Walking Dead - Season 7 (1 Viewer)

[t2smith]

This was spoiled in July and here is a Youtube video from July 22nd to prove it. I was going to try to avoid spoilers, but this video auto played after I watched the season 7 trailer and like a dummy I didn't stop it in time.

Spoiler

 

[Greg_S_H]

Don't worry.

Spoiler

Glenn crawled under the RV in time.

 

[Doug Wallen]

Wow, what a more complete introduction to Negan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is frighteningly psychopathic in all of his encounters. I've never seen Rick so unglued and unsure of himself. Will be an interesting season.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Fortunately, I managed to avoid spoilers here and elsewhere, and went into this episode completely cold. In keeping with the general trend, I'm going to spoilerize my thoughts as well:

Spoiler

Going into the episode, there were only four characters I was almost certain were safe: Rick (because he's the protagonist), Daryl and Michonne (because they're fan favorites), and Carl (because killing Carl would remove Negan's most useful leverage to keep Rick in line). When Abraham bit it, I thought to myself, What weak sauce. He solidly in the expendable tier of characters. But then Glenn's death happened. In a strange way, after the stunt with the dumpster last season, Glenn almost had to buy the farm this episode. But it was still brutal.

With regard to Walter's comment that Negan was "a complete psychopath", after a stream of maniacs who commit violence when they don't have to, one of the strengths of the portrayal of Negan is that he's an amoral rather than than immoral psychopath. He commits horrendous violence in this episode, but it's always for a purpose, and it's never more than necessary to make his point. Abraham died as punishment for all of Negan's people that Rick Grimes and company killed. Glenn died because Daryl broke the very clear ground rules that Negan had established. The most enlightening moment was near the end, with Carl's arm. An unhinged maniac would have sliced it off just to reinforce that he had the biggest dick on the schoolyard. But Negan doesn't do that; he makes Rick prove he's willing to cut his own son's arm off if Negan asks him to, and once he's satisfied that Rick is truly broken, he puts an end to the violence.

So he's a smart leader. But his biggest vulnerability, as I pointed out in the Season 6 thread, is that his grand and vast project is built on a cult of personality. A country like the United States is built on systems and institutions. You kill a president, and the office endures and the system of government endures. You find a way to take out Negan, the whole house of cards crumbles.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I don't think Adam was disagreeing with me, but to clarify my Negan being a 'complete psychopath' comment...

It wasn't meant to be an analysis of the character. I'm not a trained therapist, physician, or psychologist. It was really more about his complete, utter, and unflinching commitment to violence to achieve his ends. Be he also demonstrates self control in the scene with with Rick and Carl.

Spoiler

Shades of Abraham in the Old Testament?

I think he is going to be a great antagonist this season (and beyond?)

- Walter.

 

[ScottH]

This was spoiled in July and here is a Youtube video from July 22nd to prove it. I was going to try to avoid spoilers, but this video auto played after I watched the season 7 trailer and like a dummy I didn't stop it in time.

Spoiler

Glad I didn't see that ahead of time. WTF was that? By the way, give Jeffrey Dean Morgan the Emmy right now.

 

[Jeffery_H]

This was spoiled in July and here is a Youtube video from July 22nd to prove it. I was going to try to avoid spoilers, but this video auto played after I watched the season 7 trailer and like a dummy I didn't stop it in time.

Spoiler

The info in that trailer was only about 50% correct and whomever posted it sounds like they live in a ghetto judging by the profanity and obvious lack of any education. Anyway.....

The CORRECT spoiler was posted early last week with a leaked script that turned out to be 100% spot on from tonight's episode. It's not surprising considering how close the show was to airing on TV. If you read my prior post with spoiler it even stated the 20 minutes into the episode and Darryl being the one that would cause Glenn to die.

I couldn't wait any longer and glad it's finally over. For me, I can't really say the payoff was worth the wait as I would've preferred the episode tonight to have been how Season 6 ended. Now that to me would've been MUCH more effective in more ways than one.

 

[Sean Bryan]

Do NOT click the spoiler below unless you WANT to know who dies. The script has been leaked today and I couldn't wait any longer. One thing I can say that's not a spoiler is to keep in mind they have already said there are two victims of Neagan, not just one. We will see the first death pick up where season 6 ended and the other will come later as a result of something that happens but I won't post that.

Spoiler: Kills Revealed in Leaked Script

The first victim is Abraham. You see him look at Neagan and he looks tough in the season 6 finale. So, Neagan thinks that's Rick's "right hand man" so he takes him out to make the point we see him talking about in the trailer. Then, about 20 minutes or so into the show he also kills Glenn, just because Darryl does something that he thinks challenges him. So he wants to break their will and have them feel totally helpless and at his mercy if any want to survive.

Dude! I'm m glad I didn't look at this thread until AFTER watching the episode. You know, just "saying" a movie or show has twist often spoils some aspect of that.

I was aware of the death from the comics from someone spoiling that (which I'd rather have not known) years ago. So I was mostly expecting that death. But when the victim was shown to not be him I thought "wow, I guess they are sparing him". That led to the shock and surprise of the second execution. If I had read your post about two deaths (not the stuff in spoiler tags) it would have been spoiled for me.

I often see people on the internet thinking they can cleverly "talk around spoiler tags". That doesn't work well.

 

[TravisR]

It's not really the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about this episode but I have to give credit to alot of the actors who didn't have much dialogue because they still really sold the fear they would have in that situation.

 

[Sean Bryan]

I couldn't wait any longer and glad it's finally over. For me, I can't really say the payoff was worth the wait as I would've preferred the episode tonight to have been how Season 6 ended. Now that to me would've been MUCH more effective in more ways than one.

Here' a crazy thought. Maybe, just maybe, if you just watched the episode like you were supposed to and didn't, you know, "SPOIL" it for yourself it would have payed off more? Crazy I know. There's a reason stuff that is called spoilers.

 

[Sean Bryan]

This episode was absolutely brutal, disturbing and soul sucking.

After seeing more of how psychopathic Neegan is, I was surprised they got off so "easy". I was geared for a third death at that point and/or it felt like he was going it to take Rick's hand with that axe. That's where I thought he may have been going with the "right hand" talk. Also expected them to have to go through with taking Carl's hand. He was played as such a showboating sadist that I was primed for him to pull any sick shit you can imagine.

 

[Walter Kittel]

It's not really the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about this episode but I have to give credit to alot of the actors who didn't have much dialogue because they still really sold the fear they would have in that situation.

I agree, but would add that perhaps one or more of the captives would have at least gagged or vomited during the attacks. (I'm pretty sure that I would have done so.) On the other hand, I suppose that living for an extended period in the zombie apocalypse has suppressed the gag reflex.

- Walter.

 

[ScottH]

I was definitely 50/50 on whether Carl's arm was gone as it was going down.

Was surprised they took Daryl and not Carl though. I realize this is a TV show and they will all stick around for Daryl but if this is real life those people are taking that RV and hightailing it out of there never to be seen again. I know I would.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I was definitely 50/50 on whether Carl's arm was gone as it was going down.

When the hatchet (or is it an axe? ) was first introduced, my initial thoughts were that Negan was going to force Rick to remove his own right hand (what with the references to a right hand man). When it transitioned to Carl's arm being in jeopardy, I was kind of in the same boat.

- Walter.

 

[TravisR]

I was definitely 50/50 on whether Carl's arm was gone as it was going down.

With everything that came before in the episode, I definitely thought that they were going to cut it off or Negan would just kill another person instead.

 

[Zen Butler]

I'm not upset as to who was killed at all. I am not even at odds with the gore; especially with a show such as this. Perhaps it's a tribute to TWD that I felt literally slimy after watching last night's episode. So, good on you TWD but I'm checking out.

 

[ScottH]

I think the biggest question of the night was why does Norman Reedus still use an iPhone 5?

 

[KevinGress]

Dude! I'm m glad I didn't look at this thread until AFTER watching the episode. You know, just "saying" a movie or show has twist often spoils some aspect of that.

I was aware of the death from the comics from someone spoiling that (which I'd rather have not known) years ago. So I was mostly expecting that death. But when the victim was shown to not be him I thought "wow, I guess they are sparing him". That led to the shock and surprise of the second execution. If I had read your post about two deaths (not the stuff in spoiler tags) it would have been spoiled for me.

That's pretty much how I was - I didn't seek out, nor did I encounter any spoilers so when the first death occurred, I didn't see the second one happening. My wife chose not to even watch the show, fearing that her favorite character would die. Needless to say, she's not watching anymore. More on that in a bit.

Question - wasn't there a hatchet on top of the RV? I was confused because I thought Negan threw the ax out amongst the walkers and then all of a sudden Rick's laying on the RV and there's the ax/hatchet right there.


As far as the TWD, I'm done. And it's not because of the violence (even though I was surprised at myself for being surprised by it. Like Zen, I felt slimy watching it). Rather, it's because I'm basically tired of the premise - I realize that it never really was about the 'walkers' and that they ceased being an actual threat a long, long time ago (I don't even remember the last death by walker), but the whole nihilistic, person on person violence doesn't interest me. I never even watched FTWD when it started. There was a brief moment where Rick was hanging off of the hanging walker where it almost felt like he was in danger (by walkers) but it vanished too soon. And since zombies really aren't anything to fear, we're left with a post-apocalyptic show, and I'd rather see how they rebuild civilization rather than how they over and over seek to destroy it.

While I won't be watching - I might tune in when Negan gets his - I will be paying attention to the ratings. I'm still of the mind that TWD will end with the 8th season, but who knows? I think zombie fatigue is setting in, and TWD simply amping up the human threat each time has reached its apex.

 

[TravisR]

Question - wasn't there a hatchet on top of the RV? I was confused because I thought Negan threw the ax out amongst the walkers and then all of a sudden Rick's laying on the RV and there's the ax/hatchet right there.

He tossed it up on top of the RV. I initially thought the same as you did though.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Question - wasn't there a hatchet on top of the RV? I was confused because I thought Negan threw the ax out amongst the walkers and then all of a sudden Rick's laying on the RV and there's the ax/hatchet right there.

Over at DVD Talk, someone posted screen captures showing Negan tossing the hatchet on top of the RV in the S07E01 thread for TWD.

As far as the TWD, I'm done. And it's not because of the violence (even though I was surprised at myself for being surprised by it. Like Zen, I felt slimy watching it). Rather, it's because I'm basically tired of the premise - I realize that it never really was about the 'walkers' and that they ceased being an actual threat a long, long time ago (I don't even remember the last death by walker), but the whole nihilistic, person on person violence doesn't interest me. I never even watched FTWD when it started. There was a brief moment where Rick was hanging off of the hanging walker where it almost felt like he was in danger (by walkers) but it vanished too soon. And since zombies really aren't anything to fear, we're left with a post-apocalyptic show, and I'd rather see how they rebuild civilization rather than how they over and over seek to destroy it.

I'll keep watching, but I understand that perspective. I wouldn't mind seeing more content focused on rebuilding civilization, but I simply think we are way too early into the collapse to see that happen on a meaningful scale. I'm reminded of a section of the narration during the opening moments of The Road Warrior "Their world crumbled. The cities exploded. A whirlwind of looting, a firestorm of fear. Men began to feed on men. On the roads it was a white line nightmare. Only those mobile enough to scavenge, brutal enough to pillage would survive. The gangs took over the highways, ready to wage war for a tank of juice. And in this maelstrom of decay, ordinary men were battered and smashed..."

In my version of the zombie apocalypse, military elements restore order and establish a feudal sort of order, simply because they have the best weapons and training. Of course, this would probably lead to internecine warfare that might just wipe out whatever remnants the hordes don't overwhelm.

- Walter