CLEVELAND, Ohio – After one of the most controversial runs in show history, “The Walking Dead” showed signs of life on Sunday night.
The Season 7 midseason premiere, titled “Rock in the Road,” got things back on track a bit. We got a moving speech from Rick, appearances by Morgan and Ezekiel, and one heck of a walker death scene.
But it’s where the show goes from here that will determine just how engaging the remainder of “The Walking Dead” Season 7 will be. While just about every engaging character on the series had their moment to shine in “Rock in the Road,” the next episode could feature one of those polarizing detours the show has become known for.
The midseason premiere began with Father Gabriel cleaning out the food pantry at the Alexandria Safe-Zone and getting into a car with two mysterious people. The episode ended with Rick and company on the search for Gabriel and ambushed by a new group of survivors.
Teasers for the next episode “New Best Friends” show Rick face to face with the leaders of this new group. It looks like Rick will fight a junkyard full of walkers in an effort to convince these newbies to join him in a war against the Saviors.
While it’s somewhat eye rolling to think the show is introducing something completely new so soon into the second half of Season 7, it fits with the storyline.
This second half is all about the march to an all-out war. Rick will have to go on a recruiting trip. Much of the season will focus on that, while also showcasing how these other groups react to Rick’s proposal and what the potential ramifications will be with the Saviors.
One of the most promising aspects of the midseason premiere was the trip to the Kingdom, which set up a few good scenarios. Richard and Ezekiel are clearly on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to dealing with the Saviors.
To go along with that, Benjamin got a lot of screen time, which usually means bad things to come for such a character. More importantly, Daryl is now at the Safe-Zone, which should offer some compelling conversations between Mr. Dixon and Morgan, as well as Ezekiel (and, fingers crossed, a reunion with Carol!).
The second half of Season 7 is all about potential. The first half failed to capitalize on what could have been. The next seven episodes are sort of a do-over.
We still don’t know how much screen time Negan will get in these next several episodes. We don’t know how interesting these new characters will be.
We don’t know if we’ll see more devastating deaths. We don’t know how annoying Rosita will get (But she’s already reaching new heights).
“Rock in the Road” put “The Walking Dead” back in our good graces, ever so slightly. Now, can it stay there?
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