Still Gotta Mean Something

Jadis has Negan tied to a dolly, as she plans to subject him to torture and execution. Negan explains that Simon was responsible for killing her people, and that Negan feels as betrayed as she. Still, Jadis continues with her preparations, which will begin with burning Lucille.

Negan turns the tables on Jadis, after she leaves him too near a pistol and flare that she was going to employ in the execution. As Negan threatens to burn old photographs that have great sentimental value to the woman, she uses a "Walker Dolly", another weapon she'd constructed, to defend herself and close in. She gets the flare away from Negan, but it falls into a puddle of water. The timing of this is unfortunate, as a mysterious helicopter then appears above the junkyard. Before Jadis can properly signal the aircraft, it flies away.

Later, Jadis has released Negan. She no longer wishes to kill him, but she also rejects his apparently sincere offer to join his group and help him pursue a "new path". As he leaves, Negan vows to settle matters with the perpetrator of the Junkyard massacre. On the way back to the Sanctuary, Negan then picks up a mysterious stranger.

Meanwhile at the Hilltop, Rick is obsessing on several tasks, in spite of Michonne's warning that he needs to deal with his emotions regarding Carl's death. After getting intel from Alden, Rick heads toward a nearby abandoned tavern, where he believes the recently escaped Saviors may be hiding out. Morgan joins him along the way. As they near their destination, however, they are attacked and knocked unconscious.

As Rick wakes up in the tavern, tied up beside Morgan, he discovers Jared arguing with the other Saviors. The men can't agree on what to do with Rick and Morgan. Jared knows that bringing Rick back to Negan alive will score him major points, but he also knows that Rick is dangerous. Rick enters the discussion, quickly convincing many of the Saviors (though not Jared) that the wisest course of action would be to return to the Hilltop, where they could eventually join the community. Before the matter can be settled, a herd of Walkers invades the tavern. The Saviors (mostly) ask for Rick and Morgan's assistance, which they give. As the Walkers are wiped out, however, Rick and Morgan begin killing the Saviors, in spite of their earlier promises to set differences aside. As Jared then attacks Morgan, he is trapped by the man, and is devoured by a couple of Walkers.

As evening falls, Carol is in the woods surrounding the Hilltop, searching for the missing Henry. She eventually finds him attempting to fight off several Walkers. She kills the Walkers and saves the boy. Weeping in joy, she then returns to the Hilltop, where Ezekiel similarly greets the young man. Morgan then returns, and tells Henry that he killed Jared, the man who killed Henry's brother.

Carol sits with Ezekiel, and explains to him that she has not allowed herself to get close to anyone because of the person she had been forced to become. The death of her daughter made her a different person, stronger, but also colder. She would like to live another way, although she doesn't know if it will always be possible.

As Rick gets cleaned up after the day's events, he apologizes to Michonne for his earlier distant behavior. She tells him no apology is necessary, and that she loves him. Rick then reads Carl's letter to Michonne, which she had earlier offered to share with him.

The episode is notable for its focus on individual redemption and the search for meaning in a world that has been torn apart by war.

One of the most poignant moments in "Still Gotta Mean Something" is the reunion between Rick and Morgan, as they come to terms with their past and the choices they have made. Their interactions are filled with emotion and regret, highlighting the toll that the war has taken on their psyches. The episode also explores the theme of sacrifice, as characters must weigh the value of their own lives against the greater good of the group.

The episode's climax, with the reveal of Negan's capture by Jadis, sets the stage for the season's final showdown between Rick and Negan. This revelation adds a new layer of complexity to the conflict, as the survivors must now decide what to do with their captive enemy. Overall, "Still Gotta Mean Something" is a powerful and introspective episode that sets the stage for the season's dramatic conclusion.

This whole season has been a waste of time. Poor writing, bad acting. Such a shame.

For everything that this season hasn't been, I thought this episode made up for a whole lot of mistakes that the show has made, even if there was still some frustrating Rick moments in last night's arc.

The thing I loved about this episode was how well it broke down each focused character in a way we haven't seen in quite some time (or in some cases, ever). In Rick's case, it was him deciding to once again go against Carl's non-violent wishes, before finally sitting down and reading the letter he wrote his father. I'm not sure the last time I was as stunned as I was when Rick turned on the Saviors in the warehouse. The fact that he killed some of them in cold blood after they kept him alive was almost as bad as some of the things that Negan has done to the Alexandrians. It sure seems like they are bringing Rick and Negan's likability to around to the same level, almost as if to throw a wrench into everything we thought we knew about the last few years.

On that note, we finally heard why Negan calls his bat Lucille, which somewhat expectedly, is named after his dead wife. But it's not just that revelation, but the way he said it and the other worse he expressed to Jadis pleading for his life. I'm not saying Negan will ever be a character I can root for on this show, but there's no doubt that they are positioning him as a fully real human being with flaws, rather than a caricature as he sometimes was last year.

Carol and Morgan were also at the center of this episode as Morgan continued to go off the rails and Carol finally opened up a bit about Sophia, something we haven't heard her reference in long time. Both of which were well acted by Lennie James and Carol McBride respectively.

Overall, it wasn't an overly action-packed episode, but it may have been this season's most emotionally draining episode, save for maybe Carl's death episode. But these are the episodes I tend to gravitate towards more so than the tense action filled weeks.

8.6/10

Last night I watched another episode of The Walking Dead. That's all that is worth mentioning: unambiguously there are unexpected plot twists (for those who have not read comics), which capture, despite all the intricacies; comparable to the previous thirteen episodes, it is exactly the most saturated in terms of the plot and the characters involved; there are new intrigues, thanks to which you will eagerly wait for the long-awaited finale of the war with the Savior! To my surprise, this is one of the best episodes of the season! All in impatience, Rick the Prick! 9.2 out of 10

Season 8 of 'The Walking Dead' started off really badly and most of the first half was not good at all. It did pick up a little in some of the second half, with some episodes being good and showing signs that the show hadn't completely lost it. Overall though Season 8 is probably 'The Walking Dead's' worst season, with all the flaws of Season 7 present but worse and more flaws along the way. As someone who loved most of Seasons 1-6's episodes, that's disappointing indeed.

"Still Gotta Mean Something" by Season 8 standards is pretty good. It is very flawed and is nowhere near one of the best episodes of 'The Walking Dead', but it is so much better than all of the season's first half and in the high middle category ranking the second half of it and the season overall actually. Can totally see the praise that "Still Gotta Mean Something" has garnered from some here with there being a lot to like, while also understanding the criticisms and agreeing with a few respectfully.

It is a long way from being a perfect episode. It is an unevenly paced episode, with the first quarter with Jadis and Negan being too dragged out and long winded and the ending being on the hasty side.

Like many of the episodes from Season 8, "Still Gotta Mean Something" is a bit too talk heavy, some of the worst of it being with Negan which was in serious need of a trim. Some decision making is mind bogglingly dumb for reasons that are very vague, like with Morgan. Some of it goes round in circles and doesn't really build upon what is already known.

However, a lot is good about "Still Gotta Mean Something". Photography isn't disorganised or self-indulgant in the way that it was in some episodes of Season 8, such as the first three and strictly speaking most of the first half. The lighting has a foreboding atmosphere to it. The music similarly is suitably ominous and while the script is not perfect either it provokes thought, particularly in the more emotional moments. The direction has momentum while having enough breathing space.

The story has a good deal of dark tension with some well staged and often enthralling action in the middle. Conflicts are resolved, ones that were long overdue (both conflicts involving Henry for example), and the more emotional parts (so Rick's anguish and the reading of the letter) are genuinely heartfelt. The death is satisfying, it is not a cop out, abrupt or a cheap way to kill off someone unpopular. The acting is very good, particularly from Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James.

Overall, liked it a good deal while not loving it. 7/10.