Title: The Walking Dead “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”
Air Date: October 23rd, 2016
Network: AMC
Genre: Serial Drama, Horror
Season seven of The Walking Dead just premiered and…wow. This was an absolutely gripping premiere. The emotion that this episode brought out was by far the most intense of the series. For months, the masses have pondered just who will be killed in the premiere. Just who was it at the receiving end of Lucille? Yes…this episode did show us just who was killed but it was much more than that. No, it was far more than that. We saw a group that has survived horrible experiences over seven years, broken down to its core. A group that has triumphed over everything, now at the mercy of one man…Negan. With the exception of the first 20 minutes dragging on who was killed, this episode was a masterpiece.
When it came to the finale of The Walking Dead: Season six, I was equally upset as most were. Not just with how the finale ended on that gigantic cliffhanger but also, how were they going to keep the death a secret? Over the next several month’s fans analyzed the audio from the finale episode, looked at casting information, found out who was on set and scrutinized trailers to find out who died. It was eventually revealed that The Walking Dead actually filmed the death of all the main cast at the end to avoid potential spoilers of who was killed. As it turns out, that played perfectly into the episode when Rick was thinking of everyone being killed if he didn’t do what Negan said. The finale reveal turned out to be Abraham and then Glen. The rumor of two of the cast being killed in the premiere turned out to be true.
The defiance of Abraham after getting the first blow was a clench your fist moment. “Suck my nuts” is what he told Negan and even though I knew he was going to die, I knew Negan was eventually going to get his. Then, we saw Daryl get up and slug Negan. My immediate thought was…well, there goes Daryl…but he wasn’t killed. Instead, he killed Glenn. It was a gory, heart-wrenching moment. Those who follow the Walking Dead comics, have seen a drawing of this scene before. Even though I was expecting it, I found myself with my jaw open. The quivering of Glenn’s hands and he lay there with his head half gone was just absolutely brutal. Furthermore, how must Daryl feel? If he hadn’t rushed Negan, Glenn would still be alive.
Jeffery Dean Morgan as Negan is the ultimate bad guy for The Walking Dead right now. When watching the season six finale, my son actually asked me if what I was watching was “real.” His performance is captivating and as the viewer, you believe every word he says. If you go back and really look at season six, Rick almost comes off as the bad guy. Yeah, we heard Dwight talking about being on their knees all the time in the episode with Daryl, but it was Rick who actually started the confrontation. Rick, going on information from the Hilltop, killed a number of Negan’s men for their weapons cache. Well, Rick has certainly bit off more than he can chew here, which I’m anxious to see how it will play out in season seven.
Rick has been the one in charge from the beginning. The one everyone looks up to and the one who does whatever he needs to keep his people safe. We have seen Rick in a number of tight spots but we’ve really never seen Rick…powerless in The Walking Dead. Make no mistake, this episode showed that Rick is powerless. He is owned by Negan now and has to do what he says. The moment Negan had Rick about to cut Carls arm off…I actually leaned up in my seat. Rick had absolutely no leverage, no chance to talk his way out of it. He was at the complete mercy of doing Negan’s bidding. If a man can make you be ready to cut your own sons arms off, then you’re damn right he owns you.
One other important scene for me was the one with Rick in the fog. I may be totally wrong here but I think that was a symbolism for the direction of this entire Walking Dead season. Rick is going to be facing unseen danger from every direction, being in a constant struggle to survive just like he was in the fog. Eventually, Rick made it to the top of the RV and things cleared for just a moment. Just long enough for Rick to see beyond the fog and out of the danger he was currently in. With a few shots from Negan, Rick snaps back and…he has to fight…he has to survive.
Daryl is taken and the group is now at the mercy of Negan with only one week to gather supplies for him. What is going to happen to Maggie? This season’s premiere episode from The Walking Dead answered a number of questions we had about the finale of season six but also left us with a few more. Are you surprised at who was killed in this premiere episode? What scene was the most powerful for you? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and check back next Sunday for our all-new review.
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