The Best of ‘The Walking Dead’ – Season 7

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Episode 701: ‘The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be’
Original Airdate: October 23, 2016

‘Lucille is thirsty. She is a vampire bat!’
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- Negan

​For the most part, horror stories have a tendency to only go so far when it comes to the scares, they present us with, and it makes sense as to why. For while horror is indeed dark and ugly and twisted… it is still at its core, entertainment. The kind that we should walk away from safely, from a mental perspective and holding back, helps to achieve that. In fact, it helps the experience further since it allows for the imagination to run wild when a moment comes just this side of truly terrifying us. But once in a while… crossing the line is essential for a horror story. Because without letting loose and truly terrifying us, certain moments won’t have the proper gravity, nor can the story move to its next destination and well… that particular storytelling choice is top of mind today for our grand discussion regarding the best episodes that The Walking Dead to offer… because we are going to spotlight a tale that meets those criteria.
 
Because back in October of 2016, all of us were huddled around our television sets to find out the ultimate fate of who died at the hands of Negan’s bat, thanks to the epic season six cliffhanger that was sent our way and well… it turned out that not only did ‘The Day Wil Come That You Won’t Be’ answer that question… but it truly went to the darkest places imaginable. For this is a story that really for the first time ever in the history of the series, explored the cruelty of man in this kind of situation, and just how far some would be willing to go to consolidate power in a bold new chapter in the world’s wild history and well… let’s be honest, none of us were prepared for the sheer savagery that this episode put on display.
 
For this is a story that really crossed every possible line here. First by showing us the gruesome deaths of Abraham Ford and Glenn Rhee in stunning detail, to the point where little was left but pulp and Negan’s fury and unsettling one liners and if that wasn’t enough, if that wasn’t a hard line to cross… the show went even further. By forcing Rick to suffer greatly as Negan worked to bend him to his will. All of which left us squirming in our seats and in tears for some, and once this long and winding nightmare came to its close, we were all left in stunned silence or holding friends and loved ones near, over the dark twist this series took, and let’s be honest… these were storytelling decisions that had an INCREDIBLE impact on the fan base. 

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​Because this was the kind of brutal story that honestly turned off some members of the audience. In fact, the watch party for this episode that this writer attended was full of sobs from one close friend over Abraham’s fate, and our very own Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Shae… stormed out of the room after what happened to Glenn. She also vowed to never watch the show again and held to that promise through and through, to this very day in fact. Which speaks volumes to how hard this episode went and how impactful it was and how it truly scared us to our core. Because this was just not the kind of terror we expected to endure. Not from a series where the good guys always found a way to win regardless of the odds that were against them, and where hope was their desire to bring to this broken world.
 
Which in turn begs an important question. In that, how then, does that kind of response and brutality, and outright line crossing… make this the best the series has to offer? Well, the answer to that is simple… because like it or not, this story was brave. It really took some hard risks and really leaned into horror like the show never had before and in doing so, told a stunning tale. One that really made it clear how ugly this world had become. Not to mention, it was crucial to the future for some characters. Since Rick would not become a unifying leader until after this and the events of ‘All Out War’. Plus, this brought forth new allies and it made Maggie the leader she is and set forth a redemption arc for Negan that no one ever thought he would be capable of.
 
So, whether or not you stand by this episode, or despise it because of the dark decisions it made… one cannot deny its impact on the audience and the story. Nor can we deny its bravery. Because it takes serious guts to craft a story this powerful and this devastating and still put a season of stories behind it. But the creative team did just that, and the cast sold every horrifying moment for certain, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan turning in some of his finest work as an actor in this episode, and that bravery and that boldness… makes it one of the best this series has to offer. Because it was unlike anything the show had ever put forth and it changed the course of the series in a powerful and moving manner and well… now that we’ve reached the end of this of this harrowing journey, it is time to turn our attention to another bleak tale… one that taught everyone what they were actually fighting for. Until next time.

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