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Was Tara right in giving up Oceanside to Rick? Is it fair for them to take the tools that could help the ladies of Oceanside survive so that the Rick’s can get the Junkyard kids on their side and with the help of a ill-trained Hilltop and members of the Kingdom take down the Saviors and Negan? Is one group’s life greater than another’s and will there be a mutiny in the ladies ranks and Grandma will lose her control over her group?
The takeover of Oceanside
Let’s face it a lot of people this season look at these crazy actions they plan on taking as a way to show their people what they need to do to survive even at the expense of their own lives, think Rosita trying to take Negan down in front of everyone only to get that one lady killed on the spot or Richard and many of his plans. Sure it looks like in the long run their plans are for their people, well intentioned but… in the now things don’t tend to work out the way they think it’s going to.
So let’s start at the beginning.
I’m not really sure if Tara truly believed she was going to be able to get through to Grandma and get her on board with this whole Negan take-down thing. Maybe she thought going in there alone and using her words would help get through to Cindy since she already seemed to be walking a fine line between ready to fight for their rights or falling in line with Grandma. Maybe Tara thought to kind of sacrifice herself so both her people and the Oceanside ladies could see that with a little trust they could work together. Which in turn made Grandma think to show the woman what they are fighting for by killing Tara in front of them, Rick and his group knowing she was going to end up dead at the end of that.
But the barnacle walkers show up and side by side they fight together, only after Cindy takes out Grandma before she can martyr herself. So now we have and Oceanside divided… what does that mean for their future. Are half of them going to go fight and half stay behind, will there be a sort of banishment. What about that annoying little girl, is she going to try to rise through the ranks and lead the ladies as her Grandma would want just with more of an iron fist.
Side note… I’m really liking Beatrice. If Beatrice makes it through the final episode and they really give her a chance she could be a really powerful character. I feel like Beatrice and Cindy have so much more to grow and offer as characters. Beatrice is kind of like a Carol… but is there only room for one Carol in this world?
Jesus and Daryl?
So with this new revelation that Jesus and Maggie are never ever, ever going to happen and Daryl and Carol are never going to happen since they have this mother/son brother/sister thing going on… is there a chance that we finally will learn a little more about Daryl and it could lead to a relationship with Jesus. I mean it’s just a way out there thought but really Daryl has been pretty ambiguous, no-nonsense, survival mode guy… And he did get pretty close to Aaron and his husband. Was there a reason behind it or does Daryl just select the people he gets super close to with extreme precaution?
I’m just saying it’s a possibility…
Are the Negan’s missing a little love in their life?
The one thing we are for sure about in Negan’s world… Rape is completely UNACCEPTABLE! That being said it is clear that all his wives are bound to be willing participants. But we’re aren’t here to talk about Negan. Let’s take a moment with his little minions.
As the episodes go on it’s clear they are feeling a little… deprived in this rule filled world the main man has created. Sure he creates these rules with a purpose and they seem to be surviving really well but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t resentment and anger rising through the ranks. Which we clearly see at the end of this episode with Dwight.
So there could still be a mutiny within the walls of the Sanctuary but… I don’t think that’s really going to happen anytime soon.
Sasha and the lonely hole.
I have to wonder when Sasha angrily says that Rick is Negan’s bitch does she really mean it. She did leave the group to go with Maggie; protect her, grieve with her and bury their dead. Is throwing that back at Negan just to try to convince him that she attacked all on her own, keep all her friends safe.
So here we have a moment where Negan saves Sasha from rape and then gives her many options. Get eaten by walker, kill herself or join Negan. So she chooses Negan but Sasha is a smart cookie and there has to be a long-term end goal here. Maybe Eugene is kind of on to her too giving her pills to ‘kill herself’. Does he really believe after everything Sasha has been through she would do something like that, or does he believe she is playing a role (much like he is right now) and the end result will be taking out Negan.
It’s like Negan is playing Pokémon with Rick’s people, trying to collect them all one at a time. But are they too far deep into Rick’s world for Negan to fully get them on board with him. We see how well that worked out with Daryl.
Here we go again with this Gregory character.
Gregory, Gregory, Gregory… what are we going to do with you. I don’t know exactly at what point in the last few episodes that he has been in that I started to think ‘hmmmm, maybe Gregory isn’t that bad. Maybe he’s just like a lost soul looking for someone to help guide him back to humanity’.
So he finally decides to work with Maggie after seeing how all the Hilltoppers respond so well to her everything, Maggie was truly groomed to lead. I can’t help but think that this is an honest move. Gregory still wants to be in charge and how else can he do that when Maggie is around other than change his attitude and let her help. Or… he can rat her out to Simon and end all that right quick.
Gregory has a private moment with Maggie outside the wall, where she is practically unarmed and well off her guard as she has her back to him. And he chooses not to hurt her and to try and take down a walker. So now we learn that Gregory has not only been a snake but he’s been making up grand stories to his people.
Is Maggie’s action of saving him from the Walker and informing his people that he’s never killed one and he’s learning an action that embarrassed and shamed Gregory. Is his plan to now leave Hilltop and rat her out, could he be going to scout out the Saviors and bring back some intriguing intel. Ahhhhhh. I mean, I really didn’t like Gregory at the beginning of this season the only thing I had on my mind was being satisfied by his inevitable death by Walker (which let’s face it after watching how he fights off Walkers is still a high probability) but now here we are at the end of the season and I kind of want to see him redeem himself. But I just don’t feel like in the long run Gregory has that in him.
DWIGHT!!!!
I mean, we knew it was bound to happen right. The thing holding Dwight to Negan and the Saviors was his wife and she’s long gone now. And I guess, according to Sherry, without her Dwight can’t remember anything so maybe he forgot whose side he was on.
If Dwight is really influenced by Daryl and his passion, stubbornness, and loyalty maybe Dwight wants to take his desire to be like him to the next level and join his group and take down Negan. I can’t say if I totally believe Dwight, I’m like 93% on board with believing that this isn’t a trick but really after everything that Dwight has done to their friends and Daryl does he really stand a chance. Was giving himself up to Rosita really his best option.
I still can’t wrap my head around who the “little birdie” is who told Negan what Rick’s group is up to. Is it the Junkyard Gang, Eugene, who?!?! I can’t see where Gregory would have had the time to give up Rick’s plan. I’m leaning heavily toward Junkyard Gang. Jandis should not be trusted, I mean come on Rick why do you got to be so trusting if they are leaving free from the thumb of Negan don’t you think you should think twice about working with them. But now that we know that Negan knows that Rick is running around doing and the fact that he is letting him do it the end result can’t possibly be going in the good direction. I’m guessing we’re going to be losing a lot of really beloved characters for the final episode of this season.
And my guess… Negan has to really hit Rick where it’s going to hurt the most right, so I’m going with Michone and possibly Rick’s hand, maybe Father Gabriel. My guess is Negan will say something clever like well I took your booty call away and now you won’t be able to use your hand to do that work. I’m also feeling like he’s going to take Carl, possibly Judith, and not give them back and turn them against Rick and mold them into his little super minions. I’m just hoping King Ezekiel makes it through the episode because I just love the character and the actor so much and Eugene because I love that sweet mullet and him and he just has so much room to grow and really become an important character.
“And That’s a Wrap” for this episode of the Walking Dead. I am anxiously awaiting the final episode, luckily I don’t feel like it is going to be as devastating as last year’s season finale but nothing good is going to happen.
