The Walking Dead’s premiere foreshadows another dry season

The Walking Dead returned to AMC with its 100th episode and premiere of its eighth season, and it wasn’t what we were expecting.

I’ve been waiting for that one episode of The Walking Dead to come on and remind me why I originally started the series way back when, that episode that truly leaves me shocked and wanting more.

Well, this episode is definitely not it.

I’m not saying it was terrible. I’ve seen plenty of episodes last season that were pretty low on my rating scale. But this episode did feel incomplete to me, like it was missing an actual story behind all of these little scenes.

Director Greg Nicotero is known for bringing abstract ideas to season premieres of this AMC classic, but I’m just not sure he hit it out of the park with this one. The fifteen minutes of pure “padding” in this episode was a waste of space and could’ve been utilized by language that furthers the plot or leaves the audience in anticipation for next week. Instead, it just left me wondering if this season will be better than the last.

With plot holes galore and the majority of the episode posing more questions than intended, I’m worried the dryness of this episode is only foreshadowing what’s to come.

Negan

One huge question I have about this opener is this: Why didn’t they just shoot Negan when they had the chance? And I don’t think I’m alone in asking that question, as multiple tweets popped up wondering the exact same thing last night.

I don’t think we ask for much but we do ask for Negan to be dead. And preferably in the near future. I suppose the dynamic between Rick and Negan is what’s keeping this show alive right now so maybe we’ll have to keep waiting for that epic death. He’s still alive in the comics, and that makes me nervous for how long he’ll stay on this show.

I do feel that it would be a little easier to deal with Negan if we had more of his backstory. Every bad guy needs a story that we feel bad for, that makes the bad guy who he is. I don’t know enough about what happened to Negan to allow him to be this way. I need a story. If the crossover episode that AMC announced a few weeks ago featured Negan and his story, then I wouldn’t be complaining.

That time jump

And we can’t talk about this episode without mentioning that time jump sequence we had going on throughout it, where Rick aged about 30 years in a matter of seconds and Michonne looked no different. This scene was peppered throughout the hour long episode and left viewers wondering about its importance. I assume it’s the image pushing Rick to go up against Negan, but I want to know if there’s more to it.

Because this is what we were all thinking:

And what’s up with his bum leg? Is this just previewing how the season ends?

Character development

All plot holes aside, the episode wasn’t all bad. One good thing about this episode was all of the character development that I saw. From Father Gabriel gaining the courage to save Gregory to Morgan becoming an expert with killing someone with his staff, I’ll admit that the 100th episode did show where these characters have been and hint at where they’re going.

Lennie James as Morgan Jones – The Walking Dead _ Season 8, Episode 1 – Photo Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/AMC

It was also a pleasure to watch Dwight and Daryl work together, even if it was just for a mere minute while they exchanged love notes via bow and arrow. I’m looking forward to seeing how Dwight’s character has fully changed and to see him help take down the man who made him that way to begin with.

Maggie’s development as a leader really shined through this episode. Pregnant and all, she’s taken the reins of the Hilltop, pushing past the views that Gregory had for the community. I couldn’t have been the only one with goosebumps when Jesus declared that Hilltop was officially standing with Maggie.

All in all

Maybe I’m being overly critical because I just really wanted something from this season, or maybe this episode really wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. I’m hopeful for where the show will go, and I’m willing to stick around for at least one more season.

What did you think of the episode? What would you have liked to see more or less of? Will you be sticking around for the remainder of the season? Are you excited to see what happens next? Let us know in the comments!

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The Walking Dead airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.