Focus, Man, Focus

[trickykitty]

So I've read some of the reviews, and they seem to be focusing on stale writing and predictable plots.

My issue with the finale is more simple. The focus was on Abraham's and Glenn's eulogies, instead of on the impending fight.

I was cool with flashing to Sasha in the (unknown) coffin at the start of each show segment. It was perfectly reminiscent of when we kept flashing to the closed truck during the previous season finale leading up to Lucille getting her whack on. And I was fine with flashing to Negan, Sasha, and Eugene prepping for "the surprise" that Negan had planned to deliver.

I was not cool with the flashbacks to Abraham which informed the audience that Sasha had prophetic dreams about Abraham dying and which also took the tone of the episode ridiculously far away from gearing up for the fight. I get what that scene meant, but it should have been shown earlier on in the season instead of constantly interrupting the finale. It would have been fitting for her to have those thoughts and flashbacks while stuck in the dark cell, right before asking Eugene for something to help her take care of business. It would have made perfect sense then. I would have believed for a moment that Sasha was actually considering taking her own life, since she was so sad thinking about Abraham, but instead I completely doubted her sincerity the entire time she was talking to Eugene through the door. Adding in those flashbacks would have actually bolstered that scene and put it into a better frame. It could have also been placed in the episode when Sasha and Rosita partner up, even adding in flashbacks of Rosita with Abraham as well. That would have helped solidify their relationship more as well as been a nice homage to Big Red.

I also could care less about the flashes of Sasha and Maggie sitting together, which was simply to remind you about how they both evolved their friendship and then both lost their lovers at the same time and therefore both mourned at the same time.

Which, of course, led up to the ending monologue which had not one damn bit to do with the fight or the losses felt from the fight or the gains experienced from the fight. That monologue was all about Maggie eulogizing Glenn. About how he was there from the beginning and that all this started with him, and blah, blah, blah.......

Again, this is something that should have been shown earlier in the season, when the rest of us were also mourning and getting past Glenn's death. I figure that would have been a good monologue for the episode when Rick finally wakes from his stupor* and manages to mentally get out from under Negan's thumb and start recruiting others to join the fight. The first place they went was the Hilltop where Maggie and Glenn's grave were, and the feel of that episode was all about waking up and moving to fight for the future, a place and time where Maggie's eulogy would have fit in perfectly. It would have been her moment to say goodbye to Glenn and move forward into the fight that she already knew was coming.

*Have you ever noticed how Rick ALWAYS goes into a stupor after a major loss, so we have to wait for his slow ass to catch up to the rest of the group before the plot can move forward? After countless said stupors, I've gotten pretty tired of his mental disconnects.

Hey, did you happen to notice that there was a bit of a major show-down that took place in this episode? If it weren't for the tiger, you probably would have missed the entire thing.

The eulogies could have been cut, the focus could have been much more on the details at hand, the episode still could have been 1.5 hrs, and it would have been a much better episode all around.

The previous season finale worked because it was tightly focused on one thing and only one thing - the group driving straight into the arms of Negan Lucille.

Also, Carl still fucking rocks. His instantaneous response to Sasha's reveal was amazing. The boy got off the first 3 shots of ANYONE on any of the sides, and he did it as pure, solid reaction. Yep, he's built for this new world.

Lastly, Eugene is still alive. He missed getting exploded by the grace of his Haircut One Hundred and probably just used his last luck coin with Negan.