The Walking Dead 815: Five to watch and one to watch out for

As Season 8 of The Walking Dead comes to a close, battle lines for “All Out War” have been drawn as each side prepares for the end…and a new beginning.

Since the mid-season return of The Walking Dead, a relentless cycle of violence has escalated the war to its current boiling point. Negan is ready to wipe Hilltop off the map as Rick reflects on the promise he made to his son. There is no ambiguity, the war ends. How it ends and with the help of what (or who) remains in the hands of a few key players, uniquely positioned to make a big difference at the right moment.

Here are this week’s five to watch and one to watch out for:

5. Eugene

For those holding on to hope that Eugene has been running a long con against the Saviors, this week’s episode, “Worth”, was not encouraging. Since being assigned to the bullet factory, Eugene has appeared to enjoy spoils of being “Negan”. While this may be disconcerting, it is important to remember that Eugene is smarter than everyone. That is his unique survival skill and regardless of what side he is on, he is currently in full survival mode.

Consider the fact that Eugene masterfully played the role of “Eugene Porter: Scientist” for months until later admitting that he lied and was no such thing. Now on the Saviors’ payroll, Eugene plays the role of lieutenant, bullet maker and “Negan”. When he was kidnapped by Daryl and Rosita, he expressed frustration and anger at their tactics and blamed Rick for the current state of affairs. While this does not sound like someone eager to share intelligence and hand victory to the people who once protected him, “Eugene Porter: Savior” might sound like that.

In order to outsmart Negan, Eugene would need to appear unimpeachably loyal to everyone, including his former friends. Vomiting on Rosita to escape was almost as desperate as hiding under a pile of human ash. Could an unattended “secret agenda” be what he was so anxious to get back to?

The greater likelihood is that he will simply do what he needs to do to survive by serving the institution that best protects him. If this is the case, we should have serious concerns about casualties.

Eugene seems determined to make a lot of bullets now.

4. Dwight

As speculated in last week’s “Five to Watch“, Laura was Negan’s mystery passenger and she really did ruin Dwight’s day. Negan’s punishment of Simon ended up being part of a bigger misdirection to entrap Dwight, expose him as the mole, and lure the Hilltop community into an ambush. The penalty for Dwight is not death, at least not yet, and while the time to act appears to have passed, Dwight may not be finished. Simon had sympathizers, Dwight may find that he has some too. Negan is taking a page from Simon’s playbook by pledging to kill every last Hilltop resident and this may not sit well with everyone.

Armed with physical and emotional scars, Dwight has his own very personal score to settle with Negan, but he appears to be heading for “Easy Street” to now. He is going to need some sort of intervention if he’s going to make a move but it seems unlikely that he’s going to sit in a cell for long.

3. Maggie

The final battle is closing in and Maggie remains a force to be reckoned with. While other leaders were leading assaults on Savior compounds, Maggie was preparing Hilltop’s residents for war. She has already repelled one major offensive and if there is to going be a last stand for the alliance, Hilltop is on the front line.

Hilltop has harbored both the friendly and the hostile and Maggie made it work. In fact, the future Carl longed for is actually not too distant from the reality Maggie has already been cultivating. While newcomers like Siddiq are being welcomed, former Saviors have also become new residents who are contributing to the community. Maggie’s Hilltop is a young, model township that stands in striking contrast to Negan’s bleak Sanctuary. Thanks to her strategic leadership, Hilltop’s citizen army is also strong, loyal and ready to end this.

2. Negan

Negan returned to the Saviors’ compound to clean house. And, as power plays go, it doesn’t get much better than a 3-for-1. Negan made fools out of both Simon and Dwight with a series of misleading tête-à-têtes, and all while he was using Dwight to set a trap for Rick. Even more impressive, Negan let Simon make his own case to lead in front of his fellow Saviors, and then let him fight him for his job. Unsurprisingly, Simon is now snarling along the fence in front of the compound, and Negan is firmly back in charge of the group. And he’s fired up. A day earlier he had been facing death as Jadis’ prisoner and now he’s preparing an attack to wipe out the once-valuable human resources behind Hilltop’s walls.

Negan has been through a lot lately, and it appears that he is finally fed up. Michonne made an effort to ratchet things down by reading Carl’s letter to him over the radio, but Negan isn’t interested in talking anymore. Next stop is Hilltop and there are to be no survivors.

1. Rick

Without question, Rick has been seriously unstable since Carl’s death. The events of “Worth” however, could represent a critical turning point for him. It’s not unusual to see Rick go on unhinged misadventures after a traumatic event. And historically, he rebounds only to come back stronger. Unfortunately, Negan won’t be negotiating and things are going to get worse before they get better.

Bringing the war to a peaceful end will be Rick’s biggest test yet. Negan was barely able to escape Rick’s one-man-ambush the last time they met. In order to fulfill Carl’s wishes, Rick will need to resist killing him and find another way to win. He has risen to this type of challenge before though, and “overcoming” is one of Rick Grimes’ survival specialties.

One to watch out for: Cyndie

After a few failed attempts to recruit the community of Oceanside to the alliance, Aaron may have finally made a breakthrough. Before collapsing from spending days in the woods without food or water, he delivered an impassioned plea to Cyndie. The message: Oceanside is not safe as long as the Saviors exist. Oceanside’s new leader Cyndie is now left to decide what to do about Aaron, and whether or not to do anything at all about the Saviors.

Perhaps Cyndie could be persuaded to join the alliance in a bid to better secure Oceanside. On the other hand, Aaron’s presence serves as a reminder that Enid shot and killed Natania, and that certainly won’t be easy to overlook.

In a war where resources are spread so thin, reinforcements could mean everything. Cyndie’s decision could have a big impact in “All Out War” and that makes her one to watch out for.

Next: Fear the Walking Dead: Characters still missing from season 4 promos

Who will have the power to change the world next week?

Watch the Season 8 finale episode, “Wrath” on AMC Sunday at 9 PM EDT to find out!