The Walking Dead
Season 10 - Episode 22 - "Here's Negan" - SEASON FINALE
Negan: Interesting that Negan wondered if the council really banished him, or was this Carol's decision...
"You're a cult of personality without the cult." That's a rather big (albeit short-lived) moment of self analysis for Negan--probably the first since he became "Negan."
I suppose whoever buried Lucille near the tree where Negan's throat was cut by Rick was sending a cosmic message of a kind--that the weapon that defined him was buried at the site of his defeat.
Negan was once a half-caring husband (committing adultery with a woman named Janine), high school gym teacher and hesitant about killing walkers. The irony of his transformation into a serial murderer and sexual predator is that he and Rick both started off (at least when the zombie apocalypse began) as caring men who were beaten by the ZA world into merciless survivors. Of the two, Rick did become reacquainted with humanity in honoring Carl's wishes to show mercy (in sparing Negan's life), but Negan--only really sorry for the loss of Lucille--is not truly repentant.
I think we need a part 2 to see him build up the saviors... because what/how he did it was "smart" though vicious... "People are a resource" was addressed here...and the statement by itself is a true one.. and his method of subjugating communities WAS effective (for a time; and DEFINITELY wrong)>
He des have SOME limits... such as taking out "rapey Davey", and distraught over his cult follower who killed a family, including kids.
But yeah, he did have that Evil Negan Smirk at the end
So sympathetically played by Hilarie Burton Morgan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan's real life wife), one could see why younger Negan would become so desperate to save her...but in this episode's neverending success at breaking expectations, she had a dark side, supporting Negan assaulting one of the kids at his high school. That said, her true nature emerged in her remaining months, keeping Negan whole--sane.
I knew what was coming, but to see that she tied herself to their bed, swallowing enough pills to kill herself and for "insurance" suffocate herself with the plastic bag over her head was a harrowing event. This has to rank as one of the most tragic deaths in TWD's history. Negan initially not finding the strength to kill her was heartbreaking, the writers grasping the reality of how a loving husband could not just "do what is necessary" like a cartoonish video game character and kill his wife, even one who had turned.
Without a doubt, you are right about the tragedy. Negan, risking everything to SAVE her...and when i saw on Talking Dead, she had done it THAT NIGHT, making all his effort all for nothing. So we can see why his was so broken and heartless by the time we were introduced to him. His effort, of undeniable goodwill, was made worthless, and shattered the goodness.
With Negan's reluctance... this is early on in the apocalypse, with little understanding of what death means in the new world. It is reminiscent of Morgan's inability to put down his wife's body. Which, wow... comparing those two...
Laura and Franklin: Now this was a surprise--Laura was with the traveling medical group. She was a character that seemed to have things suggested, but never explored (i.e. how she became so cold and demoralized when introduced as one of Negan's thugs back in season 7). So it was Laura who gave Negan the bat he would use to get his revenge against the biker gang. The last we hear of her is in the camper being robbed--and one must assume--assaulted.
Franklin & Laura acting as a mobile medical unit--being as altruistic as possible--was a nice mirror of what Morgan is attempting...both finding too much resistance to carry out that mission for any length of time. Once he set himself free, Franklin went after Laura--the last we see of him. I get the feeling season 11 will give viewers another look into Negans' past to tie up the loose end of why Laura ended up with Negan...and what happened to Franklin.
I had no idea that was a previous Savior (Laura). She was so non-descript...and now that she is dead...it would be hard to do anything with her in the future (other than below). But did they get her because she was the only person available?? I wonder if GAVIN might have been a better fit... he seems like he would have wanted to be a helper...but got stuck with Negan. ANd his lieutenant role he had seems like a good fit that Negan would have "rewarded" him for trying to help his wife.
I think you are right about Franklin... that just seems like something that will have interesting results... such as perhaps Laura blaming Franklin for being in a situation where she has been assaulted, and sides with Negan. She becomes more vicious, and Franklin can't stay with her.
Maggie: Negan's defiant return leads everyone to believe she won't rest until Negan is dead, but I think their relationship is going to take a different direction--still frigid at its core--but not ending with one killing the other.
I think you are right one with this. It will be interesting how it concludes...the journey will be wild.
NOTES:
The 10th season of the most successful fantasy series of this century comes to a close. There was no better way to remind viewers of what this series can deliver than a season filled with excellent character studies taking center stage far above zombie / despot violence. The series had stumbled off and on over the past three seasons, but this year was its strongest since the highs of S5. This is how a series makes fans look forward to August.
Negan finally destroyed the bat, but only to let go of the psychological salve he had applied to himself by giving it the name of his wife. He has yet to really feel sorrow for all of the deaths he
As Lucille angrily took off in her car, not only did we hear an early report of the dead eating the living, but the song she blasted was a nod to The Return of the Living Dead (1985), with the song most associated with it, "Partytime" from the group 45 Grave. This might the series' first direct reference to another major zombie production.
GRADE: A.
I would agree... definitely an A episode...maybe if they led with this, that could have helped the ratings over all.
Gotta wonder if the suits are going to start thinking, "Hey, maybe we should do a Negan spin-off show instead of a Carol/Daryl show!"
He definitely is a bit of a dichotomous enigma.
He does seem to have the "lovable-oaf-worthy-of-redemption" side of the character down pat, and it's often enough to help us forget what a savage destroyer he was when first introduced. The whole character really is a testament to JDM's acting chops, IMO. My comment was wholly TUC, though. I don't at all think AMC would build a whole series around the potential lionizing of a mass murderer. I find this healthy spike in ratings for a Negan-focused ep quite intriguing, though.
well they DID have a whle series on a rising drug lord (Breaking Bad). But yeah....i can NOT see it as a long term series. But i really felt like this episode COULD have been a 2 parter. Maybe based on the reception of this, we could get a part 2, which shows him building the Saviors (wondering how he got it done)
While the maniacal leader on TWD has worn thin, audiences always wanted to see what made Negan that character; up to this point,there were minor hints about his past, but nothing suggesting he ever had anything close to a heart. Unlike so many fantasy TV series on over the past decade--right up to this period, villains were/are usually nothing more than a plot point with no true motives for their behavior or any development. They are just there for the heroes to run into. This time around, we see one of the most vile TV villains given a real backstory with a rich, mature foundation for the reason he turned into the Negan from the line-up, and it was wonderful.
Yeah, this was definitley well done....and we can see the "good" in Negan...and help us see why he should still survive
I'm catching up on these bonus episodes and I'm so tired of the Darryl/Carol bickering. I don't even know what they're fighting about anymore. And I definitely don't think Darryl can lead a show on his own at this point with five lines of dialogue an episode.
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I'd agree... they would need a lot of other characters to bounce off of. And it really should be just him and Carol finding survivors NOT connected to the Commonwealth or the other group. Maybe remnants of past groups (like the cannibals... surely someone else survived)
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A couple of last notes...
= I thought Negan had said earlier int he show that his wife died PRIOR to the outbreak? If so, i don't mind this retcon (if it was at all), or if Negan told a white lie, so he would look "cooler". But that stuck in my brain.
= i saw the beginning of Talking Dead, and clearly JDM had a blast with his wife. Hope they do something else together. He was also pretty self-effacing in that show.
= So Negan is his FIRST name? I never heard of it before...is that Irish or something? I always thought it was his last name, that he turned into a one name thing like Prince or Madonna
= i am not a big fan of these hallucinations, and it feels like i have seen a whole of them lately (Black Lightning in addition to TWD) ...but i know that especially with Covid, that might be the most effective way to have some meaningful "dialogue" in a safe way (filming wise)
= Did anyone read the "Here's Negan" comics ( i think that's what came out, or was it novel?). Just curious how you felt the show was as a TV adaptation? Same quality? Better? Worse? From those IMDB ratings, I gather as good or better? In THAT version, did he actually get in trouble due to some bad behavior with the kids?
