My thoughts on the article are this. I agree with a few points...very few. Much of this is complaining for the sake of complaining. TWD fans are never happy. There's a cliffhanger? Fans are angry? Two characters are killed in a brutal manner that is emotionally draining, yet impactful..."that's too much!" Ugh, enough already. Here's my .02 about each point brought up...
15. Not enough Shiva? Really? This is a complaint?! This is like being upset about the horse that got killed in the pilot episode. Damn, I wish this horse had made another appearance. Rick lied to the horse. Honestly, so what if Shiva appeared a few times? If Shiva appeared more, then we'd here "too much CGI tiger!" Which brings me to...
14. Negan was scarier as a mystery...well, in a sense, yes. Because every time in Season 6, when the anyone on Team Family encountered the Saviors and they identified as "Negan"...it's like who is this guy?! That was the point though--eventually, he was going to show up and we'd have to find out who he really is. There is the mystery aspect...and IMO, Negan is still scary---just the fact that he brutally murdered Glenn and Abraham with glee and no remorse--as though he enjoyed it...if that's not frightening, then what is? So this whole point of complaining that now Negan gives speeches and the mystery is gone. This writer needs to get over it.
13. This point I absolutely agree with. The Scavengers are an awful group. Not interesting at all, boring, and just about everyone I talk about TWD is annoyed with their broken speech. I hate it myself. Hate is a strong word, but it certainly applies here. The sooner this group is gone from TWD, the better. I'd love if Negan got rid of them...but now they are aligned with him. Boo!
12. I understand this point about Rick should know better than to trust a group that has already shown themselves to be untrustworthy, and who even tried to kill him. And yet, I think he was desperate to have an ally against the Saviors--any ally at this point--so that he wouldn't have to go against them alone. When "New Best Friends" aired, Ezekiel was still dragging his feet about joining the fight against the Saviors. Part of this complaint though is invalid. The writer should consider Rick's original nature: he was always too trusting, giving others the benefit of the doubt---even when they showed themselves to be dangerous. Perfect example is Shane wanting to get rid of Randall in Season 2, and Rick tries over and over again to save Randall's life...even though Randall shot at him, and also Hershel and Glenn. So this point....to me, it's just showing part of Rick's intrinsic character trait. It's a good character trait, and yet, sometimes it's a flaw of Rick's. It can be a strength and a weakness for him.
11. Yes, point well taken. Eugene should've made 2 or 3 bullets. And storyline-wise that wouldn't have mattered. Negan has to be alive for the All Out War storyline. And if Rosita took another shot and injured or killed another Savior--Olivia could've still ended up dead. This is another useless complaint--a complaint just for the sake of complaining.
10. The cantaloupe...another useless and pointless complaint. This was one of the best episodes in Season 7. Who cares how the cantaloupe was hidden and then found? That's irrelevant. The point was that Richard's plan backfired, causing Benjamin's death, and making Morgan realize that he could no longer be a pacifist--and Ezekiel realized he needed to fight. The article's writer is being nit-picky. Next.
9. Yes, it was very risky for Daryl to leave. Yes, it would put the others at risk. All that's true. And yet, we got a Caryl scene out of it. We got to see Carol and Daryl together for the first time in awhile--so IMO, Daryl leaving the Kingdom was worth it.
8. I agree that the Saviors were bullies--but that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bullies like to intimidate others that they think are below them. Bullies, like the Saviors, are only powerful--because it's a group of them at Negan's beck and call. I agree with the writer's point that in Season 6, especially the finale, the Saviors were extremely frightening, especially when they kept blocking all the paths, forcing Rick and the group into that area where they completely cornered them. Thing is, once Negan killed Glenn and Abraham...he still had to subjugate them in some way. Even if that means taking their mattresses and burning them, doing ridiculous things like that. Taking half of the group's supplies and then doing whatever they want--including wasting it--just so that Rick and his group have less to work with and survive on.
7. This point is so ridiculous. I'm tired of the "Rick was a wuss for the first half of Season 7" or "Rick did nothing." The man just saw two of his family get brutally murdered in front of him--and could do nothing about it. He was entirely helpless and powerless. And Glenn was the very man who helped him survive when he first got out of the hospital. (Yes, Shane put the gurney in place so that Rick survived, and then Morgan helped Rick by bringing him into his home --after knocking Rick out-- so kudos to both of them AND to Glenn as well).
Saying it doesn't make for "good television"...no. What makes it good is that we got to see Rick be broken, we got to see him go through a rough healing and grieving process -- part of where he blames himself for what happened to Glenn and Abraham. We got to see someone, who thought he had mastered every threat, who got a little too arrogant --and it cost him and the lives of those he loves. So yes, Rick was broken. That's realistic. We needed to root for him to come up from this entire situation, to rebuild his strength again so that he could fight against Negan and the Saviors. Expecting him to just bounce back is unrealistic and makes for bad t.v. Part of Rick Grimes' appeal is that he's an everyday man--- not Superman. So good t.v. is when we can relate to the characters (IMO) -- not when they are invincible and nothing ever stops them or they just easily surpass every obstacle without breaking a sweat.
The writer wants to bring up the Governor, Terminus, and the Claimers. It is NOT the same thing. Not even close.
-First, with the Governor...yes, they lost Hershel--and this was absolutely heartbreaking--but the Governor was killed by Michonne.
-The Terminus -- no one was killed, everyone got out alive--thanks to Carol blowing up Terminus.
-The Claimers -- Michonne, Rick, Carl, and Daryl walked out of that alive --badly shaken up/traumatized -- but still *alive*. And the Claimers were all killed.
What the writer of this article fails to realize is that in all three situations -- Rick came out on top in every situation. The threat was killed off in each situation. When it came to Negan and the Saviors -- the group was cornered, outnumbered, had their weapons taken from them, were forced to kneel -- they weren't even permitted to stand up and face their threat. And there was no Carol coming to the rescue this time. And Rick saw not just one person he loved--but two people he loved--get brutally murdered in front of him and most of all...he knows it's partially because of his attacking the Saviors (although they did attack first -- the part with Sasha, Daryl and Abe)...and the fact that he severely underestimated Negan. He didn't do all his homework, he had become a little overconfident since he had dealt with the last three threats and walked out alive--and even his entire group (save for Hershel), walked out alive. Negan completely broke Rick...killing his friends, putting him a position where he would have to cause his own son severe pain and disfigurement AND taking half of Rick's supplies. It doesn't even compare. Did the writer of this article put any serious thought into the points that he's making? Because it sure doesn't seem like it at all. Again--complaining just to complain. Whine, whine, whine! Yawn!
