The Walking Dead Season 8 Episode 15 "Worth"

Start over.

Rick reads Carl's letter. He looks out at Judith playing with Michonne. Carl's letter talks about his 8th birthday, his mom, cartoons, all the things from his childhood before the zombiepocalypse. "Holding your hand, I felt happy and special. I felt safe. . . growing up is making yourself and the people you love safe, as safe as you can because things happen. . . I want to make you feel safe, Dad. I want you to feel just like I felt when you held my hand." He mentions that Sanctuary has workers and that Rick doesn't want them to die. There have to be more people out there and everyone giving the opportunity to live life. He asks Rick to find peace with Negan. He wants everything to start over. For things to go back to the way things were before the zombiepocalypse. He believes things can be that way again. Michonne lies on her bed. She looks at the dresser. She opens the top drawer and pulls out the letter Carl wrote to Negan.

Gregory speaks with Simon. He went to Sanctuary to make amends. Simon feels Gregory made him looked like an ass. Gregory says his information was old. He didn't know what was going on with Alexandria. He wants to make it up to Negan. Simon tells him and he is now in charge. They clink glasses. Simon says he can't be seen going easy on Gregory. He tells Gregory to go. Gregory says he could be a good advisor. Simon says it is over but Gregory won't let it go. Gregory gets in Simon's face and Simon throws him to the ground. He says he wasn't going to send Gregory away; he was going to kill him. He decides to give Gregory a chance.

Some of the women of Oceanside walk in the woods discussing Aaron. They know he is still in the area. Rachel says he won't give up so they should just kill him. A zombie walks towards them. Cyndie goes to kill it but Aaron gets it first. Aaron collapses on the floor. Beatrice asks if he has eaten. Cyndie says he made his choice and walks away. The others follow her.

Eugene scoops up soup into a bowl. The two women that made it think it's a waste of their resources. He says the recipe was one he used in college. He eats it up. He orders them to serve it to the workers. Simon has ordered an acceleration of production now that he is in charge. He says they won't make the quota but hopes they can make enough to appease Simon. Gabriel begins to cough. Eugene orders him to put his mask back on because Eugene cannot get sick. He hands Gabriel a bullet and tells him that it was made incorrectly. If fired it would backfire on the shooter. He knows Gabriel is doing it on purposed. Gabriel says he was trying to make sure the bullets wouldn't work. His intention was never to hurt anyone. Gabriel says, "I don't want to help you. But, I do fear death. Maybe all this is His way of showing me I haven't changed." Eugene suspends him from working and orders him to go sit in a corner. Eugene goes outside to tests some bullets. One of the Saviors goes with him and is shot in the head by an arrow. Rosita and Daryl are there. Daryl points a gun at Eugene's head. They take him with them.

Dwight goes out for a smoke. He hears the Negan whistle and turns around to see Negan. Dwight starts to explain they thought he was dead. Negan stops him and asks for Dwight to help him move a dumpster. Negan knows what they were thinking. Does Dwight still remember who he is? He says Simon is Negan's number two. He continues, "I'm Negan." Negan says good. He says when the time comes he wants Dwight to remember what they've done and what they can still do together.

Simon talks to Negan. He explains that he thought Negan was dead. He changed things from infection to extermination at Hilltop and is asking for a pass on his wrong choice. He asks for a second chance. Negan says he remembers when Simon helped him take Sanctuary. Simon killed a lot of men and boys in a settlement long ago (Oceanside). He thought Simon could be a psycho so he kept an eye on him. It worked well until now. He asks Simon to get on his knees. "You gonna make a move or is that it?" Simon replies, "No move to make." Negan says, "No. There isn't. All is forgiven." Simon says he won't let Negan down. One of the other lieutenants pulls out a map. They don't have to take Hilltop just make sure the Hilltoppers can't leave. Every time one of the Hilltoppers tries to leave they will kill them. The next day they are each going to go out with a 10 person team to take ammo to several locations marked on the map. The new outposts surround Hilltop. They will have teams surrounding Hilltop 24/7. Simon says the plan is good and he's glad Negan is back. He orders everyone out except for Dwight. He tells Dwight he is smart. After everything that happened to him he didn't do anything stupid. He kept his eyes on what could keep him alive and well. Negan wants him to keep doing just that.

Eugene's hands are tied as he follows Daryl and Rosita. Eugene says that he knows the reason he is still alive is because they still feel for him as a friend. Daryl turns around with his knife and tells him to stop talking or he will cut out his tongue. Rosita has to intervene. She says they need to keep going. Eugene tries to thank her but she tells him to shut up. He says that he told Negan he could make bullets to save Rosita's life. He tried to resist his instinct to survive but he couldn't. She says everything that happened at Sanctuary and after is his fault. When he tries to blame Rick she calls him a coward and a traitor as she points her gun at his head. She says they are only keeping him alive because they need his brain. He'll live but he will be forced to do something useful with his life.

Dwight makes a copy of the map for the new outposts. On the copy he has written "Tomorrow afternoon Negan and ten men at the X. Other 11 person teams at each of the circles. END NEGAN. END the REST. END THIS." Someone knocks on his door and he hides the maps. Simon walks in. He wants to know what Negan said to Dwight. Dwight said it was just a pep talk. Simon says they need to have a serious talk with the others who are not happy that Negan has returned. "Let us gather our like-minded individuals, draw strength from each other, and do what we need to do." He reminds Dwight of everything Negan has done to him. He wants Dwight to meet him and the others after rounds to "begin what's next." Dwight agrees.

Daryl, Rosita, and Eugene encounter a group of zombies. Daryl goes to kill the zombies with his crossbow. Eugene makes himself throw up all over Rosita and  makes a run for it. She follows him and shoots at him. Daryl and Rosita look for him. They walk past a pile of bones and ashes. Once they are gone Eugene comes out from hiding in the ashes.

Aaron sits against a tree in the woods. Rain pours down on him. He grabs a can he was using to catch water and takes a drink. He hears a zombie and gets his knife ready. The zombie approaches and he kills it. Another zombie comes up from behind and he struggles with it. He drops his knife. He looks for the knife but can't find it. Several zombies approach. He has to use a stick to kill them. He falls back on the ground. Rachel asks if he is dead. Aaron wakes up surrounded by women from Oceanside.  He says, "You blamed Enid for Natania's death. But it's really the Saviors. What they did to you, what they turned you into . . . it's their fault. You hide. You don't trust. You don't live the life the way you want to because of them. They hurt you, and they're gonna keep hurting you. Unless you do one thing! Fight!" He collapses again.

Dwight waits for the others outside. Gregory and the lieutenants arrive with Simon. Dwight leans against the dumpster. Simon announces that those that are there are in. No take backs. "We need to make this quick, quiet, and respectful.  He deserves that." He says that Dwight can kill Negan if he wants to since he has legitimate personal issues with Negan. He wants to destroy Hilltop and its residents. Negan whistles. He comes out from behind the dumpster. He thanks Dwight. He counts down from three. Silenced gunshots ring out and the Saviors that were with Simon fall dead. Two Saviors hold Simon back as he lunges for Dwight. Simon asks why Dwight sided with Negan. Dwight says it's because Negan would win. He tells Simon that he knows he killed all of the garbage people. He uses Lucille to bash the heads in of the dead traitors. He says he is still going to give Simon his shot. "You want to be the man, you got to beat the man. If you can do that, then, hell you should be the man."

Inside Sanctuary Negan stands face to face with Simon. Simon announces to all those present that once he is done they will get to work. The Sanctuary must stand. He hits Negan again and again. Negan fights back. Negan eventually knocks Simon to the ground and starts kicking him. Gregory starts to back away. Dwight grabs Gregory by the arm and pulls him away. He tells Gregory to get out. He hands Gregory the map he made and orders him to give it to Rick. He gives them the keys to a car he left hidden for him. Gregory runs off. Negan chokes Simon. He says he got a lot of Saviors killed at Hilltop and then ran away. He's going to kill all of the Hilltoppers just like he is going to kill Simon. He crushes Simon's windpipe, killing him. He stands up and says, "What an asshole."

Gregory arrives at Hilltop and is placed in the holding pen. Maggie hands the map to Rick. Rick reads it. Maggie asks what they are going to do. Negan complains to Dwight that killing Simon is a waste but he was left with no choice. He says he can always count on Dwight. He says Dwight is now his right hand man. Dwight says he will help end things with Rick. Negan says he already has. They walk into Dwight's room and sitting in the chair is Laura (the Savior that escaped the night they attacked Alexandria who knows Dwight betrayed them). That is who Negan found on the side of the road on his way back to Sanctuary.  She tells him what happened that night. Negan smiles. He knows Dwight told Rick everything. "You are nothing. A nobody way in over your head. I knew that I could count on you to deliver my plan to Rick, my brilliant, if I do say so myself, fake-ass plan." He knows he used Gregory. Now Rick will head into the line of fire. He thought about killing Dwight but he has other plans for him.

Eugene made it back to his outpost. One of the lieutenants tells him Negan is back and they need the bullet order by the next day. He tells her they will fill the order in it's entirety and on time. They will kill all of the them. They will change Savior history. He tells Gabriel he is to sort shells. He can do what Eugene asks or he can die. He orders everyone to start. To do something useful with their pathetic lives.

Simon is now a zombie tied to the fence. Michonne calls over the walkie asking to talk to Negan. She says she's calling about Carl. She is delivering the letter Carl wrote Negan. She tells him to shut up and listen. She then reads the letter to him. "Negan, this is Carl. I was helping someone. I got bit. We didn't even have to be doing what we were doing. I was just helping someone. Now I'm gone. You might be gone. Maybe my Dad made your people give you up and he killed you, but I don't think so. I think you're still around and you're working on a way out. Maybe you got out. Maybe you think we're a lost cause and you just want to kill all of us. I think you think you have to be who you are. I just wonder if this is what you wanted. I wanted to ask you. I wish I could've. Maybe you'll beat us. And if you do, there'll just be someone else to fight. The way out is working together. It's forgiveness. It's believing that it doesn't have to be a fight anymore. Because it doesn't. I hope my dad offers you peace. I hope you take it. I hope everything can change. It did for me. Start over. You still can. Carl." Negan says there is no getting out of it now. He won't accept their surrender. Winning is about killing all of them. That is starting over. "I never wanted this. Rick made this happen. No more talk." He stomps on the walkie.

Final Thoughts
- I loved both of Carl's letters. Unfortunately, both Rick and Negan are too stubborn to listen to him. Maybe if he'd lived he could eventually have changed their minds.
- Eugene echoes Rosita's words at the end of the episode when he tells his outpost to do something with their pathetic lives. Nothing that Eugen does surprises me. Only time will tell what his fate will be.
- What are Negan's plans for Dwight? He already burned his face. He hasn't killed him, yet. Will he make him a zombie to join Simon on the fence? What could be worse than that?
- Who will die in the season finale? I think Gabriel, Eugene, and Dwight are at the top of the list. I figure at least one of the main characters will die. Maybe Rosita?