‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7 Premiere Recap: I’m Devastated
By Jeremy Dick
The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere is even more devastating than I had imagined, and I’ll explain why in this recap and review of the episode.
The wait is over. But now, I wish it wasn’t. Because there’s no going back. And my heart is freaking broken.
I knew going in it was going to be bad. The episode is called “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”. That’s what Dr. Jenner told Rick all the way back in Season 1 at the CDC. It’s like the good doc knew that this was going to happen… maybe they should have stayed behind at the CDC after all?
The episode picks up right where Season 6 left off… sort of. It just cuts a very important part. It jumps ahead to after the big death. Negan’s bat is bloody, and Rick threatens to kill him. Negan then pulls Rick into the trailer as the show starts its opening credits.
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In the RV, Negan dares Rick to grab his hatchet. Rick does so, but Negan draws a weapon to threaten to back him down. He drives off, taking Rick to an unknown location. Negan reiterates to Rick that everything— and everyone— belongs to him. He tosses the ax on top of the RV, pushes Rick outside into a pack of walkers, and tells him to retrieve the weapon. Which he does.
We flash back to before the big death scene. Negan starts playing his “Eeeny, meeny” game, winding down to select his victim. The game ends with ABRAHAM. Negan whacks Abe, prompting a reply for Negan to “suck [his] nuts”. Then, Neegs beats Abe to death with the bat, splattering his brains into pulp. Rosita and Sasha seem the most heartbroken of them all.
WAIT, THERE’S MORE! (sadly…)
Negan mocks the group after the murder, so Daryl jumps up and decks him! Negan’s men grab Daryl, and now looks to dish out another punishment. Dwight offers to kill Daryl with his own crossbow, but Negan chooses to spare him. HOWEVER, another punishment must be dished out because of this.
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So Negan then bashes poor GLENN in the head with the bat. One of his eyes pop out as he says goodbye to Maggie for the final time. Negan then finishes the job, by splattering his head completely in just like Abraham. I did predict Glenn before the episode premiered. But I didn’t know Abraham would die too. How terrible.
Back to the present time, Rick is still on the RV roof. Negan shoots through it after Rick fails to return. He isn’t shot but nearly falls into the group of walkers below until Negan takes them all out. Rick gives him back the ax to show he’s now in line.
Negan mocks Rick for thinking he’ such a hot shot, before offering the hatchet back to him. Rick takes it. Negan then drops Rick back off with the rest of the survivors, confident Mr. Grimes has gotten the message.
To be extra sure, I suppose, Negan then forces Carl to the ground. Negan uses a belt as a tourniquet to cut off the blood to Carl’s left arm. Negan then does the unthinkable and orders Rick to cut off Carl’s hand! He insists, despite Rick and Michonne’s pleas. Rick bawls loudly and nearly does it, until Negan finally spares it from happening. However, they take Daryl away as a hostage
The Saviors tell the group that they can keep a truck, and Carl gets to keep his hand. But they will give him half their stuff every week. Negan and his pals will return in exactly one week for their first offering.
When they leave, Maggie says she wants to fight. She tells Rick to take everyone else to Alexandria, and she’ll go on alone. But they stick around to comfort her, eventually calming her down. They mourn Glenn together.
An imaginary Thanksgiving dinner in Alexandria is shown, Abe and Glenn still alive. It’s a symbol of what could have been, but never will be. All thanks to Negan. The group gathers the bodies and leaves. You can see the pain in Rick’s eyes as the episode comes to a close.
Next: 'The Walking Dead' Top 5 Most Heartbreaking Moments
The question is, where do we go from here? At least the wait won’t be six months long this time. Find out what happens next when The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC.