By Alexa Bianchi
Staff Reporter
The season seven premiere of “The Walking Dead” aired on AMC on Sunday, Oct. 23.
The finale of the previous season ended with a cliffhanger that left viewers guessing what happened for months.
What the audience knew was that Negan, the villain of the season, and his group, the Saviors, had captured Rick Grimes, the protagonist of the show, and his group. The season ended with the screen going black to the sound of a bat hitting someone’s head, leaving it unclear as to who Negan killed from Rick’s group.
“I am a huge fan of ‘The Walking Dead.’ It is so good and will have you hooked within minutes. This episode was unlike any other they’ve had before,” said junior Christie Wukovits.
The fans had to wait six months to find out who was killed off and it ended up being two of the most beloved main characters, Glenn and Abraham.
“I was surprised they killed off two leads, but I had been anticipating Glenn’s death for a while,” said junior Juliana Gullotta. “I was left a little disappointed at the end of the episode because the manner in which he died was not heroic. After escaping death in so many previous episodes, I figured that his eventual death would be more extensive.”
Killing off two leads caused a multitude of reactions throughout the fan base and the deaths of these characters were not necessarily easy to watch.
“Most people are sad over Glenn’s death because he’s been on since season one, but I was more upset that Abraham was killed,” said sophomore Kayla Browne. “It’s crazy how you get so attached to characters in shows. I was genuinely mad at Negan for killing them.”
Another post-premiere moment that some fans are talking about is when Negan forces Rick to make the decision between cutting off his son Carl’s arm or killing Rick, Carl, and the rest of the group.
“The part when Rick had to choose between his son’s arm or everyone dying stuck out to me. He had to put the needs of the group before his son,” said junior Dymond Leroy. “Ultimately, he made the right decision though because Negan didn’t end up following through with either option.”
Fans are trying to guess what the events that occurred in the premiere mean for the rest of the season.
“I think it means that Rick will enter into a downward spiral similar to when he lost his wife,” said Gullotta. “However, I know that the group will not voluntarily let Negan take over without a fight, so I expect more people to die.”
While some people are upset about the loss of such important characters, others are stumped by the show’s choices.
“I have no idea how they’re going to continue the season without Glenn and Abraham,” said Browne. “It’ll be weird, but I’ll be extremely interested to find out what happens next.”
Even though the viewers were left hanging for weeks to find out what happened, they felt the wait was worth it.
“It was hard waiting for the premiere because the season six finale was so good. It left you on the edge of your seat and I was nervous the premiere was going to be a let down, but it was just the opposite” said Leroy. “It was unpredictable and worth the wait.”
“The Walking Dead” airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.