Saturday, October 29, 2016

What I’m Watching: The Walking Dead (Season Premiere)


The Walking Dead: Season 7, Episode 1 “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” (B+)

I would posit that this premiere was easily the most anticipated season opener of the year, and it surely was an engaging episode. I was thinking at the start that we’re back in captivity mode, where the whole crew is being held hostage by the latest nefarious villain and just waiting to make their big escape. I think the point of the display Negan made is that he’s not going anywhere, and even if Maggie has sworn revenge on him, he’s set on ensuring that his new friends will be loyal earners and work tirelessly for him out of sheer terror. I was wondering to myself why it is that this show has to feature some brutal murders of two of its most beloved characters and why it is that audiences enjoy watching that and waiting to find out who Negan beat to death with his bat. I couldn’t help seeing a parallel between Abraham being told by God to sacrifice his son and Negan stopping Rick just short of cutting Carl’s arm off, a horrifying moment that, had it been completed, would have signaled that this show went too far. Losing both Abraham and Glenn was tough, and the question is always whether the impact of their deaths is worth them not being alive and on the show anymore. It’s hard to know exactly where this show goes from here, especially with the addition of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as a full-time cast member, assuring that Negan is going to be around for a while and keeping strict tabs on his new employees.

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