The Walking Dead Review: Still Gotta Mean Something (Season 8 Episode 14)

The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 14, “Still Gotta Mean Something.” is a decent episode. There are some interesting incidents, an ounce of character development, and something that surprises in its brutality.

When the episode opens on Jadis and how she survived Simon’s attack (by playing dead) I thought for a moment that we were going to have a whole Jadis backstory episode, which thankfully didn’t happen.

Surprisingly, Jadis’ role on “Still Gotta Mean Something” is quite compelling. In the present, Jadis is in a very small, sleek room. She journals for a moment before grabbing Lucille and heading out to Negan.

We know that Negan isn’t going to die at the hands of Jadis, so it’s not like Negan is ever in any real danger here. But he holds a gun at her and threatens to burn photos she holds dear. How exactly did he get a gun? C’mon Jadis, you have to be smarter than that.

But, we do see a different side of Negan.

It’s a case of too little too late, but I actually enjoyed the scenes between Negan and Jadis. And we finally find out the origin of Lucille’s namesake. It’s one of the few times I was interested in hearing what Negan had to say.

He does seem sorry that Simon killed all of her people and he is willing to make it up to her. Jadis is only half paying attention because she keeps looking at her watch.

And then we see it—the helicopter from the beginning of the season. And it flies away because Jadis couldn’t get a flare signal in enough time.

It’s the middle of the day—surely, they would have seen her without a flare.

Who is in the helicopter? Who is Jadis really? And who knew she could look so normal dressed in plaid and with her hair pulled back?

Another bit of intrigue is later on the episode when Negan heads back to the Sanctuary and runs into a mysterious person on the road. It’s someone we know, but the only person it can be is some Savior whose name I have forgotten.

I’m curious to see who it is though.

Negan also doesn’t want anyone to know he’s alive, so I’m sure he’ll exact his revenge on Simon (and perhaps Dwight). People are resources to Negan.

People are not resources to Rick, which is evidenced on “Still Gotta Mean Something.”

Rick is understandably still grieving Carl but has not yet read the letter Carl left for him. He decides to go looking for the Saviors who got away from the Hilltop. Alden (had to IMDB him because I only know him as Random Savior Who Will Probably Hook Up With Maggie At Some Point) has an idea where they may be.

He asks Rick to spare some of the Saviors who took a chance to run, but who may want to come back to the Hilltop. When Alden says this to Rick, I knew that Rick wouldn’t listen to him.

But when Rick and Morgan are captured by the Saviors, Rick tells them that a walker herd is on the way. He says that they can come back to the Hilltop to start fresh if they let him go.

Rick: A man’s word still gotta mean something.

As the walker herd descends, the Saviors, Rick, and Morgan join forces. When Rick looks back at the Saviors fighting with him, I thought that everything was going to be A-Okay.

NOPE.

Rick turns around and starts slaughtering the Saviors he just gave his word to. And Morgan joins in almost gleefully.

These are not heroic actions.

Morgan sees Henry’s image again and loses sight of Jared, but eventually catches up with him. Morgan holds the gate closed as walkers trail in behind Jared. It’s a gruesome death made even more brutal by Morgan keeping eye contact.

It’s a little weird to see Rick murder a whole bunch of people and then try to save Morgan from himself. Perhaps Rick should try focusing on saving himself from becoming worse than Negan.

Which, really, he is. Negan is certainly not someone I’d want to be aligned with mostly because I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from rolling my eyes during his monologues BUT Rick will just kill you if you’re not part of his clique.
Even if you don’t pose a threat, he’ll leave you to die.

The Morgan/Henry/Carol stuff on “Still Gotta Mean Something” isn’t really worth talking about, but I’m glad that Henry isn’t dead. It’s a win for Carol.

Also, Tara isn’t dying because Dwight didn’t use a tainted arrow, but yet Daryl still wants revenge.

Whatever.

Overall, “Still Gotta Mean Something” is a solid episode and sets up the last two episodes of the season with some issues that need to be resolved.

Will Rick find his way back from who he’s become (again) and will he try to fulfill Carl’s visions for the future? Who did Negan pick up and is there any way that Negan will make it out of Season 8 alive? Most importantly, who is in the chopper and what does that mean for The Walking Dead?

What did you think of this episode of The Walking Dead? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

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