Just when I thought Rick was making progress on a better future on The Walking Dead, he reverts back to old Rick. In “Still Gotta Mean Something,” Rick and Morgan go after the Saviors who escaped from the Hilltop. Meanwhile, Negan opens up to Jadis to survive her anger after the massacre at her community. And Carol goes looking for a missing Henry in the woods.
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Jadis vs. Negan
In a brief flashback, we see how Jadis survived the Saviors’ attack on her community. She lays in a pool of blood from a victim until all of the shooting stops. Fast forward to what she’s been up to with Negan. Apparently, she’s just holed up in her hideout with Lucille. She packs up her things, grabs Lucille and then goes to get Negan, who is tied up in a trailer.
Jadis says nothing, as Negan explains that he had nothing to do with the attack on her people. He says the attack was the work of someone not following the program, but it’s his mistake and he’ll own it. He apologizes and says he can help make it right in some way. Jadis just listens and then comes close to using Lucille on him.
Jadis then pushes out a walker on a cart toward him. Negan manages to get into some of her things and pulls out a gun, a flare and some of her photos. She freaks out and tells him to leave the photos alone. When he asks her what is going on, and if this is how she kills people, she says people are a resource. She also adds that he took away everything. He opens up to her about his wife, who was named Lucille. He says that his wife got hit through life before, and the bat got him through life after, so he named it Lucille — and it’s all he has left of her.
As they both beg each other not to destroy the things that remind them of their loved ones, a helicopter shows up and hovers for a bit. Unfortunately, the flare Negan is holding gets tossed in a puddle and goes out. Jadis runs to get another one, but it’s too late and the chopper flies away. Angrily, Jadis threatens to burn Lucille. Negan begs her not to, telling her that he can settle it, meaning what happened to her community.
Whatever happened, it upsets Jadis enough to just let Negan go unharmed. And if you’re confused about what this helicopter means, so is Negan, and Jadis won’t give up any information. He asks her to go with him to follow a new path, but she declines. He promises her that he’ll swing by again some time and maybe she’ll eventually share some of her secrets. After he leaves, she goes back to her little apartment alone.
Carol Gets Her Faith Back
At the Hilltop, some are preparing for another Saviors attack, while others want to go after Henry and the Saviors who escaped. Ezekiel has a conversation with Carol about it, but she’s convinced that Henry is dead and doesn’t even want to look for him. However, when Morgan tells her that he’s going out there, she says she’s going with him.
They follow a path in the woods that they think Henry may have taken, and Morgan starts seeing things again. Morgan and Carol both agree that Henry is probably dead, but Carol says she went with Morgan to keep an eye on him, as she knows he hasn’t been right. They continue out onto the road, and they spot a walker with Henry’s stick in it. Carol wants to go the way the walker came from and at least try and see if Henry may be alive, but Morgan doesn’t want to go with her. He tells her that she saves people, but he watches them die. When she reminds him that he once saved her, he tells her he’s just not strong like her, and he walks away.
Carol continues to follow a path she hopes Henry took. Suddenly, as it gets dark, she hears Henry’s cries and she rescues him from some walkers. She is so relieved he’s alive. Him being alive gives her hope again for good things. She even opens up to Ezekiel about her daughter when they get back to the Hilltop. She tells him that she always seems able to find herself again when she’s lost, and that gives her hope.
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Rick’s Rampage
While everyone at the Hilltop is doing their thing, Rick is mourning the loss of his son. He seems reckless. Michonne tries to calm him down, telling him he needs to stay put and read the letter Carl left him. At first, he agrees, but then he can’t bring himself to read it, so he grabs his gun and storms over to Alden to figure out where the escaped Saviors might have gone. Alden suggests the Sanctuary, then tells him about a dive bar they once scouted for an outpost. Before Rick heads out, Alden asks him not to kill all of the Saviors. He tells him that some of them just made the wrong choice, and if he brings them back, they will find their way and be able to live among the Hilltop.
Alden’s words mean nothing to Rick, though. Out in the woods, he runs into Morgan, who warns him that he’s not right. This doesn’t phase Rick, as he needs a killing machine Morgan to help him get the Saviors together. On the road, they spot a hand and a foot, and then get knocked out. When they come to, they are tied up by the escaped Saviors at the dive bar. Jared, the Savior who killed Benjamin, is trying to lead the Saviors, telling them they need to just head back to the Sanctuary and present Negan with Rick. However, others aren’t too sure.
Rick suggests that they all just go back to the Hilltop, and he gives them his word that they can get a fresh start and a chance to become part of their community. He says there’s not much left in the world, but a man’s word has to be mean something. Some of the Saviors want to believe him, but Jared doesn’t. He doesn’t even believe Rick and Morgan when they warn that a herd is coming and they should probably leave the bar.
Of course, Rick and Morgan are right, the herd arrives and the Saviors are going down fast. Finally, one of them cuts Rick and Morgan loose, and they start fighting alongside each other — that is, until Rick tells one of the Saviors to go ahead and keep fighting. As his back is turned, Rick takes out an ax and kills him. Morgan also starts killing the Saviors. The two don’t stop until the walkers and the Saviors are dead. And then Morgan goes after Jared, who tries to get away. They tussle for a bit, but Morgan pushes Jared behind a gate and watches as walkers eat him alive.
One of the Saviors is still alive and calls Rick out on his lie, but Rick just kills him. As they walk out, Rick asks Morgan why he saved him way back when they first met. Morgan doesn’t want to answer, but Rick presses him until eventually Morgan tells him that he did it because his son was there.
A Return and Closure
After leaving Jadis, Negan drives back to the Sanctuary. Along the way, he stops the car and lets someone in, but we don’t know who that is. When he gets to the Sanctuary, he tells the Saviors at the gate to keep him being alive a secret, as he has all sorts of surprises in store.
Meanwhile, Daryl and Rosita are scouting out Eugene’s bullet-making operation for the Saviors. They realized back at Hilltop that he’s the one supplying the Saviors with their ammunition, so Rosita suggests taking out the men and not the machines. I guess that’s smart so they can eventually make their own ammunition. But does that mean she wants to take out Eugene too?
And, finally, Rick apologizes to Michonne for leaving. But he has no apologies about killing all of the Saviors. She gives him some alone time to read Carl’s letter. I can only imagine after reading the letter that he might feel some guilt, as what he did at the dive bar with Morgan is not exactly what Carl had in mind for a better future.
I have to say, I’m not pleased with Rick’s behavior. I’ve always said I am Team Negan to a point, and after Rick’s rampage behavior, I think I have to stand by my decision. While I don’t always agree with Negan’s dictator behavior and scaring people into doing what he wants, I have to say that his idea of saving people and only killing if necessary isn’t so bad.
I have to wonder what Maggie and the others will think of Rick’s behavior. Maggie worked hard not to kill those Saviors, and she certainly could have. I feel like Rick took a huge step back in the progress they’ve made. But I guess only time will tell. Now that Negan is back at the Sanctuary, I imagine he has a lot in store for not only Rick but Simon too. He is not happy about what Simon did to Jadis’ community, and I don’t blame him. I am surprised that Jadis let him go. And I really want to know what is up with the helicopter she clearly knew was coming!
Do you think Rick should have killed the escaped Saviors? Do you think that Morgan will be able to find his way again? Do you think Carol will get soft now that she has hope again? What do you think Negan’s next move is? And who do you think Negan spotted on the way to the Sanctuary? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
The Walking Dead season 8 airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. Want more new? Like our Walking Dead Facebook page.
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Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
