WARNING: Spoilers
Sunday definitely felt like the “Last Day On Earth” for me as I anxiously waited for 8 p.m. so I could finally sit and brace myself through the heart-pounding season six finale of “The Walking Dead.”
After what was an excellent, nerve-racking and nightmare-inducing second half of the sixth season, the AMC showrunners finally treated us with what they had been promising: a nice, warm visit from the fan-favorite comic book villain, Negan.
However, for many fans, the season’s ending brought about disappointment. “Walking Dead” fans waited an entire season for what was supposed to be the most heartbreaking episode of “The Walking Dead” series, yet most were left relatively dry-eyed.
Aggravated fans took to Twitter to unleash their frustration, although I was content. Earlier last week I had stumbled across a spoiler on the Internet that stated exactly how the episode turned out to end, and I was not shocked because of how consistent the writers have been throwing in cliffhangers and plot twists at the end of every season.
Fans were taken through a monotonous 90 minutes of the Alexandrians driving in circles, finally climaxing with the long-awaited introduction of not only Negan and his army of followers, but his trusty barbed-wire wrapped baseball bat named Lucille, whom he uses to bash in the brains of some beloved character that we are left without knowing as the season comes to an end.
I was delighted at how the episode came to a close; it makes sense to stop the storyline right there when Negan makes up his mind. On “The Talking Dead” which followed the finale, Executive Producer Scott Gimple explained how when Negan chooses his victim, the old storyline ends and a brand new one begins. Whom Negan has selected to kill not only affects all the characters in the show, but also the world around them, and will act as the setup for everything that will happen in season seven.
I’ve been a huge fan since I began watching almost six years ago, and each season starting from the mid-season finale of season four to now has gotten progressively more dramatic and stressful, season six being the best one yet as far as intensity, character development and plot progression goes. The show’s writers have done an incredible job with keeping the show pleasantly canon while also throwing in plot twists that are almost impossible to predict.
This season finale kept me distressed throughout the night as Rick and company found themselves traveling cross-country to get an almost-dead-looking Maggie to The Hilltop Colony, only to be blocked multiple times along the way by The Saviors. Although the journey spanned out across the nearly all of the 90-minute episode, I was still left on edge of my seat as I waited for Negan around the next corner.
Weaved throughout all the miles and bad guys was a distractingly slow but meaningful storyline between Morgan and Carol. Morgan finally kills someone, which is a powerful moment for him, going against everything he has preached this entire season just to protect the woman who tried to kill him in the mid-season finale. Like I said, this season was all about incredible character developments.
But that’s not all the Carol and Morgan story brought to the table, for comic book fans we know the men in armor who arrive conveniently as Morgan saves the day weren’t just strangers…they are the first sign of The Kingdom, a notorious group of survivors from the comic book series.
Back to our group of Alexandrians, we come across a wall of walkers chained together and left in the middle of the road. Closer observation shows they are decked out in Michonne and Daryl paraphernalia. Super-pissed boyfriend Rick doesn’t have long to take out his anger on the walkers before Saviors hiding in the woods begin firing, forcing them back into the safety of the RV. Through all the gunfire, Rick manages to break the chain of zombies in half, and gets the group back on the road. Thus leading them towards the episode’s inevitable and hyped-up ending.
Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene) both spoke openly about how mentally and emotionally exhausting the season finale was for them to film, and it is made clear by the torment and helplessness in their eyes as Negan taunts and teases the gang in the last 10 minutes of the episode.
Negan makes it clear someone must be punished for all the men he’s lost because of Rick, and toys with us for what feels like years until he finally makes up his mind on which character he will beat the life out of.
However, at the last second, the perspective shifts to the point of view of Negan’s victim, and the last thing we see is Negan’s bat coming down, blood dripping down the camera and then black.
Although the introduction of Negan brings the death of another character, Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays Negan perfectly, and immediately makes it difficult for the audience to not like him.
There’s seven more months until “Walking Dead” fans will find out which one of our favorites is no longer with us, and then put through another gut-clenching season of “The Walking Dead.” How many more seasons could there possibly be? What will come between Rick and his new rival Negan? So many questions and more to be answered this October. Until then, we must relax our minds, breathe again and enjoy it while we can because Negan is here.
