Negan.

Praise the mullet! We're going to see it in all its glory tonight!

Not one of us thought we could ever get over Father Gabriel's traitor ways....but we did. Dwight's story is so complex. I still can't stand him at this point, but he is definitely keeping me interested in where it goes.

Still like Dwight

Part Two

The first time that Eugene is to meet with Negan we catch the tail end of a conversation Negan is having with someone (off camera)in regard to finding Daryl. Negan states "we'll send Simon over to take a peak, he can sort good cop this thing first, see how far we get" I thought this was a nice touch and a clever way to tie the previous episodes to this episode, to give some fluidity.

And then we get to the scene of Dwight back at his home he shared with Sherry. I thought this was the most powerful scene of the episode. And although Dwight/Austin did not speak, his facial expressions, body language said a great deal, conveyed his emotions. My heart hurt when she wrote about how frustrated he would get knowing that he would be unable to remember the good days, the special days due to his inability to retain moments to memory. I found this to be a very sad statement because all they have left of before are their memories.

And then the part where she states that she wanted to wait for him but she couldn't because she did not know what would happen. Would he leave with her, would he bring her back to the Sanctuary or would he kill her. I cannot imagine having such deep seeded doubt in regard to someone who loves me. To doubt someone like that, that is a hard truth to acknowledge. That the person you love is so far gone, so entrenched in this world of Negan that she cannot rely on him to protect her, that he just might willingly send her to her death.

Add to that fear she also carries the burden that she blames herself for Dwight becoming the man she is afraid of, the man she doubts. "I love who you were. I'm sorry I made you into who you are". She blames herself for who Dwight is. Dwight blames himself for driving her to the point where she helps Daryl escape just so he will not have to face who he (Dwight) once was.  So he will not have to see his old self in Daryl each and every day. And I think even deeper, so that Dwight would not have to watch Daryl slowly become who he (Dwight) currently is.

Suffice it to say, I liked this episode and upon my second viewing I would say that I enjoyed the hell out of this episode.  I think it is also pretty clear that parts that had the biggest impact on me were the scenes that involved Dwight.  Say what you will about the character, like him, hate him, confused by him - but the actor Austin Amelio is doing a damn fine job of bringing the character to life.  I would even venture to say that Dwight is one of the most complex characters the show has had in a very long time, possibly as far back as Shane.

I look forward to watching (hopefully) a change in Dwight.  I look forward to more of those layers being peeled back.  I look forward to what the writers have concocted for us as the audience to not hate him at the end of the season.  Maybe they will have us wanting him to change, maybe they will have us pulling for his redemption.

BTW danae, I give your essay a TENOUTTATEN!!!

Yeah exactly.