Especially for those who hadn’t read the comics, there was a true sense of bewilderment as viewers experienced the early stages of the zombie apocalypse vicariously through Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes as he awoke from a coma to a new world. With very little dialogue in that first episode, we were transported to a truly scary alternate reality. The imagery said it all in the scene where Rick rides into downtown Atlanta on horseback, while the outbound highway lanes are crowded with abandoned cars.
There were the lighthearted flashback moments, like seeing Rick with best bud and partner Shane. There was that moment when Glenn responds to Rick’s radio call, as he’s trapped inside a military tank — it was our first introduction to that fan-favorite protagonist. And there was the brutal shooting of a little girl — a predator zombie, but a child nonetheless.
Much has changed since that cinematic episode first aired on Halloween 2010. Human antagonists have often become more of a threat to the survivors than the killer corpses that have taken over the landscape. And now, in Season 7, that fact is clearer than ever, thanks to the introduction of uber-villain Negan. But while he’s perhaps the baddest of all the show’s characters and has brought trauma to the others (and to us viewers), he may have actually breathed new life into the ever-popular but ever-griped-about show.
We’ve never seen a performance on the show like Andrew Lincoln’s (as Grimes) in last week’s talked-about premiere. As upsetting as it may be to lose major characters (and in such a brutally violent way, even for The Walking Dead), this may be a positive turning point for a show that’s gotten a bit off track.
Sure, the premiere episode was mercilessly violent, but maybe that’s what fans get for counting the days until we knowingly get to see which character got his head bashed in. Maybe we asked for it? But The Walking Dead can be more than cliffhangers, bait and gore. Maybe this is its chance to prove that.
For once, Rick and his allies aren’t going to be able to just kill their nemesis. It may involve careful coordination between all of the groups Negan has under his control, and who knows how vast that network is.
But we’re going to have to wait at least another week to see that, because this Sunday’s episode will focus on Negan and the Saviors’ home base, The Sanctuary, and the continued breakdown of the captive Daryl. It will be our first look at the settlement.
Negan has surely broken Rick down, but could he do the same to Daryl? It would be really interesting to explore a sort-of turning of a character.
Picks of the Week
Stan Against Evil (Series Premiere, 10 p.m. Wednesday, IFC) – In this new horror-comedy (mostly comedy), crotchety small-town sheriff Stanley Miller (John C. McGinley) has been forced into early retirement. Just as he struggles to transfer power to his replacement (Janet Varney), they discover that their pocket of New England is possessed by demons.
Balls Deep (10 p.m. Thursday, VICELAND) – Thomas heads to our home state to meet Ralph Case, Donald Trump’s top volunteer in southern Ohio, along with the supporters he’s managed to organize to help elect Trump.
Saturday Night Live (11:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC) – Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch hosts; Solange performs.
Vanderpump Rules (Season Premiere, 9 p.m. Monday, Bravo) – The waitstaff of Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant and friends return for a fifth season of this guilty-pleasure fave.
CONTACT JAC KERN: @jackern
