The Walking Dead: Time for After (8x07)

Does anybody care about Eugene enough to justify this episode? Does anybody think the creepy garbage people are interesting?

Cons:

Most of this episode is focused on Eugene's moral dilemma. Does he turn on the Saviors? Does he try and save himself and the rest of them by getting rid of the Walkers using creative distraction methods? Does he turn on Dwight, who he discovers is the traitor in this episode? Does he help get the doctor away for Maggie's sake? Does he help poor Gabriel? Here's the problem: I don't really care. And another problem? Nothing really happens. Eugene spends the bulk of this episode agonizing, and then decides to help Negan, but not give up Dwight. So, in other words, maintain the status quo. Boring!

Rick's subplot in this episode was one of the most boring and annoying things I've yet seen in this show. He's been taken captive by the garbage people. They take away his weapons, undress him down to his underwear, and tie his hands. Then they bring him out to have him fight a Walker on a stick being controlled by one of the men... and Rick easily overpowers everybody and negotiates his freedom. I get the idea that this was supposed to make Rick look like a bad-ass, since he was able to escape from these people even when the odds were stacked against him. Instead, it makes Rick look stupid for getting himself into this situation, and it makes the garbage people look completely weak and idiotic. And I still can't stand the way they talk. It's ridiculous and adds nothing.

Pros:

Speaking of stupid, Daryl is being a real idiot. But this goes in the "Pros" section because he's being an idiot in an interesting way. He really wants to just finish this war, and he, along with Tara, Morgan, and a few others, decide the way to do this is to breach the Savior's Sanctuary and get the Walkers to swarm the place. They know this means risking the lives of the workers as well as Negan's personal soldiers, but Daryl is willing to risk it. I mean, I want to scream at the idiot - there's already a plan in place! Why are you messing with this?! But at the same time, it fits in with everything we've seen of his character. After all the torture he's undergone, it only makes sense that he wants to end this quickly and violently.

Even more interesting are the reactions of Rosita and Michonne. Each of them is along for the ride at first, but both decide that this is too risky of a move. Michonne wants this to be over, but she disagrees with Daryl that it's worth risking their lives. And Rosita knows that the smart choice, the hard choice, the right choice, is to wait things out, even if it would be more satisfying to make a move. I liked watching both of these women come to this conclusion. If only Daryl would listen...

So, there you have it. I'm disappointed that the penultimate episode of this year was spent on Eugene and on the garbage people instead of on more interesting things. If this battle is actually coming to a head in next week's installment, I think we could have spent this episode on some more interesting characters.

7/10