| “ | Hi. You're Rick, right? I'm Negan. And I do not appreciate you killing my men.
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” |
The Lineup is a major event that occurred during the finale of the sixth season and the season premiere of the seventh season of AMC's The Walking Dead.
History[]
Traveling to Hilltop for medical treatment for Maggie Rhee and being forced to move on foot through the woods, the survivors suddenly hear whistles coming from every direction. They realize that they are surrounded by the Saviors. They run but are herded in a large circle and up back on the road, enclosed by over 100 Saviors and their vehicles. Eugene, too, has been captured. The head Savior from earlier takes their weapons and forces them to their knees, denying Rick's frightened pleas for negotiation.
Dwight opens a van's back door and drags out Glenn, Michonne, Rosita, and Daryl. The Savior knocks on the RV's wall, exclaiming "let's meet the man."
Savior leader Negan steps out of the RV. In his hand is a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Negan greets Rick, berating Rick for killing a load of Saviors. Negan goes on to explain his system for them, detailing their jobs working for him now. He then reveals that the entire set up, including the roadblocks, was simply to decide who he'll pick to kill. He eyes up the group and seems impressed when Abraham squares up to him. When Negan threatens Maggie, Glenn screams and lunges at Negan but is pulled back in line. After more taunting, Negan claims to have an idea of who to pick to be killed. He starts a game of "eeny, meeny, miny, moe."
He points Lucille down the line of survivors as he recites the rhyme, he continues pointing Lucille. "And you… are… it," he finishes, picking his victim, Abraham Ford. Abraham flashes a final peace sign to a devastated Sasha as Negan warns the group not to move or say anything, threatening to have Carl's other eye out and fed to Rick. "You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry," he says, raising the bat. "Hell, you're all going to be doing that."
Negan's bat comes crashing down on Abraham. Everyone in the group cries as Negan continuously beats Abraham. Negan pauses to mock Abraham's last words before continuing to smash his head into a bloody pulp.
Once he finishes, Negan implores the group to look at Lucille, which is now covered in Abraham's blood and brains. Noting Rosita's extreme terror and anguish, Negan asks if she and Abraham were together. Rosita is silent. Negan demands she look up at Lucille and begins to yell when Rosita refuses. Enraged, Daryl leaps up, punching Negan in the face before he is subdued by two Saviors. Dwight points Daryl's crossbow at his head and asks Negan if he can kill Daryl, but Negan says no. Dwight is made to drag Daryl back into line.
As punishment for Daryl's transgression, Negan reminds the group there is always punishment for resistance. He reminds them that while the first one is free, and unlike others they might have encountered, he is a man of his word. He exclaims simply "So... back to it...", and proceeds to slam Lucille down on Glenn's head twice. Maggie screams. Glenn manages to sit up again and it is revealed the force of the blows has dented his skull and dislodged one of his eyes. Maggie stares at her husband in horror. Negan taunts Glenn as he tries to speak. Eventually Glenn stammers "Maggie, I'll find you." Negan appears to genuinely apologize for his actions, before reminding the group that there are no exceptions and continues his assault. He bludgeons Glenn to death in the same manner as Abraham, until there is virtually nothing left of his head, leaving a mass of bone, brain and flesh, with Glenn's corpse still twitching. "Lucille is thirsty. She's a vampire bat!" Negan quips after he has killed Glenn and walks back towards the group, who are completely traumatized by Glenn's murder. He utters the line "Was the joke that bad?"
Rick, in a state of shock, anger, and sorrow, quietly tells Negan he is going to kill him. Negan tells Rick to speak up, and Rick reiterates. "I'm gonna kill you. Not today, not tomorrow, but I'm gonna kill you." Equal parts amused and annoyed by Rick's defiance, and deciding Rick needs to be further educated about his new place in the world, Negan drags him to the RV with a hatchet Rick had on him tucked in his belt. Inside the vehicle, Negan throws Rick down and places the hatchet on a nearby table before sitting in the driver's seat, his back to Rick. He tells Rick that his best chance to 'kill him' is to grab the weapon and strike him with it now. Rick hesitates, but with further goading from Negan, he grabs it and prepares to swing it into the back of Negan's head. Negan turns around, holding an assault rifle, forcing Rick to drop the hatchet and further displaying his authority over him. Negan drives off with Rick, leaving the others kneeling under the watch of the Saviors.
Results[]
- The leaders of Alexandria are introduced to the Saviors' leader, Negan.
- Abraham Ford and Glenn Rhee are brutally killed.
- Rick Grimes is forced to swear subservience to the Saviors.
- Daryl is taken hostage by the Saviors to ensure Rick's compliance.
Participants[]
Alexandria[] |
The Saviors[] |
Casualties[]
Appearances[]
TV Series[]Season 6[]Season 7[]Season 10[]
Season 11[] |
Dead City[]Season 1[]
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Trivia[]
- The Lineup appears in the archival footage shown at the beginning of "Variant" and "Faith" as Judith narrates past events of the show to the audience before the episode's story begins.