In a culture where shows like Jersey Shore, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo engross TV viewers everywhere, it's important to acknowledge programming that engages audiences with clever writing and stimulating material. Every so often the networks get it right and support a series that is a breath of fresh air with clearly developed characters, perfectly cast actors, and a luring and often intricate plot. In appreciation of such shows, I have started this commentary.

Monday, December 5, 2016

TWD Season 7 Episode 7: Sing Me A Song

Well the good news is this week we leave Oceanside completely behind and pick up with the groups in The Sanctuary and Alexandria. The bad news is, we go another 90 minutes without Carol, Morgan, and that badass tiger The Kingdom. Seriously. It's been a month. Anyway, "Sing Me a Song" takes us on a journey with Jesus and Carl as they stow away into Neganland and circles back with Rick, Michonne, and Smokin' Hot Rosita as they struggle with the new way of living. Here's what went down in episode 7. 

Why You Wasting Your Time?
The episode opens with Michonne standing in front of the burning mattresses that once belonged to the homes in Alexandria. She walks home, whistling "The Farmer in the Dell" as two Walkers follow behind her, very reminiscent of the time when she was solo and roaming around with two Walkers as "pets." Michonne slashes their heads and does the same with many other Walkers. She builds a Walker barrier in the road, and when a Savior comes driving up, Michonne disarms her and says "Take me to Negan." The woman resists at first, but off they go. 

On the flip side, Rick is still in "I'll do anything Negan wants" mode and he and Aaron are still out on a run to scavenge supplies for the Saviors. They hop a fence that reads "Keep going. The only thing here 4 you is trouble." because it's always opposite day on The Walking Dead.  They arrive at what essentially looks like an obstacle course someone has made to protect their land, so there must be something pretty big waiting for them. Unfortunately this is the last we see of Michonne, Rick, and Aaron tonight. Did I mention this episode is 90 minutes?

A Girl You Couldn't Impress
Smokin' Hot Rosita is hell bent on making some bullets today but Eugene is doing his normal "I'm going to say things in a way you don't understand until you decide you don't need my help" thing. Spencer rolls up and asks why they aren't going to get supplies for Negan. He likens the situation to paying taxes and reminds Eugene and Rosita that this is all Rick's fault. Rosita asks him if he can do better and Spencer thinks he can. She laughs and says "pay your taxes and leave me the hell alone." She and Eugene begin walking.

They arrive at the building where Abraham and Eugene had discussed making bullets to begin with...you know, back when Eugene called dibs and became Stage 2 Eugene. He's not interested in being there though and goes back to speaking gibberish. Eugene says the Saviors have the numbers and one bullet isn't going to make a difference. Smokin' Hot Rosita is tired of hearing this shit. "You owe me and you owe him. And if there's a price, I'll pay it. But don't you tell me 'no!' You don't know anything. You don't do anything. You're a coward. You're weak. You're only alive because you lied and people felt sorry for you. Now do something useful and make me a bullet." Ouch. Big ouch. Eugene gets to work. Rosita tries to apologies for the things she said but Eugene rejects the apology. "I'd like to take it back to awkward silence now." 

Spencer, meanwhile, pairs up with Gabriel to go on a run...wait. Stop the presses. Gabriel is going on a run? He's just full of surprises these days. Spencer spends the car ride being a whiny little bitch and complaining about Rick. "The thing I keep thinking is, the only good thing that could happen for us now is he never makes it back." Spencer. Seriously. What the hell are you talking about? I don't even have time to be annoyed because Gabriel shuts that shit down. He tells Spencer to stop the car. "What you're saying doesn't make you a sinner. But it does make you a tremendous shit. Just for now. It doesn't have to be terminal." HA!!! Gabriel exits the car and heads back to Alexandria on foot. Fantastic. The holy man has come such a long way. 

Spencer then inexplicably runs into the woods, leaving his car door open. He finds a Walker stuck in a tree who is in possession of a compound bow. Spencer is able to get the bow and in the process he finds a note in the Walker's jacket. It's written in Latin but Spencer totally knows Latin so the note leads him to supplies o'plenty. He returns to Alexandria with a shit ton of taxes to pay. 

Why You So Obsessed With Me?
Jesus and Carl are right where we left them, on a truck heading into the Sanctuary. Jesus grabs a bottle of maple syrup out of one of the boxes and squeezes it outside along the way to leave a trail. What a waste. It's a damn good thing he isn't using crazy cheese. Anyway, as they approach the compound Jesus suggests they jump out and find a way in by foot. Carl agrees but then just stays in the truck after Jesus exits. He waves at Jesus and I experience my first Carl annoyance of the night. He's been on screen less than a minute. 

Carl is armed with one of the machine guns the Saviors took from Alexandria and I'm wondering what his big plan is here. Put himself in a crate that he hopes ends up in Negan's bedroom? Hope they don't unload the truck at all today and sneak into the building at night? How does this one-eyed dude with inexcusable hair think he is going to kill a guy with countless followers on his own turf? Oh, here's how. When the Saviors immediately start unloading the truck, Carl just opens fire. He steps out and tells everyone (and there are tons of people) to lower their weapons. "I only want Negan. No one else has to get hurt." Carl, you're an idiot. This was your plan? No wonder Enid gave you a quick kiss and a "good luck" and left your ass behind. Negan is nearby laughing. Carl makes a move to shoot more people and he's tackled quickly by Dwight, who disarms him. Negan helps Carl off the ground and offers to show him around.  

The Sanctuary is a massive warehouse and Negan takes Carl inside where many Saviors are waiting. Negan tells them that the other Saviors have returned with a ton of supplies, which could be theirs if they play by the rules. They applaud him but he's not done showing off yet. Negan takes Carl into a room where all of his "wives" are. Dude has a setup like Charlie Sheen and his goddesses. I don't know if Negan has tiger's blood but I'd definitely say he's winning. One wife in particular, Amber, is super emotional today. Sherry tattles on her and tells Negan that Amber is still meeting up with her former husband, Max. She asks Negan to go easy on Amber as if that's a thing. Negan exits the conversation, hands Carl a beer, and sits down across from Amber. "Amber, baby, you know I don't want anyone to be here that doesn't want to be here, right?" He offers her the chance to leave and go back to Mark, but reminds her that if she stays, she cannot cheat on him. Amber says she'll stay and apologizes. "I love you Negan."

Negan is smooching Sherry when Dwight and Daryl enter the room. How embarrassing for Dwight. Daryl has brought lunch so Carl can see that Daryl is a slave to Negan, much like the way his dad is. Negan then leads Carl into another room to get to know him. He's impressed with Carl but can't continue with the conversation. "It's like talking to a birthday present. You've got to take that crap off your face." Carl refuses and Negan asks if Carl really wants to piss him off. Carl relents and removes the eye patch. Negan says a whole bunch of mean shit and Carl starts to cry...with one eye anyway. "Holy hell kid. Look, it's easy to forget you're just a kid. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything." He encourages Carl to leave the bandages off because no one would mess with him looking like that. Negan then asks Carl to sing him a song. The only thing Carl can come up with is "You Are My Sunshine" and while he sings, Negan practices his form swinging Lucille around the room. He asks Carl if his mom sang him that song...and where his mom is. Carl tells Negan he had to shoot her before she turned and he replies "Damn, no wonder you're a little serial killer in the making."

It's Clear That You're Upset With Me
The boys head to what seems to be the main room where Mark is tied to a chair and scared out of his mind. The rest of the group is kneeling as Negan talks about people who break the rules. Mark broke the rules while...reconnecting with his former wife, and now he gets a hot iron to the face. He and Dwight are twinsies now. Mark passes out from the pain and pisses himself in the process. Daryl is assigned cleanup duty. He makes a comment to Negan in the realm of "if you do anything to Carl" and promptly finds himself back in confinement. Someone slips him a note under the door that says "go now" and this is the last we see of Daryl this episode. 

Negan decides to take Carl home and we see Jesus on top of the truck heading out of the Sanctuary. He's had quite a commute today. Negan heads straight to the pantry and gives Olivia a bunch of shit about being overweight and managing the rations. What a dick. Olivia starts to cry and he apologizes. Kinda. "It looks like I'm going to be here a while awaiting your fearless leader's return, and if you like, I think it would enjoyable to screw your brains out...I mean if you're agreeable to it." Olivia slaps him across the face and he says "I am about 50% more into you now." He demands she make him some lemonade while he waits and off she goes. 

Carl reluctantly takes Negan on a grande tour of his house and in the process, Negan discovers Judith. He is smitten with her immediately. Negan takes Judith out to the porch and sits with her in a rocking chair as Carl sits very awkwardly by his side. Negan jokes (maybe?) about burying Rick and Carl in the flower bed and moving into "the suburbs." He then gives Judith a smooch and a smile and we fade out. No word on whether Olivia makes banging lemonade or if Negan liked it.  

The episode ends there and I've said "Damn it Carl!" out loud more times this hour(ish) than I have in a long time. As Negan makes himself at home, will Spencer win his favor in delivering the treasure trove of supplies? Is this Spencer's play to oust Rick as the leader of Alexandria? Do we think he got those supplies from the obstacle course Rick and Aaron are facing? So many questions leading up to next week's mid-season finale. As it stands now Negan is sitting pretty on Rick's porch with Rick nowhere to be found. Not only has Spencer arrived back in town, but so has Smokin' Hot Rosita and her one bullet that Eugene made. Michonne is on her way to the Sanctuary, though Negan isn't there anymore, and it seems Daryl is about to make his way out of the Sanctuary which essentially means shit is in chaos. Since we suffered two big losses in the season premiere, I'm hoping our heroes are spared next week...unfortunately, Smokin' Hot Rosita has had more dialogue recently than she's had in all of the seasons she's been on the show, and I'm worried for her. We know it's way too soon for Negan to die, so maybe her single bullet will at least shave off some of Carl's hair when she fires it. A girl can dream, can't she?


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