The Same Boat
Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) Photo by Gene Page/AMC
Since he is usually surrounded by his fiefdom of workers and wives, it's easy to miss how absolutely lonely Negan must be. The more we have gotten know about Negan this season, the more apparent this becomes. Not only are all of his connections in this world based on violence and control, but even his more intimate relationships with his associates and wives are contentious to say the least. Everybody plays nice with Negan, but nobody cares about him. And, for a man like Negan this must actually hurt. Through his relationship with Carl in particular, I think we can see Negan actually does care about people, and he reiterates it constantly when explaining the mission of the Saviors. Now that the backstory about Lucille's origin is T.V. confirmed, Negan seems like even more of a softie -- for a psychopath anyway. Why, though, have this vulnerable Negan moment with Jadis?
Jadis and Negan have more in common that it first appears, and now, they kind of have to, right? First though, let's compare Jadis as a leader to Negan. They both built a unique, well organized system of survival, which each in their own ways, were irreverent to the systems the rest of the living world has been building. The imposing and grandiose appearance and gestures of these two is probably key to their isolationism. Similar to Oceanside's, this isolationism seems to be the precursor to a community's collapse in this world. They now share a deep desperation in losing everything. Negan not only lost his wife long ago (and almost her sacred talisman, Lucille), but he also has lost the allegiance of his top Saviors. Jadis has lost her entire community as well. And now, they have a common enemy: Simon. Will their fundamental similarities, losses, and their instinct for survival bring them together in action? Have these two not only become allies but have they also personally bonded?
