Some are now even part of ricks crew. We've seen Rick perhaps grow soft lately getting somewhat relaxed in Alexandria.
Negan is not like anything we've seen before.
What would have been "the same thing over and over" would have been for Carol or someone else to come in and save the day yet again, like she did before.
The group has never been broken like this before and feel absolutely helpless. Add in "The Kingdom" and there are all different directions it can go.
Perhaps The Kingdom rejects ricks group as evil, but as we've seen, evil is in the eye of the beholder.
I would imagine at this point in the apocalypse not many of the peaceful sweet groups have survived.