They won't wrap up Negan in the only season he's really featured in, I'm expecting that something happens to the saviours that puts them on to the back foot and unites the allied communities to act but I think season 8 will be all out war. The only thing I can think of in episode 16 would be if the garbage pail kids with their newly gifted guns prematurely attack the Saviours for some reason and Negan finds out which lovable sheriff gave them the guns.

Team Rick and the other communities definitely need a win... would be a very frustrating season if it all goes downhill again... I think you are right and they´ll keep the war for season 8 ... but I hope they give us a moment of victory somehow...

And I hope they don´t do the Gouverneur thing again and let the villain rise from the ashes - if Negan is defeated on day.

@Master_YODA said:

Team Rick and the other communities definitely need a win... would be a very frustrating season if it all goes downhill again... I think you are right and they´ll keep the war for season 8 ... but I hope they give us a moment of victory somehow...

And I hope they don´t do the Gouverneur thing again and let the villain rise from the ashes - if Negan is defeated on day.

Negan apparently knows that Rick is planning something. Either that, or he said it to Sasha just to test her reaction and now he really does know. Either way the Saviors are coming to Alexandria. From what we saw in the preview it looks like they were setting up ambushes and roadblocks to slow the Savior convoy down while they prepared their defenses. Maybe they'll get Jadis and the garbage dwellers to deploy for a surprise outside attack after Negan's forces engage and are focused on the people shooting back from inside the walls. Yes, I hope we get to see the first battle and the Saviors suffer their first real defeat. It would be very annoying if the fighting started right at the end ... To Be Continued, roll credits.

Going by previous fights with other groups their big war will likely start on episode 16 and end next season on episode 1. AMC is too cheap to pay for all those gun battle, pyrotechnic effects for more than one or two episodes.

I'm kind of irritated about this season in general. Don't call it "All Out War" if you're only going to show the work up to the battle. The pacing this season is so slow and all the storylines seem very muddled. They're trying to cram too much shit together while disregarding actual important parts. I was SO excited for this season-like wouldn't shut up to anyone who would listen-and overall I'm disappointed. The premiere was fantastic and I love Carl going to the Sanctuary (even though it had a lot more impact in the comics with him as an 8 year old), but those are really the only memorable parts for me. The rest is just kind of a mess. I'll continue to watch if they continue to make the show but I reserve the right to bitch about it.

@Dreamfever said:

I'm kind of irritated about this season in general. Don't call it "All Out War" if you're only going to show the work up to the battle. The pacing this season is so slow and all the storylines seem very muddled. They're trying to cram too much shit together while disregarding actual important parts. I was SO excited for this season-like wouldn't shut up to anyone who would listen-and overall I'm disappointed. The premiere was fantastic and I love Carl going to the Sanctuary (even though it had a lot more impact in the comics with him as an 8 year old), but those are really the only memorable parts for me. The rest is just kind of a mess. I'll continue to watch if they continue to make the show but I reserve the right to bitch about it.

They dropped the ball with this season by not being ambitious enough. Going from Alexandria being subjugated to the beginning of the All-Out War just is not enough story to support an entire 16 episode run. Not without lots of filler. Which is unfortunately what we got. Every episode had its moments, some really good scenes and first rate acting, but there was too much other crap in between that seemed to serve no purpose except burning up time. Two or three of these episodes could've been combined, with only the best material from each, and you'd have one well-paced hour instead of three that dragged. Where we are right now going into the season finale is where we should've been going into the mid-season finale. The second half of season 7 should have been the war. Saving most of it for season 8 was a bad call imo. Hopefully next year they'll put several important plot milestones on the agenda instead of just one. As I wrote in another thread, I personally would like to see more of the world and find out what's been going on elsewhere. An explanation for the zombie plague would be nice too, assuming Kirkman thought one up, and some hope for a final solution.

@chrisjdel you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Well put, I certainly couldn't have summed it up like that.

I think seeing more of the world would be pretty well received, especially since this season everything is getting so stale. It'd be a hell of a lot more interesting than watching Carl and Enid. I think I was so amped up for this season because I thought there would be a lot more change after the premiere. It definitely feels more bleak than ever, but bleak after bleak after bleak isn't just monotonous it's supremely frustrating. This show has some great characters and buckets of compelling story to work with so I'm not sure why they decided this was the way to go. It's sad to see something with such potential just wither away and die.

@Dreamfever said:

@chrisjdel you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Well put, I certainly couldn't have summed it up like that.

I think seeing more of the world would be pretty well received, especially since this season everything is getting so stale. It'd be a hell of a lot more interesting than watching Carl and Enid. I think I was so amped up for this season because I thought there would be a lot more change after the premiere. It definitely feels more bleak than ever, but bleak after bleak after bleak isn't just monotonous it's supremely frustrating. This show has some great characters and buckets of compelling story to work with so I'm not sure why they decided this was the way to go. It's sad to see something with such potential just wither away and die.

I don't think it will. At some point the writers have to realize comics and television are very different mediums, and being tied to the comic storyline is seriously holding them back. They should consider a total break with it. Write the story from here on as pure serialized television and feel free to go places the comic never has (and probably never will). Robert Kirkman himself said something to the effect that the TV and comic stories were like parallel worlds. So be it.

Yeah, aside from Maggie and Glenn this show has never been that good with romance. Carl and Enid aren't too believable as a couple, you can tell the actors like each other as friends but that's about it. Likewise with Rick and Michonne. They have good chemistry as friends but not as lovers. Not a big problem on TWD though. Love lives and personal drama aren't what the audience tunes in to see. The minimal lip service paid to those things is just fine. It's a combination of action, suspense, shockingly graphic violence, and the struggles of people to live and retain their sanity through this whole nightmare situation, that makes TWD unique. The writers have started to forget that and the show has suffered.

@chrisjdel said:

@Dreamfever said:

@chrisjdel you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Well put, I certainly couldn't have summed it up like that.

I think seeing more of the world would be pretty well received, especially since this season everything is getting so stale. It'd be a hell of a lot more interesting than watching Carl and Enid. I think I was so amped up for this season because I thought there would be a lot more change after the premiere. It definitely feels more bleak than ever, but bleak after bleak after bleak isn't just monotonous it's supremely frustrating. This show has some great characters and buckets of compelling story to work with so I'm not sure why they decided this was the way to go. It's sad to see something with such potential just wither away and die.

I don't think it will. At some point the writers have to realize comics and television are very different mediums, and being tied to the comic storyline is seriously holding them back. They should consider a total break with it. Write the story from here on as pure serialized television and feel free to go places the comic never has (and probably never will). Robert Kirkman himself said something to the effect that the TV and comic stories were like parallel worlds. So be it.

Yeah, aside from Maggie and Glenn this show has never been that good with romance. Carl and Enid aren't too believable as a couple, you can tell the actors like each other as friends but that's about it. Likewise with Rick and Michonne. They have good chemistry as friends but not as lovers. Not a big problem on TWD though. Love lives and personal drama aren't what the audience tunes in to see. The minimal lip service paid to those things is just fine. It's a combination of action, suspense, shockingly graphic violence, and the struggles of people to live and retain their sanity through this whole nightmare situation, that makes TWD unique. The writers have started to forget that and the show has suffered.

I would fully support a total break...after they do the Whisperers storyline, of course! I'm pretty sure that means nothing to you though because you've touched on some points in other threads that DO end up happening. I wasn't sure how to respond to your comments without giving out spoilers so I just kept my mouth shut. But the arc that follows the war is pretty damn good IMO. But some things don't transfer well to the screen and if they can't do it well I would rather they not do it at all.

What you and some others came up with in another thread would be BRILLIANT storylines, I would just love to see them come to life.

I love Michonne's character. Comic Michonne was terrible IMO, I'm very glad they didn't go that route. But yes, I'm really not buying them as a serious couple either. Coral and Enid just bore me to death. It amazes me how some characters they get SO right, and others they do absolutely nothing with. This show is rife with missed opportunities. Tara, Enid and Carl do nothing for me and I don't think it's the fault of the actors. Which is a shame, because in the comics Carl was a little badass. Your point about life drama and romance are spot on; Glenn and Maggie's relationship was really well done IMO, but this show shouldn't relate to ships in the way most dramas do. Different world.

@Master_YODA said:

from the Promo I sense a big cliffhanger coming - without the "all out war" on Negan or maybe they just didn´t want to give it away.

But I don´t expect closure to the Negan story line... I have a feeling it will go bad - very very bad and zapp we have to wait 6 months.

I doubt they will close out Negan this season. next season will be All Out War.

@Master_YODA said:

from the Promo I sense a big cliffhanger coming - without the "all out war" on Negan or maybe they just didn´t want to give it away.

But I don´t expect closure to the Negan story line... I have a feeling it will go bad - very very bad and zapp we have to wait 6 months.

It will go bad, it almost has to. As you said, there has to be a cliffhanger.

@chrisjdel said:

@Master_YODA said:

Team Rick and the other communities definitely need a win... would be a very frustrating season if it all goes downhill again... I think you are right and they´ll keep the war for season 8 ... but I hope they give us a moment of victory somehow...

And I hope they don´t do the Gouverneur thing again and let the villain rise from the ashes - if Negan is defeated on day.

Negan apparently knows that Rick is planning something. Either that, or he said it to Sasha just to test her reaction and now he really does know. Either way the Saviors are coming to Alexandria. From what we saw in the preview it looks like they were setting up ambushes and roadblocks to slow the Savior convoy down while they prepared their defenses. Maybe they'll get Jadis and the garbage dwellers to deploy for a surprise outside attack after Negan's forces engage and are focused on the people shooting back from inside the walls. Yes, I hope we get to see the first battle and the Saviors suffer their first real defeat. It would be very annoying if the fighting started right at the end ... To Be Continued, roll credits.

He knows Rick and Co are coming for sure.

@chrisjdel said:

@Dreamfever said:

I'm kind of irritated about this season in general. Don't call it "All Out War" if you're only going to show the work up to the battle. The pacing this season is so slow and all the storylines seem very muddled. They're trying to cram too much shit together while disregarding actual important parts. I was SO excited for this season-like wouldn't shut up to anyone who would listen-and overall I'm disappointed. The premiere was fantastic and I love Carl going to the Sanctuary (even though it had a lot more impact in the comics with him as an 8 year old), but those are really the only memorable parts for me. The rest is just kind of a mess. I'll continue to watch if they continue to make the show but I reserve the right to bitch about it.

They dropped the ball with this season by not being ambitious enough. Going from Alexandria being subjugated to the beginning of the All-Out War just is not enough story to support an entire 16 episode run. Not without lots of filler. Which is unfortunately what we got. Every episode had its moments, some really good scenes and first rate acting, but there was too much other crap in between that seemed to serve no purpose except burning up time. Two or three of these episodes could've been combined, with only the best material from each, and you'd have one well-paced hour instead of three that dragged. Where we are right now going into the season finale is where we should've been going into the mid-season finale. The second half of season 7 should have been the war. Saving most of it for season 8 was a bad call imo. Hopefully next year they'll put several important plot milestones on the agenda instead of just one. As I wrote in another thread, I personally would like to see more of the world and find out what's been going on elsewhere. An explanation for the zombie plague would be nice too, assuming Kirkman thought one up, and some hope for a final solution.

You are so right about pacing and cramming stuff only to stretch out stuff to cover the season length. I feel so manipulated by Gimple the pimple.

@Dreamfever said:

@chrisjdel you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Well put, I certainly couldn't have summed it up like that.

I think seeing more of the world would be pretty well received, especially since this season everything is getting so stale. It'd be a hell of a lot more interesting than watching Carl and Enid. I think I was so amped up for this season because I thought there would be a lot more change after the premiere. It definitely feels more bleak than ever, but bleak after bleak after bleak isn't just monotonous it's supremely frustrating. This show has some great characters and buckets of compelling story to work with so I'm not sure why they decided this was the way to go. It's sad to see something with such potential just wither away and die.

They decided to go this way because TPTB think they can make this show last another 10+ seasons! Maybe they can , but they are going to continue to lose viewership and probably the actors. What is being written for Andrew Lincoln now is crap and nothing like the early seasons. I always say that if Andy goes, I will too!