11.03: The Walking Dead - Hunted

[ctg]

Maggie's mission team gets separated and hunted by the Reapers; Carol, Rosita, Magna and Kelly attempt to catch horses for Alexandria; Judith, RJ, Hershel and Gracie cope with their parents going away.

 

[ctg]

I don't think I have ever thank you guys for reading my threads, but here it is, thank you. I mean it. In the meantime it frustrates me that AMC is already pushing out the next episode, while we officially are still stuck in the past. It's not fair and I think it's also eating away the audience, which has come so accustomed with the binge watching.

I also get that a lot of people don't want to talk about the dead or people struggling with their lives, because it's not uplifting. They rather watch something that makes them smile and gives them hope. In Kirkman's world there's no hope. It is all doomed.

Just like seeing the latest massacre happening in opening scene. They lost their big guys, except Negan. To be honest, Maggie was walking them to a slaughter and she couldn't even voice it.
After losing the ammo what point there is to go to have a fight?

It's almost the same situation as with currently some a-hole politicians wanting to go back to a-stan to have another go ... just because reasons. For being a group of hungry people they surely did do a stupid thing by not go back to army base to get more supplies and instead going into Meridian to get a blooded nose.

Not a good move, but in the writing terms it shows that the group is flawed. It also opens up demolishing the camp and moving the cast to Commonwealth, just because there is no hope outside the walls.

Alexandria. What a mess. Everything is broken and nobody knows what do, because it's all too much. To be frank they didn't even celebrate winning the war. Not that they have nothing, but at least Carol somehow had got her brain back as she went to hunting for the horses.

Without them they're all dead. So, why it took them so long time to get organised?

In the real world someone would have done it already, while in Kirkman's everyone has their own priorities. People are lazy and they always try to do the easiest thing with least amount of losing energy.

Oh padre, what a s-show. Reapers did exactly what they needed and the group dispersed in all directions. It's true that it's not a hunting tactic, but for tracking and minimising the risk they achieved a huge victory. And by my count they only lost one.

I loved that the first thing Negan asked was: "What is the plan?"

And Maggie's answer, "Nothing has changed. We need the food..."

The most dangerous shopping trip, ever. Why we couldn't go back to army base, again? So many were lost, with Duncan's death being most sad, even though we knew him for three episodes.

What I don't get is why Gabriel was so hesitant on giving the Last Rites to Nicholls? He was doubting the whole God aspect before he made the decision to kill him.

In practical terms he did the right thing, but spiritually he hasn't changed at all, as now he's again in the camp of not-believing. Maybe he's even believing that there is no hope or rather for the first time opening his eyes to the true picture in the world. Is our world any better?

When they found Judas and lost Agatha to a swarm Maggie should have realised what a prise they were paying for the food, and her plan. Giving up then would have been easy, and I assume that Negan understood it, when he dragged her away from the horde. But no, in fact, he had to drum it her head that they'll have to do it, no matter what, because giving up would have been too easy.

Why it took you so long time to go to rescue your animals? It should have been a priority, just because Kirkman's world is so dangerous place for them. All that meat and leather, wasted. All that horsepower, gone.

I'm sure there are so cowboys who watch the show that are truly pissed for them doing such a poor job. To be honest, I kind of wish they would get a win at something. Hearing Rosita suggesting to abandon the hunt was so demoralising. Maybe she believes that horses grow on trees.

If they had done that they would have lost the herd, for sure. There would be no no meat for the table. And no little Hershel's telling kids to eat spiders. What a horrid thought.

 

[nixie]

Twice Negan saves Maggie, first from The Reaper and then dragging her away from the horde.
I still don't think he can ever really be trusted.
Gabriel has madness in his soul, we've seen it surface before, he believes when it suits it him too.
We don't know yet whats happened to Daryl.
The horses although needed were a distraction for Carol, she's close to the edge.
Hersel is cute, he probably knows more about survival than the majority of Alrxandrians. Judith's faith in Michonne always returning is a symbol of hope,

 

[ctg]

Twice Negan saves Maggie, first from The Reaper and then dragging her away from the horde.
I still don't think he can ever really be trusted.

I would trust Negan more than Maggie just because we know him better. Maggie at the moment is just too shifty to be trusted. What is her real agenda?

We don't know yet whats happened to Daryl.

Well, he's alive and he's going to be alive throughout whole season. Nothing can kill him, because he has his own series in the works. So assume that they captured him or something similar.

Hersel is cute, he probably knows more about survival than the majority of Alrxandrians. Judith's faith in Michonne always returning is a symbol of hope,

I doubt Michonne will ever return, and when she does they're not going to be in Alexandria.

 

[nixie]

Not sure the reapers take prisoners.
We're probably going to see some far fetched storyline of Daryl waging a guerrilla war behind enemy lines, picking off the reapers one by one. Problem is although he can hunt he isn't good enough not to be caught.

 

[ctg]

We're probably going to see some far fetched storyline of Daryl waging a guerrilla war behind enemy lines, picking off the reapers one by one. Problem is although he can hunt he isn't good enough not to be caught.

Just hold on. One thing, "Pope marked you for death," that what the dying Repear said. We still need to find out more about it and whose better for it than a prisoner? We don't know what happened with our boy, he's just missing. And so is Dog.

 

[nixie]

I forgot about the pope thing, what has Maggie done to ensure her and Hershel survived?
I'm starting to wonder if her hatred for Negan isn't only him smashing Glenn's head in but maybe she is seeing echoes of herself in him.
She was away a long time, there is a hardness that wasn't there before.

 

[ctg]

"Negan just looks at her and says, 'I'm on your side.' Because of the situation that they're in, because it's so f—ing intense, he understands that the only way they're gonna survive is if they work together," Morgan said on Talking Dead. "And Maggie, being Maggie, she's stubborn and can't see past the end of her nose. He is trying to make her realize in order for them to survive, they're gonna have to work together. So he has to be very obvious and say, 'We are on the same team here.' If for no other reason to live to see tomorrow. It's so easy and he is just, again, trying to drill that home."

The Walking Dead's Grim Glenn and Negan Callback in "Hunted"

There will be blood when Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) take a swing at working together on The Walking Dead. Believing the vengeful widow is luring him underground to kill him on their group’s mission to Meridian in “Acheron: Part 1,” Negan leaves Maggie behind to die in...

comicbook.com

Better to work with the devil that you know than with one that you don't. It's also interesting that he describes Maggie as a stubborn b****. That is true, but she is also incredibly smart and maybe that's why she cannot see past her nose ... until now. It is if God is reminding her that there are other things in life than hatred.

Although, in the Fear I strongly believe that Daniel is going to end up taking Strand out, just to be sure that the devil they know and it is his time to go, for sake of all of them. He just have done too many mistakes to ever deserve a redemption. With Maggie it's another thing and to be honest, we speculated that it was going to Negan saving a kid that gives him the ticket. But looking at all that is going, the only thing he has going is survival. He needs other people as much they need him.

 

[svalbard]

Maggie is not a great strategic or tactical leader. This whole mission was one blunder after another. Her hardness and bitterness seems to be effecting her better judgement. Those Reapers are quite good at the ninja stuff. I am genuinely interested in them.

The same old flaw of previous seasons raised it's ugly head again. Our protagonists getting surprised by slow moving and loud zombies in the wood. I don't know, but I would have thought they would be up to speed on that front by this stage of the apocalypse.

All the pretty horses. I felt sad at this.

 

[ctg]

Those Reapers are quite good at the ninja stuff. I am genuinely interested in them.

Me too, especially as some of the "people" have described them as Prince's BlackWater company. Essentially they are PMCs, people who were good at the killing business, when the apocalypse happened. They didn't have families other than each other, so they stuck under Pope's leadership and thrived against the Dead.

You have often spoken Negan as a misunderstood warlord, even though I don't see him in that way. I assume Pope is essentially that and he has spent time to get organised and they probably have massed a lot of tools and supplies. While Fear's Teddy acquired nukes and used them, I don't think Reapers has that in the plans.

What we don't know is how many people they have in their ranks. A couple of hundred might be the absolute maximum, but that is not enough to threaten Commonwealth, who seem to be able to throw a lot of bodies on the problems.

All the pretty horses. I felt sad at this.

I did too. There can't be too many of them left in the world. Funny fact is that in the comics they had so many and in this series, we have seen a few. I wonder how big herd they had for Ricknation? Is twelve horses too much or too little?

 

[REBerg]

Oh padre, what a s-show. Reapers did exactly what they needed and the group dispersed in all directions. It's true that it's not a hunting tactic, but for tracking and minimising the risk they achieved a huge victory. And by my count they only lost one.

Not sure the reapers take prisoners.
We're probably going to see some far fetched storyline of Daryl waging a guerrilla war behind enemy lines, picking off the reapers one by one. Problem is although he can hunt he isn't good enough not to be caught.

"Pope marked you for death," that what the dying Repear said.

The Reapers are the most interesting development in the season so far. Yet, aren't they just another cult to be defeated by the grocery shoppers who are initiating conflict by invading Reaper turf? It's not like they haven't encountered a multitude of grisly warnings to back off, even prior to their armed skirmish.
I would not be surprised if the cupboard was bare if they succeed in reaching the Maggie-driven destination. If they destroy the Reapers in the process, what then?
Action, which I normally crave, seems to have replaced plot advancement in this, the final TWD season.

 

[Dave]

I'm sorry to say this, but this show isn't doing it for me anymore. I don't think it is the quality of the writing or the actual plot. It may be partly that it is so morbid, and with the world the way that is now I need something more uplifting, but that can't be all. No, I think, as @ctg says, we know the Commonwealth and the Helicopter People are out there, but instead of discovering more about all that, we are back to the people we follow being brought down once again. It is a little repetitive to have some new enemy appear every two seasons. Also, we have lost so many characters over the years that I'm no longer so invested in the remainder. Even Carol and Maggie! If they don't care themselves, then why should I? It seems like they themselves have given up and I just can't find the energy to tell them to carry on.

 

[ctg]

I'm no longer so invested in the remainder. Even Carol and Maggie! If they don't care themselves, then why should I? It seems like they themselves have given up and I just can't find the energy to tell them to carry on.

Dave by my recollection, this is third time you've given up. Obviously there are things that they cannot do, because of the plot. It makes all sorts of things unbelivable, but that's the way things are. If you have given up, I respect it but you're always welcome here.

 

[Dave]

Dave by my recollection, this is third time you've given up.

Yes, I did stop watching, then I caught up again after a year with a binge watch. But this is different, it isn't boring, It just isn't showing us/me what we need to see. There is a whole world of the Commonwealth and Helicopter People going on somewhere else, but we are focused instead on this small failing group making terrible decisions as they go down. As a examination of failure due to poor team dynamics, unclear roles, poor decision making, fixed mindsets and lack of resources, then I guess it works, however, we've seen it before with them, it's just much worse this time.

Edit: Of course, I'm some episodes behind and maybe I just need to keep watching. Also, I said Maggie and Carol seem to have given up, not myself!

The other thing is Maggie and Negan. Can't they just have a fight and get it over with?

 

[ctg]

The other thing is Maggie and Negan. Can't they just have a fight and get it over with?

I thought in this episode they had many and Negan mostly accepted the way she is, they just didn't exchange punches. I loved that by flick of her eyes Negan yielded his boot knife. He wanted to argue, but he equally figured that it would be a losing battle and at the end he would had to give the knife anyway.