THE WALKING DEAD
The Day Will Come When You Won't Be
Season 7, Episode 1 Preview

10/09/2016

I'm just going to leave this video here. Go ahead and watch, I'll wait a few minutes.

Alright, are you good? No, you're definitely not after seeing the aftermath...at least I hope you're not, because that was the most disturbing thing ever. Even after everything terrible thing that's happened to these people on The Walking Dead, this is their worst moment. It was so wrong. And how superb was Andrew Lincoln? We've seen it many times before, but he's always so impressive.

If he were ever to get one-on-one with Negan, Rick's rage and heartbreak would rampage through Negan like a freight train.

Now, though some things in the scene suggest a few possibilities, don't just assume any of them are correct. Negan's talk about a right hand man made it seem as though he knew he had just done a lot of damage to the group. It could have been anyone, though. As we've all been fearing for months, and as it was in the comic, some comments said it had to be Glenn. Someone else said both Glenn and Maggie. I would think if it was either one of them that someone would have been wailing. I think Negan allowed that, right? Let me go check the transcript.

Yes, and here's the quote.

You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that.
— Negan, "Last Day on Earth"

And I would hope that Negan would have commented on killing two of Rick's people, if that's what he had done. But we don't know what happened between the first blow and this moment between him and Rick. Those three minutes belonged to them, and the show gave nothing away specifically. Glenn has already been in too many near misses to survive much longer in a series like this, but I'm trying to hold onto a slim chance that the writers didn't follow the comic again and that it wasn't him. Then Maggie would have even more reason to stay motionless and save herself and her unborn chid.

That leaves another most valuable player vulnerable: Daryl. It looked like his blanket on the ground at the end of the scene, but that could be there just to mess with us. Still, Daryl's a strong, take no shit kind of guy, obvious from the attitude he exudes even while silent. He would be the natural choice to off in order to subdue the others. That's a choice that would backfire on Negan. In fact, no matter who it was, it already has.

I'm gonna kill you...
Not today, not tomorrow, but I'm gonna kill you.
— Rick to Negan, "Season 7, Episode 1"

Imagine saying that to someone who just obliterated someone close to you and has no problem taking a bat to your skull. Rick is in total shock, a friend's blood on his face, and he's in no position to be making threats. If he were ever to get one-on-one with Negan, Rick's rage and heartbreak would rampage through Negan like a freight train.

Not just storywise, but also thinking about the fans, which a series needs to survive, choosing Daryl might be a fateful idea. "If Daryl dies we riot" isn't just a fun little meme.

I don't rememember who was to Rick's right besides Glenn, Maggie and Daryl. Wait a sec, let's check the video.

It was a lot of people. The closest were Maggie and Abraham. I've been fearing for Abraham "mother dick" Ford. Where would we get our comic relief if he died? But he already escaped his death on the train tracks, replaced by poor, sweet Denise. Abraham's death may have less of an impact on Rick. But, then again, maybe not. Rick takes it quite personally when his group is hounded, murderered and threatened.

There's also Michonne. Please not Michonne. I don't think Rick could handle losing another person he loves. And isn't she supposed to meet Ezekiel? I accidentally come across that little tidbit while reading an article about the upcoming season. It doesn't mean that much, though, since the show has diverged from the comic a number of times.

Whatever happens, I'm here for it all. I've loved this series from the moment that Rick woke up in his new reality and had to adapt to the insanity around him. If this horrifyingly brutal act won't make me stop watching then nothing will. I have too much love for the story and characters, and I need to see how it eventually ends.

As a side note, I think I'll look back fondly on the Governor as a man driven insane by his circumstances, and who almost came back, while Negan is someone who revels in them and thrives. Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks a little too gleeful and convincing in his new role. This is going to be quite an emotional experience once again.