The Walking Dead’s “The Big Scary U” saw Negan & Gabriel spending some quality time together, Rick & Daryl fighting like siblings (yes, some siblings punch each other,) and too much time spent on the spineless weasels known as Gregory & Eugene.
In comparison to the first four episodes of season 8, this episode was lacking in the action. Sure, there were guts and a tussle. But there wasn’t the same go, go, go, that has been present in the first couple of episodes.
While I’m enjoying the action, I’m not enjoying the way that The Walking Dead is struggling between giving us the story we love, with the heart stopping action that keeps us on the edge of our seats, as cheesy as that sounds. Balance is needed and I hope it’s coming soon.
Let’s discuss The Walking Dead’s “The Big Scary U”!
Rick & Daryl: When Siblings Fight
It would be easy to write Daryl off as the one who betrays Rick this season. This fight that they had, because it was a bare-knuckle all out fight, wasn’t born out of hate. It was born out of love and trying to make sure that their people don’t get hurt anymore in this war against Negan. This arsenal that they fought for and won, brought a mountain of possibilities for them and it hurts as a viewer to watch them fight over it.
As soon as Daryl figured out what was happening with the truck and how it was about to blow, he pulled Rick up and helped him to safety. You don’t do this to someone that you hate or that you’re planning to betray. Even joking around afterwards about the chokehold being illegal doesn’t mean you hate them. I means you love the person so damn much that you’re willing to push back so they can see your side.
Siblings fight. It’s a universal constant that will never go away. Rick and Daryl are siblings born out of the apocalypse and strengthened by it. And right now they’re trying to fun getaway around all the bloodshed while trying not to lose themselves. Admittedly they’re not doing their best at it but they’re trying and that’s what counts the most. And that’s what differentiates them for Negan and the rest of the Saviors.
Negan and Gabriel: The Combo I Never Saw Coming
Now I haven’t read the comics in a really long time or kept myself updated on who Negan interacted with via spoilers. So if they have been trapped in a similar situation, save a girl sometime and give me the spoilers. If they have it, then let’s talk about the weird kind of sense that they make.
If it were anyone else, I think Negan would have killed them. But he saw Father Gabriel go back for the spineless asshole known as Gregory. He knows that this god-loving man thinks in different ways than Rick, the Widow, or the King. He figures that if he has a chance of changing anybody’s mind it’s a man like Father Gabriel.
And funny enough, Gabriel feels the same in return. He’s not ignorant of the fact that Negan has done horrible things or that he might have to fight for his life to get away from the leader of the Saviors. But he’s willing to give Negan a chance to repent and see that they can work together, not for Negan, but for his people now and the ones he let die all those seasons ago.
Things I Need Less Of: Gregory and Eugene
I understand that shining a spotlight on the spineless helps us understand who is strong, capable, and trustworthy. What I don’t understand is why we need per long scenes with these so-called spineless people. I don’t need a long opening sequence reiterating the fact that Gregory is an ass who would sell out his own mother.
Plenty of other shows make us understand the difference between the Brave and the spineless without spiraling like The Walking Dead sometimes does. We’re smart and capable people who understand the content that we are being given. So pull back on the spineless and focus on important things like Hilltop or the fact that I haven’t seen Michonne or Alexandria in ages.
As for Eugene, it doesn’t matter if he has a Redemption Arc of some sort coming if he helps father Gabriel get the doctor back to Hilltop to help Maggie. The matter of the fact is that he chose who he believed to be stronger and who could protect him. He did the same thing with Abraham and he’s doing the same thing with Negan. He doesn’t care about family. He cares about surviving.
Once upon a time Eugene was part of the group of people that I want to survive. He no longer is that and I don’t care what happens to him or who he comes running to next, in a bid to survive.
Check out the trailer for next week’s episode titled “The King, the Widow and Rick”:
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.
