S07.E01: The Day Will Come When You Won't Be

[Haleth]

I hate, hate that Glenn died.  Abe?  Not so much since he was obviously going to be a problem for Negan.  I'll miss Abe's colorful language and Cudlitz's entertaining performance, but as a character it made sense for him to die.  But Glenn was the heart of CDB.  Maybe it makes sense to Kirkman to deprive the gang of their gentlest soul, but it seems more like something done purely for shock value.  Everyone loves Glenn so let's kill him off.  Won't that be exciting?  No, it's infuriating.  But speaking of shock value, they really messed up by trying to keep the deaths a secret over the summer.  I agree it would have packed more punch had it happened in the last episode when tension was ramped up to 11.  Instead the spoilers were out there for people to read, thus lessening the impact when the reveal came.  Instead of shock at the deaths of beloved characters, I felt disgust at the over the top display of violence and cruelty.  Had Rick cut off Carl's arm I would have turned it off.  The remote was in my hand.  If the excessive violence and abuse at the hands of Negan continues I will keep the remote handy.

But just to end on a positive note, Andy Lincoln put in a fantastic performance.

[luna1122]

9 hours ago, Reghan said:

Ironically we had to put my cat, Maggie, down today.  R.I.P Glenn and Maggie the cat

I'm so sorry. I had a Maggie the Cat as well, many years ago--she was my soul-cat. Still miss her. Sorry for your loss.

This episode was torture porn. The loss of Glenn is devastating, even it's not shocking. I watched much of the episode thru my fingers.

I have never hated any villain so much as Negan, I think. I know a lot of folks have a hard on for JDM but I've never been one of them, and I think he's so scenery chewing and lip smacking and over the top..he just needs a moustache to twirl. I cannot wait for Rick and Maggie to take turns smashing him to oblivion with his own stupid 'vampire bat'.

Andrew Lincoln has the bluest eyes.

[Lamima]

I will continue to watch...If I could sit through every episode of Fear, than anything else is emmy award winning material in comparison. But Negan does irk me. His dialoging and he's a 'wittle' guy. Couldn't they have cast some big strapping dude like Abraham? When he was walking around dialoging and trying to be all bad-A with his scrawny arms and flat butt with his pants hanging off...just doesn't say 'tough guy' to me.

I didn't get spoiled but I did recognize that many folks said Glenn AND Abe would get it so I was waiting for that. But then I honestly, for a couple seconds, thought it would be just Abe so when Glenn got it, I was devastated. ANd for a second I thought Daryl was going to get it and I was finding myself saying 'nnnnooooooo' even though I am NOT a Daryl fan. And speaking of, man is Daryl NOT aging well. He looks so 'rode hard and put away wet'.

Carl...I love him (I know many folks don't but I do). His part didn't work for me either. He acted like some angsty teen again when Negan told him to get up and asked if he was a south paw. He should have had a little fear in him. Comic Carl, though I don't read the comics but what I've been told, is supposed to be dark... a bit of a mini Negan (serial killer-esque). But show Carl is NOT that. So showing some fear would have been fitting. Or they could try and have him be dark Carl but angsty teen is NOT dark/serial killer.

I suspect we'll have Negan for a long while. So be prepared everyone.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Lamima

[Happy Harpy]

Thankfully, the last five minutes and so happened. It reminded me why I watch this show in the first place: Excellent actors and a group of survivors who are like a family and trying to stay human.

I didn't look forward to Negan and his humiliation/torture conga and he's everything I feared he'd be, a bully without depth. Except he's worse than I thought since at least, I expected JDM to nail it and make him charismatic...and wow, what a fail for me. Negan isn't a villain that I love to hate or even hate to hate: He's nothing but plainly annoying, and I mean annoying like a mosquito you want to swat so that it fucking.stops.buzzing. I sighed of relief when he left, only it had nothing to do with was happening in universe. It was akin to the end of a Larsen effect. I didn't watch the last season finale; I was spoiled about the cliffhanger and I didn't like the cheap device. Now I don't feel like watching it since more Negan monologuing? Thanks but no thanks.

I didn't hate the episode, but it was the Negan and victims show for 80% of the time so it didn't interest me for 80% of the time. TPTB imo reiterated their mistakes of last year, delaying the action on and on and on whereas a faster pace and less complacent direction would have been much more efficient. When you manage to render that level of violence somehow anticlimatic, and that's how it felt to me, there's something wrong in the storytelling. I expected Glenn's death but it didn't resonate emotionally as much as it should have (not before the imaginary scene at the end, there, yes) because the whole confrontation dragged on and on. The whole episode seemed written for maximum shock value and forgot to be compelling on the way, jmho.

Positive. A.Lincoln's performance was great. K.Chandler was excellent and my Carl was strong and brave and human. It seems that Negan didn't manage to turn Rick's group against him. Abraham was the character I cared the less about. I might rediscover some affection for Morgan; since his return he's annoyed me but Smirky McSadist created a whole new scale of exasperation.

I think that how I see this episode will depend on how the writers play their cards from now on. If they intended for the season opener to establish Negan's evilness once and for all, as well as a true/disturbing sense of danger, maybe it will look better in hindsight. If they use Negan sparingly (although I'm afraid they're way too enamored of JDM for this) and focus on Rick and co organizing a resistance and trying to eliminate him, if the protagonists fight for more than simple survival (for freedom and dignity) it could make for an interesting season. OTOH, I don't mind bleak or violent but I have no desire to watch constant torture and humiliation. If that's the way it goes, it won't be for me.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Happy Harpy

[bosawks]

I think the summer hiatus ruined it for me.  I wasn't all that mad about the cliffhanger but it was a long time ago and I've binged on several whole shows since and, without my realizing it, I'd moved on.

Last night was more like just kill them, get it out of the way so we can finally start this season.  It really felt like cleaning up loose ends of the previous season.  Not the reaction I anticipated at all, I was a little disappointed in myself, sorry Glen, sorry Abe I really will miss you.  

[Texasmom1970]

6 hours ago, J----av said:

 I would bet money 99% of the people saying they are leaving will watch every episode this season

I am the special one percent. My daughter and I who watch together as a ritual talked and decided we do not like the direction the show is going with another egomaniac bad guy, who loves the sound of his own voice. The reset or whatever they are trying to spin this as is something we want to see. We do not read the comics and I know many say they are following them, but to me the show is just not must see like the first few seasons. I have old episodes I can watch to see better story telling. Not the powers that be just trying to create shocks and twists that do not elevate the show at all. 

[JackONeill]

8 hours ago, lulee said:

I assume the writers would try to chalk it up to, "adrenaline," but how the heck did recently injured Daryl manage to leap up and attack Negan? 

Especially since I think his powerhouse swing was made with the arm (shoulder) that had just been shot!!?!!

[Calm81]

9 hours ago, zibnchy said:

Yes, this. I can't help but wonder why they had to cast LC. She's not all that as an actress and that accent is fingernails on chalkboard for me. Was there no southern american actress who could have played the part? It isn't as if anyone knew who LC was before TWD.

All this does not hold true for AL. He can actually act quite well and his accent is bad but not that bad.

Why all the Maggie hate? I think her accent is fine and she's the perfect Maggie in my eyes. Adorable with a side of kickass!! ?

I will admit, hearing LC and AL's British accents last night didn't work for me lol. I like their TV voice better. 

P.S. Who dressed them for the TD show last night? Andrew's blue socks, Lauren looking UNCOMFORTABLE trying to keep her girlses in one place without exposing boobage and Michonne ready for a Star Trek convention.

Last nights episode was VERY hard on me. I really wish Glenn didn't speak because the image of seeing your spouse talking his last words with his eye hanging out and partly skeleton is enough to traumatize the image Maggie has for Glenn. 

I was seriously ready to cut ties with this show if they were going to be sick enough to make a father cut his own son's arm off - they took that scene right out of the Bible with Neagon acting like GOD stopping Rick after seeing if he'd do it or not. Sick.

Darryl, he will never forgive himself for contributing to the death of Glenn.

Sad episode. 

Edited October 24, 2016 by Calm81
Missing apostrophe - I'm scared of the grammar police lol

[Texasmom1970]

6 hours ago, J----av said:

 Not really. It was realy obvious that Negan was just looking for an excuse to further break Rick. If not for Daryl, Negan would have found some other excuse to kill Glenn

 Anyone who is a big enough of a fan to post on a forum is probably not "out"

I disagree I came on to basically say the same. I am more interested in seeing the varying opinions viewers had of this episode than I do of the actually episode. I posted earlier my 18 year old and I made a mutual decision we are stopping our ritual of watching together as we have done from the beginning. It is a combination of the creators caring more about shock and awe and us not wanting to watch another power hungry bad guy. I will miss the friends on the board though.

[Ottis]

Quote

 That being said, I'm just not sure how interested I am in the story they're setting up going forward.  I could see myself getting enormously frustrated by a protracted Negan arc... 

This is what happens *every* season, and is why I quit watching this show 2 seasons ago. It's the same plot with a different bad guy. The show isn't going anywhere and hasn't for probably 3 or 4 seasons. I recorded last night's ep and FF'd enough to see who was killed. That's it for me.

[JackONeill]

And naturally being the grade-school gore-boys that they are, TPTB had to slip in the footage of the other characters getting banged in the head. Totally superfluous.

[CrashTextDummie]

15 minutes ago, bosawks said:

I think the summer hiatus ruined it for me.  I wasn't all that mad about the cliffhanger but it was a long time ago and I've binged on several whole shows since and, without my realizing it, I'd moved on.

This. The whole thing would have played out so, so much better if they hadn't gone for the stupid cliffhanger. You could literally take out just the Abe kill from this episode and tack it onto the end of last season's finale and have everything else play out exactly the same. You still have the fake-out for comic readers on Glenn's death. You still have Rick imagining everyone's skull bashed in. But you have the added shock and surprise when Glenn dies mid-episode when the audience thought they had already processed the worst over the summer. You don't leave last season's finale without payoff. And you make me actually care about Abe because I haven't forgotten everything he's done over the break.

Other than that honestly insurmountable baggage this episode was saddled with, I thought it was fine. I can see its purpose moving forward. I always hated the Governor (both how he was written and acted) and think Negan is shaping up to finally be a worthy big bad. I give huge props for the special effects on Glenn's death cause that shit was shocking even for this show. And the actors nailed it.

Glad we got this over with though.

[RustbeltWriter]

I hated to see Abe and Glenn go but it's the ZA and people are going to die. My biggest problem with this episode is that it foreshadows an endless string of violence and subjugation for the group. How do they not go back to Alexandria after that and drink the poisoned kool-aid? Throughout the last six seasons they've overcome some truly awful situations and villains but to watch two of their own beaten to death and have some lunatic almost force Rick to maim his child seems like too much. At this point how do you keep hope alive? Negan mocked Rick with the sunrise of a new day and to be honest, how does Rick reconcile going on another day living under these conditions? After Atlanta, the farm, the prison, Woodbury, and Terminus, how does Rick wake up and not think that Jacqui and Jenner at the CDC made the better choice? There is no better world left. There is just an endless string of psycopathic bullies and memories of what civilization was.  

[Sakura12]

When I say I'm going to stop watching a show, I do. There are plenty of shows that I've deleted from my DVR. I may check up on forums to see if anything is happening but that is about it. This is the first show I turned off a live airing to watch something else. After the death were revealed I switched to Westworld. There's a lot of talking on that show, but the dialogue actually means something, all Negan was doing was villain gloating. 

I don't even get why anyone stays with him, at least with the Governor he put on a decent guy persona to the public and only had his few that he probably handpicked because they enjoyed violence to see the real him. I get why everyone would follow him. Negan is just a sadistic asshole with no personality. With all those people you'd think they get together to turn on him and bash his head on with his own bat while he slept. 

[nachomama]

9 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

And naturally being the grade-school gore-boys that they are, TPTB had to slip in the footage of the other characters getting banged in the head. Totally superfluous.

Oh you know they filmed everybody getting whacked just to throw off spoilers but then wanted to use the footage just to show why Rick complied, he imagined them getting killed if he didn't succeed.

[ae2]

Last season when they invaded the bunker Glenn felt a little better killing his first human because he saw the Polaroid photos on the wall of all the people with their heads smashed in.

Now after having his head smashed in a guy with a Polaroid snapped his photo.

And that, my friends, is why you never lose your innocence in the zombie apocalypse. 

[ghoulina]

8 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

It makes no sense that Negan wouldn't kill Rick. By killing Rick, he is breaking apart the group and the group will be looking for a new leader. By keeping Rick alive-he is creating a group of people under an enraged leader who will stop at nothing to get revenge. Of course I'm not sure what Rick's group can even do for Negan. Unlike Woodbury, I don't understand Negan's requirement of so many groups of people to 'produce'. Produce what? One group is already growing crops. How much can Negan's guys eat?

I think, for Negan, it's all about ego. Sure, he could kill Rick and maybe have an easier time controlling his group. But I think he likes the idea of "breaking" such a strong man, and making him completely compliant. And he probably thinks that by doing so, the others will be totally compliant as well - if even Rick is too broken to fight back, who else will be? 

I also think the "earning" stuff is very mob-like. Do mob bosses ever think they have enough? No. They keep taking, taking, taking. That's how Negan runs shit. It's all about greed and ego. 

8 hours ago, Caseyh1981 said:

Because Neegan has Daryl. They don't comply, Daryl bites it. Piece by piece.

Meh. I'd leave Daryl in a heartbeat. He hasn't had a shower in about 5 years. And he got Glenn killed. I know they would have found a reason to do it anyway, but why did he have to act like Billy Badass when it was clear Negan wasn't fucking around? He can stay with the Saviors. 

 

7 hours ago, CletusMusashi said:

He wouldn't be able to hide and sneak up on him, though. Negan's chewed all the scenery.

Bahahahaha, best comment. ever. 

[ghoulina]

25 minutes ago, JackONeill said:

 

And naturally being the grade-school gore-boys that they are, TPTB had to slip in the footage of the other characters getting banged in the head. Totally superfluous.

 

Yea. I didn't care for that at all. At first I thought Negan actually took out half the group. Then I realized it was just supposed to be Rick imagining what would happen to all of them. But yea, enough already. 

[Timetoread]

I slept on it and I wanted to record my final thoughts. I think in the end I ultimately liked it.  I get the cliffhanger.  I get why two deaths were necessary.  The only problem I had was with the pacing of the presentation of Negan.  Between the finale and this episode we got approximately 45 minutes of one character monologuing.  It became tiresome, narratively, but it did succeed in illuminating an interesting point - Negan is afraid of Rick.  Negan stalked up and down trying to figure out what to do with Rick because he doesn't yet know.  Abe was a big man, clearly a soldier - because he sat up to sacrifice himself for the others.  He was a good pick for Rick's right hand man.  But after killing him, Rick's response was, "I'm going to kill you."  He quickly gleaned that Rick was not scared of his own death.  There were several women there, all capable save one who was compromised because she was sick, and Rick - sweat and snot notwithstanding - is an attractive man and not exactly a monk, so it made sense that one of these women was Rick's woman.  But he never let on which one.  He never made eye contact and they never cried out for him no matter how much he was threatened or humiliated.  Daryl made a power move and did so without permission or an obvious association. Another right hand man, perhaps?  Negan decided to take him vs kill him.  Rick stared on.  So the bottom line is that he was NOT able to break Rick.  He had only one card to play - Carl. Rick cried and moaned, IMO, mostly out of frustration.  Negan has no idea what Rick is willing to do for Carl.  Carl, though, does.  He snapped his fingers in front of Rick's face to center him and alert him that he too would take one for the team.  Negan stayed his hand, not out of mercy, but out of knowledge that the bottom line of Rick is that he would do what he had to do.  Period.  That is what he learned from his night of experimenting on Rick, that and that Rick doesn't lead by intimidation or fear - every one of his people, including the kid, is a leader in their own right, yet they follow him.  What he also already knew is that every single soldier he's sent against Rick's group was lost. Rick's group took out an armory.  I think that will be the last bashing we get because violence doesn't work on them.  Nobody lost their faculties.  Nobody passed out or vomited.  They've seen his ilk before.  They've perhaps CONQUERED his ilk before.  Negan, if he is to be believed as a worthy villain will switch strategies.  He's got to control them using other methods.  Though, practically, if I were him, I'd kill them all.  They will be more trouble than they are worth.  Sometimes winning comes from not playing at all.  Messing with TF will be Negan's last bad decision. 

PS: I don't blame Daryl for Glen's death.  Not out of loyalty to Daryl - he is the one who started this whole thing.  HE, not Rick, was the one to suggest taking out Negan when they were at Hilltop.  I am not one who blames people for the actions of other people.  Negan is a killer. Period.  He was trying to bait Rick, but instead baited Daryl.  He WANTED to kill somebody else.  And Daryl is not a cop, or a particularly strategic man, he is easier to bait - I don't blame him for that.  He is a go down fighting type and he expected Negan to kill HIM.  But Negan wants Rick and he knew that killing Glenn instead was a move that would throw them off.  Not Daryl's fault - Negan's fault.

[kj4ever]

Even with how much I hate the Governor and thought he was to cartoonish,  I always wanted to know what made him into that.  I reeeeeeeally wanted to know and wish we had more backstory on Gaereth.  Neegan?  I have no fucks to give about his backstory or why he's the way he is.  Bad, bad writing.  Perhaps it is good writing for a comic book, but it doesn't translate.

I'm not out, but I'm not in either.  Last night we almost watched Westworld instead of this, and next week TWD will most definitely be the DVR show while we watch Westworld.  Unless there is some big improvement on how this show is handled, it is no longer must see TV and I'll watch at my leisure.

[Eucrid]

8 hours ago, scrb said:

Well the comparison to GoT that they want you to make is to equate Negan to the greatest villains in GoT -- Joffrey, Ramsey, etc.

So that you'll stay with the show, waiting for the eventual payback.

But GoT made viewers hate the villains in a much more deft way, at least in the case of Joffrey, with a couple of scenes early on in the first season, if not the pilot episode.

Here, they made Negan into a boring loudmouth sadist and produced this drawn-out torture porn.  They're probably patting themselves in the back about how realistic they made the effect of hitting human heads with a bat.  Not just Abe and Glen but all the other people that Rick imagined being bludgeoned.

Well I guess we are all different. I never hated Ramsey the way they wanted me to.

Spoiler

I was just incredibly bored of him by the time he died. Maybe the same will happen with Negan eventually but he is no more of a loud mouth sadist than Ramsey was. One thing I have confidence in TWD doing is giving me a satisfying end for him eventually. I never got that with Ramseys death.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Dougal
Hid GoT spoilers.

[ShadowSixx]

Isn't it also amazing that throughout this whole time they were out there, not ONE single walker showed up or made an appearance. Only one at the end to eat Glenn & Abe's remains. I guess walkers were all hypnotized by Negan's verbal diarrhea or they didn't want to hear him talk either.

[HighMaintenance]

This episode was gruesome and sadistic.  I get that it is supposed to plant the "hate seed" for Negan and the Saviors, but at some point you have to think - are we alienating the audience who doesn't want to see characters we've come to like die in horrific ways?  The show has become so nihilistic, that you have to wonder what in the hell motivates CDB is to want to continue on?  

I'm sure that season 7 will be the season of Negan, and the audience will probably be witness to more sadism, more "punishments", and most importantly, more endless ranting and yakking from Negan and the Saviors.  After feeding your audience a steady diet of this, like CDB, why should the viewers want to continue on?  Escapism on TV can be entertaining, but hitting that same note on the piano gets annoying after a while, and everyone will have a point where they tune out and walk away.

[RustbeltWriter]

I know Kirkman doesn't do origin stories but I'd really like to know how a numbnuts like Negan rises to lead a band of yahoos who are so subservient. He's the most annoying character this show has ever fielded and Kirkman and Gimple offer no explanation as to why we should be interested in him.

Edited October 24, 2016 by RustbeltWriter

[toodywoody]

Negan please stfu. I don't understand the need to beat skulls in. Killing them I get but bashing their skulls in until they have no head I do not get. We the viewers and the group get it. You're a bad ass who isn't playing around. 

I agree with ghoulina, they should have never left the original quarry. Hell even the prison. They could have built it up with enough people. 

And how many fucking people are around this place they are at now. Wolves, Negan,s chatty fucking boxes, Alexandrites, and Jesus' crew. 

I want to see society being rebuilt not people having their skulls bashed in.

[GodsBeloved]

Abraham you went out like a BOSS. Deuces brother.

Glenn you were too good for this world but I am going to miss you terribly.

Maggie you sick, pregnant, just watched Glenn die a brutal death and you still talking about fighting. Girl you the BOSS of bosses!

Rick put the ax down, go find The Machete and introduce her to Negan.

Negan go suck some balls. 

YaY! Morgan and Ezekiel next week!

Edited October 24, 2016 by GodsBeloved

[qtpye]

So, when Dr. Evil was stroking the cat and laughing about his evil plan...oh, wait wrong guy.

So, when Negan was walking around in his petite ladies moto jacket swinging what has to be worst product placement Louisville Slugger could have ever imagined, I felt bored and cheated.  A tiny part of me almost believed that perhaps Glen rolled under a dumpster and escaped Negan's bat, but that makes no sense and I saw him being pulverized on screen (not that the "rolling under the dumpster" made sense the first time around).

The multiple characters being killed had already been spoiled halfway through summer and the deaths of these characters lost all impact.

I did tear up at the Garden party with baby Gleggie on Glen's lap and him exchanging happy looks with Abraham.  I guess even my hard heart can have "the feels" once in a while.

[Tony]

That was one tedious episode. Luckily I was able to fast forward most of it and watched the entire thing in less than 15 min. If this season's going to be a lot of long ass speeches and grandstanding by Teegan with gratuitous violence in between, then I'm out. I'll check out the next episode and decide.

[GodsBeloved]

12 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Why didn't Rick grab the ax out of the table and whack Negan in the head while he was driving? 

I thought the same thing. Rick he's driving, bust him to the white meat!

Edited October 24, 2016 by GodsBeloved

[Constantinople]

I too feel that Neegan -- or is it Naggin' -- is kind of dull, both in the writing and the performance.  If bashing me in the head is the only way to get him to shut up, then by all means swing away.  Perhaps that's how Negan first assembled his group, telling people that he'd shut up if they followed him.

I stopped watching the show around the time Glenn was saved by a magical dumpster.  More about of ZA fatigue than anything else.  I tuned in last night to see who would get it, but I feel as if I've seen this before.  Weren't Rick's "I'm going to kill you" lines what he also said to Gareth?

Still undecided if I'll keep watching.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Constantinople

[ShadowSixx]

Rick killing Negan in the RV might have had deadly consequences if Rick came back alone without Negan. His group were unarmed while Saviors had guns and could have easily killed all of them. Unless Rick ran back to Alexandria to gather everyone else for a sneak attack but know that would have taken a whole day to happen and he wouldn't be suspicious by then lol. 

[JackONeill]

It'll be interesting to me to see how Negan is portrayed in the next few episodes. We have seen him at his worst (I think. I hope.)

In the previews, he comes to Alexandria (that's important because it's CDB's home turf). It's in broad daylight (pyshologically, that's important because you don't think of monsters being in daylight). In the previews, I only saw Negan, not his horde of thugs, so, perhaps, Negan (technically) may be outnumbered. We see/hear Rick tell everyone that Negan is in charge. But how does it play out? 

To me, that episode will dictate a lot of what we will see this season.

I know somewhere I have seen a listing of upcoming episodes that gives the characters who will be in them, and, I believe, a short summary of the episode. My memory is that there's a lot of episodes (maybe many) in which we won't see Negan or Rick. (Think of the Carol/Morgan arc. The Maggie/Hilltop arc. The Tara arc.)

I have a bad feeling this is going to be a frustrating season. We want a showdown. We won't get it until the start of Season 8. Typical TPTB. Stall. Put off. Delay. Largely because they have pisspoor writers that know nothing about suspense.

[Lamima]

19 minutes ago, GodsBeloved said:

Abraham you went out like a BOSS. Deuces brother.

Glenn you were too good for this world but I am going to miss you terribly.

Maggie you sick, pregnant, just watched Glenn die a brutal death and you still talking about fighting. Girl you the BOSS of bosses!

Rick put the ax down, go find The Machete and introduce her to Negan.

Negan go suck some balls. 

YaY! Morgan and Ezekiel next week!

I agree with all this. Except YaY! Ezekiel, Carol and Shiva next week!!!  (could do without Morgan)

[Primetimer]

As the show's big cliffhanger is resolved, Rick hangs on by a (literal) thread.

View the full article

[ae2]

32 minutes ago, ShadowSixx said:

Isn't it also amazing that throughout this whole time they were out there, not ONE single walker showed up or made an appearance. Only one at the end to eat Glenn & Abe's remains. I guess walkers were all hypnotized by Negan's verbal diarrhea or they didn't want to hear him talk either.

Pretty easy to believe that Negan's men had set the perimeter and were quickly and efficiently clearing out any walkers that wandered into their powwow.

[SoSueMe]

I picked up on a little detail when Rick was trying to chop Carl's hand off that seemed so authentic. Carl had already urged him to do it but there was what seemed to be an involuntary flinching or slight pulling back from Carl. Seemed too real. Or maybe I imagined it?

[Lamima]

Oh, and I hear there is a backstory to Negan (in comics which I don't read but my daughter does).  And when I say he'll be around for a while...we are talking several seasons. So no quick vengeance death coming. Sadly!

[The Mighty Peanut]

I agree that the first 20 minutes were totally lacking.

The best moments IMO were the things in the background--the non-try too hard stuff. The Polaroid was a nice touch, and CDB having to sit tied up next to the unmoving dead bodies of their friends really got to me. Like, Sasha crying while Abe's boot was still in the shot. I think that's why I didn't mind the gore...it was gory for THEM, even with what they know of this world. Although the brain matter hanging off of the bat was just stupid. STFU, Lucille.

I hated the way JDM ham fisted and cartooned his way through humiliating Rick, butloved how Andrew Lincoln played the slow breaking and submission of an alpha male.

Long story short, it was mixed nuts. Suck my mixed nuts, Negan. 

[AngelaHunter]

2 hours ago, lmsweb said:

Because I'm an idiot who apparently forgets she needs to sleep before work the next day I rewatched it.

Nice touch at the end of the episode with one of Negans henchmen taking a Polaroid of Abe. It was just a quick, background shot but it added a little element of "ugh" to an already traumatic episode. 

I wasn't sure about the Polaroid and was too tired and frustrusted to rewind even that little bit, but yeah, nice touch.

[RustbeltWriter]

35 minutes ago, qtpye said:

So, when Dr. Evil was stroking the cat and laughing about his evil plan...oh, wait wrong guy.

So, when Negan was walking around in his petite ladies moto jacket swinging what has to be worst product placement Louisville Slugger could have ever imagined, I felt bored and cheated. 

Thank you so much for this. At least he wasn't wearing skinny jeans.

[AngryCarrot86]

Rick's snot bubble though...

The rest of my thoughts have already been covered here. 

[The Mighty Peanut]

56 minutes ago, The Mighty Peanut said:

apparently I quoted myself and reposted instead of editing. Sorry!

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by The Mighty Peanut

[Lunula]

I was absolutely gutted after watching this episode, but I'm not sure it was for the "right" reasons. I was never a fan of Abraham, but I'm starting to feel like the gore of the show is just to be, well, gory. Then we had to have Daryl, a character I really like, go off and get Glenn killed - which was an even gorier death than Abraham - I really wanted to leave the room. I was really, really bored every time Negan opened his mouth. Are all psychotic sociopaths so...wordy? Seems like most criminally insane people are either ice cold, intelligent and somewhat reserved - or - they are crazy-loud mouths but not so bright. Negan is supposed to be intelligent, insane and just will not stop talking. It doesn't jive with me.

The whole "get my ax" scene was pointless. Wouldn't Rick "get the point" with the Carl arm thing? I didn't even realize he didn't chop it off because I had my eyes and ears closed because I just didn't want to see or hear anymore. And why would Negan put a stop to that? How can someone who seemingly has no heart have such a sudden change of heart? Why would he care if Carl lived or died or only had one arm?

I think it boils down to not believing the Negan character. I love the actor, but he feels all over the place to me. 

I will sincerely miss Glenn, though my theory all along was Abraham or Glenn (totally unspoiled) so I wasn't really shocked. I was kind of hoping for Maggie, as I don't really want to see another baby story and I'm annoyed by her horrible accent. I've lived in the south for a very long time, albeit not the deep south, but I've heard some pretty heavy accents and none sounded like that. 

I'm still in, but more interested in Carol and Morgan at this point. 

[Boofish]

Not sure who suggested it so sorry for not giving you the proper credit but I will have Eugene find a way to slowly poison Kool & The Gang. 

I will give Negan credit for not only breaking Rick, but breaking Michonne. Even after taking an L this group sit around trash talking and hatching a plan. Last night watching them just sit there defeated broke my heart. 

[ghoulina]

11 minutes ago, The Mighty Peanut said:

Long story short, it was mixed nuts. Suck my mixed nuts, Negan. 

This is my new mantra. 

 

6 minutes ago, Lunula said:

I was kind of hoping for Maggie, as I don't really want to see another baby story

I was kind of hoping the same thing. Out of Maggie and Glenn, I'm just more attached to Glenn. He was the first laugh this show ever got out of me. And yea, I get they will be having kids and repopulating, but knowing this show, they just won't do it in a believable way (she already had an ultrasound ffs!), so I'm not looking forward to that particular storyline. 

[ElleMo]

11 hours ago, oakville said:

Wouldn't it make more sense for neegan to kill Daryl for punching him than Glenn who was quietly crying?

No, because the hero is always willing to risk his own life before risking a friend's.  Just like how rick wanted to cut his own arm off instraf of Carl's.

[Evie]

The worst thing about Negan is the writers so obviously think he's cool. 

I hated the dumpster fakeout last season but was still glad Glenn survived. Now, I wish Glenn had gone out then. At least it would have been about Glenn being Glenn. I'm not against my favorites dying by psycho; Hershel's death gutted me, and he had a good storyline leading up to it. Glenn didn't meet Lucille; the writers made turned the character into a walking fakeout for this death.

[ElleMo]

12 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

  I am curious about where Morgan and Carol are, both physically and psychologically. Negan won't know what hit him if they get back to where they once were. I'm still in.

1

Oh yea, that is what I am waiting for too.  Especially Carol.  She appears to be the sweet older lady but she is deadly.  Most people underestimate her, but Neegan would be even more likely to dismiss her. And that would be his fatal mistake.

[Arnella]

With the introduction of 2 new communities this season (Negan's and Ezekiel's), it occurred to me that this whole series has been the group failing and destroying functioning societies.

Whatever you think of the crazies and dictators running them, Woodbury, the Farm, Terminus, and even Alexandria were functioning well and the people were safe and fed... until our guys show up!

Our sneak peak at the kingdom shows a clean, orderly, peaceful place and Negan's group seem to be healthy and organized Nazis at least.  He is evil but this is still just the beginning of the ZA and Strong Men might be what is needed at first to get infrastructure going and once established, the Strong Men will die eventually or the inhabitants can rebel and form things to THEIR liking.  But no, Rick will just keep steamrolling through them without providing any alternative except joining them jerking around the countryside and no societal progress will be made.

[Duke2801]

11 hours ago, crowsworks said:

Maybe Rick will become Negan's Reek.

I'm thinking Daryl has more of a chance of become Reek, what with Negan threatening to cut him "piece by piece" if Rick and co. don't deliver. 

10 hours ago, J----av said:

 Because Nagan threatened to have everyone killed if he did that?

Right - that.  And, um, the big-ass GUN Negan had on him while they were in the trailer?  Like, Rick is not immortal.  He's a badass but he has his limits.

12 hours ago, econ07 said:

Good writing should make you want to see the villain get what is coming to them.  All I want to see is the writers/creators get what is coming to them ... for this show to flame out this season.  I'm never been less interested in seeing how this unfolds.

Welp, it's already renewed for season 8. So. Whether or not viewership goes down this season won't affect next season's chances of returning. 

4 hours ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

I have to be honest and say I don't really quite understand the visceral hate and anger directed at this episode (& now Show, overall). 

I thought we all knew this show was more about the horrific levels that humanity has sunk to - by this stage of the game - and the walkers (zombies) are just there for the horror!gore fanatics.  I get that people hate Negan and want him dead ASAP, and that's fine, I feel the same way... but isn't this what we signed up for?  Watching just how depraved, sick, and vicious some humans devolve to in the midst of an apocalypse, whilst watching and wondering how the protagonists will survive and ultimately fight back??

Just stating an opinion, but the general sentiment seems overly extreme currently.   <YMMV>

This- exactly!  I mean, I get it, this was NOT an "enjoyable" hour of television.  It was brutal and ugly.  But yes, this MAY just be how the world devolves in a ZA.  Rick and CDB had tried to be the "white hats" in this world as long as they can... but maybe they really will have to turn evil to survive.  I sure hope not---I hope there is some deus ex machine that can save them from this current plight.  But we'll have to wait and see.  Oh, by we I mean all of us who aren't "out" ... I think there's still about 7 or 8 of us, yes?