[ Whatever. He could be terrible about this but he's going to let Rick talk his plan through, because Rick's the one who has the power to tear it most apart. It isn't that he doesn't like the idea. It sounds great, except for him, mostly. The Kingdom, the Hilltop, and Alexandria - as well as potentially other groups he'd pissed off here and there - would rip him to pieces at the first opportunity, and he was plenty wary of that.

But there were other reasons he didn't think it would work. Because it doesn't. Because it hasn't. ]

Let's say you put this thing together. Let's say you get what you want, and these different groups start networking, rebuilding. Who's rules are they going to follow? When a horde breaks out one of the traps we set and comes crashing down on the people here, who punishes Hilltop when they refuse to risk their people on defending the rest of you? When someone from the Kingdom takes that little daughter of yours out back and hurts her, maybe kills her, what's gonna stop them going to war with you over the way you handle it?

How many times have you seen this stuff break down, Rick? My way may not be perfect, but it works. I have order, and damn right I have loyalty, people who would take a bullet for me, who have, I figure. Negan isn't a name, it's an idea.

But in case you're wondering, it is my name. Now ask yourself. Your people. Have they ever turned on you? Have they ever broken your rules? Say, killed someone they weren't ordered to? Are you really capable of leading this brave new civilization of yours? Your kid's already lost an eye. The higher you raise your head the bigger the sword hanging over his gets.