SEASON 10; EPISODE 6

Episode six was another where those looking for high tension and bloodshed will have been left a little disappointed. However, it's vital to have episodes like this, where we focus on some B stories as well as furthering the main plot, albeit in a less showy kind of way.

This week the story was split in four and I'll look at each in turn;

1) Eugene makes a connection After professing his love for Rosita (and that he was only friends with her because he thought it would increase his chances of getting it on with her), Eugene has been hiding away playing with his audio equipment (that's not a euphemism). He's not one that seems to need much human contact or affection but it seems as if he's been struggling with the self-isolation that he has imposed on himself. However, relief comes in the form of a mystery voice that responds to one of his broadcasts. They get chatting and things seems to be going well, although she smartly isn't willing to give up much in terms of personal details or location. Could she be the same voice we heard on the radio at the end of series 9? I assumed it was Maggie at the time but if that was the case we would have surely heard more about that? Fans of the comic books will undoubtedly have their own theory on who she is (this character is referenced in the comics) but we'll have to wait and see as the TV show doesn't allows tow the line with the comic.

2) The mystery illness Dante has been treating a few people for 'stomach upsets' at the start of the episode but by the end it feels like there's a real epidemic brewing. We're guessing it has something to do with the Whisperers poisoning the Alexandrian water supply with the blood and guts of walkers. This feels like more than a simple virus and is undoubtedly part of a larger plan by Alpha to weaken the group so they stand even less of a chance against her super horde. Sadiq's mental state is also a ongoing concern; are we supposed to believe that he's just blacking out now and winding up in places he has no recollection of going? That's pretty troubling. He might want to tell someone about all this, especially if he's part of the parenting team for Coco. Rosita is pretty ill too and it wouldn't surprise me if she was killed off before the mid-season finale. Plus it'd give us an opportunity to see Sadiq, Gabriel and Eugene attempt a 'Three Men and a Baby' type thing. 3) Behind Enemy Lines Daryl and Carol have been spending a fair bit of time alone together recently and it's been good to see. Their chemistry is still there and Daryl's reluctance to talk about Connie won't do much to dispel the idea that he only has eyes for Carol. This week, Daryl accompanied Carol on a trip out to see if she could track down Negan. Although obviously that's not what Carol was planning to do at all. She wants to take out the horde – and eventually Alpha as well. Daryl isn't unsympathetic to her cause and is up for a recon mission behind enemy lines. Although he knows that if they are caught then their people will suffer. However Carol had her own agenda all along and after capturing a whisperer, was happy to return back home to question him. Daryl is nothing if not honest and he won't appreciate having the wool pulled over his eyes. Still, hopefully they can glean some useful info out of their new prisoner. Luckily there's a spare prison cell there now... 4) Negan vs Beta No one is under any illusion surely that Negan is fully on board with The Whisperers. In fact, there's a very decent chance that he's infiltrating the gang so he can help out his old captors at Alexandria. The likelihood is there's probably another more slightly insidious agenda at play here that we won't discover until late in the day. Is Negan reformed? Partially, perhaps. But there's still a nagging doubt that he's being completely selfless here. Either way, we're not going to lie – it was pretty fun watching him strutting around and ruffling feathers and just generally being an arse. What is interesting is that he's already causing friction within his new community. Beta loathes him and thinks he's a waste of space. In reality he feels threatened by this fearless and arrogant newcomer who quickly enamours the rest of the group. Alpha seems reluctant to have him killed too. There's a good chance that she sees some worth in him, even if she doesn't think she can trust him at this point. What is clear though is that Beta's jealousy and temper, coupled with Negan's blasé attitude are not compatible. In reality, Beta must feel threatened by this newcomer and although he claims he has the best interests of the group at heart, it's a bit more personal than that. He basically leaves him for dead at one point. But Negan is not only Machiavellian, but also a tough son of a bitch – and managed to somehow escape the clutches of the walkers that were surrounding him. Expect this story thread to be the one that explodes over the next couple of episodes...