As more men capitulate to Negan, Sasha and Maggie help us keep the faith.
If there’s one upside to the downfall of Rick, it’s been the proliferation of completely badass ladies more than willing to step into his shoes and lead the charge against Negan. This week’s venture into Hilltop gave us two for the price of one as we checked in with Sasha and Maggie and discovered alongside the two that there is still plenty to root for despite the dismal repression brought on by The Saviors.
There’s something about each appearance of Negan that despite Jeffery Dean Morgan’s charisma and exceptional acting skills makes it a draining and emotionally exhausting experience. Last week’s ninety minute episode was no exception to the rule, as the swaggering villain tore through Alexandria taking supplies and all of the weapons, while also publicly emasculating Rick.
As has been the formula this season, “Go-Getters” offered another sigh of relief by shifting gears and checking in with Maggie and offering small hints (or very big nods for fans of the comic) of how this season’s biggest asshole might potentially meet his downfall. While Negan might be a very one-dimensional antagonist, delivering the same speeches seventeen different ways and monologuing his way through each encounter with a quivering and increasingly frustrating Rick, there’s no doubt that watching him burn will be one of the most satisfying payoffs this show has to offer fans.
The majority of the episode is spent laying the table for Maggie, who is strangled with grief and searching for a new purpose in a landscape that has become unrecognizable. Sasha, no stranger to this herself, has appointed herself as a Charon of sorts, to steer her friend through the heartbreak and onto the other side. While Maggie is still thankfully pregnant, she’s still at risk and is advised to stay in the Hilltop, close to medical care, until she is full-term. While she isn’t entirely sure, Sasha convinces her that the two should stay. There’s only one problem: Gregory.
The cowering leader of the Hilltop flat out refuses to help the women, in part because he is too afraid of The Saviors and also because he is completely inept. When The Saviors decide to pull a nighttime prank and open the stronghold’s gates, allowing walkers to swarm in, goaded on by fires and loud music, Sasha and Maggie kick into action, joining forces with Jesus and eradicating the threat without any injuries. In return, Gregory offers the women rhubarb jam before nearly turning them over to Simon and The Saviors, who have swooped in for a surprise visit following their antics from the previous evening.
In some ways, the scene between Simon and Gregory felt like children playing dress up, with Simon not quite having the same bravado or threatening edge as his boss but still managing to be menacing enough. Once again, The Saviors have taken too much but this time we’re finally seeing the ripples of discontent swarm into something larger. After strong arming Gregory into allowing Sasha and Maggie to stay in the Hilltop, Jesus agrees to follow the convoy back to The Sanctuary, in order to help Sasha find out where Negan is. But Jesus is far from alone in his endeavor; as he swigs whisky in the back of a truck packed with good for Negan, Carl pops his head out and the two share a knowing look. A rebel alliance, and one deeply rooted in the comics, has been formed.
Carl, increasingly frustrated with his father’s subservience, has taken matters into his own hands. While he escorted Enid to the Hilltop in what seemed like a romantic gesture, he only did so because he thought Negan would be there. For both Jesus and Carl stowing away in the back of the convoy might seem incredibly foolish but it has helped rekindle the show’s fighting spark. Rick might not be up to a fight anymore, bogged down by too much loss and fear, but his spirit lives on in Carl and many of his followers who will only let Negan trample on them for so much longer. As Maggie tells Enid, things aren’t okay but they will be. For the sake of Daryl, the Hilltop and Alexandria, let’s hope she’s right.
Related Topics: Feminism
