If you would like to read a recap of last week’s episode click here. Last week was a mostly standalone episode featuring Tara but now we’re back to the real story here. The ending of Go Getters was exciting but the weird standalone episode in between kind of took away some of its momentum but this episode continues with that ending and takes it in a less exciting direction. One of the biggest problems this season has been the overuse of Negan. We get it already, can we move on eventually. The show has been beating in (pun intended) the point that he is a charismatic, intimidating presence but it has to go much further now. There’s a small chance considering the extra length for the episode.
The episode starts of with Michonne walking down a road, whistling, and following some sort of a path. She attracts walkers who she lets follow her for a little while before she takes them out with her katana. One of them happens to have a walkie. She takes one and drags it somewhere while whistling.
Rick wakes up inside of the back of a truck. He grabs a walkie. Aaron opens door a says that he didn’t see that last night. Some Saviors in another truck notice walkers up in the distance and go after them. Carl and Jesus are in the back. Jesus empties a syrup bottle to leave a trail. Jesus thinks they should get out and teaches Carl how to get out safely but Carl just leaves him behind.
Once they stop, Carl grabs a gun and overhears Negan and some Saviors. He manages to take some by surprise. He claims that he just wants Negan and is willing to spare the others. Negan shows up and is impressed. Dwight manages to take him down while Daryl watches. Negan decides to spare him and show him around. Carl is hesitant to take his hand. Negan takes a shot at Dwight.
Carl asks what he’s going to do with him. Negan tells him to not ruin his image of himself and to not ruin the surprise. Negan addresses the Saviors working for points to show Carl how they respect him. Eugene tells Rosita that he’s determined where the good stuff for Negan is but she’s not having any of it. Spencer reminds her that it was all Rick’s fault and thinks that he can do better. Spencer and Gabriel offering to go but she will have none of it.
Negan shows Carl his many women. Negan talks to Sherry and asks about what happened between Amber (Autumn Dial) and Mark. He heard a rumor that Mark left his duty to be with her. She says that anything that happens when he’s not there is none of his business. When Negan reminds her of the rules, she tells him that Amber made a mistake. Negan asks her if he hits his women which Sherry admits but what he does is worse. He leaves their conversation to be continued. Negan gives Carl a beer. Amber is scared. Negan tells her that she can go back to Mark but she can’t cheat on him. He threatens her and tells her she knows what that means. He looks back at Carl and asks Sherry to get Carson.
Negan makes out with Sherry in front of Dwight who has brought in Daryl. Daryl and Carl look at each other. Daryl asks about Carl and Negan replies with anything that happens when he’s not there is none of his business. He asks Dwight to fire up the furnace. Daryl looks back at Sherry and she is upset.
Rick and Aaron go past a warning gate. Spencer and Gabriel are in a car. Spencer brings up whether it is a sin to hate. Gabriel tells him that thoughts are not as bad as actions. Spencer talks about hating Rick. He thinks Rick should not be in charge. Gabriel stands up for Rick and says that they can’t look back, that they’re here now, and that they must look at the future. Spencer replies that there is no future with him and that the best thing for them is if he doesn’t come back. Gabriel asks to stop the car. He tells Spencer that he is not a sinner but a tremendous shit, for now (unexpected but awesome). He goes back to Alexandria on foot. Spencer thinks about going after him but instead runs into the woods. He sees a walker up in a tree
Negan brings Carl into his bedroom. Carl asks about the women. Negan wants to know Carl. He doesn’t act like a kid his age. He’s not going to let what he did slide. He asks if he really wants to piss him off. Carl takes off hat and bandages. Negan thinks his missing eye is gross and asks if has he looked at it and wants to touch it. He tells him that he’s just a kid and that he didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. He was just screwing with him. A Savior brings in Lucille since he forgot her earlier outside. Negan tells Carl that he shouldn’t cover it up as it made him look like a badass. Negan asks the Savior if he was he gentle, kind, and treated it like a lady. Negan is just doing what Rick was supposed to teach him.
Negan asks Carl what he does for fun. He wants him to sing a song in return for what he did. Carl can’t think of any. He threatens him with Lucille. Carl begins to sings hesitantly while Negan practices swinging in the background. He says Lucille likes being sung to more than bashing brains. Negan asks about his mom. Carl tells him that he shot her. Negan tells him that he is a serial killer in the making. He was just breaking his balls again.
Negan walks out with Carl. Mark is tied up downstairs. He asks Carl to hold Lucille and tells him that something hard to watch is about to happen. Negan tells everyone that rules keep them alive and that they must survive, provide security, and provide civilization to this world. They can’t do that without the rules. If they were broken, then it was the iron for them. Negan grabs an iron out of furnace and burns Mark’s face, like he did to Dwight. Carl and Daryl look at each other. Mark pissed himself so Negan asks Daryl to clean it up. He says everything is cool and Mark’s face is a reminder that rules matter. He doesn’t want to do it again. He asks Carl if he thinks he’s a lunatic. Now they have to figure out what to do. Amber is sad.
Spencer throws a hook up at the walker and tries to pull him down and a crossbow falls out. The walker hung there and eventually came apart. Spencer takes his stuff and also finds a note. Rosita and Eugene go to his ammo factory. Eugene didn’t want to go back but Rosita asked him and he said yes. Eugene thinks there’s a better way and that she’s being stupid. Eugene tries to talk her out of it but she remains firm. She tells him that he’s a coward and weak and starts to cry while doing it. She tells him to do something useful for once. Eugene gets started.
Sherry and Dwight are smoking in stairwell. He tells her to not beat herself up over selling Mark and Amber out. He tells her that he doesn’t sleep at night. They also made some sort of deal together. Sherry doesn’t want them to be seen so she leaves. Negan won’t let Carl re-bandage his face. He’s not done with him. He likes looking at his eye. Carl asks why he hasn’t killed them and Negan says he hasn’t killed them yet since he thinks Daryl will be a great soldier, Rick is getting him stuff, and that we shall see for Carl. He says it’s more productive and fun to break him
Negan asks Carl what he should do and Carl thinks Negan should jump out a window. Carl thinks he’s not saying anything because he’s not doing anything. He’s not going to kill them. Negan wants to take him on a ride. Jesus is riding on top of the truck. Negan tells Daryl he’s taking him home. Daryl threatens him. He looks up and Jesus is gone. Daryl gets a message saying go now along with a few tools. A female Savior stops her car when she finds bodies blocking the road. Michonne sneaks up on her and demands to go to Negan. The Savior tries to wrestle the gun back and fails.
Negan and Carl are in Alexandria and walk in on Olivia. She is scared but Judith is safe. Negan is looking for Rick but he may not be back in awhile. Olivia tells him that they’re starving and he makes a fat joke. He immediately apologizes to her since they’ll be waiting. He asks her if she wants him to screw her brains out and then gets slapped. Carl is not impressed. He tells her that he’s putting his feet up and demands lemonade. He tells her to take her time but make it good.
Negan asks Carl for a tour. He is having fun doing stuff but Carl is not having fun. He runs into Judith and is amazed and then picks her up. Rick and Aaron find a sign outside some crazy guy’s house, promising supplies and ammo. His cabin, however, is surrounded by a walker moat. Rosita has her bullet but she’s sorry for what she said. Eugene doesn’t accept it. Spencer runs into them. The note led him to find some supplies.
At the gate, they notice that Negan’s back. He sitting on a porch with Carl and holding Judith. Negan likes it here. He’s thinking that maybe it was stupid to keep them alive. He tells Judith maybe he should bury her and Carl under the flowerbeds and he should just move into the suburbs.
Overall, the Negan and Carl dynamic was interesting and we got to see Daryl again but this episode was just a rehashing of things we’ve already seen before. We definitely got another heavy dose of Negan but I still think they should tone down on his use. He didn’t have to be in every scene. We get it, he’s charismatic and intimidating but at this point, he’s become rather annoying.
Score: 7.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.