The Walking Dead Season 8 will not premiere for several months. However, there are already small spoilers being released by executive producer Scott Gimple. He teased that Sasha Williams (Sonequa Martin-Green) made a statement about Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt) and that it was a hint of the storyline in the next season. What was revealed about Eugene joining Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and the Saviors?
TWD spoilers are ahead. Do not continue reading unless you have seen the Season 7 finale.
According to TV Line , executive producer Scott Gimple revealed that what Sasha said about Eugene in The Walking Dead Season 7 finale was a hint of the Season 8 story. In the episode, Sasha said she was not giving up on him.
“[That was] a hint to what the story is. It certainly looked like he was still a Savior. But is that going to haunt him… change him? Or is he forever Negan?”
Eugene Porter switching sides was discussed on a few different episodes of Talking Dead . At first, a poll revealed that the majority of viewers believed that Eugene was just playing a part. However, in a subsequent episode, another poll showed that fans were changing their minds. Josh McDermitt couldn’t reveal any details about his character. He explained that in order to play his character in the truest, most genuine way, he didn’t want to know if Eugene was really a Savior or if he was just playing Negan.
However, it was stated by co-executive producer Denise Huth that Eugene was scared and being a man that calculates odds, he realized that Negan could offer him protection. In his mind, he had a better chance of staying alive by joining the Saviors.
“Eugene fully recognizes that if I can be valuable to this man [Negan], I will never have to be scared again.”
What was not discussed, but was obvious by watching Season 7B of TWD is that Negan and the Saviors seemed to treat Eugene with a certain respect and valued his mind. They had him in charge of certain things and he was able to tell others what to do. It made him feel appreciated and important. Even though Sgt. Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) and Rosita kept him safe, he really wasn’t treated with respect at Alexandria. This is because he didn’t really carry his weight, especially when it came to fighting walkers and doing what was necessary to survive the apocalypse. He had improved since he was first introduced, but Rick’s group still became irritated with him. Being given an important job and being treated like he was someone important, with duties that utilized his knowledge about math, science, and engineering made Eugene feel good about himself.
Even though it appears that Eugene has switched sides on The Walking Dead , he still cares about the Alexandrians. This was clear when he visited Sasha while she was imprisoned at the Sanctuary. It’s the reason Eugene tried to convince her to join the Saviors. It’s also why he tried to persuade Sasha and Rosita to leave the Sanctuary before it was too late. On the other hand, he did run inside and immediately after, a group of the Saviors came out ready to fight. Then, he gave Sasha a suicide pill, which she ended up taking. If she was going to die, Sonequa Martin-Green’s character was going to try to kill Negan one last time, even after her own death.
What do you think of what executive producer Scott Gimple said about Sasha’s words to Eugene Porter? Will he regret joining Negan and the Saviors or is he the enemy now? Is he responsible for Sasha’s death on TWD ? What will happen with Josh McDermitt’s character and what are his true intentions? Fans will have to wait until The Walking Dead Season 8 to find out.
[Featured Image by Gene Page/AMC]