Daily Dirt: Negan was nasty, but could he have eaten a beating frog heart?

Daily Dirt for Saturday, May 14, 2022

Even though I included J.R. Ewing on the list of top villains, he really couldn’t hold a candle when compared to Negan, Gus Fring, Al Swearangen or Alpha … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 285 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Sure, we all root for the good guys in movies and TV shows, but it’s the bad guys who make that possible — and interesting. That’s why it’s equally important to have a solid villain for every guy (or gal) in a white hat. With that in mind, here are my favorite TV villains. Four of the five are from the past decade or so, but I also included one oldie but goodie:

• 1. Negan, “The Walking Dead”: Granted, Negan has morphed into a relative good guy as the series approaches its conclusion, but those couple of years when he was on the dark side were something to behold. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s cold-blooded character was evil incarnate. Longtime fans will never ever forget the deaths of of Glenn and Abraham at the hand of Negan and “Lucille.”
• 2. Gus Fring, “Breaking Bad”: Cool, calm, collected and vicious … oh, so vicious. As a key member of the Mexican drug cartel, Fring was a bad, bad man, but he hid in plain sight as a mild-mannered restaurant entrepreneur.
• 3. Al Swearangen, “Deadwood”: If the three-year series had been around more, I feel Ian McShane’s character would have become legendary. Foul in actions and conversation alike, he was a commanding on-screen presence.
• 4. Alpha, “The Walking Dead”: The absolute meanest woman in TV history. That her head ended up atop a stake (thanks, Negan!) seemed only appropriate.
• 5. J.R. Ewing, “Dallas”: We’re going old-school here, but no list of TV villains would be complete without Larry Hagman’s infamous character.
• Honorable mention: Boyd Crowder (Walton Groggins), “Justified.” Seven years after the series concluded, it appears public demand has won out and the “Justified” cast — or at least much of it — will return in “Justified: City Primeval.” Look for more information later this year. 

2. Yes, it’s time to test your gag reflex again. Our latest offering in the most disgusting meals department is something called “frog sashimi.”

The Asadachi restaurant in Japan is notorious for this unique and rare dish. Sashimi is sliced and raw seafood, and that’s the least gross part of this meal. If you order this dish, be prepared … When you order this item, the chef will cut a live frog in front of your eyes, rip out its heart and serve it among the rest of the sashimi. In some cases, the chef will hand the beating heart directly to you with chopsticks, which you use to eat the heart as the rest of the frog is sliced into sashimi.

Uhh … no thanks. Can I just have a burger and fries?

3. From the good news/bad news department in baseball:

• Good: The Colorado Rockies have mothballed those hideous black sleeveless jerseys for the foreseeable future. The club will reveal a replacement look in the near future.
• Bad: Earlier this week, a Mets-Nationals game was interrupted when a rat ran on to the field. Yes, a rat. “During a game, I’ve seen birds, cats, everything but rats. First time,”  Nationals right fielder Juan Soto said.

Steve Thought O’ The Day
Steve still has nightmares about Negan, not to mention eating a beating frog heart … or a rat in the outfield.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Maybe he would like frog sashimi better if it was deep fried and served on a bun.