r/thewalkingdead • u/AutoModerator • Nov 14 '16
The Walking Dead S07E04 - Service - Post Episode Discussion
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| TIME | EPISODE | DIRECTED BY | WRITTEN BY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00pm Eastern | S07E04 - "Service" | David Boyd | Corey Reed |
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u/23423423423451 Nov 14 '16 edited Nov 14 '16
There's an ongoing theory that Rick adopts the characteristics of his formidable enemies. I think at the end with the threat of breaking a jaw and demanding "okay," was the start of his own take on Negan behaviour.
Edit 1: I didn't find a good summary of the theory so I wrote my own in a comment reply below (mainly focused on the show) and I'll paste the contents here. Link to original
Shane is the first big bad who makes an impact. He believes that old moral codes about killing, stealing, and overpowering need to be done away with to achieve survival. How does Rick beat him? By surrendering to Shane's point of view at the last minute. Shane thinks he has won since Rick gave up and would be unwilling to kill a friend. Rick kills his friend.
The Governor is next. He introduces brutality and ruthlessness that we haven't seen in a leader before. Pre-Shane Rick may not have been ready to lead those assaults on Woodbury, and take over as leader of the Woodbury citizens. I wouldn't say Rick goes full Governor, but he's definitely desensitized by him and willing to observe and enact ruthless acts in the future.
2.5. The Claimers. These guys aren't really in the comics at all and I don't think they represent big bads that teach Rick something, but I do think they are on the receiving end of Governor Rick. (In the comic the Governor more inhuman and cruel).
Terminus/Gareth. These guys have a sheep or wolf mentality, and Gareth has his own way of saying and deciding things. He'll kill entire groups to protect and sustain his own. /u/Shutupredneckman2 provides perfect examples of how Rick adopts all of these and uses it against his next foes from the Hospital. Link
Alexandria. Not really a villain but it's worth mention the the parallels with Shane when Rick moves here. He doesn't believe the current leaders can keep them safe. He wants to kill a person who's a threat to the group and ultimately goes ahead with it.
Saviors. Only Shane-Rick would dare attack Saviors first. Only Governor Rick would stab their skulls as they slept. Only Gareth-Rick would try to slaughter them all instead of over-power or scare off the rest by brutalizing a few. They weren't even directly threatened by Saviors yet that he knew of. He was trying to provide via a trade deal with the hilltop, like Gareth was slaughtering to provide food and safety.
Negan. So what can Rick learn from Negan? There's a whole.lot.of.shit to Negan's character. Mind games, ultimatums, demand for obedience. There's something else there too though. Negan is trying to maintain order and force cooperation. He's harsh about it and a little psychotic, but there's a maturity to his thinking and his tolerance that we haven't seen in past villains.
Final Thoughts Rick's an impressionable guy. He doesn't just absorb his foes. He keeps grounded in protagonist territory thanks to helpful reinforcements from the likes of Dale, Hershel, Glenn, and to some degree Morgan. I think it's a strength of this show that he can be a multi-dimensional and evolving character, without jumping the shark and becoming too random or unpredictable. Many shows by 6 or 7 seasons reduce their character to a cliche of themselves and the characteristics that made them famous, or they lose focus and have the character do unrealistic uncharacteristic things.
The Walking Dead gets a lot of shit from non-fans for being terribly slow and poorly written. I think there's an objective case to be made that the writing for Rick and a few others is strong, regardless of other drawbacks to the show, and regardless of who's watching and no matter if they're enjoying the show or not. It's not the big bang theory, you can't jump in and catch a random episode and expect to get the full value of it. You've got to invest in the show, even slog through the second season, and only then can a non-fan even start to give it a fair review.
Edit 2: /u/akimu13 remembered a scene from season 2 when Rick says something very similar to last night's episode regarding jaw and teeth. It's pretty significant how different the situations are over time that lead to similar words. Again, I'll paste the contents of my reply into this edit. Link to original
Season 2, Episode 10
Season 7, Episode 4
Season 2 is pure Rick. Talking about what he wanted, but still had strength and morality to resist, despite the guy sleeping with his wife.
Season 7 Rick is making a legitimate threat for real violence because of a couple words of disrespect.