The Walking Dead - Season 10 - SPOILERS!

[scottydog]

I have a feeling he will end up saving the day and dying in the process.

Yeah, that's what seems to be unfolding. I won't buy into his heroism, but whatever. The writers really do need to consult with us!

[RJDiogenes]

I think the fate of the character in the books was tied to Rick, so that means all bets are off-- unless Negan will be in the movies, too.

[RJDiogenes]

New episode tonight!

[scottydog]

I wonder who will die tonight?

[RJDiogenes]

^^ A minor character, but with major consequences.

Well, we had some interesting developments this week. Society has rebounded to the point where internal conflict and violence is becoming a threat, even more so given that there is a hostile foreign power lurking just out of sight-- I wonder if this was an intentional metaphor for the current Zeitgeist. In any case, their little board of directors is proving itself to be inadequate to handling law enforcement-- if they even have any laws outside of their constitution-- and they probably need to think about establishing some more formal system of justice.

In any case, Negan is on the lam, ironically after doing the right thing for once in his life. That little group of self-appointed justice vigilantes probably would have killed Lydia if he hadn't intervened, but he intervened a little too hard. I wonder if his next step will be to attempt to manipulate the Whisperers. Maybe he thinks he can take over.

And poor Ezekiel seems to have been on the verge of doing something drastic. He's a great character who has been kind of sidelined lately, so I hope this doesn't portend his demise. Not only would it be a waste of a good character, but it would nudge Carol even closer to the edge.

[scottydog]

^ I should be able to watch this episode tomorrow morning.

[scottydog]

Well, that was interesting.

I think you're right about this episode highlighting the need for internal laws and penal codes. The whole "what-to-do-with-Negan" scenario underscores this need, and now we have the Lydia incident and vigilantes sealing the deal. Maybe Ezekiel's malaise is the prelude to his rise to power and influence in these matters.

Negan is the wildcard here. If he joins and co-leads the Whisperers, that would likely lead to his demise, because after all, don't the Whisperers have to be defeated eventually? If he joins and leads the good guys, then his redemption and hero's journey will be completed.

[RJDiogenes]

I think you're right about this episode highlighting the need for internal laws and penal codes. The whole "what-to-do-with-Negan" scenario underscores this need, and now we have the Lydia incident and vigilantes sealing the deal. Maybe Ezekiel's malaise is the prelude to his rise to power and influence in these matters.

Wow, that's a great idea. Ezekiel could move into a role of judge or justice or arbitrator or something like that. He's a pretty wise man.

Negan is the wildcard here. If he joins and co-leads the Whisperers, that would likely lead to his demise, because after all, don't the Whisperers have to be defeated eventually? If he joins and leads the good guys, then his redemption and hero's journey will be completed.

That would be interesting to see him redeemed. I've been totally against that, because of the extent of the horrible crimes he committed, yet we've seen other characters in fiction who have committed atrocities and been redeemed. Londo Mollari, for example. And yet, Londo was always conflicted and evolved because he had a conscience. Negan still seems to have no conscience or regrets.

[scottydog]

Negan still seems to have no conscience or regrets.

Not sure about that. Compared to his Glen-bashing days, Negan seems like an honorable person. The showrunners have gone to great lengths to show him now to be a changed man. Let's see if he steps up and saves our heroes from the Whisperers.

[RJDiogenes]

Well, he's never expressed regret or offered apologies, and all of the unsolicited advice that he offers involves taking a harder line. He is inevitably smarmy and provocative when interacting with people. The best you can say about his current state is that he is morally ambivalent, and even that's stretching it.

[scottydog]

^^ That's true. As a psychopath, he has all the qualities of a politician Which is why we'll probably see him rise to power.

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, if they have free elections, he'd probably win. "Yeah, we know he's a scumbag and a killer, but we'll all have jobs and be protected from foreigners."

New episode tonight!

[scottydog]

I wonder who will die tonight?

[scottydog]

^^ Turns out several people die -- a Whisperer, a few good-guys, and a Saviour wannabe whom Negan dispatches. Isn't it going to look like Negan slaughtered them all?

We're getting close to the mid-point of the season. I hope the cliffhanger involves the Whisperers being dealt with, once and for all. Then we can move on to the task of rebuilding civilization.

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, it looks like Negan had his Norman Bates moment and now he's back in harness, complete with Fonzie jacket and Lucille II. Based on his reaction to the fanboy's hero worship, he must have really undergone some growth all those years in the cooler-- but his white-hot rage at the senseless murder of a woman and child who he actually intended to help, and the ensuing indulgent violence seems to have wiped all that away, and we see that the Negan of old has returned in his interview with the Whisperers. I wonder how he'll fare against Beta. He can't be in such great shape after six years in the drunk tank.

And here we find out that there is more to Ezekiel's depression that first met the eye-- after that red herring over at Fear The Walking Dead, we now have someone who is facing a cancer diagnosis in the ZA for real. A 98% chance of survival in the before times, and a death sentence in the after times. Unless the black helicopter puts in a timely return appearance, our favorite eccentric king may not be long for this world.

And speaking of ad hoc approaches to crime, our former inmate has been stealing supplies for unclear reasons. Was she planning to bug out or is it just a compulsion? In any case, Daryl was easily convinced to keep things quiet, proving that the crush is mutual, whether he knows it or not. But the relationship between Jailbird and Yumiko has taken a turn for the bitter, not just because of the theft, but because Jailbird was apparently a murderer before the ZA, which I don't believe either we or Yumiko knew.

Finally, Gamma seems to be harboring a lot of pent-up rage toward Alpha and Alpha, having lost her daughter to the people who live in houses, now wants to send in her stepdaughter as an undercover spy. A master of strategy, that one.

Isn't it going to look like Negan slaughtered them all?

I was thinking that. If anyone from the communities find those bodies, that's exactly what they're going to think.