‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7, Episode 11: Is Negan’s Group Falling Apart?

Episode 11 of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 7 saw cracks forming within Negan’s group, the Saviors. Could Eugene Porter help bring down this group from the inside?

Spoiler alert: This article contains information about Episode 11 (titled “Hostiles and Calamities”) of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 7 as well as details about the comic series the show is based on. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Episode 11 of The Walking Dead Season 7 focused on Eugene Porter’s (Josh McDermitt) arrival at the Saviors headquarters and his assimilation into this new group. The episode revealed how Eugene chooses to survive within the group as well as also highlighting the fact that even though Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is using violence and intimidation to control his group, people are starting to rebel against their leader in subtle ways.

Eugene used his tried-and-true method of pretending he is a very important scientist that was involved with the initial outbreak in The Walking Dead. This method previously saw Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) protect Eugene while they were on the road in earlier seasons of The Walking Dead. In Negan’s group, it will keep him safe on account of his intelligence in areas not yet represented within the Saviors. With this survival mechanism, however, it was highlighted via a very small, knowing smile made by Eugene that he might not just be playing the game within Negan’s compound but gathering intelligence about who is not quite on Negan’s side.

A perfect example is when Negan sent his wives in to tempt Eugene. While Negan told Eugene the boundaries in regard to his wives, there were still other ways in which the women tempted him. In fact, Eugene actually developed a lethal pill upon their request. They wanted two of these pills for one of Negan’s other wives, Amber (Autumn Dial), who is not coping so well with being a wife.

Could these women be admitting to Eugene that they are not happy in Negan’s group, or was it just a very clever plan to test Eugene’s commitment to Negan and the Saviors? While Eugene ended up not handing over the pills to Negan’s wives after the doctor was killed, he did let the women know he thought they wanted two pills so they could also take out Negan. This might have been the intention of these women, although, once again, it could have been a plan orchestrated by Negan himself. However, if it isn’t, Eugene has just revealed that Negan’s wives — Amber in particular — may not be as dedicated to him as Negan would like. This means that while his intimidation might work to keep people in line, perhaps some members of his group are just biding their time until a situation arises where they can revolt against him.

Dwight (Austin Amelio) is another example of a member of Negan’s group who could be hiding their true intentions in The Walking Dead, according to ComicBook. An interview with Austin Amelio saw the actor reveal that he would like to see what would happen if Dwight swapped sides.

Episode 11 saw Dwight sent out to find his ex-wife, Sherry (Christine Evangelista), who is now one of Negan’s wives. Sherry went missing around the same time Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) did, so the assumption was made that she had something to do with Daryl’s escape. So, already, she is seen as a potential turncoat in Negan’s group.

At first, it is unclear whether Sherry did actually assist in Daryl’s escape, but by the end of Episode 11 of The Walking Dead, it is revealed via a letter Sherry left for Dwight that she did help Daryl. Dwight never found Sherry in person, but in order to keep her safe, Dwight told the doctor (and then further implicated him in Daryl’s disappearance, which led to the doctor’s death) that he had killed Sherry quickly rather than bring her back to Negan. From this instance, viewers are made aware that while Dwight is loyal to Negan, he is actually more loyal to his ex-wife. An interview Amelio did with AMC confirmed that Sherry “really is what [Dwight’s] fighting for.”

Episode 11 ended with Eugene confirming to Dwight that he was definitely a valued member of Negan’s group. While this may be the case, the episode also revealed the cracks starting to form within the group. The comics upon which the show is based indicate an all-out war is coming between Rick’s group and the Saviors, something that is certainly beginning to form within the television show. However, could Negan’s group self-combust before then? Only by tuning into further episodes of The Walking Dead will reveal the answer.

Do you think Negan’s group will fail from the inside, or will they make it to the all out war like in the comics? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below.

Episode 12 (titled “Say Yes”) of Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, March 5 at 9 p.m. ET. The official synopsis for Episode 12 is below.

“Alexandrians scavenge for supplies.”

[Featured Image by Gene Page/AMC]