October 23, 2016 will be known as one of the most nerve wracking, frustrating and emotional dates for The Walking Dead fans everywhere. Through nearly eight months of pure agony to finally find out who was killed by Negan…
Glenn and Abraham.
The episode started off with a little recap and a multitude of shots avoiding the first victim who eventually was revealed to be Abraham and then as soon as the audience's attention deviated, Negan slammed Lucille (his barbed-wire bat) into the skull of fan favorite, Glenn.
When I noticed their sneaky little distraction and the final victim of Negan’s murder spree, I broke down into tears. I was so sad, but mainly because of Maggie’s reaction.
Seeing pregnant and ill Maggie on her knees crying to Glenn’s beaten body truly is heartbreaking. Knowing that she’s lost her dad, her sister and her husband (and maybe her child?) is upsetting and I feel bad for her. I also had a moment when I just thought of the first time that they met and how much I loved their chemistry.
Through all of the beating Glenn was able to utter his last words to Maggie, “I’ll find you.” Which, doesn’t sound extremely significant, but shows how she’s never alone.
The episode was extremely well-filmed and climactic, between Rick’s near death experiences, Maggie’s breakdown, Daryl’s capturing and Carl’s almost-amputation. As much as I would hate to admit it, the development of the plot and the conflict between Negan and Rick’s gang was worth it.
The amount of violence and gore was up to par with every other season of TWD, but the focus was more on humans than walkers, unlike previous seasons.
Although, I’m afraid that this season will lack luster with one of my favorite characters and one of the fan favorites, as well, I know it will allow character development and even more action for those left standing.
I understand that Maggie is supposed to become a leader figure within the group, so making this her lowest point would be completely understandable.
Another aspect I would like to address is the strange love-hate relationship I have with Negan. As much I want to hate him, I kept making the same remark throughout the premiere, “He’s psycho, but so smart?!?!”
Seriously, he’s almost too scary, but somehow you give him so much respect, just for being a decent leader, in comparison to past enemies and group leaders.
Overall, the season premiere did not disappoint, instead it depressed me. I was so satisfied with the creativity behind the episode, the climactic organization and the character portrayal, but the deaths nearly paralyzed me.
I’ll miss the characters lost in this episode, especially Glenn, but I know season 7 will develop into one of the most dramatic and craziest seasons yet.