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[Sendero]

Should've never gotten out of the friggin car... Just an all around horrible idea..

They should have returned to Alexandria, even if it costed the baby to Maggie. I was actually surprised that she didn't suggest that.

I mean, they didn't know if Hilltop still existed. Or if the doctor was still alive or would help. It might have been a miscarriage, so no more baby. And they could very well lose Maggie as well. They were risking everything (the RV, Alexandria, etc) without -once again- having the full grasp of the situation.

 

[RangerX]

Man I just got caught up and that was pure unadulterated bullshit. They really built up all that tension just to fade to black. I liked Morgan as Negan, he was cool, but the showrunners pull the cheapest tricks imaginable. The Glenn bullshit was the worst and this is up there.The writing on the show is pretty awful at the best of times but they telegraphed the whole season that Negan was going to fuck someone up. It better be one of the main cast too when it returns. Glenn, Daryl, Michonne or Maggie. Those characters have had plot armor for far too long. It'll probably be fucking Abraham or Eugene though.

 

[crazyrabbits]

Yea, they knew the backlash was coming.

Thats always a good sign when AMC does pre-emptive damage control for being shits.

Who knows... maybe they'll finally get their shit together and can Joel Stillerman.

 

[Shao Kahn on the Lawn]

how so? Would seeing one of the characters beaten to death w/ a bat REALLY have made the scene better? Would seeing Negan's other men burning to death (w/ Carol) have made her any more badass?

imo, it's just that people wanted to be sickly satisfied w/ the payoff of SEEING everything...

The entire point of the introduction is to establish that the group is being thrust into an existence that is even more brutal, dark, and sadistic than the post-apocalyptic existence that they had already become accustomed to. They were ignorant and overconfident for the entirety of the back half of Season 6 and this moment was the one that was to bring them all back down to reality. Seeing the murder and their reactions to it, with all the gory detail, was essential in establishing this.

We saw Carol pick-axe her fucking zero-importance husband's brains in. Trying to act like this was going to be any more gory or sadistic than that is ridiculous.

 

[Moofers]

I think a majority of this anger also comes from how stupid amc thinks we are. The whole skype not working debacle was so cowardly on their behalf. Why not own your decision and stand by. Put on your big boy pants instead of force feeding kirkman and company dialogue that they clearly felt uncomfortable saying. No one believes any of the questions the skype users asked last night would be the questions asked after that episode.

Yeah, I hear you there. We actually had a party to watch the show with food, drink, etc. and the room was just one person after another saying things like "These questions are bullshit!" etc. It really came off as them doing damage control. Even the last part of The Talking Dead had them sort of addressing backlash which was surprising because I thought for sure they would just pretend not to see any of it.

Today, the internet is full of people basically calling the show out. Not surprising. I really hope AMC learn something from this, but they probably won't.

 

[Kickz]

They should have returned to Alexandria, even if it costed the baby to Maggie. I was actually surprised that she didn't suggest that.

I mean, they didn't know if Hilltop still existed. Or if the doctor was still alive or would help. It might have been a miscarriage, so no more baby. And they could very well lose Maggie as well. They were risking everything (the RV, Alexandria, etc) without -once again- having the full grasp of the situation.

Very true, its amazing to see all of them including Rick, collectively make in the moment emotional decisions without any voice of reason..

 

[Prologue]

Thinking about this more, perhaps Daryll getting his own show about motorcycles helps ease the audiences pain of losing him?



Should've never gotten out of the friggin car... Just an all around horrible idea..

They should have returned to Alexandria, even if it costed the baby to Maggie. I was actually surprised that she didn't suggest that.

I mean, they didn't know if Hilltop still existed. Or if the doctor was still alive or would help. It might have been a miscarriage, so no more baby. And they could very well lose Maggie as well. They were risking everything (the RV, Alexandria, etc) without -once again- having the full grasp of the situation.

They should have taken out the first barricade they ran into. They had the fewest people.

 

[Kickz]

They should have taken out the first barricade they ran into. They had the fewest people.

Probably should have had a scout team in another car, to keep the larger group safe.

 

[Samurai G0SU]

They should have returned to Alexandria, even if it costed the baby to Maggie. I was actually surprised that she didn't suggest that.

I mean, they didn't know if Hilltop still existed. Or if the doctor was still alive or would help. It might have been a miscarriage, so no more baby. And they could very well lose Maggie as well. They were risking everything (the RV, Alexandria, etc) without -once again- having the full grasp of the situation.

When they tried to back-track, a lot of roads became blocked. As you seen by a chain of walkers or mass amounts of trees. so they really did try to backtrack but they were just being funneled by the saviors.

Remember the radio communication from the previous episodes? you can assume they had an eye on them ever once they left. when anyone leaves really. negan said they have alexandia pegged more so then they think and they far from safe.

They were doomed once they left alexandria.

 

[Twenty7KVN]

Very true, its amazing to see all of them including Rick, collectively make in the moment emotional decisions without any voice of reason..

It just showed how over confident the group was. They really had no idea who they where fucking with.

 

[Dunedain_Ranger]

I hope that Apple from hilltop was worth it Rick

 

[Pankratous]

Starting to think they fucked up by killing off a lot of Saviors...

Edit: But then they would have even more men if they didn't kill them...

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Starting to think they fucked up by killing off a lot of Saviors...

Edit: But then they would have even more men if they didn't kill them...

Yea, this is the issue with the show. They killed like two dozen men and "pay the price" is simply bashing one dudes skull open? I understand you want to keep them alive to do some work, but shit.

 

[devious.one]

They should have returned to Alexandria, even if it costed the baby to Maggie. I was actually surprised that she didn't suggest that.

I mean, they didn't know if Hilltop still existed. Or if the doctor was still alive or would help. It might have been a miscarriage, so no more baby. And they could very well lose Maggie as well. They were risking everything (the RV, Alexandria, etc) without -once again- having the full grasp of the situation.

Bad case of emotions running wild

Edit -- Misread the post

 

[Sendero]

I hope that Apple from hilltop was worth it Rick

Heh.

When they tried to back-track, a lot of roads became blocked. As you seen by a chain of walkers or mass amounts of trees. so they really did try to backtrack but they were just being funneled by the saviors.

Remember the radio communication from the previous episodes? you can assume they had an eye on them ever once they left. when anyone leaves really. negan said they have alexandia pegged more so then they think and they far from safe.

They were doomed once they left alexandria.

I got this impression they never considered to return to Alexandria at all (and then, they started to run out of gas, so couldn't even if the wanted... but they never even entertained the idea anyway).

But then again, I did miss a few bits early on, so perhaps missed that.

 

[justjim89]

Any way we can figure out who it was that got it? Or even the approximate range of people it could be? I don't remember the order of everybody, but it seemed to be Carl on Negan's right and Glenn on Negan's left, with Rick being towards the middle a few down from Carl. We can safely assume it's not Carl, since Negan seemed to be pointing down the order towards Carl when threatening to cut his other eye out. It's not gonna be Rick, it just won't be. The only other clue I can determine is that in the POV shot, it's open woods behind Negan, not the RV. So whoever got it wasn't directly across from the RV, likely on the left end of the line with Glenn, Daryl, Michonne, Rosita, and Aaron.

That's just my two cents, and it don't really get us anywhere. But might as well have some fun trying to speculate until the details of who it is gets leaked during shooting for next season.

 

[The Artisan]

again, what peeps are whining/complaining about (once again) is their dissatisfaction w/ how the scene/story played out. There is nothing inherently wrong w/ the episode - great action, no wonky editing, etc. Y'all just stay mad, because it didn't go how you want/think.

get it together.

i mean months later and peeps are STILL butthurt Glenn's not dead? Seasons in and peeps STILL don't get Carol?

Based on the fact that everyone you're arguing with is calling you out, I'd say that definitely is not the case.

Go watch YMS review of Season 1&2. He goes over the internal drama pretty well about what happened.

will do

Yeah, that's the thing. They did it twice. Have a problem with AMC? You're gone. There were even articles written around the time Darabont was fired that made it clear that the cast were terrified of speaking out because they didn't want to lose their jobs.

It's pretty much a given that the network does whatever it can to protect its biggest investments, to the detriment of everything else around (and even within) it.

It's a prestigious position. I'm not exactly surprised that Gimple is towing the company line, and this is coming from someone who actually defended AMC's decision to cut Darabont in the past.

Alright but like I said though, if it were me, I would try to fight it. And I know that's career suicide...sorta, so Gimple complied, it's just...ugh. He would have been alright, even though this isn't the most practical of things to suggest. The heat would come down harder on AMC, like i said before.

 

[RellyRell28]

I'm not gonna say that I wasn't disappointed with the cliffhanger but it didn't ruin the episode for me at all. I mean the fade to black with the sounds of the bat was a nice touch to me but the fact that we didn't know how died before the season finale was still pretty messed up.

 

[near]

Just finished watching the finale, and holy fuck. That was really really impressive in so many aspects, the suspense was surreal throughout the episode and I thought the overall performance from the main cast was flawless. I don't think I've ever watched an episode in any series where a character was introduced with such efficacy, the entire scene with Negan was breathtaking especially from a dialogue perspective. I loooooved this episode, it's intent was so infectious to put it simply. As a doubter for the last season and half were I was beginning to feel a hefty decline in what this series was offering, I'm firmly behind this series once again and what a worthy way to find its feet. What a precious episode. What an epic finale.

 

[cyber_ninja]

Man I just got caught up and that was pure unadulterated bullshit. They really built up all that tension just to fade to black. I liked Morgan as Negan, he was cool, but the showrunners pull the cheapest tricks imaginable. The Glenn bullshit was the worst and this is up there.The writing on the show is pretty awful at the best of times but they telegraphed the whole season that Negan was going to fuck someone up. It better be one of the main cast too when it returns. Glenn, Daryl, Michonne or Maggie. Those characters have had plot armor for far too long. It'll probably be fucking Abraham or Eugene though.

My money is on Eugene at this point because he handed Rick instructions on how to make bullets.

 

[Dunedain_Ranger]

#kisg

 

[Catdaddy]

My money is on Eugene at this point because he handed Rick instructions on how to make bullets.

They tossed in foreshadowing for pretty much every character... Abe had his moments to live life the way he wanted to including talking fam with Sasha. Michonne / Rick romance. Coral and Enid, Eugene's bullets and making up with Abe. Glenn and Maggie expecting. Rosita - well okay she got dumped. Aaron's there to lower the odds for the other dying.

 

[Catdaddy]

Any way we can figure out who it was that got it? Or even the approximate range of people it could be? I don't remember the order of everybody, but it seemed to be Carl on Negan's right and Glenn on Negan's left, with Rick being towards the middle a few down from Carl. We can safely assume it's not Carl, since Negan seemed to be pointing down the order towards Carl when threatening to cut his other eye out. It's not gonna be Rick, it just won't be. The only other clue I can determine is that in the POV shot, it's open woods behind Negan, not the RV. So whoever got it wasn't directly across from the RV, likely on the left end of the line with Glenn, Daryl, Michonne, Rosita, and Aaron.

That's just my two cents, and it don't really get us anywhere. But might as well have some fun trying to speculate until the details of who it is gets leaked during shooting for next season.

They said on Talking Dead they intentionally used cuts so no one could try and "Zapruder" the footage to see who it landed on.. so no...

 

[Lashley]

Knew it was coming from the spoilers, had hoped it wouldn't but yeah, well done on fucking up the biggest scene from the comics.

Other than that, the episode was brilliant. JDM excelled as Negan, Ogg was good too.

Ending has pissed me off royally though, might just stick with the comics from here on out, see how I feel in October.

 

[Drahcir]

They said on Talking Dead they intentionally used cuts so no one could try and "Zapruder" the footage to see who it landed on.. so no...

The fact that they couldn't even give us that much to decipher the scene instead of leaving it comeletely open-ended just makes it more infuriating.

 

[Surfinn]

Some impressions:

Is it just me or is the final POV shot totally lame/disappointing? Even if they would have shown who got it in the end, that scene DESTROYED every bit of tension/dread/impending doom that was established over a terrifically paced setup (at least with Rick/co.). I thought we were supposed to hear everyone reacting, but it was just drowned out/muffled static noise. I wanted to at least and the mass hysteria that ensued with the brutality of Negan's actions. Wish they would have just stopped before we got to that scene and saved something brutal for Season 7, if they were going with a cliffhanger, honestly.

And the scene with Carol and the dude who somehow tracked her for miles after being shot through the shoulder like the fucking terminator was the absolute worst scene I've ever seen on The Walking Dead. Everything from the implausiblity of him tracking her down wounded/disoriented for no reason other than to add suspense (why would he not just turn around and head back to camp? Instead he embarks on a suicide mission?). And the shooting of a woman on TV while she's laying there defenseless in pain/suffering was highly distasteful and pointless. Not only did they ruin her character by essentially allowing herself to be tracked and killed by a wounded man, they just reduce her to S1/2 Carol by totally giving up and begging to be killed, essentially curled up in a ball (I love the actress who plays Carol but that was some absolutely pitiful acting)? The entire scene was bewildering. And somehow no one hears Morgan ride up 20 feet away ON A HORSE? This show's gone off the deep end for sure.

 

[Sendero]

When Abe started to talk with Sasha about the possibility of having kids, I thought for a second that she would responds: Dude, are you fucking nuts?

Also, seeing the sun rays shining on his head, made it feel like he was about to get shoot from behind. If they hadn't done that with Denisse before, at least.

 

[The Artisan]

Just finished watching the finale, and holy fuck. That was really really impressive in so many aspects, the suspense was surreal throughout the episode and I thought the overall performance from the main cast was flawless. I don't think I've ever watched an episode in any series where a character was introduced with such efficacy, the entire scene with Negan was breathtaking especially from a dialogue perspective. I loooooved this episode, it's intent was so infectious to put it simply. As a doubter for the last season and half were I was beginning to feel a hefty decline in what this series was offering, I'm firmly behind this series once again and what a worthy way to find its feet. What a precious episode. What an epic finale.

I would have fully agreed with you, and I was feeling the same exact way...up until the credits rolled and I realized they were gonna play a fucking game with us. Literally. "Who is it" fuck you, that's who

 

[poppabk]

They should have taken out the first barricade they ran into. They had the fewest people.

Or doubled back to that barricade when they dropped the guy from the bridge as a bunch of people had to have brought that guy over.

 

[Anoregon]

I would have fully agreed with you, and I was feeling the same exact way...up until the credits rolled and I realized they were gonna play a fucking game with us. Literally. "Who is it" fuck you, that's who

Yeah, I feel ya. I actually enjoyed the episode quite a bit overall. The way the tension kept building as Rick went from confident in the first encounter to totally defeated by the end was really well done.

That end was such a shit cop-out though.

 

[border]

I think the scene almost would have been better if they had just had Neegan doing "Eenie Meenie Miney Moe" and then cut to black on the very last "Moe" (or the words "you are IT"). Then while the screen is black we hear someone getting walloped a couple times with the bat.....some screams, then credits.

The first person bat-beating looked stupid and corny as all hell.

 

[More_Badass]

And the shooting of a woman on TV while she's laying there defenseless in pain/suffering was highly distasteful and pointless.

I mean, yeah. Tells you exactly what kind of person that guy is.

 

[Angry Fork]

That ending was fucking horrible. What the fuck... The tension throughout the episode building to the moment is great but then ...nothing happens. You don't get to see what happens in a finale episode.

I'm actually shocked at how dumb of a decision that was. Anyone saying this deserves praise because the writers are being subversive or something by denying what people want is dead wrong. This was done to get you to watch the first ep of the next season in the most obvious, shameless way. Have no idea what else to say, I'm not even mad I'm just legit shocked at how brazen it was. Do the suits control the writers THAT much? I don't get it.

 

[The Artisan]

Yeah, I feel ya. I actually enjoyed the episode quite a bit overall. The way the tension kept building as Rick went from confident in the first encounter to totally defeated by the end was really well done.

That end was such a shit cop-out though.

My heartbeat rose throughout the entire season. It was working, you know? The whole comic panel-to-screen vibe that everyone was supposed to be feeling? I know for sure it was working for ME, but they KILLED that feeling when the credits rolled. They RUINED what they were (supposed to be) going for.

 

[Surfinn]

When Abe started to talk with Sasha about the possibility of having kids, I thought for a second that she would responds: Dude, are you fucking nuts?

Also, seeing the sun rays shining on his head, made it feel like he was about to get shoot from behind. If they hadn't done that with Denisse before, at least.

More forced bullshit romance. They're talking about having kids now? We've had a handful of scenes with them and they're at that point? Sigh..

Totally against Abraham's character to move that fast, let alone even THINKING about having children right now. Way out of left field.

 

[Pafnucy]

This show became so stupid. That last scene dragged for way too long and ended with nothing. Writers clearly lost their balls and won't kill anyone from the main cast. Now lets wait a year to learn that Aaron bit the dust, lol.

At lest they have something to threaten the actors during contract negotiations. What is it? You want a rise? Well, looks like we have our unlucky character...

 

[mattiewheels]

The problem with the show is Scott Gimple. Since he took over from Glen Mazzara, the show has gone downhill drastically. This season was better than last, but you have to blame the showrunner for all of the issues. Honestly, every time Gimple is on the Talking Dead, I get annoyed whenever he opens his mouth.

Most people seem to have been saying the exact opposite around here about Gimple, and I'd agree with them that he has done good things with the show. This was a cheap tactic for an ending, but I think the episode as a whole was pretty good stuff...is this a case of "what have you done for me lately" with this guy?

 

[Mediking]

It's Daryl. It's Daryl. It's Daryl.

"Took it like a champ"

Yeah... that's Daryl.

 

[More_Badass]

Andrew acted the hell out of that scene

 

[Surfinn]

Andrew acted the hell out of that scene

Yup, he was impressive. As was lots of the cast, but man he took the cake. Really sold that scene.

 

[Lashley]

Andrew acted the hell out of that scene

Best thing about TWD imo, probably the only reason I tune in.

JDM was brilliant as Negan but that ending was trash

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Andrew acted the hell out of that scene

really amazing, he's won and has been on the right side of things for so long.

That is the face and reaction of a man who simply did not see it going down like this, he thought he was the cream of the crop, and it turns out he ain't shit.

 

[Shao Kahn on the Lawn]

It's Daryl. It's Daryl. It's Daryl.

"Took it like a champ"

Yeah... that's Daryl.

If we're basing our guesses on anything logical (Which is pretty unreasonable for this show), Abraham is basically the only one that had the frame to take a hit like that and stay upright. He's got a huge body and a large head. Daryl was barely able to stay upright under his own power.

 

[RangerX]

I have to agree that one positive from the episode was Andrew lincoln's acting. The switch from inspiring confidence to utter dejection and terror was great. First time in a while I've seen Rick so much on the back foot.

 

[The Artisan]

I have to agree that one positive from the episode was Andrew lincoln's acting. The switch from inspiring confidence to utter dejection and terror was great. First time in a while I've seen Rick so much on the back foot.

everyone's acting was great. Negan, Rick,

...Eugene...

 

[Surfinn]

I have to agree that one positive from the episode was Andrew lincoln's acting. The switch from inspiring confidence to utter dejection and terror was great. First time in a while I've seen Rick so much on the back foot.

Which is what the show desperately needed. We haven't had any real development for Rick in some time (no, being forced into a relationship with Michonne doesn't count as character development).

The Eugene scene was one of the most touching scenes filmed in a LONG TIME in this show. Surprisingly effective.

 

[More_Badass]

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded the best of both worlds. PoV for the first two swings, then cut to Rick's horrifed face as you hear the crunching and smashing in the background or you see his terror turn to anger or something like that

 

[MicroByter]

Andrew acted the hell out of that scene

The way he flinches when Negan raises the bat near his head, it's like a puppy who's being punished.

Side question - the guy the Savior's painted an X on and hung, who was he?

 

[Anoregon]

really amazing, he's won and has been on the right side of things for so long.

That is the face and reaction of a man who simply did not see it going down like this, he thought he was the cream of the crop, and it turns out he ain't shit.

Yeah, he realizes that he lost. It's an outcome he was so utterly unprepared to believe was possible.

 

[Surfinn]

Honestly, I wouldn't have minded the best of both worlds. PoV for the first two swings, then cut to Rick's horrifed face as you hear the crunching and smashing in the background or you see his terror turn to anger or something like that

If the POV wasn't done so damn poorly and awkward/goofy, I would agree. But it destroyed all the momentum they had established in the previous 20-30 minutes.