The Walking Dead Recap: “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”

The wait was finally over last night, as people around the world tuned in to The Walking Dead’s Season 7 premiere. And things got gory.

I can officially say that this was the most gruesome episode of television I’ve ever seen. “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” put Game of Thrones to shame. And yes, we’ve all heard that line before- from Edwin Jenner at the CDC in Season 1. Remember when the CDC was about to blow up, and Jenner thought he’d be doing them a favor for not telling them and just letting them blow up with it? Remember when Rick found out, and escaped just in time. Well, between those two moments, Jenner tried to explain that there would be a time when Rick would realize he should’ve stayed there and just died in that blast. “The day will come when you won’t be” grateful you survived. And after all he’s been through, maybe today’s finally that day. And this episode may have just proved that.

I’ve never seen fear like I did on tonight’s premiere. I’ve never seen Rick Grimes with the look of genuine terror on his face like I did during this episode. I’ve never seen this group of strong, unafraid people be so incredibly vulnerable. The episode started with 11 of them lined up in front of Negan’s eager bat, but when the episode was over, only 9 of them remained.

That’s right, 2 of them got the boot- in the most horrific way possible.

Image via AMC

We last saw The Walking Dead in April, and we were left on the largest cliffhanger we’ve ever seen on this show- whose skull was Negan going to bash in with his trusty barbed wire covered bat, Lucille. Well, the first half of the Season 7 premiere had us waiting a little bit longer.

The episode picked up just after Negan chose someone. Rick’s face was splattered with blood. People were weeping in the background. Bloody brains were in a pile on the dirt.

Negan dragged Rick into their RV so he could reflect on what had just happened, and to make sure Rick knew that undeniably, Negan was in charge. He threw Rick into a pile of Walkers, and made him fight them off. He made him play a game of hide and seek to find an axe that Negan hid from him. He wanted to make Rick fear him. While this was happening, Rick was having flashbacks to the death of his two friends.

Abraham was the first one to go- the one whose skull would be mashed on the ground. As a former soldier, he got back up after that first brutal blow and told Negan to “suck my nuts.” There’s the Abraham we all know and love! The camera cut to Sasha and Rosita, both of which had a more than friendly relationship with the man, and both of which were sobbing devastatingly. Negan figured it out quickly that Rosita had been in a relationship with him, so he goes and taunts her with the blood of the man he just beat to death. Daryl being Daryl, couldn’t take this anymore. He lunges at Negan, only to be quickly stopped by Negan’s men.

Image via AMC

Well, Negan won’t stand for things like that, so he choses another victim. This time, it’s Glenn, hitting him so hard that his eye pops out of his socket. Before Negan continues beating him to death, Glenn looks over at Maggie saying, “I’ll find you.” Queue the tears.

Oh, but wait. There’s more.

Negan wants to really hammer home who is in charge now. Negan wants Rick and his group to look at him with fear in their eyes, knowing what he’s able to do to them, knowing what he has done to them. Because right now, they’re looking at him like he’d “just shit in their scrambled eggs.” Negan wants to change this. He tells his men to put a gun to everyone’s head. He grabs Carl, and draws a line around his wrist.

"“Rick, I want you to take your axe and cut your son’s left arm off.”"

If he refuses, everyone dies. Rick is desperately pleading for it to be him instead, to not make him do this. “Not making a decision is a big decision,” Negan threatens. He starts counting down. “Three.” Rick’s body is shaking in fear. “Two.” Sweat is pouring from his forehead. “One.” Rick has been broken. He raises his axe so nobody else dies today. As he’s about to fulfill Negan’s wish, Negan stops him, clearly content with all that he’s gotten Rick to do at this point.

Image via AMC

Negan and his men pack up. They take Daryl with him. “He’s not a little bitch like someone I know,” Negan notes to Rick. Maggie blames herself for everything. None of them would have been out there if it weren’t for her. They take the bodies back to bury them. And as they’re carrying their lifeless friends, a flash-forward to what could’ve been appeared on the screen. Glenn and Abraham were alive. Glenn and Maggie’s baby was happy. Life was good. But this is The Walking Dead. And life isn’t good. And we have a long season ahead of us.

But what a way to start it off. Season 7 is already the goriest, the most horrific, and without a doubt, the most emotional. After these two character deaths, how will this effect the rest of the group? Who will feel the most to blame, and how will that change them moving forward?

Next: Jeffrey Dean Morgan on Negan: “I just know people are going to despise me.”

Find out next week on AMC at 9/8c.