‘The Walking Dead’ S08E07 Recap: “Time for After”

A day late and a dollar short (thanks spotty Sling.TV service!)!

The Good

• Eugene is finally confirmed as loyal to Negan but not without a slight exception here and there. He calls Dwight out on his betrayal of the Saviors but then decides to keep his secret. If Abraham could see what Eugene has become he’d probably kill him himself. But there is a slight bit of nobility to Eugene’s betrayal. He’s seems to truly think he’s with the group that can help the most people. 
• Gabriel. It was a long time coming but Gabriel, who was initially the worst, has come around to being a somewhat interesting character. He gives Eugene a perfect priestly speech that almost redeems his devotion to the cloth which has been in question since we first met him and found out what he did to his congregation in their time of need. Nah, you know what, nothing redeems you from that but it feels like he’s not just faking priest anymore.
• Rosita becomes the surprising voice of reason in the suicide squad of Daryl, Tara, and Michonne. Oh, and Morgan who just happened to be in a sniper position outside of the sanctuary. Their plan to drive a truck through the front door of the sanctuary is too much for Rosita who leaves. For someone who’s had a death wish for almost 3 seasons it was refreshing to see…I just wish it wasn’t done with such a non-explanation
• Eugene going to kiss Negan’s hand. If you’re going to keep this idiot around at least have some fun with it and that’s what they do here.
• Austin Amiellio’s Dwight is better episode by episode, he’s really settled into the role and has become one of, if not the most, interesting characters in the show.  
• Whether by fear or something else, Eugene is getting ready to out Dwight but decides against it after he walks into the room.
• Rick’s final scene in the trash kingdom is a great fight I’ll talk about later. In a so bad it’s good bit Rick and Queen Trash negotiate for their help with one of the stipulations that Queen Trash gets to sculpt Rick…In the nude. I can’t even lie, it made me chuckle. 

• The trash kingdom and it’s queen. I mean, we have a zombie apocalypse and Eugene, I think we have our fill of weird
• Too much Eugene. Even though his appearance merited some initially points that should have been it for him. Instead they keep him around saying weird shit and being ungrateful to those who kept his mulleted ass safe for months. 
• Gabriel mysteriously falling ill. They explain that he has several infections, but they could have gone another inch in plot miles and told us he cut himself on something or had some other injury. The dude was fine then as soon as he’s captured he comes down with Denghi fever or some shit. 
• Daryl’s Lone Ranger act was successful but at what cost. Granted he thought all the women and children were elsewhere but as it ends up they weren’t…if he’s been that down since Abraham and Glenn were killed how’s he going to take this? I don’t see him ever being the same again…not that Daryl was ever a happy go lucky type a fella’ but even those once a season throw away happy moments are probably gone after this. Great, just what we need, more sadness in this, most morose, of TV shows. 

• Given that we spent an entire episode in a building surrounded by the dead. A building they eventually infiltrated, the gore and zombie action was relegated to dark corners and groups of carnage at once…they had some real chances to give a few close ups of memorable Z-kills but decided against it for some reason. It’s almost made up for in the final scene back at the trash kingdom where Rick is thrust back into the Zombie gladiator pit. He’s put up against another of their Mad Max style zombies. In a move that is the kind of gory brilliance they need more of Rick rips the zombie’s head of and uses the decapitated head to hold Queen Trashy hostage and make his bad ass exit from their camp. They do have to remember, every now and then, that this is a zombie show and even though it doesn’t have to be the forefront of every episode we could certainly do with one or two good zombie scenes in each.