Episode 11: Hostiles and Calamities
Aww snap, we all knew this was coming. Negan’s return to the series after winter break sure as hell didn’t disappoint. This episode focused entirely on Negan’s home base and the events immediately following Daryl’s daring escape and Eugene being taken prisoner. So Dwight (he of the half flash-fried face and scraggily blonde hair), found the “Go Now” note that his “ex-wife” Sherrie DID IN FACT give Daryl. Dwight then sets off in his best Daryl cosplay garb to go looking for Sherrie.
Of course what plays out is a heart breaking trip back to his and his wife’s former home before everything went to hell. Sherrie left him a note apologizing for making him become the Negan-worshipping monster he now is. She knows she’ll die out there in the wilds, but that is preferable to her than their current lives of servitude to an evil dictator. Their home was always supposed to be the meeting place if they got separated. Though she doubted her man would remember that and actually show up, he did. HE DID!!
And he even brought the pretzels and beer they promised they’d have!! Because even though he’s an idiot, damn Dwight still has a shred of humanity left in there. And I do mean a shred...
Eugene gets a crash course in the Negan lifestyle from a “friendly” lady with a neck tattoo, who hilariously refers to him as, “Haircut." Negan wants Eugene to know that he is getting the rare VIP treatment due to the smartypants services he has to offer. Our boy reverts to his original defense persona from all those seasons ago when we first met him, which is claiming to be a Doctor studying the human genome project and biological warfare. Hey, if it kept him alive the first time why not try it again?! Haircut now gets a private studio apartment and non-sexual hangout time with the wives! A couple of those wives are damn crafty too. They befriend Haircut and convince him to make a suicide potion for another wife. Well, that’s a big damn lie and Eugene sees through it, eventually. The ladies want the poison for Negan of course. Haircut isn’t willing to go there. Probably smart, though a cowardly decision. And why does he come to that conclusion, you may ask? Turns out Dwight sets up the compound’s weirdo medical doctor as having had an affair with Sherrie and helping her and Daryl escape. WTF Dwight?!? That’s low. Doc “confesses” else he gets the dreaded iron. And what does Negan do? He turns the man into a crispy critter. No hesitation, he throws the guy straight into the incinerator. Thus setting a gross and nightmarish precedent for all the little “Negans” in attendance.
Top 4 Moments of the Night
- Doctor feelgood getting the Hansel & Gretel treatment by going head-first into the oven. Even though we don’t “see” it, I loved the brutality and the shock of this moment. A not so subtle reminder that Ngean is NOT A NICE PERSON.
- Eugene getting to show off his big ol' brain. He puts on some cool science experiments for the ladies, helps Negan solve the issue of keeping his guard dog walkers from rotting so quickly, and manages to tell that convincing backstory fable again to keep his ass alive.
- Dwight and Sherrie. Their marriage and love story is officially at an end. But he still covers for her and says she died out there. AND we see they both secretly kept their wedding rings! Ugh, I hate you Dwight! But then you make me feel compassion for you! Stop messing with my head!
- Okay, not so much a moment, but I like that we have so many settings and different characters to put them in. This should prevent characters/subplots from getting stale since we can jump around a bit.