The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere: 4 Ups & 6 Downs From 'The Day Will Come When You Won't Be'

2. Broken Rick

The Walking Dead Rick Negan
Gene Page/AMC

The episode picks up right after the deaths have happened, choosing to put the focus on Rick and Negan's relationship. At this point, we've got a Rick who is visibly shocked and shaken, but he's still Rick Grimes: he's not afraid, he's maintaining some control, and tells Negan that he'll kill him.

If there's a narrative to this episode, it's the breaking down of Rick Grimes. Not all of it is enjoyable to watch or really even necessary to see, but the end result is certainly an interesting one. After six seasons of him being 'the man', the guy in charge, we've now got a Rick completely broken and begging.

He's out of his mind with fear and grief, and Andrew Lincoln sells it superbly. With wide-eyed terror and a cracked voice he really conveys the sheer misery Rick is now facing, and it's interesting having seen him in a position of power for so long to watch him like this. I don't know how long it'll last, but getting to see a completely broken Rick should offer a bit of a new perspective for a few episodes.

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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.