‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7 Wraps Up and War Is on the Horizon

Alex Aronson

Season seven of the hit AMC show “The Walking Dead” has been polarizing, to say the least. The first half of the most recent season saw a slight decline in ratings and divided fans due to its subdued nature. However, things somewhat turned around in the second half of the season, which concluded with its final episode last night. The back half of this season was better than the first, but it still suffered issues of stalling.

The season has played much like a rollercoaster. Starting out high, but never reaching that exact potential again. The season opener was an intense episode. It showed the decaying effect this life is having on Rick and the gang – and presented the shocking death of, not one, but two beloved characters. It set the stakes high. In a way, the show set itself up for failure in that respect – opening with a bang and setting the bar too high As a result – the rest of the season felt bland.

The show has pulled focus from zombies to humans. The humans in this “new world order” are each other’s biggest threat, and the zombies have taken a backseat. It is interesting to see how different the world has become in the seven seasons since the initial outbreak, but for a show with the title, “The Walking Dead,” one might assume that zombies would almost always play the most relevant part.

Season seven saw the introduction of several new characters, including ‘The Garbage People.’ Each new individual performs upon the pre-existing alliances and character dynamics – and with the inclusion of so many communities, including the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and Alexandria – in this respect, the show manages to keep fresh.

With such a large ensemble cast, kudos should go to the show for giving each character a chance to shine. The finale, which followed Sasha in a coffin, allowed audiences to feel closer to the character while she embarked towards Alexandria serving as Negan’s hostage. Just when you think a character might only be a side-player, the show manages to pull focus and concentrate on the little guys. Of course, this also has become somewhat formulaic in the sense that when the show does eventually concentrate on a character, that same character is likely to get the axe – and this episode was no different.

With every new face that enters the world of “The Walking Dead,” a familiar face must fade. The season finale saw the death of Sasha (at her fruition, and not someone else’s) – but it was still not as shocking or pulsing as the deaths of Abraham and Glen in the season opener.

In comparison to finales of seasons past, the season seven finale was very laid back. Last year, fans were kept waiting in anticipation all summer long while they pondered who got the wrong end of Negan’s beloved baseball bat. The long awaited anticipation made the season return event television. This year, there was no such cliffhanger. Yes, the promise of war is on the horizon, but there is nothing as glandular as last year – nothing to exactly entice fans to tune back in when the show returns next fall. For the show’s creators – that might hurt a little more than a zombie bite.
‘The Walking Dead’s season 7 finale aired April 2. Season 8 will return this fall on AMC.