Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere Review
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
“The Walking Dead” has been known to make their season premieres one of the best episodes each and every season. This time, the group that has been in control of themselves since the beginning of the show, was on the other end of the spectrum. This season, Season 7, starts right where it left off from Season 6.
Let’s backtrack to halfway through Season 6. Our beloved group’s place of stay was very quickly running out of food. While out on a run, Rick and fan-favorite character Daryl Dixon meet a man that goes by the name of Jesus. He is a very skilled fighter, as they quickly find out. However, this doesn’t mean he is a bad guy. We come to find out that he is part of the hilltop, that at this point, we have yet to see. Jesus takes the group to his home, and the two groups quickly negotiate a deal. The “Saviors” (led by Negan) have previously bullied the hilltop, who have many crops and animals that they use to feed their community. They get half of everything they have, anytime they want it. If the hilltop were to say no and fight back, they would be killed, mainly because they have nowhere near the fire power needed to do so. When Rick and company arrive at the hilltop, they quickly make a deal that if Rick’s group can kill Negan and his group, than the group will receive half of the hilltop’s supplies for the price of protection.
Rick and his group come up with a plan, and Jesus helps them draw it out. The group invades Negan’s place in the middle of the night, and deceive the two guards on duty, killing them. After, they sneak in, killing 15-20 members of the Saviors. When Negan finds out, the group has already left. Negan is furious, and knows that the group will be making their way back in the near future. Days later, Maggie goes into labor. The only option the group has is to get her to the hilltop. But wait, the Saviors are cutting every possible way to the hilltop off. They can’t make it there. Rick and his group very stupidly decide to try and go through the woods on foot to make it, but the Saviors deny them once again. This time, they are surrounded.
Negan explains to the group that he wants to not kill them, but he wants them to work for him and bring him food and supplies. However, they do have to pay a huge price. One character of Negan’s choice will be killed, by Negan. Not only will they be killed, but they will be on the other end of Lucille, Negan’s baseball bat that is wrapped with barbed wire. The choice of who to kill isn’t easy for Negan, so to choose who receives the honor he plays a violent game of “eeny meeny miny moe.” After minutes of anxiety, the chosen victim is Abraham Ford, who is the strongest and most intimidating character of them all. Negan goes to explain that if anyone yells or does anything stupid, he will cut out Rick’s son’s only remaining eye and feed it to Rick. He goes on with himself, and brutally beats Abraham’s head, killing him. The group is in tears, which is okay by Negan. However, if anyone tries anything, the price will be paid. And that is exactly what previously mentioned fan favorite Daryl Dixon does! He stands up and runs to Negan and strikes him in the face, knocking him off balance. Daryl’s tantrum is quickly stopped, and Negan begins to laugh in a sarcastic way. He demands that somebody put him back in line while reassuring the group that he is not okay with that behavior. At this point, every fan in the world was prematurely saying goodbye to their favorite character; Daryl Dixon. Negan turns toward Daryl, and out of nowhere looks at the other fan favorite by the name of Glenn, soon to be father and husband of Maggie. Viciously, he beats Glenn to death. Instantly, the group’s mood gets even darker. All of their faces and body language express defeat. They knew, at this moment, they were not in charge anymore.
Negan, knowing that Rick is the leader, takes him for a ride. He tells Rick that his best chance is to try to kill him then and there, which Rick does, and fails. The goal throughout the episode of Negan is to make Rick bow down to him, and he finally does. The group now has to find and gather supplies for Negan, and it must be enough. If not, they may suffer another loss. “The Walking Dead” plays every Sunday night at 9 p.m.
