Hello, I am worried about Carl. WTF man?

 

Not to worry. He's just like his dad is all. After all the time he's had to defend himself, he's honed that killer instinct to the point where once he starts up it's hard to stop. He got hit with the brick and autopilot kicked in. I don't think he really realized what happened until he told Maggie.

With regards to his future, I think most of the people we know will understand. Maggie, sophia, and probably Rick will take his side. But I see this creating some tension and possible struggles down the road. Especially for Maggie who it looks like is already wary of Gregory wanting to take over the hilltop. Self defense is hard to prove without a witness, and even if there were witnesses it is likely they weren't watching until Carl had the shovel. And god forbid one of those little shits lives-- that would be a game changer.

i see it going one of four ways.

1: <10% chance of happening: Carl is put in jail. I doubt it, but hey, I figure I'll mention it.
2: ~30% chance of happening: Maggie is forced to exile Carl, facing pressure from the citizens and Gregory. If it goes this way, I think she also likely gets kicked out soon after, or leaves of her own accord.
3: ~40% chance of happening: Maggie, Sophia, and Rick stand by Carl and refuse to prosecute him for defending himself and Sophia. This causes a massive shitstorm between Maggie and the hilltop as she is accused of playing favorites and Carl is said to be above the law.
4: ~20% chance of happening: whisperers show up before anything can happen. If it went this way, I'd like to see carl save somebody's life (or a great many people) and that complicate things for if they do decide to prosecute him afterwards.

 

Sorry for not worshipping the ground Carl and the rest of the Grimes walk on, I still feel like it was murder. The first one was justified, the second one was plain going WAY too far. Carl has issues. He never left 'survival' mode. I think he is just 'too far gone'. He is becoming a villain. If his dad does not knock some sense into him we may have another one eyed psycho on the loose.

Think of it this way: If you got mugged by two guy, but had a gun and shot one of your muggers, and the other one surrendered and put his gun down, but you still shot him multiple times, do you think you could still claim self defense? The answer is no, in case you were wondering.

 

Everything jwcoombs said. Also, that's not even an accurate metaphor. I'd say it's closer to what happened to nicolas cage in the beginning of Con Air. Actually, it's uncannily similar. Someone else picked a fight. He turned it back on them, and when the dust settled he was alive and they were dead.

Word.


Basically, after all they've been through, the hardened members of he group struggle with the same things as combat veterans. They've spent years in a constant state of kill-or-be-killed. You NEVER can fully come back from that. Especially if you had to pick it up at the age of seven. You can learn to suppress it, yes. Perhaps even become good at it. But in the heat of the moment, Carl's fight or flight kicked in and chose fight. And fight he did. It was like an extended reflex. Like when Dawn shot Beth. It wasn't even a decision. In Carl's mind, it was like an alarm going off: "you've just been attacked with a potentially lethal weapon. Counter attack and eliminate the threat."


It was no different-- better or worse-- than when Rick killed Martinez or Carl's attempted rapist. They were threats. And Rick continued his counter attack even in the face of their attempts to surrender. And I think we can agree they got what they deserved. In the same way, the bullies attacked him and Sophia. The brick alone could've done SERIOUS damage to carl. And then they went to work on Sophia. They were threats. They didn't stop for her. Carl simply mirrored the attack back at them, and was better at it. Had he let them go, do you honestly think they would've become model citizens and turned their backs on bullying? Hell to the f*ck no. Their plan might've changed from "beat them up and make if look like self defense" to "kill them and make it look like an accident or self defense."


Carl isn't a saint. It wasn't a "good" thing he did. In that final panel of the issue where he told Maggie, it looked as if the first time he realized what happened was when it came out of his mouth. And he was terrified. But that being said, he's no murderer either. He's just the reluctant winner of a fight he didn't pick.

 

what? More so than me posting nicolas cage gifs to show [MENTION=26751]TheWalkingHorn[/MENTION] that he should play Jesus? (which is all the more likely now that Jared Leto is playing the Joker in Suicide squad) I dunno. It's close.

agreed.

Agreed. The only time he has spared a life is Negan, and that was only because Rick told him to, and he made it plain even straight to Negan's face that given the opportunity he would gladly shoot him dead.

 

I saw that earlier and I'm so upset! Gahhhhh!!!

 

Yeah. I figured. But it's okay. There is somebody else who I can picture playing Jesus.

 

I remember seeing that movie when I was still pretty Catholic, and I cried my eyes out. Specifically when Peter denied Jesus. *sigh*

Now I'm all pagan cuz of [MENTION=7785]Neuropyramidal[/MENTION]

 

I'm a Christian-- just one with anger problems, road rage, and extreme profanity problems. And lots of other problems besides. But that's what His grace is for, right?

... Right?

...

*is struck by lightning*

 

I guess I'd consider myself agnostic, but really, really, really hope there is something beyond this. The thought of never seeing my uncle again is too heartbreaking to come to terms with otherwise.

 

Yeah that's part of it for me. It gives me hope. Removes my fear of death. Helps me cope. I've always believed, if I'm honest. Sure, I've had some doubting times, but He's always been there for me in the end. To each their own. I don't want to get preachy.

 

The last time I went to church, less than a year ago, they were asking people to have a "prayer group" outside an abortion clinic. I haven't been back since.

Some things that happen in nature seem too perfect to me not to have been designed. But alas, I know nothing.

 

Yeah. Those are the folks who tend to piss me off. The ones who think they can win people over by shoving their beliefs down their throats. It reminds me of a part of one of my songs I listen to-- Defiance, by ITMOL. Talking about what useless hypocrites those people are.

"I never knew you. I don't care. While you stood in the street corners, SCREAMING YOUR PRAYERS, I starved to death, naked and bare, but you never cared."

 

How do you think religion got started in the first place . We are the mayflies that are born at midnight, believe we are immortal by 6 a.m., creat a religion based on that yearn for immortality by brunch, and are wiped from existence before the sun sets the following day. . For the last 14 billion years I was widely content. I had no bills, and in the winter my car radio never got stuck on Fox and Friends. I suspect the next 14 billion will be equally tranquil. One thing I can guarantee you, is that wherever we go after we die, we will not be disappointed.

But I'm so happy to hear of your new universal viewpoint!! My next goal is to get you into the hobby of astrophotography.

 

Your perfection is another beings demise. To certain viruses, syphilis is a utopia.

 

Well played my good man/woman, you win this argument. but you have not seen the last of me *villanous cackle followe by coughing*.