The Walking Dead Season 9: 4 Ups & 1 Down From 'The Bridge'

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1. Rick's Lack Of A Plan For (Same Old) Negan

It's been a long time since Rick captured Negan after the all out war during the Season 8 finale. The former tyrant has been kept off our screens thus far, likely in an attempt to build anticipation, but we caught our first glimpse of him during The Bridge.

Instead of having the character show some development, however, the writers are insisting on pushing Negan as the same big bad antagonist he was before. In spite of the writing team's best intentions, the scene doesn't add threat or anticipation, but becomes rather frustrating. Why? Because Negan getting free and wreaking havoc on the new world is literally the worst thing the show could do right now.

While Rick did keep Negan prisoner in the comics, it's a frustrating storyline to watch play out on the screen (much like the majority of Negan's storyline, actually). It's almost as if the showrunners simply want to keep Jeffrey Dean Morgan on the show for as long as possible. Unfortunately, Negan's presence risks ruining the massive improvements the show has made this year.

What did you make of this week's episode of The Walking Dead? Tell us in the comment section below.