The Saviors didn’t grow their own food. They intimidated their neighbors into giving them food, supplies, and trained personnel (doctors, engineers, etc.) in exchange for protection from groups like the Saviors.
It takes time to clear land, fence it, cultivate it, grow crops, and harvest them. I’m under the impression that the leadership is trying to find short term fixes. We need food until we can grow our own. We need fuel (ethanol) until we can make our own. We need farm animals until we can raise our own. We need help, and protection, while rebuilding bridges and roads. Self reliance seems to be the long term goal, but short term problems will provide the current drama.
Yep, them Whisperers haven’t shown up yet. Nicotero was wearing a shirt with the word Whisperers printed on it, on Talking dead. I think we will see them this season.
On one of the previews it was mentioned that a work crew never made it back to Sanctuary. There were zombies about, and there’s a plot complication where a siren doesn’t work, but it seems pretty clear the Whisperers got the work crew.
They’ve had time; it’s been 18 months since the previous season finale. During this episode they said over the radio that the Saviors’ crops failed. (Possibly “again.”) When Rick gets there and talks to Daryl about it, Daryl says that crops won’t grow there because it’s a factory.
I’m just saying that, y’know, maybe, just maybe, they should have spent the previous 18 months locating and establishing a sustainable settlement for the Saviors that isn’t a factory. One where they could actually grow food. It’s not like they don’t have the manpower to clear land and set up fencing and/or walls. Surely the Alexandrians and Hilltoppers would much rather help them set up a sustainable home instead of just sending them unending food shipments.
I guess what I’m saying is that the initial conflict they’re showing us is stupid and contrived. (I’m trying really hard not to say “like a comic book” here, but I guess I failed.)
That I get, and seems very realistic to me. If I were an Alexandrian, there’s no way I’d want to live with any of the Saviors. It’s sort of similar to how and why Daryl and Maggie can never go to Alexandria because Negan is alive and well (and presumably in jail) there.
I’m 100% on board with the idea that the Saviors need their own settlement. I suspect the only reason they’re still at the factory is because production really likes that set. If that’s the reason, fine, no harm no foul, but if that’s the case the one thing you can’t do is hang plot elements on the implausibility of it.
There are a lot of saviors. There is not room in Alex. for all of them. The junk yard is empty. They are in the south, there has to be many abandoned farms. Maybe a few big farming outfits. The saviors were a bit indoctrinated by the ‘we are negan’ thing. So maybe they are shell-shocked. In any case Daryl was the wrong person to put in charge. That should be Carol.
But, I call foul. Unless that ground is permanently ruined by whatever kinda factory it was (?) It should grow crops. Surely there’s enough manure or fertilizer around to add to the soil. 18mos.worth of compost would help a bit.
And that Maggie is turning into one tough cookie. Yay!