Ok, i agree that this season is slow moving on the action, maybe the writers have gotten lazy, or, id more like to think that this period in the show is the calm before the storm. You know a big explosive war is coming and i think they are trying to humanize the characters before that happens. For 6 seasons its been nothing but blood and gore, hacking and chopping.
As far as the weirdos, i think they are exactly what Grimey needs. I think he likes them, alot. Rick has been utterly demoralized by Negan, and is desperate. So as weird as they are. They have numbers, and they didnt kill him or lock him in a box, thats a plus. They are allies.
Dont forget, its been at least four years since the apocalypse, so stuff has changed, drastically. People have weirded out and its total lord of the flies stuff at this point.
The carnival, or whatever it is, the soldiers with the guns on their shoulders? Clearly that camp must have been overrun quickly, those soldiers must have thought they were safe in a platoon, but got jumped and bitten from behind. There really only were 3-4 of them with rifles on their shoulders, so its somewhat explainable, in my eyes. Dont forget the one who was stuck on the pipes, that was firing. He clearly had his finger on the trigger when he was bitten.
I cant wait to see them kill that insane bastard Negan. My only question is who is going to be the one to put a bullet in his heart. My early feeling is Coral.