It has been a few days since the Walking Dead finale and things have not calmed down. Fortunately the initial storm, disgruntled fans complaining about the cliffhanger, has died down and calmer heads prevailed.
To calm my anxiety, before the last two episodes, I started reading posts on spoiler sites and forums. Unlike me, lots of folks were relishing in the anticipation of some skullbashing.  Speculation galore on the victim, twisted minds coming to outlandish conclusions. Zombie babies killing for within, a pregnant woman beaten to death, two or more of Rick's people getting the bat, you name it. I find it mighty interesting to see those sadist minds at work. You know you don't want to be near those folks when the it's going down.
After the episode there seems to be, as with the US election, a generational divide going on. Older viewers complaining about millennial, and their need for instant gratification. Basically calling them bitchbabies to their face.
I though it was a great episode, was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and well, the cliffhanger, I take it, I can wait, 'cause I don't want anyone of them to die. Denial works for me.
And I wonder about the fire Gimple crowd, the people who got so angry and annoyed. As a writer I have my own perspective. It you read the comments on any development in tv-shows, books, comics, movies, you will find that lots of people are certain how these stories have to go. Their version for the most part, (sometimes they come to genius solutions), are black and white, quite blunt. Sometimes brutal. No shading, no space for ambiguity. Reading what they predict will happen, I always think, well, hope not! Seeing all the talented writers working in TV these days, mostly it won't. In those comments I see a distrust of fiction.  A reluctance in letting go, in being swept up.
In fiction, the writer, the maker, the show runner, the movie-director, has ALL the power. He/she/they will put you in a vulnerable position. You have to trust this person. Even if he/she/they will make you suffer, you have to trust that it will all work in the end. If you don't trust that person move on. Just like in relationship, move on, don't look back. You can't change another person, you can't change the writer.
Coming back to The Walking dead, in this instance, for people that pay attention, it must be hard. There's Kirkman, there are all different show runners, there is even AMC ( in some viewers minds) . Diluting the strong writers voice seems to make it weaker, so people attack. But in my opinion, it is not weak, these people know what they are doing. But if you don't believe that, run. You will otherwise question everything that comes out their mouths.
Regardless the quality, you will.

I have to admit, I worry about the people that watch The Walking Dead solely for the gore. I am not looking forward to this boundary pushing violent scene at the beginning of season 7. Also because it doesn't really matter. The gore in The Walking dead, is nothing compared to the violation of the spirit of these characters. The Walking dead is about the death of individuality. A sole person is nothing. Every right you have, now in our society, cease to exist in this apocalyptic world. The only way to build humanity up again is through connection. Strength in  numbers. Safety is only found when you ally yourself with others, the strongest tribe is the one that will bring hope. To the people within. The others are fucked. As it always was, as it always be. To arrive at a moment of real hope, extreme violence is the way to insure that your tribe will survive.
For me one of the most important scenes in last season was the most trivial one. It was the bickering about the pasta maker. The wolves where at the gates, Negan was out there, walkers were about to break through, and people worried about their pasta maker. That pasta maker is our civilization now. The comfort that we, the viewers, know. We are watching from that comfort. It is hard to get out of that mindset. We want it, it is our right. That episode aired around the time of the Paris attack. People were dead, it was horrific, and one of the commentaries going around was. We have the right to go out, drink, sit on our terraces, go to concerts. We will not let that go.
Offcourse not, that is our civilization. We arrived. We have everything. And we watch this show, where all that is gone. People have to learn again to start from scratch. Rick has to learn to do that. He cannot only be a leader, he has to learn how to build a civilization. And if history told us anything, civilization is build on war and scientific advancement.

In the series we are at that moment now. I don't think all hope is lost ( like the great analysis down implies), think about the Roman Empire. Those Roman bastards, oh yes they were, were also magnificent. Stronger than the rest. The only thing that an Roman boy learned was discipline and war. They fought, pillared, and killed so back home people could build an impressive civilization. Humanity comes after war. That is just how it is, winner takes all. (now let me say that I hate this, peace, love, and Duderism foreva, but, well reality really sucks.) So we may want Rick to be awesome, Michonne to slay, Carol to rule, Daryl to ride. But it doesn't mean shit.
And sure we can relish in this psychopathic glory that is Negan,  but don't kid yourself, That guy is smart enough to know how to get people to follow him. He and his Lucille would be nothing, if the violence he deals out is only of the physical kind.  Coming back to the gore, the most violent moment is not to come, that is just show, just like sending the lions in to eat a gladiator. The most violent moment is Rick's gang on their knees.  Death before dishonor. Well honor has flew the coop.



These is a great analysis of the show:





 Anyway, I wanted to talk about something else entirely...See that is what happens when you write...Anyway.
I am glad to see that immediately after the shitstrom, something else started to come out. The puzzle has begun! I am a sucker for a good mystery. (J.J.Abrahams once did a whole issue of WIRED about mysteries and puzzles, if you ever come across it, it's great.) It is great to be challenged, and it is even cooler to see how people react to a challenge.
Are you going to figure it out, or are you going to be a bitchbaby and keep crying?


Here are my favorite  'Who did Negan kill' mystery solvers of the week:



Mianell Nash on Facebook thinks it's Eugene:


Kristen M Miller on Twitter is just confused ( this had me laughing really hard, it's so me.)

Larryisreal on Twitter is studying the trees and thinks Abraham:




I could go on and on. There are tons of theories out there. I like this one:

Mine?

I am sure it is not Daryl. Dwight shot him in the arm to save his life, so Negan won't kill him. You see his head in the van. So it is not his POV. He would not get up after one blow.
I don't think it's Glenn, Negan looks to the left and right of the victim.
It is not Rick or Carl. Rick, well, come on. Carl: 'Don't let me kill the future serial killer, don't make it easy on me.' He wears a hat, etc. And Carl is THE MAN. he will be still standing at the end.

That leaves a lot of people. Less sure: Maggie. she looks awful, too weak to get up after one blow, too gruesome, and there is still the whole pregnancy cliffhanger to solve, will she have a baby or not.

Now for the rest: Sasha, Abe, Aaron, Eugene, Michonne and Rosita, here it becomes just speculation. I like the theory of the POV. It's your last day on earth, so we see what you see. First in the van, than Negan. We have still Rosita and Michonne there.
Killing Rosita, I just don't see it. Comic book people say Negan doesn' t kill women, but they change things. But Rosita, deserves to grow into her own, and the optics feel wrong.
Michonne, well that is the kicker. My stomach hurts just writing it. If it somebody from the van, it's her. Strong, defiant. Did you see her face? No fear. Love her. Would be absolutely devastating.
If the POV is just a coincidence ( hard to think really) We have:
Aaron. They made a great deal about him coming along. But I don't know, after killing Denise, killing another gay character, how cynical this sounds, I don't think they would do that.
That leaves Eugene, Sasha  and Abe.
All three seem likely. They closed their story lines in some ways. Eugene gave away his recipe for the bullets. Eugene is crucial for their survival in the long run, being the 'scientist'. But Negan looks left and right of the victim. Eugen is at the one end.
Sasha, that is a hard one. I cannot find a reason why not. Only the Negan kills no woman rule. Only that I don't get the feeling that she would be noticed. She has that quality, being quiet, stoic, I don't know, I don't think that Negan would think she is the best one.
Abe, well the only thing Abe has going for him, is his defiance of Negan. Negan seems to like a challenge, he seems to respect Carl. But he said he choose the best one, and in that moment it is Abe.
Michonne of Abe, one of these two.
But they are all alive in my head.
MPEr on twitter said it best: