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| (Photo Credit: AMC) |
The Walking Dead
Season 7, Episode 7
By Garrett Yoshitomi
Finally, the kind of episode fans have
been waiting for. After weeks of jumping in and out of different narratives, The Walking Dead casts a wide net with
Sunday’s ‘Sing Me a Song,’ exploring multiple characters and storylines, all in
the span of one episode. It’s a welcome change in format, and certainly not the
type of episode we're used to seeing. The
Walking Dead typically chooses to dedicate each of its episodes to a
singular storyline, which allows for more concentrated narratives, but usually wreaks
havoc on the show’s pacing.
Take this season for example. We’re almost
halfway through, and it feels like the plot has barely inched forward since that
fateful night of the season six finale. Just three of the seven episodes so far
(including the premiere), have built on the central Rick vs. Negan conflict,
while the other four have been about: Carol and the Kingdom, Daryl and the
Sanctuary, Maggie and the Hilltop, and Tara. Yes, world building, character
development, and secondary storylines are important. But did we really need an
entire sixty minutes dedicated to Tara?
Obviously, episodically divvying up focus
is not a decision made of creative ambitions, but one of pragmatism. The fewer
episodes Rick is in, the less Andrew Lincoln needs to be on set. The less
Andrew Lincoln needs to be on set, the less Andrew Lincoln needs to be paid.
But it’s a budgetary choice that has real ramifications on the quality of the
show. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the leadership spotlight Maggie got to step
into in episode five. And there were even parts of last week’s Tara-palooza
that I didn’t find objectively terrible. But, their cohesive impact on the wider
Negan plot was just too thin, and the individual merit of each episode too
poor, to really justify the amount of screen time they received. It’s no wonder
The
Walking Dead just hit a four-year ratings low,
and is currently experiencing its worst reviewed
season in the show's entire seven year run. With all that said, ‘Sing Me a
Song’ covers quite a bit of ground, and more than makes up for last week’s
lackluster outing, especially with regards to its focal point- Carl’s
face-to-face encounter with Negan.
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| (Photo Credit: AMC) |
When Chandler Riggs poked his head out
from inside Negan’s supply truck, comic fans rejoiced knowing that one of Carl’s
most iconic comic book storylines would finally be coming to life. In the past,
some of Carl’s notable graphic novel accomplishments have been diminished in
the show. For instance, in the comics, Carl is the one responsible for killing
Shane as a human, not Rick. And, he also kills the comic version of Lizzie, an
arc that was given to Carol in the show. With Carl finally getting his chance
to shine, Riggs delivers a surprisingly strong performance, going toe to toe
with Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan, and capturing both Carl’s bravery and
vulnerability- anchoring the episode in one of Carl’s most crucial arcs, yet.
There’s a lot to unpack with Negan this
episode, but without delving into too much plot, all I’ll say is this- not only
does Jeffrey Dean Morgan capture every last sadistically charismatic drop of
Negan’s personality, but he also gives The
Walking Dead a villain with a few more layers than we’ve seen in seasons
past. Unlike the Governor, who was a one beat evil psychopath, Negan is a
little more nuanced. He can be menacing (giving “the iron”), fatherly (with
Carl), and even kind of…neighborly? What’s more, he draws out pieces of characters
that we’ve previously never seen before- weakness in Rick, strength in Carl,
and a whole lot of fierceness in Olivia. That alone makes him a worthwhile
character to keep around in my eyes, as we rarely see this kind of complex
dynamic between a villain and our protagonists. Usually these relationships never
evolve past the basics of “good vs. evil,” but Negan ever so slightly blurs this line, in a way this
show desperately needs.
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| (Photo Credit: AMC) |
Unlike past episodes that concentrate
their focus on one location or character, ‘Sing Me a Song’ gives us a ton of
movement on the periphery, with multiple storylines progressing and merging, in
preparation for next week’s midseason finale. Of these storylines, it’s Rosita’s
quest for a bullet that seems like it will play the most important role. Which
is strange, because I never thought I’d ever put “Rosita” and “most important
role” in the same paragraph together, let alone the same sentence. But alas,
here we are. Aiding Rosita in her mission (albeit reluctantly) is of course,
Eugene. And, though I appreciate the side plot being thrown Eugene’s way, I am
a little disappointed that he’s reverting back to hiding behind his overly
analytical façade, especially after the development he received in the season
six finale.
Also in the mix this week are Spencer and
Gabriel. Spencer continues his impressive march up the top of everybody’s least
favorite character list, while Gabriel conversely moves down- a trend that’s
been continuing since his coming out party during the group’s attack on the
Savior outpost. Recently, Spencer’s taken a pretty hard stance against the
Ricktatorship, a move that usually doesn’t bode well for those with this point
of view. And can you really blame him? His whole family did kind of die shortly
after Rick and co. arrived. However, if there’s anyone who may be able to set
him straight; it’s Father Gabriel, who suffered his own doubts towards Rick
before finally seeing the light.
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| (Photo Credit: AMC) |
Finally, we get some brief sightings of
Rick and Aaron on a supply run, and Michonne with a mission of her own. Rick
and Aaron is a pairing that I’ve wanted to see since their tumultuous first
meeting. Michonne’s storyline, on the other hand, feels a tad bit redundant,
but there are worse plotlines to repeat, and it’s easy to see how she’ll tie in
with some of the other characters we see this episode. Between these two
storylines, we also get some unique walker setups, and it’s impressive that
even after seven seasons, the show is still finding creative ways to implement
walkers, even though they’re noticeably less frightening in the face of more
lethal human threats.
‘Sing Me a Song’ lays out the blueprint
for what The Walking Dead could and
should become- a quality ensemble drama with strong effects-driven action, and
a setting that provides opportunities for unique character interactions and storytelling.
However, this is ultimately a lot easier said than done, and it feels like we’ve
been tricked by these glimpses of potential, in the past. At some point, you
kind of are what you are, and six years and ninety episodes in seems as good a
point as any to draw the line. With that said, The Walking Dead still has the creative potential to throw together
a pretty compelling midseason finale, and I like where this episode lined up
the crucial bits of story we’ll probably see wrap up next week.
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