The Walking Dead Season 7: 6 Ups And 3 Downs From 'The Well'

2. Cutting The BS

The Walking Dead Ezekiel
Gene Page/AMC

Man, Ezekiel is really great so far. It's only been one episode, but his introduction is pretty much spot-on, and they've turned a character who could so easily have been ridiculous into one that's smart, funny, and very interesting to watch.

A large part of that is down to the man playing him, Khary Payton. Mostly known as a voice actor, he brings a wonderful sense of the theatrical to King Ezekiel, but is also able to switch it up and play the regular guy as well.

The change brings us to one of the real highlights of the episode: Ezekiel and Carol's chat towards the end, where the King calls her out on her bullsh*t, and opens up about his own.

His backstory is an interesting one, and the way he is ultimately able to see through Carol works as a way to bring the two together. They're both out there bulls*tting, for their own reasons, just doing what they can to survive. With top work from Payton and McBride, it's an engaging conversation; one that really helps sell Ezekiel as a character, and leaves you wanting to see more of this pairing.

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Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.