'The Walking Dead' Recap: 'Hostiles and Calamities'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

​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. 

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​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.

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