At this point, the show has written the Saviors as an unstoppable force, capable of doing anything to anyone. As a group of adversaries, they don't have any other moves there's very little that's appealing or interesting about them as villains beyond their leader's willingness to kill well-liked characters from the show. The Walking Dead has shown the Saviors' routine so many times its beyond redundant. It's the sort of shift that, when boxed up in an episode like 'Go Getters' – that jumps around between characters and locations more than any other episode so far this season – is welcome, as it affords the hour a different kind of tension. There is a conflict brewing that hints at Gregory's unsuitability as a leader and the woman who would make for an obvious successor. He also creates a potentially interesting conflict that goes beyond Negan versus the expanded world of The Walking Dead. Burdened by his frustrations at being subjugated by the Saviors, and in Alexandria's inability to neutralize the aggressors, as was their lofty claim, Berkeley makes for a pitiable villain. Xander Berkeley's performance as a callow leader is one of the more enjoyable aspects of the hour. While Rick has shifted to trembling enfeeblement with just a hint of seething rage, and Ezekiel presents himself as an odd voice of reason in a volatile situation, Gregory has become the living embodiment of that shared sense of desperation. In that sense, there is also a layer of commonality between The Kingdom, Alexandria, and Hilltop: desperation. But with the trip to The Kingdom already in the rearview, shifting the focus to Gregory, Jesus, and Maggie helps paint a more interesting picture of just how dissimilar these various communities are, primarily through the individual they have chosen as their leader. It is another Walking Dead version of a palate cleanser in the wake of spending time with Negan. That's where Hilltop community comes in with 'Go Getters'. And sure, things are probably going to get worse before they get better – though asking how much worse things can get on The Walking Dead might be moot at this point – but what's important for the moment is the availability of those disparate locales. It demonstrated that, if it wanted to, The Walking Dead could use its increasingly disparate locales to further a more positive narrative. That shift had more to offer than a kooky new character with a big cat, or the continuation of Carol and Morgan's storylines. So far in season 7 the most compelling evidence of this was the second episode's shift away from a nihilistic fetishizing of heads pounded into goo towards the introduction and exploration of Ezekiel – a sane man with who knows the importance of appearing the opposite. has no other choice but to shift its attention to something larger than itself. Still, there is increasing evidence that the ongoing adventures of Rick and Co. While the show seems reluctant at times to really explore that notion, especially when it dedicates an unnecessarily long episode to underlining what the audience already knows: that the big bad bully with a baseball bat fetish is a big bad bully with a baseball bat fetish.
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