SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from Season 8, Episode 12 of The Walking Dead entitled “The Key.” Proceed with caution.
Rick Grimes has pledged to kill Negan numerous times, and he had his best chance on the latest episode of The Walking Dead, titled “The Key.”
A Savior caravan was making its way to the Hilltop to conduct biological warfare on its residents. Negan was driving solo in the rear car. Instead of notifying the Hilltop scouts about the impending danger, Rick seized the opportunity to attack.
He sideswiped Negan’s car, forcing it to flip over. Negan then fled to a nearby building, with Rick following closely.
“I’m a goddamn cat,” the injured but still living Savior leader called out.
Trapped in the dark without his bat Lucille, he offered Rick a one-time deal in memory of Rick’s recently killed son, Carl. Negan proposed to lower his take from the Hilltop, Kingdom, and Alexandria communities from 50% to 25%, if Rick would go and work for him.
Rick refused the offer, and after finding Lucille, set Negan’s prized possession ablaze. He used the flaming bat to break down a barrier blocking walkers. Negan bum-rushed Rick, and eventually wrestled Lucille away from him. Surrounded by walkers, Rick ended up escaping.
The Savior leader lived to fight another day, but was captured by Jadis, the sole survivor of the Scavengers.
In addition to Rick and Jadis, Negan has plenty of issues. He learned that Simon massacred the Scavengers, and now Simon is leading the Saviors. Dwight is still a double-agent. And, he was drenched in undead guts during the crash, the same guts that sickened Father Gabriel.
Negan has proved indeed to be a goddamn cat, with just as many lives. He survived the crash, getting shot at, an ax thrown to the head, and a walker attack. What will happen to him next?