The Day Will Come When You Won't Be

As a huge fan of The Walking Dead, my excitement for the newest villain, Negan, and who he chose to "Lucille" was the highest it's been for any television show I've seen. This episode certainly lived up to my expectations. The sheer brutality and tension was palpable throughout the entire runtime. Step aside Game of Thrones' "The Rains of Castamere". While the Red Wedding was shocking, it didn't hold a candle to The Walking Dead 7x01.

This episode left me speechless. The tension is unbearable and what the actors deliver is just top-notch. "Who did he pick?" was the big question after the season 6 finale. This season premiere answers that question in a shocking and unexpected way...

When I started to watch this episode, my heart was beating so fast that I almost decided to leave the room. What AMC built up here is on the one hand amazing and on the other hand just painful. I don't want anyone of Rick's group to suffer or to have fear - but Negan IS fear itself.

I think this episode will stay in our hearts and minds for a very long time - and it's a game-changer as well. How will the rest of season 7 look like? How will everything develop?

I really liked the series up to the middle of 6th season, when things started to slow down a little... as if creators had run out of ideas (even though they follow the original comics, they follow them loosely at ends). But moments after Negan's introduction in the season 6 finale, I got really excited again - anybody familiar with the comics knows, how bad ass this guy is. Seeing the premiere today, I was really shocked by the brutality of what happens. You get to find out who Negan's (or better yet, Lucille's) victim becomes and what happens after that. I loved the episode - it captured the violent, scary, gruesome atmosphere perfectly. Too much violence perhaps, for my taste, actually. All the actors play their roles great, with Rick topping them all. That's all I'm about to say - the wait is over, results are here, watch the episode and prepare to be shocked.

I was just watching this back, two years after airing. I have no issue in saying that this is the most disturbing 46 mins in TV history. It's sickening, it's grotesque but it's also absolutely harrowing for anyone invested in the characters of the show. The Walking Dead got a whole load of criticism for the content of this epispde, but that was the whole point, to convey the same effect of introducing Negan in the Comics, they had to go... far.

Really tough visually but perfect in the context of the show.

Rick is in shock, as he has seen Abraham and Glenn brutally beaten to death at the hands of Negan, the charismatic and psychotic leader of the Saviors.

Feeling that he still hasn't gotten through to Rick yet, Negan has taken him for a drive in the RV. In a heavy fog, Negan forces Rick to go get his axe, which involves Rick fighting through a crowd of Walkers. While laying on top of the RV, Rick somberly thinks about his group as Negan taunts him.

After retrieving the axe from the herd, Rick is driven back to his group, which is still being held hostage by a large group of Saviors. Rick is given the choice of either chopping off his son's arm or watching his group get shot to death. Breaking down, Rick begs for Negan to stop and only kill him. Negan begins counting down, and just before Rick has to cut off the arm, Negan stops him. "You answer to me. You provide for me," he says. Rick agrees, completely broken. Daryl is taken in a van as the Saviors leave. As the group reels from the experience, Sasha volunteers to take Maggie to the Hilltop while the rest return to Alexandria.

"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is a gut-wrenching season premiere that picks up immediately after the shocking cliffhanger of Season 6. The episode starts with Negan brutally killing one of the main characters, setting a dark and somber tone for the rest of the season. This moment is one of the most memorable and impactful scenes in the entire series, as it marks a turning point for the survivors and establishes Negan as a ruthless and formidable antagonist.

The episode also explores themes of power and control, as Negan asserts his dominance over Rick and the group, forcing them to submit to his authority. The psychological toll of Negan's actions is evident throughout the episode, as the survivors grapple with grief, fear, and uncertainty about their future. The tension is palpable as Negan torments Rick, demanding complete obedience and demonstrating the consequences of defiance in a brutal and unforgiving manner.

The heartbreaking and intense scene of Negan selecting his victim with the infamous "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" rhyme is particularly chilling. The episode delves deep into the characters' emotions, showcasing their raw grief and despair as they come to terms with the loss of one of their own.