S08.E15: Worth

[nodorothyparker]

Quote

With the threat of the Saviors still looming, Aaron continues searching for allies.  Daryl and Rosita take action and confront an old friend.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Gag Me!!!

[MichaelaRae]

They are determined to make Fear the Dead happen. Next week's episode followed by Fear the Dead, hoping that Morgan/Lenny's fanbase will follow him to a disappointing show.

[Spartan Girl]

At least Simon's dead.

Sorry but I don't feel sorry for Dwight. He's gonna get the Daryl dog food sandwich treatment? Good. Karma's a bitch, bitch!

Please let Negan and Gregory be dead next week.

[nodorothyparker]

With the amount of dicks being waved around this episode everyone needs to double up on their personal hygiene and birth control.  Other than that, I got nothing.

[Red Fields]

I did enjoy zombie Simon.

[ShadowHunter]

I didn't like Simon so glad he is dead.

Rosita and Daryl could have at least mentioned that Carl is dead to Eugene. He may not have cared but they didn't even mention it. He was also able to fool them and get away. 

A good portion of this episode felt like filler.

Next week is the finale and I'm grateful to get the break from this show which is not how I felt years ago.

[raven]

6 minutes ago, Red Fields said:

I did enjoy zombie Simon.

Yep, Steven Ogg was having himself a good time as a zombie.

3 minutes ago, ShadowHunter said:

A good portion of this episode   season felt like filler.

sigh.

[AngelaHunter]

Okay, answer me this: If Dwight wanted Negan dead, why didn't he just let Simon and his merry band take him out? Here's a bunch of guys with assault weapons, plotting how to get rid of the guy with the baseball bat?

Meanwhile, Back in the Forest: Here's Aaron hanging out, playing Wild Man of Borneo. He may be half dead, but he managed to get out a monologue. Good for you, Aaron.

Negan seems a little perturbed at zombifying Simon. At least he stopped clowning around for a few minutes.

Ooh, Eugene is mad. Like, really mad! Daryl couldn't take his blabbering anymore. Thank you Daryl. I see the wind blew that hank of hair out of his eye for a second but in the next shot it was back.

Are Cworl's letters like those musical greeting cards? The instant anyone opens one, a piano starts tinkling.

So, the only thing that happened is that Simon is byebye? Oh, his growling at the fence? Some funny shit. Made me briefly guffaw. Did anything else of import take place? That woman who spilled the beans on Dwighty-boy? Who the hell is she?

I wish we had made a game of noting Negan's first appearance in an ep to his first reference to his genitals. Tonight he appeared at 19:22minutes and said "Dick" at 19:49 minutes.

[UGAmp]

I’ll absolutely never forgive this show for denying me the pure delight of seeing Negan slowly rise up out of that dumpster like Oscar the Grouch during Simon’s monologue. I knew he was there. I knew he was listening. I was almost clapping my hands in aniticipation waiting for the glorious reveal. Then they just had him saunter out from behind it. Ugh. I’m so disappointed. 

[oakville]

11 minutes ago, MichaelaRae said:

They are determined to make Fear the Dead happen. Next week's episode followed by Fear the Dead, hoping that Morgan/Lenny's fanbase will follow him to a disappointing show.

Morgan will be a welcome addition to FTWD.

[tennisgurl]

If I promise to tell everyone that the writers all have really impressive dicks, would they kill off Eugene and Neegan next week? Its clearly something they think about a lot, so maybe we can reach some kind of trade? Please? 

Simon as a zombie was kind of cool. I never liked him, so I dont mind that he died. I did actually end up feeling bad for Dwight though, so thats something of an accomplishment. His actor is good at showing a lot without monologuing endlessly. 

If only Rosita and Daryl had just killed Eugene. Eugene might be the only person in the world who can make Gregory look brave and honorable in comparison. Maybe. 

"Why cant we all get along like we did in the pre-ZA? I wish I could bake a cake filled with sunshine and rainbows where we`d always be happy" "He isnt even on the show anymore!" 

[ShadowHunter]

I also have no idea what Gregory was saying at the start of the episode, I know he didn't want to die but it took me a minute to realize he was speaking.

Negan was fine when he was silent and listening to the letter Carl wrote. 

I hope they honestly kill a lot of the characters next week. Too many people on the show.

[Mu Shu]

9 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

At least Simon's dead.

Sorry but I don't feel sorry for Dwight. He's gonna get the Daryl dog food sandwich treatment? Good. Karma's a bitch, bitch!

Please let Negan and Gregory be dead next week.

Yeah, he’s wearing the “A” for asshole sweater that they made Daryl wear.  But his is much cleaner.

The writers are clearly paid in mind altering substances.  I feel like I just watched actual fan fiction cobbled together by drunken chimps.  

[Tesla]

So Eugene sees someone (that he suspects of having freaking Cryptococcosis) hacking and coughing into the air without a mask, so he decides to walk into his immediate vicinity and basically breathe into his face while he pontificates about airborne diseases.   Smart.  How is this guy alive?

Edited April 9, 2018 by Tesla

[AngelaHunter]

2 minutes ago, UGAmp said:

I’ll absolutely never forgive this show for denying me the pure delight of seeing Negan slowly rise up out of that dumpster like Oscar the Grouch

He was in a dumpster and I missed it? Damn.

Shit, I forgot the best part of the show: Negan said, "No more talking!" I hope he's not just punching us in the dick and he means it.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Thanks to how this season has played out, this is how I envision the byplay in the writers room every day (except its guys acting this way instead of women)....

[AngelaHunter]

1 minute ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

Thanks to how this season has played out, this is how I envision the byplay in the writers room every day (except its guys acting this way instead of women)....

roflmfao!! Don't forget, Simon said "Testicular" just to mix it up a little from the usual - nuts and nutsack.

[Mu Shu]

Next time I am felling threatened or have been kidnapped by hoodlums, I will know to projectile vomit myself out of the situation. 

I think I’ve mentioned often that I read better poop stories on Reddit.

just call this show what is is-The Talking Dick.  

[AngelaHunter]

3 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

I will know to projectile vomit myself out of the situation. 

Oh, I blanked that out, but at the time I was thinking we can watch someone spewing puke on another person but can't hear anyone say "fuck"? That's fucked up.

"Testicular Heft" sounds like  something you could get at hardware store. "I'll take a gallon of that heavy-duty Testicular Heft, please."

[DropTheSoap]

Darryl’s supposed to be some major tracker, and he couldn’t tell that the world’s most awkward runner didn’t run out of the huge pile of ash?

(edited to un-autocorrect “ash”.)

Edited April 9, 2018 by DropTheSoap

[GenerationX]

Simon says let me monologue.  Simon says let me lead.  Kill Negan.  Didn't say Simon says!

Judith has not cried, fussed, teethed, fallen, or complained. She's either the greatest baby ever or just bored with the storyline.

Finally, I will read from St. Carl's letter to the Neganians. "Though you may have swagger of loins, stick of thorns, and preponderance of speech, join with my father in an everlasting peace."

[ShadowHunter]

11 minutes ago, DropTheSoap said:

Darryl’s supposed to be some major tracker, and he couldn’t tell that the world’s most awkward runner didn’t run out of the huge pile of ash?

Well with his hair in his eyes and and the smell of it since he probably doesn't wash it has created a combo that is messing with his tracker skills lol.

Edited April 9, 2018 by ShadowHunter

[candall]

Quote

A good portion of this episode   season felt like filler.

Isn't that the truth?  Even having never seen the comics, I had heard enough to be excited about the introduction of Negan, THE Big Bad and Rick's arch-nemesis.  With charismatic Jeffrey Dean Morgan?  Squee, bring it on!

 

They had so many good elements to work with.  All the different communities, with their distinctive quirks and personalities--a matriarchy; a king (with a tiger!) leading some olde English-type knights with horses and armor; a bunch of weirdos in a trash pile who had completely forgotten how words work; productive Hilltop with the craven leader; base-camp Alexandria. 

 

How did they manage to turn this season into a long snoozefest of people running back and forth, peeking around corners and shooting thousands of what I must assume were blanks? 

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

29 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

Next time I am felling threatened or have been kidnapped by hoodlums, I will know to projectile vomit myself out of the situation. 

I think I’ve mentioned often that I read better poop stories on Reddit.

just call this show what is is-The Talking Dick.  

That's what the "All Out War" was really about.  War of Words.  And who could come up with the most 'creative' ways to say penis and testicles.

There was so much hot air exhaled this season, they don't need to worry about the ZA... they should be worried about Global Warming!!

[AngelaHunter]

1 hour ago, ShadowHunter said:

A good portion of this episode felt like filler.

So I didn't miss anything when I thought the only thing that happened tonight was that Simon went to join the other walkers on stationary fence patrol.

Nothing else. Rosita and Daryl snatch Eugene but he gets away. Simon threatened Gregory, but he got away. Simon plans revolt. That's a bust. Maggie puts Greg in the pen, again. Michonne rings up Negan for the heart-rending Cworl missive. Negan doesn't give his left nut about that, smashes phone, so that was a bust too. Everyone talks about nuts and dicks. Again. Aaron rolls around in the mud, begs Ocean women to help fight the Saviors, with their sticks I guess, then passes out. Did someone eat a bagel, or was that a commercial I mistook for the show? Aaron did get some pretty janky looking walkers, so there was that. Ho hum.

Edited April 9, 2018 by AngelaHunter

[gutbuster]

I can't believe with all of the major losses the 'good guys' have had: Glenn, Abraham, Sasha, Alexandria, the Kingdom (and basically everyone in it), Shiva, Carl, to name a few, that Negan still has his damn bat. And that dumb jacket. With everything else that is irritating me, somehow this stands out. This show won't even allow that fucker the relatively small inconvenience of being without his accessories. He's not even particularly inconvenienced by or after things that should have inconvenienced him greatly. He has bounced back from everything (still has the Sanctuary, Eugene, bullet-making supplies, his life, Shiva or Jadis didn't maim or kill him, full use of all his limbs, followers, and the resources to go after people). Did the bat even look a little bit charred after being lit on fire for 20 minutes??

Honestly, I just can't believe we've been stuck on this story line for two and half years. The show has only been on for 8. 

I'm still finding some enjoyment with the other character stuff, even though they still can't help but to ruin everything somehow. I did like that we got to hear Carl's letter to Rick. I really didn't think they would do that and for the most part I thought it was well done. I liked that he talked about life 'before', father and son stuff that Rick would clearly remember, and basically just said 'I love you'. And they ruined that with him ridiculously asking Rick to try for peace with Negan.

I liked Rosita and Daryl getting Eugene back and being awesomely no nonsense with him. Then they ruined it by Eugene getting away by inexplicably outsmarting Daryl at one of the only things Daryl is even good at and has consistently been good at. Particularly in a way that even someone who wasn't a tracker would have been able to figure out.

I get what they were trying to do by having Michonne deliver Carl's letter to Negan but it didn't work for me. We already know and have been shown that Michonne wants to honor Carl's memory and final wishes. But I wish they would have found a way for her to actually deliver the hard copy to him or leave it where he'd find it so he could read it himself. Then maybe show him crumple it up or something. It would have gotten the same point across without making it look like Michonne actually thought what Carl had to say would somehow change anything or affect Negan. So while I do get it, it still came off as silly (as all of the 'give peace a chance' does) because there is and was never going to be reasoning with a guy who believes his way is the only way, and who treats his own people the way Negan does. This should be very evident to all of the characters on both sides by now, so I don't even know why or how this is a plot point. Not to mention Rick already did this a few episodes ago and it didn't work then either, so, it was also redundant storytelling.

[bobbyjoe]

This show is sooooo original.  I've never seen anyone stick their fingers down their throat and vomit to escape armed kidnappers before.  And do you know why I've never seen it before?  Because it's the stupidest most unbelievable goddamn piece of lazy plotting crap ever in the history of pretty much, well, storytelling itself.  That's why.

Or is this even storytelling?  Guy is doing something, people come and kidnap him but nothing comes of it and he gets away, guy is doing the same thing he was doing before he was kidnapped-- that's not really even a story is it?  There's that famous Dorothy Parker quote where Parker mocks Katherine Hepburn's acting as only going "from point A to B," but at least she got to "B."  The Eugene "storyline" tonight went from Point A to Point A.

[Iguessnot]

4 minutes ago, bobbyjoe said:

This show is sooooo original.  I've never seen anyone stick their fingers down their throat and vomit to escape armed kidnappers before.  And do you know why I've never seen it before?  Because it's the stupidest most unbelievable goddamn piece of lazy plotting crap ever in the history of pretty much, well, storytelling itself.  That's why.

Or is this even storytelling?  Guy is doing something, people come and kidnap him but nothing comes of it and he gets away, guy is doing the same thing he was doing before he was kidnapped-- that's not really even a story is it?  There's that famous Dorothy Parker quote where Parker mocks Katherine Hepburn's acting as only going "from point A to B," but at least she got to "B."  The Eugene "storyline" tonight went from Point A to Point A.

To be fair he did time his puke with the walkers shuffling towards Rosita.

However it seems the kidnapping of Eugene and the killing of the two dudes with him, was not even noticed by the Saviors.

Last week on Talking Dead, the sneak peek for this episode showed Rosita and Darryl on a rooftop with binoculars talking about taking out the bullet maker. However I didn't see that scene tonight. Have I lost my mind?

[Sentient Meat]

So barf composed of mac and cheese and sardines must have special qualities that mist otherwise excellent soldiers and make them suddenly unable to outrun or trace an out of shape coward.

Good episode other than that... but I don't know how Daryl suddenly lost his basic ability to track.

[Iguessnot]

What was Aaron's problem? I can't remember what would cause him to be in such bad condition. Why can't he locate a growling walker in the relatively open space?

[HollyG]

Don't talk him to death, just pull out a gun and shoot him! 

This show is so frustrating!

[Shriekingeel]

3 hours ago, DropTheSoap said:

 

Darryl’s supposed to be some major tracker, and he couldn’t tell that the world’s most awkward runner didn’t run out of the huge pile of ash?

 

Exactly what I thought. “Hmm....the tracks lead through this pile of ash which yields perfect footprints which stop at this big pile of ash here...come on, he must be that way!”

Edited April 9, 2018 by Shriekingeel

[thuganomics85]

Fare thee well, Simon!  It sucks since I've loved Steven Ogg since I first saw him as Trevor on Grand Theft Auto 5, but Simon really ended up just being a disappointed.  Just another blustering, long-winded idiot, who wasn't as smart as he thought he was, and easily gets tricked and taken out by the Almighty Negan.  Yawn!  Not sure why Dwight ended up taking Negan's side, but he sure faced instant regret, after finding out that Negan knew about his treachery all along, and he's now a prisoner.  But, as usual, the biggest surprise that Gregory managed to stay alive during all of this.  How he keeps doing this is beyond me!

Meanwhile, Daryl and Rosita manage to actually capture Eugene, but then lose him just as quickly thanks to walkers, Eugene's ability to projectile vomit when the time calls for it, and Daryl suddenly not being able to track.  So, now Eugene is all mad and totally wanting to get revenge.  Yawn, again!

Oh, yeah, I totally forgot Aaron is still hanging around outside Oceanside, trying to convince them to fight.  Doesn't seem to be working out so well, but, again, maybe stealing all their weapons at gunpoint wasn't the best way to kick off a relationship.

Finale next week with the gang possibly walking into a trap, but I'm sure the majority of the main ones will still manage to survive and this show will somehow find a way to make it underwhelming.  Can't wait!

[spiderpig]

I'm going to comment and then duck.

I kinda  sorta enjoyed this episode.  Something actually happened.

Simon getting offed followed by Steven Ogg obviously enjoying himself being thrashed to a fence and growling and spewing.

Eugene doing his schtick and the CDB hall monitors letting him escape.

Aaron.  I'm fond of the actor Ross Marquand.  If you've seen him on TTD he's hilarious and an excellent impressionist.

I like Xander Berkeley in anything and enjoy every excuse to bring his sleazy self back.

And what's in store for Dwight?

Much better than last week's suckfest.

[Ouisch]

4 hours ago, Sentient Meat said:

Good episode other than that... but I don't know how Daryl suddenly lost his basic ability to track.

I went back and re-watched that scene....somehow Eugene made footprints through and leading away from the pile of ashes, and then apparently doubled back somehow and hid. Daryl points to the footprints that are heading toward the fence and says "He couldn't have gotten very far..."

[millennium]

I hate Eugene to death and beyond.  I don't even care he's a traitor.   In fact that's probably what I hate least about him.   

[sigmaforce86]

The best part of the episode was possibly the most subtle:  Seen down below the balcony while Rick was reading the letter was Jerry, happily walking baby Grace back and forth rocking her and, at one point, twirling in a circle.  I actually laughed out loud at how cute that was.

All I can give this episode is half a thumb up that it moved along faster than some others this season and that finally Simon got what was coming to him.  Everything else was pretty predictable from the false map to Negan listening in on the rebels meeting to Dwight finding out Laura was alive and told all (and that she was the one on the side of the road).  There's balance in anything of course, twist after twist isn't great watching either but no twists, no wrenches or surprises is just as dull and it feels like nothing happened here we couldn't see coming a mile away.  Only thing to hope is it was all set up for an epic battle next episode that does include a few twists or surprises beyond what we think is going to happen.

[Bryce Lynch]

Poor Dwight, he finally gets promoted from Assistant TO the Regional Cult Leader to Assistant Regional Cult Leader, but only for a few minutes.

Do the writers think any of this was suspenseful?

Gregory is safe...no Neagan is going to kill Gregory...nah, he's safe.

Dwight is going to die...no wait Dwight is safe...nope Dwight is going to die again.

Neagan is going to forgive Simon....no wait, he is going to kill Simon...nope he forgives him...uh oh ,now he is going to kill him...but he is going to give him a fair fight (because Neagan is such a fair guy)...Simon's dead.

I don't even care much  if the good guys live or die at this point, so do they really think anyone cares whether Dwight lives or if Neagan kills Simon or Simon kills Neagan?  

Edited April 9, 2018 by Bryce Lynch

[Haleth]

8 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

Nothing else. Rosita and Daryl snatch Eugene but he gets away. Simon threatened Gregory, but he got away. Simon plans revolt. That's a bust. Maggie puts Greg in the pen, again. Michonne rings up Negan for the heart-rending Cworl missive. Negan doesn't give his left nut about that, smashes phone, so that was a bust too. Everyone talks about nuts and dicks. Again. Aaron rolls around in the mud, begs Ocean women to help fight the Saviors, with their sticks I guess, then passes out. Did someone eat a bagel, or was that a commercial I mistook for the show? Aaron did get some pretty janky looking walkers, so there was that. Ho hum.

Thanks for this recap and for saving me a wasted hour.  I've skipped several episodes this season and don't feel like I missed anything.

[A-Lo]

What I'm realizing as I'm reading all your comments today is that I must have fallen asleep and missed the last 15 or so minutes.  Would that have happened 6 years ago?  Hell no!  I'd have been so on the edge of my seat that I'd not be able to sleep for a while afterwards.  So sad, show.  So sad.

[nodorothyparker]

So stuff did actually happen amid a whole lot of dick dick dick dick dick dick dick talk, so that's something I suppose.  I mean, okay, so we now know that Simon and not Negan was responsible for the executions of the Oceanside men as well as the garbage people.  Clearly the show wants us to read that as see, Negan is a more reasonable sort of bad guy.  He has an internal kind of logic even pushing up against an increasingly unhinged Rick.  He even keeps saying people are resources.  See, he's really the preferable leader to the more nihilistic Simon.  Except that it's Negan we've seen gleefully baseball batting people to death and ironing grown men and coercing women and throwing "resources" like doctors into fires.  It's Negan who reaches the end of this episode with nothing much changed except for internal staffing issues and decides fuck all the people are resources talk and just kill 'em all for seemingly no other reason than next week is the season finale.  The show can have Chandler Riggs do voiceovers reading War and Peace for all the difference it or the asinine decision to kill Carl off makes in any of this.

I've defended Eugene and some of his choices in the past, largely because it's amused me to no end to watch all these supposed badasses denigrate him and how he's survived only to be outsmarted by him time and again and repeatedly tricked into carrying him.  I guess in that context it makes a sort of sense that finally being valued for his intelligence and abilities and given his first taste of real power it's completely going to his head but that doesn't make it at all pleasant to watch.  I don't really expect much in the way of thinking from Daryl at this point (he's there to mumble and make cool kills and blow stuff up), but Rosita has known him longer than anyone else in our cast.  If he's thriving where he is because he's being valued and treated well, was the best choice really to immediately sling him around and threaten to throw him in a dark hole?   Sure, it was mildly entertaining to watch, but why isn't she asking him does he remember his good friend Abraham and what happened to him at all?  It's like the show can't be bothered to remember that many of these characters have pasts with each other anymore.  But the whole kidnap Eugene plot was so half-assed anyway and accomplished absolutely nothing that I guess it doesn't matter.

So Aaron's entire plan consisted of laying around the woods getting weaker until ... something to get the women to come check on him so he could make a rousing speech on why they should join our gang even though every single last encounter they've had with our gang has only made things worse for them?  Hasn't it only been maybe a day and a half in showtime?  I guess I'm supposed to be rooting for Dwight to somehow survive all of this, and the actor is doing decent work mostly reacting as one ridiculously verbose character after another bounces off of him, but why bother ratting Simon out?  Let whatever happens happen between the pro-Simon and pro-Negan factions and then go back and rally your new buddies at Hilltop to clean up whatever's left.

[gaPeach]

I never thought it was possible but TWD is now worse than FTWD.  Good job writers, for making me care about absolutely no one on the show.

[TattleTeeny]

I liked it. But Eugene hiding in a pile was so cartoonish, and not in a good way. Also, why would Negan just not turn off the walkie-talkie?! Why break it?

Quote

And that dumb jacket.

Haha, I understand mocking Negan but what's wrong with a classic biker jacket? Why one wouldn't remove it in a fight, I don't know, but the style is one of my old favorites!

Edited April 9, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Racj82]

11 hours ago, AngelaHunter said:

Okay, answer me this: If Dwight wanted Negan dead, why didn't he just let Simon and his merry band take him out? Here's a bunch of guys with assault weapons, plotting how to get rid of the guy with the baseball bat?

Meanwhile, Back in the Forest: Here's Aaron hanging out, playing Wild Man of Borneo. He may be half dead, but he managed to get out a monologue. Good for you, Aaron.

Negan seems a little perturbed at zombifying Simon. At least he stopped clowning around for a few minutes.

Ooh, Eugene is mad. Like, really mad! Daryl couldn't take his blabbering anymore. Thank you Daryl. I see the wind blew that hank of hair out of his eye for a second but in the next shot it was back.

Are Cworl's letters like those musical greeting cards? The instant anyone opens one, a piano starts tinkling.

So, the only thing that happened is that Simon is byebye? Oh, his growling at the fence? Some funny shit. Made me briefly guffaw. Did anything else of import take place? That woman who spilled the beans on Dwighty-boy? Who the hell is she?

I wish we had made a game of noting Negan's first appearance in an ep to his first reference to his genitals. Tonight he appeared at 19:22minutes and said "Dick" at 19:49 minutes.

Regarding your first question. He probably thought it was a trap. I know I did. Although, Negan got what he wanted both ways.

[tricknasty]

I'm still trying to understand how Negan correctly guessed just from the name "Michonne" that she was the one with dreadlocks and a sword? *crickets* It's the little things, people.

[Juliegirlj]

I forwarded through most of the show, because it was so boring and stupid. For me, it has officially jumped the shark. I may be done with the show. What a bummer. 

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

The best part of the episode was possibly the most subtle:  Seen down below the balcony while Rick was reading the letter was Jerry, happily walking baby Grace back and forth rocking her and, at one point, twirling in a circle.  I actually laughed out loud at how cute that was.

Yes, I thought that was so endearing.  I love Jerry.

 

9 hours ago, Iguessnot said:

What was Aaron's problem? I can't remember what would cause him to be in such bad condition. Why can't he locate a growling walker in the relatively open space?

I was wondering the same thing. I know I've zoned out on a lot of things that happened this season, but what happened to his legs and why couldn't he run?

[iMonrey]

Any time someone begins a fistfight with a sucker punch, it's a clear sign that that person is going to lose the fight. It's scripting shorthand for "this is our bad guy, he doesn't fight fair, he will ultimately lose because he does not respect the code of honor in fist fighting." The problem is . . . who are we supposed to be rooting for here? I was rooting for Simon, because I'm sick to death of Negan. But I'm sure the show thinks I was rooting for Negan, because the show loves Negan and thinks I do too. That's kind of been the whole problem with the show for the past two seasons - its stubborn belief that the audience can't get enough of Negan.

It's also why they kept using Carl to reiterate this "let's get along and make peace" nonsense. The show seems to think it's possible to rehabilitate Negan, like we'll just get past what he did to Glenn and Abraham because, gosh darn it, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is just so wonderful. That's supposed to be enough for us and a reason to keep him around indefinitely. It honestly makes no sense for anyone to say "let's try to talk reason with this monster" but clearly, the show is trying to lay the groundwork for Negan to stick around forever.

Quote

Okay, answer me this: If Dwight wanted Negan dead, why didn't he just let Simon and his merry band take him out? Here's a bunch of guys with assault weapons, plotting how to get rid of the guy with the baseball bat?

My guess, if there's any logical reason, is because Simon is in some ways worse than Negan. Dwight is trying to save the Hilltop people, and Simon wanted to annihilate them. Dwight is better off getting rid of Simon then letting Hilltop take care of Negan.

Ultimately, I suspect that Eugene is going to sabotage the bullets. I cannot think of any other reason why they would have bothered to write this whole scenario where he is captured and then escapes unless it accomplished something. Maybe Rosita's words about his being responsible for all the deaths finally got to him.

If that's not the case, then this whole episode was an even bigger waste of time than I thought. I don't know how much more of the Saviors I can stomach, frankly, and a whole hour and fifteen minutes of them was too much. 

They better end this war when they end this season, or they're going to end my viewership of this show. 

[econ07]

I have to think there was some trap or plan for letting Eugene escape ... like maybe they can track Eugene in some way?  If not, then what a waste of time, especially for an extended episode.