@Ahstaroth said:

Negan does know that Eugene never claimed to be a MEDICAL doctor right?

Yeah, Eugene told him he was a biomedical researcher. Not the kind of doctor that treats patients. I think he killed Carson on impulse. Negan does a lot of highly inadvisable things. Number one is probably stealing other peoples' wives. If you want to spend your days surrounded by guys who will kill you at the first good opportunity, and spend your nights next to women who might slash your throat while you sleep, then by all means this is the thing to do! I suppose it's possible they picked up another doctor recently so there's already a potential replacement at the Sanctuary. Otherwise roasting their only trained physician was pretty damn harebrained. If he needs to make an example of someone, there are plenty of expendable cogs around to sacrifice.

He's got a brother at hilltop who's also a Dr.

I'm assuming Negan will just strip him from there.

@Ahstaroth said:

Negan does know that Eugene never claimed to be a MEDICAL doctor right?

The Negan in the comic would never have made a rash decision like that.

Negan didn't seriously believe Dwight's story about the hidden note and Sherry? If so, he's being really naive. It didn't exactly sound credible.

I agree with Jana, Negan did not believe for one moment the doctor was guilty, he was just being cruel to Dwight to remind him that he really was a broken man. Dwight was willing to let the doctor get the hot iron on his face in order to not spend one more night in solitary (Negan as much as admits this) so then Negan spitefully kills the doc and immediately pats Dwight on the back as if to say "See, what you made me do? You killed another one!"

Negan knows that somewhere inside Dwight there is still a part (an ever diminishing part) of the old Dwight and Negan pokes at it every chance he gets, one of Negan's most sadistic traits is to constantly remind even his most trusted followers that they have zero power and he has all of it. He's probably still in the process of breaking Dwight. I don't think Simon or Gavin, the leaders of the outposts that antagonise Hilltop and The Kingdom, had to be broken, they just seem like natural bastards like Negan, but I think Negan sees that people like Dwight and Daryl could become as loyal as other lieutenants but need to be broken first.

@krashd said:

I agree with Jana, Negan did not believe for one moment the doctor was guilty, he was just being cruel to Dwight to remind him that he really was a broken man. Dwight was willing to let the doctor get the hot iron on his face in order to not spend one more night in solitary (Negan as much as admits this) so then Negan spitefully kills the doc and immediately pats Dwight on the back as if to say "See, what you made me do? You killed another one!"

Negan knows that somewhere inside Dwight there is still a part (an ever diminishing part) of the old Dwight and Negan pokes at it every chance he gets, one of Negan's most sadistic traits is to constantly remind even his most trusted followers that they have zero power and he has all of it. He's probably still in the process of breaking Dwight. I don't think Simon or Gavin, the leaders of the outposts that antagonise Hilltop and The Kingdom, had to be broken, they just seem like natural bastards like Negan, but I think Negan sees that people like Dwight and Daryl could become as loyal as other lieutenants but need to be broken first.

On the other hand, I don't think Negan buys Dwight's story about Sherry for a second. And after what he said, should she turn up somewhere he's going to have no choice but to put that iron to the other side of Dwight's face and hold it there until he's dead. So does Negan plan to just not bother looking for her and hope she's smart enough to get far away? Or is he enjoying himself, killing Dr. Carson and fully expecting to kill Dwight in the fullness of time? You don't get true loyalty from your "trusted" lieutenants by constantly humiliating them and making them feel powerless. Sometimes Negan seems like his own worst enemy.

@krashd said:

I agree with Jana, Negan did not believe for one moment the doctor was guilty, he was just being cruel to Dwight to remind him that he really was a broken man. Dwight was willing to let the doctor get the hot iron on his face in order to not spend one more night in solitary (Negan as much as admits this) so then Negan spitefully kills the doc and immediately pats Dwight on the back as if to say "See, what you made me do? You killed another one!"

Negan knows that somewhere inside Dwight there is still a part (an ever diminishing part) of the old Dwight and Negan pokes at it every chance he gets, one of Negan's most sadistic traits is to constantly remind even his most trusted followers that they have zero power and he has all of it. He's probably still in the process of breaking Dwight. I don't think Simon or Gavin, the leaders of the outposts that antagonise Hilltop and The Kingdom, had to be broken, they just seem like natural bastards like Negan, but I think Negan sees that people like Dwight and Daryl could become as loyal as other lieutenants but need to be broken first.

Honestly the writing for this episode wasn't very well done because it should be clear why Negan reacted the way he did. Even so, this episode is clear about Dwight gaining Negan's complete trust and uncovering Negan's weakness which is underestimating a rat. A rat will do anything to survive. Yes I got that expression from Goodfellas but there is a lot of truth to it. Dwight is a rat and so is Eugene.

If Dwight truly has pulled the wool over Negan's eyes and Negan isn't just playing along then it diminishes him as both someone who has managed to build something like he has and as a great baddie for the show. I think knowing exactly how people work is his strength and the first person he has underestimated in a long time will be Rick.

I, too, thought Negan can't believe that two-word note to the doctor was genuine, but still why would Negan put a lying Dwight's valuableness above a medical doctor? And the women, too. Was that whole poison thing supposed to be Negan testing Eugene.

@(Horror) said:

I, too, thought Negan can't believe that two-word note to the doctor was genuine, but still why would Negan put a lying Dwight's valuableness above a medical doctor? And the women, too. Was that whole poison thing supposed to be Negan testing Eugene.

Yeah I'm pretty sure Negan sent his wives to Eugene for two reasons. One, to find out if he was everything he claimed to be. And two, to offer him a chance to betray Negan and see what he'd do. I was suspicious when they started probing into his involvement with the Human Genome Project. And then they had him do that little chemistry demonstration. I'm sure Negan got a full report, and realized that this guy certainly did know useful stuff. I mean he's not a scientist himself and can't gauge on his own how credible Eugene's backstory is, but after hearing what he did it's going to seem (from Negan's point of view) that he was likely telling the truth. Then of course the poison test. Further confirmation that Eugene knows his stuff. More importantly, that he had what appeared to be a golden opportunity to kill Negan and didn't go for it. Possibly only because he realizes Negan's successor might not recognize his value and protect him. Eugene knows his fortune and Negan's are linked. He can work with that.

I'm pretty sure Negan expects Dwight to betray him at some point. That may be why he rides the guy so hard all the time, despite the outward appearance that he's part of the trusted inner circle. Who knows what compels Negan to keep him around. Especially now that Sherry's gone. Why he killed Dr. Carson, even if he believed Dwight's story completely, is also a mystery. In that world you don't dispose of someone as valuable as a doctor unless you think they're deliberately letting your people die. Maybe he had some evidence that Carson was undercutting the Saviors that way. This situation was just an excuse to get rid of a guy he was already planning to get rid of. Maybe they've picked up another doctor in their constant trickle of incoming refugees and so his services are no longer required.

@krashd said:

I agree with Jana, Negan did not believe for one moment the doctor was guilty, he was just being cruel to Dwight to remind him that he really was a broken man. Dwight was willing to let the doctor get the hot iron on his face in order to not spend one more night in solitary (Negan as much as admits this) so then Negan spitefully kills the doc and immediately pats Dwight on the back as if to say "See, what you made me do? You killed another one!"

Negan knows that somewhere inside Dwight there is still a part (an ever diminishing part) of the old Dwight and Negan pokes at it every chance he gets, one of Negan's most sadistic traits is to constantly remind even his most trusted followers that they have zero power and he has all of it. He's probably still in the process of breaking Dwight. I don't think Simon or Gavin, the leaders of the outposts that antagonise Hilltop and The Kingdom, had to be broken, they just seem like natural bastards like Negan, but I think Negan sees that people like Dwight and Daryl could become as loyal as other lieutenants but need to be broken first.

Actually Simon is The Saviors' second-in-command, Gavin is just a lieutenant like Dwight.