10 Thoughts on The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere
If you are a fan of the Walking Dead TV show, chances are, you watched the season premiere last night. After months of waiting, fans finally got their big reveal. Was it worth the wait after being left dangling in the wind from the much talked about Season Finale? And when I say much talked about, I’m being generous. Most people were fairly let down with the finale and it’s cheap, copout of an ending. The show runners for The Walking Dead assured us that when we saw the premiere, we’d understand why we were left hanging. No one knew which character had to fill “Lucille’s” huger, and we’ve had months of speculation. Did the show runners deliver? Let’s find out. Caution: If you haven’t watched the premiere yet, spoilers abound.
10 Thoughts on The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere
10. No, the Season 6 Finale was not vindicated.
The 90 minutes Finale of Season 6 was a bit of a let down for most fans of the show. The episode could have easily been 60 minutes long instead of 90, if they had cutout the unnecessary stuff. But the real reason fans were annoyed was that we knew a character had died, but the show cut out before it was revealed who it was. Now after watching the premiere, the Season Finale feels even cheaper. The premiere was such a better episode in almost every way and it was in no way enhanced at all by the months long delay.
9. The writers still toyed with us.
So the season premiere is finally here, and they are going to pick up right where they left off and tell us who died, right? No, of course not, we had to wait around 30 minutes to see who got to feel Lucille’s wrath. Interspersed with that was flashbacks from Rick of who it could have been. It started to feel like the writers were milking this one for all it was worth.
8. The Season 7 Premiere could have been split.
To piggy back on number 10, the season premiere could have easily been split into two episodes. When Abraham finally got the bat, we knew who the chosen one was. Glenn getting a beating was a bit more of a surprise (more on that in a minute). But both of those deaths could have been easily worked into the Finale, making it one blockbuster of an episode. The premiere than could have been left to deal with Negan’s subjection of Rick and the rest of the survivors trying to pick up the pieces of their life.
7. Abraham went out like a man.
When Abraham was chosen, I knew he wasn’t going to beg or cry. That’s just not his style. Even when Negan was still choosing, Abraham had that defiant look in his eyes. His final phrase, “suck my balls”, was an homage to his characters toughness. Even Negan says he took the beating like a champ. I’m going to miss Abraham, even more than Glenn. He was always a rock in the show and even his emotional breakdown made me love him even more. And his budding relationship with Sasha was great for his character. RIP you tough bastard.
6. Glenn’s death was a bit more of a surprise.
Rarely does this show kill off two main characters in one episode. So having Glenn’s death be a second one, especially considering how long he’s been on the show, was a bit of a surprise. I think the writers may have added this one, in part, as an homage to the comic books. Glenn is the actual one to suffer Negan’s wrath in the comic books in a very powerful, well written scene. So having him die here seems fitting. Although I’m sure many of the viewers are a bit wary of Glenn dying after he’s escaped death so many times over the course of last season. It was actually getting a bit silly. So it’s nice to finally get some closure with his character.
5. The writers were also trolling the comic book fans with the Axe.
As any comic book reader knows, Rick gets his hand chopped off by The Governor. I’m actually glad they didn’t do that in the show because it’s always felt really impractical. However, as they were playing with the axe throughout the premiere, it was always in my mind as a possibility. This was especially true when Rick and Negan were sitting in the RV, and Negan started cleaning the axe with rubbing alcohol. Sterilization? Even when Rick was supposed to cut off Carl’s hand, I thought that might have been a throw back. But, thankfully, us comic book readers were simply being trolled.
4. A reference to the bible?
Speaking of cutting off Carl’s hand. That scene really reminded me of the story from the Old Testament where God commands Abraham (coincidence?) to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the last minute, an angel stops Abraham’s arm once he’s proved his faith. Did Negan just do the same thing to Rick? I had a feeling that Negan wasn’t going to force him to go through with it and that he was testing him. I’m definitely grateful he didn’t cut off Carl’s hand, I had my fill of punishment for the survivors that night.
3. What’s to become of Daryl.
Daryl’s imprisonment was a bit of a surprise. I did not see that one coming and it will really hurt Rick and Co. They lost one of their best soldiers and someone they all care about. Daryl’s been with the group as long as Glenn, so losing both of those in one night is not good for them. However, were I a betting man, I’d wager that taking Daryl is going to end up biting Negan in the butt. Just you wait.
2. The Man, the Myth…Negan.
Overall actor Jeffrey Morgan did a great job with his portrayal of Negan. Of course, the Negan in the comics is WAY better, at least so far. There is no way TV Negan was going to live up to that portrayal, as Negan is so larger than life in the comic books, and also isn’t hampered with things like run time, censors, or other TV hangups. He swears a lot, is very brutal and somewhat unhinged, so it’s hard for him not to steal a scene when he appears. The TV Negan contained some of that patented Negan charisma, however he did lose a bit of the over the top bits that are prevalent in the comic. Still, I have high hopes for what Morgan is going to do with the character.
1. The Finale Overall was Good
Overall, I liked the finale. Could it have been done better? Probably. The delay in the reveal was annoying, however if not for the months long delay to begin with, people might not have been annoyed. I did like how they didn’t cut away to any other characters, as they did in the finale. The whole episode focused on that group and what was happening to them. So that was great.
The breaking of Rick was fairly brutal and I wouldn’t want be in his shoes for anything. Negan is a bastard and the show is giving us a glimpse of how society can break down in a post-apocalyptic world. Men with strength seize power through force.
Then there is the dinner scene. What do you say about this. After two beloved characters get brutally murdered we are treated to a vision of what will never be. Glenn with his child, the group all together, it just acted as a reminder of how much these people have lost…and how the world has changed. It’s going to be an interesting season as the survivors prepare for all out war…you know it’s coming. What were your thoughts on last night’s finale?
