While The Walking Dead’s ultraviolent, somber Season 7 turned off some viewers, expect major changes in the second half.
Warning: Spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 7 episode “Hearts Still Beating.”
The Walking Dead is still the undisputed king (Ezekiel notwithstanding,) of primetime television drama, at least according to the raw numbers. Yet, the luster of its crown has somewhat dimmed with the show’s heavily-reported dip in ratings. The media has attributed that to its arguably unprecedented levels of violence and gore, notably with the premiere’s deaths of two beloved cast members. Also, the structural upheaval centering on the heroes’ continued abuse at the hands of Negan and the Saviors might have overtaxed the patience of some viewers. However, the showrunner is saying that major changes are ahead.
In an interview with ComicBook.com, showrunner Scott Gimple – while unrepentant about any perceived tonal missteps – is promising what he calls, “a very, very different” second half of what has been a difficult season for fans to endure. While Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s depiction of comic-book-iconic barbed-wire-bat-wielding villain Negan has been an exciting attraction in Season 7A, his dominance over Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the main group has arguably turned the series into a weekly session of sadomasochism, stretched out by the sporadic episodes devoted to side stories. Thus, Gimple implies that structural shifts are imminent in the upcoming 7B portion, stating:
"I will say 7B's vibe is very different from 7A's vibe. The ending of 7B is very different than the beginning of 7A. Just the vibe in 7B, I was just talking about it with Andy [Lincoln] last night. It's just a very, very different half season than the half season that preceded it.”
Relevantly, Season 7A ended optimistically with Rick – initially overwhelmed by Negan’s threat to his loved ones – finally coming to the realization that he needs to organize a rebellion. Indeed, the ending of the December 11 midseason finale “Hearts Still Beating” saw the primary cast reunite at Hilltop Colony, with Daryl – freed from capture and torture with the Saviors – handing Rick back his confiscated proverbial Excalibur in the Colt Python, with hints that Jesus will introduce them to King Ezekiel and the Saviors-suffering group the Kingdom. Thus, with hints of the pushback happening in 7B, Gimple implies more variety in the episodes, stating:
“Even with structure, what we're doing right now with the episodes and seeing where everyone is at, the structure is very, very different than the back half. There's a lot more variety to the structure. It's just a very, very different situation, but 6, 7, 8 ... Wow, we're really close, aren't we? I would say the end of 7A is very different than the beginning of 7A. That's the thing that kind of launches that different tone of 7B."
After 17 million people tuned in on October 23 to watch the Season 7 debut resolve the show’s controversial “Who did Negan kill?” cliffhanger in heart-wrenching, gruesome fashion, the sophomore episode saw a dramatic viewer decline of nearly 5 million; a decline that gradually continued until a slight rebound with Episode 7. Indeed, as the storyline finally started seeing narrative progress, the viewer hemorrhaging stopped and the ratings (which still dwarf any other show,) have been slowly rebounding. If 7A was designed to be a difficult emotional investment, then hopefully 7B will yield a resoundingly powerful payoff as The Walking Dead comic book series’ “All Out War” storyline kicks off.
The Walking Dead will return on AMC on February 12 with fans expecting Rick and company to start showing Negan the deadly consequences of zombie apocalypse bullying.