After that opening episode, the only direction for this season was straight down. It's probably going to be epic bad from this point.
Haven't read the graphic novels, but all of this Negan is a bad ass stuff is not coming through the TV to me. I can't accept, at least in the construct of the world, the fact that no one has shot Negan, point blank, in the back of the head already. They had ample opportunities to shoot Negan on their home turf... Rick's position he is going to acquiesce because he doesn't want more people to die is absurd. Rick's character arc has brought him to the point in the show where logically he should take the direct opposite position. The group has lost so many loved ones along the way, they should be desensitized to losing more. It's the way of life now.
I'm not fond of the turn in the show. At least with the Governor, the Crew fought through a season, this season sucks moose cock.
I suspect once he meets up with Morgan again this turn will happy rather quick. You can already see the fire building, such as gripping the bat last night. He is already plotting he just knows until the has all the pieces of the puzzle he's fucked. I imagine they will find some cash of weapons (military outpost of some sort?) or they will keep collecting guns 1 by 1 like Rosita last night and either mount a guerrilla war or or all 3 (hilltop, kingdom, Alexandria) will attack in a strength in numbers type scenario. And i fully agree with your take on Negan, he just comes off as an asshole and a bully. No where near the bad-ass dictator i was expecting.
Dwight will lead some sort of revolt from within while the saviors are taking losses from the outside. the question is who gets to off neegan?
My guess is Carl. It will be his right of passage and his character arc aligning with Rick's. How more proud could a father get when the son becomes the father's image?