The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, February 12th.
If you’ve been keeping up with The Walking Dead this season, then you’re probably rather familiar with Negan. Season 7 of the show opened up with a gruesome, physically and mentally exhausting hour of television that left a lasting impression on many fans. Following the massive upset of Season 6’s cliffhanger finale, the show-runners had a lot to live up to if they wanted to keep fans happy. The explosive premiere saw Negan killing two main cast members, Abraham and Glenn. In addition, protagonist Rick goes through a thorough mental and physical beating until displaying submission to Negan. The premiere was an incredible television experience that left fans feeling emotionally drained, but also satisfied.
Following the premiere, which brought in 17 million viewers, episodes have followed different characters that branched off from the main group near the end of season 6. Carol and Morgan make their way to The Kingdom, where they meet the eccentric King Ezekiel and his massive CGI tiger. In addition, we get to see Maggie and Sasha head back to the Hilltop in order to secure proper medical treatment for Maggie. Regardless of where each episode takes place, the threat of Negan and the Saviors looms large over everyone. The tone of the show this season has darker and more oppressive than in past seasons, mainly due to the new submissive position that the group finds themselves in.
This darker tone filled with grief and oppression has, unfortunately, led to lower ratings for the first half of the season. For many viewers, the new direction of the show hasn’t been the kind of exciting zombie-slaying action that they desire on a Sunday night. However, the end of season 7’s first half signals a return to form for the group. With the combined efforts of Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom, a rebellion against Negan’s oppressive rule is in the works.
The previews for the second half of the season indicate that we’ll be seeing the fractured group reuniting in, what looks to be, all out war against the Saviors. In addition, the showrunners promise the second half of the season to include significant plot twists that viewers will not see coming. While those are promises often made by show-runners in order to boost their ratings, season 7 of The Walking Dead has been delivering on those promises so far. As such, both new viewers and long-time fans of the show are sure to be in for a treat when The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, February 12th.