​It's been quite the interesting year for The Walking Dead storytelling wise, because a series that for many years was building a grand tale around the notion of mankind leaving the old world behind in order to build a new one filled to the brim with hope and promise completely changed its tone and design with the arrival of Negan and the Saviors.

Hope was no longer on the agenda, instead the series decided to delve into some ugly territory by exploring the darkest parts of what man is capable of, by way of Negan of course, and we have spent the first ten episodes of season seven exploring the power of evil, fear and loss. But while these have been some fascinating and polarizing places for the series to go, Negan in some ways remains quite the mystery. Sure he rules through fear mongering and the threat of having one's head bashed in with Lucille, but surely that cannot be enough for one man to rule an entire group this large with and while we've seen hints at how he inspires people to stay in line, we've never quite understood how Negan maintains his rule and power over people...until last night that is, because 'Hostiles and Calamities' explored how Negan maintains control over the Saviors, what his vision of the world does to people and most importantly...how he is able to lure them into his cause.

Much of this was explored by way of two characters last night, Dwight and Eugene, since this particular episode toyed with the timeline a bit, taking us back to the moment shortly after Daryl escaped the Sanctuary and it was obvious that poor Dwight was no longer going to be on easy street for letting Daryl escape on his watch and indeed there was punishment to be found by way of a healthy beating and another night in the hole. But this time, Negan had a little more faith in Dwight, informing him of the fact that Sherry had gone missing at the same time Daryl did and well...if he wanted back in Negan's good graces, he needed to find Sherry and bring her back to the Sanctuary.  

Naturally Dwight agrees to this plan, but this is where the story took an interesting turn because this is where we learned just what Negan's constant pressuring does to people, because Dwight...has clearly had enough. Yes, he went after the love of his life, even going back to the home they shared before the end of the world, all in the hopes of finding her and returning her to the boss; only to find a letter that explained her decision to let Daryl go...and how she could no longer live with herself for helping Dwight become the dark and twisted man that he is today. It was a sobering and touching moment where we finally saw some humanity from Dwight and some remorse for his actions and having to face himself and realize what Negan and his demands have transformed him into...led to an intriguing moment when he returned to the Sanctuary. 

​Driven by pain and fury for what he has become, Dwight concocts a fancy little plot that blackmails the Sanctuary's doctor, making it seem as though he was responsible for helping both Sherry and Daryl escape. This 'discovery' eventually leads to Negan burning the doctor alive, but it put Dwight right back in his leader's good graces and while that may not seem as though it's in line with Dwight having enough of Negan's crap...there was a penultimate moment that clearly says otherwise, which brings us to Eugene's story and the discovery of how Negan manages to convince just about everyone into becoming a Savior.

Because Eugene's arrival at the Sanctuary was terrifying to say the least. He, nor the audience had a clue what Negan and the gang had in store for him, but as the moments progressed we shared a sense of relief with Eugene since he was provided with a cozy little apartment and all the creature comforts of life before the fall and heck...he even gained Negan's trust and praise and access to the inner circle with a little quick thinking and well...it was fascinating to know that Negan is quite the powerful manipulator. He knows how to appeal to a person's ego, to make them feel wanted and necessary and even though it is done through fear, by gaining his trust, there is a sense of loyalty that comes with that and by throwing in all of the things people enjoyed before the collapse of mankind for earning said trust, it's no wonder that so many have joined his cause because comfort and a sense of purpose are a powerful draw indeed.

The show also took a moment to explore just how powerful that can be, since Eugene...was a man transformed in this episode by way of the courtesies extended by the Saviors. The mousey, and terrified man we've known for so long shed that persona quickly in this story as he learned how to invoke the power of Negan's name to get what he wanted and by finally having it all, by mattering on a level he never quite understood, it seemed as though he felt the need to repay Negan for his graciousness by foiling a plot to have him murdered by his own wives and by shocking all of us by declaring that he was Negan and a Savior through and through and well...that really is the discussion that all of us will be participating in for the next week or few weeks for that matter...has Eugene turned his back on Alexandria? Has he found a new home in the Sanctuary? 

Which brings us back to that big moment I mentioned. Where a 'dark' version of Eugene oversaw his idea to make the Sanctuary a better place and where he and Dwight shared a moment and appeared to be brothers in arms. But the more I think about that moment, and a funny little smirk that Eugene flashed earlier in the episode, I think it's safe to put to bed any worries about our favorite mullet sporting 'scientist' becoming a Savior, because I think this whole thing is one long con. He knows he's on the inside. He knows he can gather information on the Saviors' activities and strengths and weaknesses and he knows...he now has an ally in Dwight because he saw right through that whole b.s. story that was concocted to get the doctor in trouble. Either way, this was a damn good episode. It was great to see Eugene and Dwight get some quality screen time and it was equally awesome to see an episode that kept you on your toes as we witnessed a pair of unlikely allies come together as the march to war continues on. Until next time.

Loss is something that all of us have to deal with at some point or another in our lives and let's be honest...it's something we prefer to avoid if possible. After all, the people and the things that are close to us, keep us happy and give us a sense of fulfillment and without them, there is most certainly a void and when that dark day arrives where we are forced to say goodbye, we surround ourselves with family and friends to mourn and eventually heal.

It is simply the cycle of life, and we are thankful for the fact we are allowed time to grieve and time to process our loss, but what would life be like if that wasn't the case? What if doing our best to survive and see tomorrow took precedence over our emotions? How would we heal, how would we process? Those are questions we never hope to explore but it's something The Walking Dead decided to look at in depth last night, because 'New Best Friends' was a powerful examination of loss, how we react to it and how we fear it and quite frankly it's about time the show dug into this, considering how much Rick and his friends have lost thus far in season seven.

With all of that in mind, let's examine the show's interpretation of the fear of loss, because there was plenty of that to go around in the Kingdom, where we spent a fair chunk of the story last night. It was in this place that we saw just how much Ezekiel is terrified of his people suffering under the spoils of war, going so far as to have stern, out of the way discussions with his people after Richard and Benjamin and for that matter Morgan, pushed the envelope a little bit with the Saviors when the time came for their usual exchange. But the fact that Ezekiel is willing to call out his people in front of the Saviors and reinforce the need for peace in private, demonstrates he is terrified of what kind of loss and consequences will come from a battle with Negan and his men. 

Others however, feared and dealt with loss in different fashion last night, take for example Richard. He has now come to believe that if Alexandria and the Kingdom do not join forces and execute a preemptive strike on the Saviors, that more people will suffer in incredible fashion and considering how much he has already lost...he's now prepared to sacrifice whatever is necessary to secure a safe future for those left in his life and in a stunning moment, he tries to recruit Daryl into an attack on a Savior convoy to instigate a war, one that will lead to Carol becoming a sacrificial lamb to convince Ezekiel to strike back. It's a plan Daryl wants no part of, but it was incredibly disturbing and heartbreaking to know that Richard believes that giving up other lives, is the only way to fill the void in his soul.

But the heartbreak from that moment was outdone by way of the long awaited reunion between Carol and Daryl, wherein we learned just how much loss has effected Carol over the past few years and how close she is to her breaking point. It led to Daryl keeping Glenn and Abraham's death a secret, just to give her a moment of solace and hope for a change and well...at this point who knows if Carol will ever be able to return to action, or civilization for that matter since she outright admitted that every single person she puts down, forces her to lose part of herself and recovering from that may be next to impossible.

However, despite the fascinating exploration of loss, there was still an army that needed to be assembled for Alexandria and the rest of the episode took place in a junkyard/landfill where we learned the fate of Father Gabriel and more about the strange and stoic people that forced a smile from Rick at the end of last week's episode. These people, known as the 'The Scavengers' (according to Talking Dead) are a group that simply take what they need in silence and don't cause any trouble, unlike the Saviors. It's that mantra that allowed one of their people to force Gabriel to appear to abandon Alexandria by giving them a hand in stealing the food and the car last week and it is their resolve and ability to work together that has Rick convinced that they can be of great help in the upcoming war.

Of course, Rick has to prove that Alexandria is worthy of their cause and is forced to square off against one of the coolest walkers the show has ever put on screen. But Rick is up to the task, and with a little help, he proves himself worthy and at long last, he has his army...for a price. Because the Scavengers want guns, and one has to wonder now, if this is how the series is planning to tie together Oceanside, because they have guns a plenty, guns that Rick needs and while there's bluster and bravado surrounding the notion of taking what they need, my guess is Rick is either going to work out a deal, or figure out how to get Oceanside to join him in his cause, so that everyone gets what they want.

Either way, for being a vastly slowed down episode compared to the midseason premiere, this one was damn entertaining. It was nice to see the characters take inventory of what they've lost over the past year and it was equally awesome to see the show provide a pseudo answer as to how with deal with loss...in appropriate fashion of course, in that penultimate moment between Daryl and Morgan, wherein Daryl pointed out that you can either hang on to what you lost and let it haunt you...or honor it and move forward, and honestly...it was lovely to see Daryl play the wise man role for a change and who knew we would be treated to a touch of philosophy at the end of the world? Until next time.

As time has passed I've come to realize that everything The Walking Dead has done over the past ten episodes (and that includes last night's) has been outright brilliant. A year ago, the series was focused on the good people of Alexandria starting over and putting together a new world free of the trappings of the old but then came the Saviors, and Negan and that brutal season seven premiere and nothing was quite the same.

Suddenly a show about hope and starting over was filled with dread and fear and angst and it seemed that our intrepid survivors were going to be trapped in a life of servitude to a man who loves nothing more than screwing with people and taking lives as he pleases and well...that kind of bleak twist changed everything. I have friends who no longer watch the show because of what Negan has done. I've seen comments on NTG's Facebook feed about how Negan needs to die and well, the reason I call these moves brilliant, is due to the fact that we are now deeply vested in this storyline and it has accomplished quite the wonder...it broke us in the same way that Negan broke Rick and much like our favorite former sheriff, we've finally had enough...we're ready to see the good people of Alexandria fight back against the Saviors.

That desire to see justice for Glenn and Abraham made last night's midseason premiere, 'Rock in the Road' quite the satisfying venture, because of the fact that this was it. Rick Grimes was ready to put together a coalition of communities to rise up and fight the Saviors and considering the fact that Rick spent the last eight episodes cowering in fear for the safety of his friends and family, it was outright wonderful to see Rick slip back into leader mode, complete with inspirational speeches, and for the group to rally behind him and the fight he's preparing for as they spoke with community after community in the hopes of putting together the army that Rick so desperately needs. But, nothing on this show ever comes easy...and assembling a fighting force was no exception to that rule.

Because unfortunately, Rick found plenty of resistance, specifically in the place he needed it most...The Kingdom. Despite being able to plead a solid case to King Ezekiel, an age old human trapping came into play in regards to the fight...fear. The good King was paralyzed by it, and despite the desire from Richard and even young Benjamin to stand with Alexandria and do some good in the world, he followed some of Morgan's advice and followed his heart, and turned down Rick's offer to help in the fight against the Saviors and well...it's a shame that some parts of the world that was are still seeping their way into present day, especially when such trappings are now completely and utterly irrelevant, and it's heartbreaking that Ezekiel and Morgan...refuse to see the world for what it has become. 

It's clear now that both men are trapped in their own specific vision of the world and what it should be in order to cope with the harsh realities surrounding them. Ezekiel still believes that creating a fantasy world full of gumdrops and lollipops will somehow bring mankind closer together and Morgan is stuck in his pacifist lifestyle, despite the fact that he is starting to realize that his beliefs come from a different time and place in humanity's past and in the here and the now, it has no foothold or practical application to make the world a better place.

However, despite that harrowing setback, not all is lost for Alexandria. Despite the fact that Gregory of course immediately weaseled out of any potential alliance, his people think otherwise and they're ready to stand with Rick and his cause and fight Negan with their dying breaths and that was inspiring to say the least. Plus, there's that titular final moment of the episode where Rick and company come across a new group, one that is armed to the teeth and clearly doesn't take any crap from anybody, and well...the smile from Mister Grimes in the closing seconds of the story indicates that he is overjoyed to finally find his army, though I'm sure it will take a little bit of convincing to get them to join the fight.  

But the other part of last night's episode that made it extremely enjoyable was the fact that the show returned to its gory, walker killing roots with a stunning highway sequence wherein the gang got their hands on some explosives, thanks to the Saviors, and took on a herd in the most creative way possible...by turning a steel cable and a pair of cars into a zombie flesh grater and let's be honest...that was hands down one of the coolest things the show has done in years when it comes to walker kills and I certainly hope they find ways to integrate more of that as the season rolls on, and it was equally as nice to see a few tense moments involving the walking dead once again.

When all is said and done however, this was a lovely little midseason premiere. I like the fact that it was more or less a slow burn storytelling wise, one that took its time to dig into the characters and their motivations and that their fears still control some of them after all this time. It added a gentle depth to this particular episode that we haven't seen in quite some time and one has to wonder what it will take for Morgan and Ezekiel to get with the program and unfortunately, I get the funny feeling it will take an act of bloody aggression from the Saviors to show them the way. Regardless, insurrection is brewing, and we can only hope that Rick gets enough people to join Alexandria's cause before Negan figures out what's going on...until next time...