‘Walking Dead': Is Negan Planning Something at Hilltop?
We think Negan is not just gonna sit by while Alpha and the Whisperers kill everybody
Phil Owen | March 8, 2020 @ 7:07 PM
Last Updated: March 8, 2020 @ 8:07 PM
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(We’ve got major spoilers ahead for the March 8 episode of “The Walking Dead” on AMC)
Well, here we are at last. I had expected that the whole Whisperer plotline would come to a conclusion this season, and I think we’re right on schedule with the Whisperers attacking Hilltop this week. The war is here, and things are about to get really crazy.
But I have no idea how this whole thing is going to play out, because we’re pretty far off-book at the moment. In the comics, as I previously discussed here, the war between the Whisperers and the various communities doesn’t begin until after Negan murders Alpha and runs off with her head. Obviously, Alpha is still alive even though the war has already started on the TV version of “The Walking Dead.”
This change isn’t incredibly surprising, what with Samantha Morton, who plays Alpha, being the best actor who has ever been on this show. It was inevitable that showrunner Angela Kang and the writing staff would not want to give her a death as anti-climactic as the one in the comic book.
So this week a large chunk of the main characters all end up at Hilltop, including everybody who made it out of that cave-in in the mid-season premiere two weeks ago. And not longer after, the Whisperers show up with at least part of their zombie horde.
As the big battle approached, it seemed like “The Walking Dead” was about to suffer its first major character death of the new year, but the episode ended with a cliffhanger. The folks at Hilltop had set up a series of defenses, but the Whisperers beat through them pretty easily thanks to a series of sap bombs that they chucked at the Hilltop’s line — and then shooting fiery arrows at them.
The deluge of arrows left the Hilltoppers trapped in a ring of fire, and that’s how the episode ended. This is quite a pickle for all these folks, but I think this is not going to do the way Alpha wants it to go. Earlier in the episode, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) had been whispering in Alpha’s ear about how she shouldn’t simply kill the enemies of the Whisperers — she should take them, and convert them to the Whisperer way.
This is, I think, Negan making a good faith attempt at saving lives. I think he really does not want to get back in the business of mass murder. Having Negan really just go along with the Whisperers would be a huge thematic break from the comics by essentially abandoning his redemption arc. So I think Negan is about to pull a fast one on Alpha and the rest of the Whisperers.
Near the end of the episode, as the Whisperers get those fire arrows cranking, Negan protests a little bit, telling Alpha that he thought she was going to force the Hilltoppers to join up. And Alpha just replies, “I will. As part of my horde.”
Negan flashes that familiar smile and calls her a badass, but I think we’re just a week away from Negan finally making his move against Alpha.
At this moment, it sure does look like the Hilltop defenders are in a situation they can’t get out of without outside help. But, unfortunately for them, they did not call for help, and so no one is coming. Negan is there, and he is not in favor of everybody getting murdered. And I just cannot help but assume that the creatives behind “The Walking Dead” are going to have him stay true to his redemption story from the comics by betraying Alpha.
With Hilltop in dire straits, there sure doesn’t appear to be much time left for him to make a move before Negan won’t be able to help. So it has to be soon.
But it may not be in next week’s episode. In the comics, once the war starts the Whisperers assault both the Hilltop and Alexandria at the same time, and I think that’s also the case on the show since we didn’t see Beta (Ryan Hurst) with the Whisperers at Hilltop. There’s a good chance that next week’s episode will be focused on that attack exclusively, with “The Walking Dead” following up on the battle at Hilltop in two weeks.
We’ll find out soon.
'The Walking Dead': The Most Shocking and Disturbing Deaths So Far
SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.
When Andrea's sister Amy ( Emma Bell) died in season 1, it proved that no one was safe.
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The death of Jim (Andrew Rothenberg) in season 1 showed the characters how to treat a bitten person for the first time.
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Sophia (Madison Lintz) was beloved by all, but Rick did not hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger when she became a walker.
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Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) was the moral compass of the group, but died in the midst of the discussion around executing their prisoner, Randall.
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Shane (Jon Bernthal) was ready to kill Rick, but Rick acted first, proving himself to be a fearless leader.
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T-Dog (IronE Singleton) gave his life to save Carol from walkers when the group tried to take the prison.
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Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) died during childbirth, prompting Carl to shoot her in the head to prevent her reanimation.
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Merle (Michael Rooker) proved he was a good man by giving his life in an attempt to stop The Governor.
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Andrea (Laurie Holden) failed to see The Governor for what he was and paid the ultimate price.
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Hershel (Scott Wilson) wanted peace, but The Governor took his head to prove a point to Rick.
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Tyrese (Chad Coleman) let his guard down for a just a moment, but long enough to get bitten by a walker.
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Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) killed her sister Mika (Kyla Kenedy) before Carol shot Lizzie in the back of the head.
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Beth (Emily Kinney) died protecting Noah from Dawn (Christine Woods), forcing Daryl to shoot Dawn in the head.
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Noah (Tyler James Williams) endured one of the most gruesome deaths in "Walking Dead" history thanks to Nicholas.
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Jessie (Alexandra Breckenridge), Ron (Austin Abrams) and Sam (Major Dodson) all died within seconds of each other. Sam got eaten when the horde invaded Alexandria. Jessie died as she tried to save him. Ron then attempted to kill Rick, but got stabbed by Michonne and was subsequently eaten.
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Abraham (Michael Cuditz) was the one we had to wait six months to see murdered by Negan. He, of course, got his head beaten in with Negan's barbwire-wrapped baseball bat, Lucille.
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But Abraham wasn't Negan's only victim that night. After Daryl punched Negan, Negan decided he had to make another example out of someone in the group -- and he chose Glenn.
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Spencer (Austin Nichols) thought he could use Negan to kill Rick in order to assume control of Alexandria. But Negan had other plans, gutting Spencer in full view of everyone in the community
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Olivia (Ann Mahoney) suffered plenty of indignities at Negan's hands, and he eventually repaid her by having her shot
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Ole Dr. Carson made a critical error by saying mean things about Sherry to Dwight over and over again. So Dwight framed the good doctor for helping Daryl escape from the Saviors -- and Negan threw him into the furnace for it.
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When King Ezekiel's crew was short one cantaloupe in its tribute for Negan's Saviors, Benjamin was shot in the leg as punishment. Unfortunately, the shot hit an artery, and young Ben bled out.
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It turned out that Richard had tossed one of the cantaloupes because he wanted to start a war between the Kingdom and Saviors -- and he thought they would kill him for being short. They shot Ben instead, but Morgan strangled Richard the next day after Richard confessed.
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Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) used Eugene's suicide pills to kill herself while she was theatrically locked in a casket because of some ridiculous thing Negan was doing. When Negan opened the casket she popped out as a walker and saved Rick and the residents of Alexandria in a clutch moment.
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Morales (Juan Gabriel Pareja) returned in season 8 after having been gone since season 1, but that return was short-lived. About ten minutes in show time after Morales, his family dead and now a member of the Saviors, showed up he got shot my Daryl.
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Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) got shot during the Alexandrians' battle against the Saviors, and then bled out and turned into a walker after a tearful goodbye scene with his boyfriend Aaron (Ross Marquand).
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Shiva the tiger bit the dust while saving Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry from a bunch of walkers in Season 8. There were just too many and they swarmed and ate her.
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Carl died in the season 8 mid-season premiere after suffering a zombie bite in the first half of the season.
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Gregory got his long overdue death when he was executed by hanging for trying to murder Maggie in the season 9 premiere.
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Jesus was killed when he tried to decapitate a zombie only to discover that zombie was actually a living man disguised as one -- this was Alexandria and Hilltop's first real contact with the Whisperers.
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TheWrap looks back at those who have fallen victim to the zombie scourge–and other humans–over nine seasons
SPOILERS AHEAD. "The Walking Dead" has never been shy about showing lots of gore and death, but some characters' demises hit harder than others. Look back on some of the most gut-wrenching kills from the hit AMC series.