Daryl: "Why do they get this future...and Glenn don't..or Abraham... or Sasha...?" was a pretty solid question about the ex-Saviors, yet Rick's parting reminder that he (Daryl) did not kill the man who left Merle on a rooftop to die was a good reminder that Daryl once had a forgiving side...though that's probably buried forever in not saving Arat / plotting to kill Negan.
After they revealed that Rick would be leaving in only two episodes, that callback line between Rick and Daryl about Daryl sparing him on the roof in Atlanta gave me a sinking feeling that Daryl might accidentally kill Rick while trying to kill Negan, and perhaps Rick steps in his way to try and prevent it. I hope that's not the case, but it would be a good motivator for Daryl to turn into more of a leader out of guilt about Rick.
Laura trying to keep the peace between her people and Maggie....not working out.
The murder of Justin the ex-Savior seems like a set up to spark another war, but contrary to how the showrunners want audiences to believe Daryl was behind the killing, but I expected the culprits were the Oceanside survivors.
Yeah, as soon as the young woman from Oceanside told Carol during the search for the killer about knowing there was a house nearby because this is the area they lived in before, I knew they were the guilty party.
Jadis / Ann & Father Gabriel:
Ann's inability to answer's Gabriel's questions about Justin....another set up (initially), but it turns out she trades people...and turns on Gabriel, citing her group's letter ranking. I'm enjoying the mystery behind her real people, and whatever "A" means. I'm sure fans will think she's one of the Whisperers.
I'd prefer something more in-depth, but I got the impression that "A & B" might just mean something as simple as supposed Type A and Type B personalities, given the way Ann reclassified Father Gabriel from a B to an A on the spot when he had the courage to stand up to her and say he had to report her conduct to Rick instead of passively going along with her. Maybe whomever this other group is (we can just get all
Lost about it and call them the "Others" for now, I guess) they're looking for leaders and fighters (A) versus followers and workers (B) at the moment.
You mentioned the Whisperers, but they weren't advanced like that in the comics, choosing to remain primitive and aminalistic. I mean, they can change whatever they like for the show, obviously, but flying around in helicopters doesn't strike me as particularly consistent with wearing the skin of the dead and living like animals.
Although the A's and B's would fit in with the theme of their leader Alpha and second in command Beta.
It could also be Georgie's outside group that wanted to trade for record albums earlier in the year. They're obviously very well off, though they didn't have the sense of menace that the helicopter people demonstrated, nor Ann's contention that she did "very bad things" for them.
Tense episode. The season is holding strong so far.
Yeah, it was good, and some nice plot development too. I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with Jadisann's more advanced rival group.
Maggie and Daryl definitely crossed the Rubicon by sanctioning the execution of Arat. I can understand wanting to execute Negan and executing Gregory (although I would have held a trial first), because they represent(ed) an existential threat to the existence of the communities they've established with their charisma, organizational abilities, leadership, logistical skill, ruthlessness, and lack of rehabilitation or cooperation with the new communities. Arat on the other hand, for all her cruelty while serving under Negan (and I understand the Oceansider's heartfelt anger), genuinely seemed to have turned over a new leaf and was cooperating and trying to live in this new society. Nor was she the kind of dangerous leader that can sway dozens or hundreds of followers that Negan or Gregory was. So allowing her to be killed was a major escalation from possibly being able to justify your actions by looking out for the greater good of the communities in addition to wanting piece of mind, to just straight up revenge killing.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with this storyline.
