it before, with Abraham and Rosita. But we saw he’s actually a good hearted guy. He confessed and then he got mercy... well, sort of. Abe’s lost it but the rest pretty much protected him. 

So I don’t see him actually being turning to the dark side. At least not definitely. It probably be a master plan. That said, it could very well be he turning, or rather, finding his place. Here covered by this huge crowd of despicables. 

But ultimately I think he is smart enough to realize that, with people like Negan, you’re never safe. He could turn at any given moment. Unless you manage to be always irreplaceable to him, which, how? It’s kind of a matter of time, because he doesn’t actually care for anyone. At all. So even if you are useful to him, he wouldn’t go to great measures to actually keep you safe and happy. It more like an ‘oh, well. Shame. Let’s find a new oe’.

I wonder if Dwight and Eugene will team up, or will be a rival thing. You know, for tension. I also wonder if we’d actually see Sherry again, or even know what did happened to her, eventually. I mean wouldn’t be crazy to never hear from her ever again, and not knowing if she made or not. But it seems like to much of a token at this point.