Season 7 of the American post-apocalyptic horror survival drama series, “The Walking Dead” just aired its 11th episode on February 26, its third since it made its midseason premiere on February 12.
It was obvious that the TV series was picking up the pace following a first half Season 7 debacle that saw its ratings dropped by 40%
While it has started Season 7 with a big bang with that gory episode that saw the deaths of Glenn and Abraham in the hands of Negan using his barbed wire-laced baseball bat, it was all downhill from there for “The Walking Dead.”
With the return of the show for its second half, it has become an opportunity for the TV series to chart a new course and correct the mistakes it has made in the first half.
Showrunners get the opportunity to convince viewers that the story of Rick Grimes is still worth following, details The Verge.
Spending so much of the viewer’s time
Some critics aver that the biggest problem of the show is that it chooses to spend so much of the audience’s time by bidding a lot of it.
The plot moves so agonizingly slow which is so unlike its first two or three seasons where suspense and excitement happen nearly every 10 minutes. But now, it has fallen into the trap of trying to prolong a TV series by spending so much time away instead of getting straight to the point.
As a matter of fact, critics believe that the first eight episodes of Season 7 of “The Walking Dead” can actually be summed up in four episodes or less and still have the plot moved at exactly the same point as it was by the time it reached the midseason finale.
Many also believe that the TV series is handling Negan as the big bad quite poorly, by giving him and his gratuitous violence too much focus.
The first two episodes of “The Walking Dead” Season 7 from the midseason premiere has been a far more enjoyable and dynamic affair that has Rick and crew doing more plotting and bonding than standing around and wringing their hands.
But the real test comes with episode 11 entitled “Hostiles and Calamities,” which brings viewers back to the Saviors, the Sanctuary, and Negan. How the show continues to integrate Negan’s storyline with the greater narrative will be the audience’s most critical test of faith.
Eugene takes the limelight
It was clear that the centerpiece of the latest episode of “The Walking Dead” Season 7 is Eugene.
The show shifted its focus from Rick’s side to Negan and the Saviors in the Sanctuary. Things are not looking particularly friendly there, with Fat Joey dead, Daryl is gone, and Sherry is nowhere to be found. The only thing going for Negan is that he has a new prisoner in Eugene, notes the Independent of UK.
Eugene is a quivering mess as he arrives at the Sanctuary, however rapidly grows a thick skin proving to Negan he’s a stronger asset than anyone gave him credit for.
Instead of locking him up, he was given a room with a video game and regular visits from Negan’s wives. By the episode’s end, Negan offers Eugene the chance to join his people.
Before Negan can finish the question, Eugene pledges his allegiance to him by saying that he was Negan before he met him, adding that he just needed to meet Negan properly to know.
The big question is whether Eugene truly means it or it is part of his master plan to survive.
During the episode, it was also shown that Negan’s aide Dwight is not in the same place. He was initially attributed with the blame for Daryl’s escape. Negan also sends him out to find their wife, Sherry, who has absconded the Saviors’ lair.
Dwight fabricates a story about her death upon returning to the Sanctuary making it clear that his allegiance to Negan is in the process of breakdown.