Check out Josh’s recap of Season 7 Episode 11 of The Walking Dead, titled Hostiles and Calamities, as Eugene is inducted into Negan’s compound, and Dwight searches for his wife. Following the recap, we also share our thoughts on the episode.
- His thoughts on Hostiles and Calamities, Episode 711 of The Walking Dead
- Her thoughts on The Walking Dead, Season 7 Episode 11: Hostiles and Calamities
On this week’s episode of The Walking Dead, Negan and the Saviors are the focal point of the episode–specifically right after Daryl’s escape, and Eugene’s being brought back to their compound.
Discovering the man that Daryl killed, Negan becomes furious and has Dwight beaten and then locked up in the room where Daryl was being kept, as punishment for Daryl getting away. Just before this, Dwight had discovered the handwritten note Daryl had been given allowing for his escape, and discovers his wife might have something to do with Daryl’s escape. After some time, Negan talks to Dwight through the door, and asks if his wife had anything to do with Daryl’s disappearance, considering she seems to have disappeared as well, but Dwight, while remaining loyal to Negan, insists she didn’t have anything to do with the escape of Daryl, and also promises to find her. Negan seems good with this, and everything will be sorted out if he brings her back.
Dwight then gets stitched up by the doctor, and the doctor asks Dwight about his wife, and if he thought she would help Daryl. The doctor seems to be of the opinion that she would because she has a big heart. Dwight doesn’t want to hear it though.
So Dwight heads out, and finds what appears to be their old home. He sees that it is likely she has been around this place, even finding a letter which says that she basically doesn’t know if she can trust her own husband, and admits to releasing Daryl because Daryl reminded Dwight of who he used to be. He seems pretty conflicted about what to do, but eventually he heads back to the compound.
He gets his stitches checked with the doctor, and tells the doctor what happened to Sherry–that she ran from him into a pack of walkers. But it turns out this doctor visit was a ploy–we find out later that Dwight planted a portion of the note from his wife on the doctor, which incriminates the doctor in the idea of setting Daryl free.
So, Negan holds a meeting, and the doctor is brought to his trial/punishment. Negan gets his hot iron ready, and the doctor denies his involvement. Negan explains he has to believe Dwight’s story because Dwight knows that if his wife is found, then Dwight is a dead man. The doctor pleads more, but eventually, figuring he might get mercy, he admits to what he didn’t do. Negan then tosses the doctor in the furnace. By the way, Eugene had seen this execution, but Eugene has been busy this episode as well.
When Eugene had arrived, he had to witness some of Negan’s upset nature in the wake of Daryl’s disappearance, but Negan wants to know how smart Eugene is. Eugene starts off saying he is just a guy who reads a lot, but when this looks like it could go sideways with Negan, Eugene does what he does best, and returns to his story of how he is a highly intelligent doctor working on classified missions. Negan wants proof though, so he asks Eugene to help solve their guard problem–the walkers chained to the fence are rotting away. Eugene comes up with a solution that Negan not only thinks is smart but is, “bad-ass”. That solution is to pour molten metal on the walkers so their outsides are hardened, and hold themselves together better.
Eugene then fears the worst, but he is shown his room, and he is given a Ritz-Carlton room –or at least what would be the equivalent of one in a zombie apocalypse. His “guard” then offers him food, and so he orders some. Left alone in his room, he ponders his situation.
Then Eugene gets another reward–to spend some time with Negan’s wives. But Negan expressly says that there is a no-sex policy. So, Eugene does a man’s second favorite thing to do–plays some video games. The women then want to have a conversation with Eugene, so they ask about his “work”, but to avoid talking about that, Eugene decides that he will show them how to make a bomb.
After having a good time with the bomb, the women ask for Eugene’s help–Amber, the younger wife of Negan, wants to commit suicide, so they asks Eugene to come up with a way. Eugene is hesitant at first, but after some pleading, he agrees to help. Eugene needs some ingredients to do this though, so he visits the market in the compound. After being told off by the merchant, Eugene seems like he is going to run away with his tail between his legs, but then Eugene decides to gamble, and insist his new importance to the compound, and basically takes whatever he wants.
Then Eugene witnesses the doctor’s death, and realizes that he is likely the replacement doctor.
When the women come back for the poison, Eugene refuses to hand it over, having guessed that they actually intended it for Negan, and seemingly is enjoying his newfound status at his new home. The women threaten to rat out Eugene but Eugene knows that he would be believed over the women because Eugene is more valuable to the group.
Negan then pays a visit to Eugene. Eugene turns into a loyal puppy dog when Negan asks who he is, saying he is 100% Negan. In the morning, we see Eugene snacking on some pickles, as his plan to coat walkers is put into effect. Dwight then joins Eugene, and Eugene says that, “we are Negan”.
His Thoughts on The Walking Dead, Season 7 Episode 11: Hostiles and Calamities
So, Negan has been toned down, I feel like, since the last episode. Sure, he murdered the doctor, but given the viciousness we had seen in his past murders, tossing this guy into the furnace seemed like a toned down move. I think the show as a whole was toned down, as you would think this guy would be screaming as he is burned alive. It all felt pretty tame given the man was being burned alive.
I am curious to see how Dwight and Sherry’s story plays out though. It certainly will come up again, and I wonder if now is the time that Dwight betrays Negan. He already sort of has I guess, with framing the doctor and telling Negan that Sherry is dead. I don’t think his betrayal will stop here though.
As for Eugene, right now he seems to be switching to the dark side. I hope that this is just a play though, as it would be a terrible thing to do to his character–having him join Negan. Perhaps he thought that the women could not pull off the poisoning of Negan, so he decided the best bet would be to try to do it himself, once he was in the good grace of Negan. These girls would have better opportunities you think, but I guess we will have to see what happens in the upcoming episodes.
Her Thoughts on The Walking Dead, Season 7 Episode 11: Hostiles and Calamities
Another isolated storyline episode. Okay, so I guess we did need to see what was going on in Negan’s neck of the woods after Daryl’s escape and taking Eugene. Plus, technically there were two different storylines going on, a Eugene storyline and a Dwight storyline. Dwight has been getting quite a lot of screen time, which suggests that he is soon going to become important. In what way, though, is yet to be seen.
Eugene sure seems to be enjoying himself. But is it because he has actually accepted his fate, and is making the best of a bad situation, or is he playing Negan? On the one hand, it appears that he actually likes his new status. He seems to be ranked pretty high, and can get what he wants, and do what he wants to do — which are things that he wasn’t able to do when he was with Rick’s group. How long has it been since he played a video game? From what we’ve heard about him in the past, it seems like he was really into video games pre-zombie apocalypse. Plus, he is much more appreciated at Negan’s place than he ever was with Rick’s group, where he was just a cowering nobody, who was for the most part pretty useless, once his secret was revealed. Eugene is a survivor, who knows how to make up things in order to protect himself. We’ve seen this. He had Abraham and Rosita fooled for a very long time, as well as Rick’s group. Maybe that’s what he’s doing here since he doesn’t see any way out, protecting himself, and at least having a good time while doing it. On the other hand, he is smart, and could be playing the long game. Maybe he and Dwight will join forces against Negan.
Anyway, time to get back to Rick’s group and see what’s going on with their mission.
Scenes from The Walking Dead, Season 7 Episode 12: Say Yes
Preview of Season 7 Episode 12 of The Walking Dead
