Just watched the mid-season finale. (Still hate the concept of the mid-season finale and that it has become so popular). Anyways, as I sat down to watch it I already knew that Jesus was going to bite it due to the internet making it almost impossible to avoid spoilers. I kind of like that the way he went (long blade through the abdomen/chest) is in some ways allegorical to the Biblical Jesus.
I think the show would have been better off to have him not die though. There have been so many main characters leave the show recently. I know they thought it would maybe add some drama and intensity to the new villain introduction. I just think it was kind of unnecessary. The whisperers are scary enough as it is. And all the "take the leadership role" talk in the last few episodes had me hoping his character would evolve and embrace that role at Hilltop. Now what? Tara is no leader.
I started watching this episode with what felt more like a duty to at least see it through to the halfway point of the season rather than anticipation. I'm left feeling like everything really lacks a keystone. Keystone character, or keystone event to bring everyone together (again). Maybe that is what will happen now that we have the new boogie man.
The only thing of real interest is "what the hell happened during the time jump?" Before, Michonne was all legislator-in-training. Now she is back to not trusting anyone, being distrusted by Hilltop (at least). Current Michonne doesn't seem like someone who would care to keep Negan alive. She seems worried about everything except the fox in the hen house. So, what happened? How was that bridge burned? As a long-time fan of the show, I feel sucked in to a certain extent. I want the answers but I'm not sure I have to watch the show to find them out in the future.
I have a feeling the rest of this season is going to be spent trying to band the settlements together to fight the whisperers. Maybe they will expose the past in doing so, but I think they are going to leave those things for next season, at which time maybe Maggie re-appears in the form of flashbacks so we can get some back story, because we know that she won't be back this season.
The Henry story line is going to really need to pick up to have my attention. All the mistakes he's making right now feels so predictable and obvious. Like I said last week, I think they really messed this one up. This "kid" could have been a new big player, a main story piece. Right now the actor has delivered zero charisma and the character just keeps doing stupid crap that you wouldn't expect of someone who has made it this far in zombie world.