WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
“The Walking Dead” proved why it is still in the top tier of scripted television in its Season 7 finale, entitled “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life.”
The episode is slow out of the gate, with dream sequences from Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green) and careful deliberation from potential soldiers at the Hilltop and Ezekiel’s regiment.
But once it gets going and the bullets start flying, it is chill-inducing TV. A common criticism in Season 6 and parts of Season 7, especially early on, was that its characters were spread so far apart, left to resolve their own unique predicaments.
In the Season 7 finale, however, the characters unite behind a common cause, and the core group of Survivors recognize Glenn Rhee’s (Steven Yeun) contributions to their family unit.
In terms of production values – such as sound, editing, and direction – the episode must be praised. Director Greg Nicotero, as usual, delivers suspenseful action scenes that test the mettle of the characters – without even using hordes of zombies as a crutch.
What the finale will be remembered for, however, is Shiva’s vicious cameo and the rallying cries that rang out through Alexandria as the Survivors, Hilltoppers and Kingdommers sought to push tyranny from its walls once and for all.
Let’s take an in-depth look at the finale:
The show begins as Sasha appears to take Eugene’s poison pill while wearing headphones. In a dream sequence, she sees Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz). He says that Maggie is in trouble and they’re going off to the Hilltop for help. “Don’t go,” Sasha warns him, knowing his bleak future.
Then, at the Sanctuary, Negan enters Sasha’s cell. “Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Sasha,” he tells her. “You don’t have to die. But someone does. Maybe a couple others, tops… We are gonna help solve some s**t.”
Inside Alexandria, the Survivors attempt to deal with the Dwight situation. The Savior, played by Austin Amelio, professes to have ditched Negan and his sadistic ways. “I want it stopped,” he tells Rick. “I want Negan dead.”
Tara (Alanna Masterson) reminds Dwight about the woman he killed with the crossbow, her girlfriend and the community’s doctor. Daryl refuses to hear reason and shoves a knife near Dwight’s face. “What I did, I was doin’ for someone else. She’s got away,” Dwight says. “So now I’m here. So are you, because of her.”
“If we work together we can stop him… Negan’s coming soon, tomorrow,” Dwight suggests. He then lays out a game plan for Rick, suggesting they infiltrate the Sanctuary’s outposts one by one.
As Dwight leaves Alexandria in a vehicle, Rick tells Daryl, “If he’s lying, this is already over.”
Negan enters Sasha’s cell and tells her his plan. He says the Survivors will stand down, but only after Lucille gets to kill three people. Sasha stands firm, though, saying no one has to die. “You are wrong,” Negan snaps. “Punishment is how we built everything we have.” He gives in, a bit, and says Lucille will only take one person.
At the Hilltop, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) discusses her plan to bear arms. Jesus (Tom Payne), is happy it is her making the decisions, not Gregory (Xander Berkeley).
Then Nicotero and the writing team cut to a regiment of Kingdommers. Morgan (Lennie James) wants to go it alone, but Ezekiel (Khary Payton) convinces him to stay with the brave Kingdommers. “Cease this folly,” Ezekiel tells him. “Saviors are a dragon with many heads.” He tells Morgan the former pacifist is wearing Benjamin’s armor. “You are not stuck. Join us on our journey.” Morgan nods his head. Ezekiel parades off shouting, “For the Kingdom, for the glory of victory!”
Jadis (Pollyanna McIntosh) and the fighters from the Junkyard then arrive to Alexandria in a garbage truck. Jadis tells Michonne she wants to “lay” with Rick after the mayhem. Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) manage to avoid really answering. Nearby, other Survivors begin to rig wires that will detonate on Negan.
Simon (Steven Ogg) and the other Saviors then come across downed trees on the way to Alexandria. Negan wants to know who set up the distraction. (Maybe Dwight followed through on his word. Could it be?) Eugene (Josh McDermitt) says that he wants to speak with the Survivors to get them to lower their weapons.
Jadis and her fighters then set up shop around Alexandria. One sniper appears beside Michonne and says, “We win.”
In another dream state, Abe tells Sasha that they “kick s**t and eat snakes. That’s us.” She tells Abe that he drowned at the beach.
In another, more recent flashback, Sasha is shown talking with Eugene. “If people die today it’s because of the choices they made,” Eugene tells her. Then, back in the “present,” Eugene hops on a flatbed to shout up to Rick on the Alexandrian fence line. “Where’s Negan?” Rick yells. “I’m Negan,” Eugene answers.
Rick makes the judgement call of killing Eugene, and tries to have the explosives detonate. They don’t. Jadis then points her gun toward Rick’s head. Negan slowly hops out of the nearby vehicle.
A bitter Negan asks Simon and Dwight to grab a coffin off the truck. Negan says he has Sasha. “I want a person of your own choosing, for Lucille,” Negan tells Rick. “You know what, you suck a-s, Rick, you really do.”
Nicotero then cuts back to Eugene with Sasha at the Sanctuary. Eugene gives her an iPod for the long ride. “I truly wish I measured up,” he tells her. Negan says she doesn’t have to take the ride in the coffin. “I know how tough this is, and I appreciate it,” Negan tells Sasha, his bait. She looks at the pill inside the plastic bag as the truck heads off.
Moments later, Sasha swallows the pill. When next we see her, it’s when Negan opens the coffin in Alexandria. Sasha is dead, and attacks Negan as a walker. Negan falls from the truck and Carl turns his gun on the Saviors and Junkyard fighters nearby.
Then a full-blown battle ensues. Negan is almost eaten by Sasha, but Simon pulls him away. Jadis shoots Rick in the side and kicks him off their ledge. She then parades Rick down the main street in Alexandria, toward the other Survivors, who’ve been corralled by the Saviors.
“You had to go with these filthy garbage people, no offense,” Negan says to Rick. “…I guess I gotta start all over again.”
“You’re not gonna win,” Carl says bravely as Negan stands near him with Lucille. Then it sounds like Michonne has fallen from the watch tower – following her fight with one of Jadis’ soldiers.
“Well Rick, you chose this,” Negan tells Rick. “This isn’t a warning, this is punishment. I’m gonna kill Carl now.”
“I told you already, I’m gonna kill you, all of you,” Rick says. “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but nothing is gonna change that. Nothing.”
Just before Carl is to be killed by Negan, Ezekiel’s tiger, Shiva, comes into the frame and eats a Savior. The Kingdommers have arrived. “Alexandria will not fall, not on this day!” Ezekiel declares. The Hilltoppers have also come to provide assistance.
The next few exhilarating moments comprise one of the better “Walking Dead” action sequences in the past few seasons.
Jadis sends smoke signals up and the Junkyard soldiers flee. Negan leaves in his truck, too, and as he does, he gives Rick’s fighters the middle finger.
As it turns out, Michonne hadn’t fallen from the watch. But she is badly beaten.
At the Sanctuary, Negan questions Eugene about Sasha’s death. Eugene, maintaining his steely composure, says Sasha ran out of air. Negan steps ahead, to his other fighters, and says, “So, we are goin’ to war.”
Jesus and Maggie kill walker Sasha in the woods. Inside Alexandria, the different communities have come together very nicely. The three leaders – Ezekiel, Rick and Maggie – talk to their people, calming them, motivating them.
The final scenes involve Maggie talking about Glenn’s role in the whole resistance, and their entire journey through the States, from Atlanta to D.C.
Near the gate, Daryl retrieves a carved figurine off the ground that has two words written in Sharpie on it: “Didn’t know.” Could it be Dwight, admitting he didn’t know Negan’s intricate plan to subdue Rick? It appears so.
“To give, to love, to live, to fight for each other,” Maggie says. “Glenn made the decision, Rick. I was just following his lead.”
