I'm giving it a 5..

Pros:
Glenn's death genuine shocked me.
JDM is killing it literally and figuratively!
The dripping blood casualy whipped onto the faces of our fallen heroes was a nice sadistic touch.
The last scene when they were left all alone still absorbing everything.

Con's:
The opening twenty minutes or so without the reveal. You know what happened in that entire time. WHITE NOISE. I was so focused on any clues who died that I wasn't really paying attention to what else was going on with the axe and that crap. It was a disservice and another drawn out tease to annoy the fan base. Those brief flashbacks to each character was a dumb tease as the deaths already happened at that point.

TORTURE PORN. The violent imagery didn't bother me, but it added nothing to the story. Did we need to see ALL THAT? Did it make us feel any different towards Negan or progress the story? Nope. We know he's a sadistic SOB, with Abe and Glenn dying gruesome deaths. But did we need to see the head strikes and them half-dead waiting for the knockout blow? It was way too long and drawn out. Rick dreaming of the remaining members meeting Lucille was another unnecessary violent showcase.

STORY. Outside of what we were waiting for the reveal of who died, the story did not progress much and there was weak momentum into episode 2. The whole thing with Rick and Negan and the axe at the beginning was stupid and a waste of time on so many levels.

 

I gave it a 1. Here is why.

Just before Hershel died he smiled at Rick. He was proud of Rick. It was a horrible death but had meaning. T-Dog died saving Carol. Beth sacrificed for Noah. Hope was present. Hope is very much as important to the Walking Dead as it's cast. Without hope they would all be dead, literally. I saw senseless, brutal killings last night and nothing but a vacuum where hope should be. I don't care what happened in the comic books. Cartoon characters on a page of paper is not the same thing as watching the executions-and I understand its fictional-of genuine heroes of the series without giving them any chance for death with dignity. Glenn dying by the dumpster after trying to save Nicholas would have been more honorable to Steven for the years of hard work he put into the show.

 

Couldn't help but smile when Glenn's head got bashed in! :hatchet:

 

I gave it a 10.

Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan's acting in this episode were well above 10. If Lincoln doesn't get an Emmy nod for the scene where he's about to chop off Carl's arm...

Jeffery Dean Morgan was also fantastic. The range of where he took Negan in this episode alone was ridiculous. I saw everything from sympathy to fun-loving to incredulity to rage to annoyance.

Other huge standouts were Danai, Chandler, Steven, Michael and Sonequa.

I can't stress how many times I thought

I loved how they remixed the rest of issue #100 to fit the TV show.

My sister (who isn't a fan of the show) and my mom (who is a very casual viewer) watched this episode with me. My mom said she had never seen a season premiere like that in all her years of television watching.

 

I'm getting really sick and tired of the lazy writing.

If you cannot think of a reasonable way for Negan to kill two people out of the group without betraying the character development of Daryl you shouldn't be writing for the show any more. Hell, Rick's defiance was motive enough for Negan to kill Glenn. Instead, we are forced to watch Daryl go out of character for plot exposition. And that's just gotten to be all to common for the show.

Negan and Ricks scene outside the RV was a joke.

I don't get how anyone could think that was a good ep. Even if we get past the misery of the events, it was horribly written. The cliffhanger continued to hold for 15 min for no reason and Glenn's death was an afterthought for a comically absurd action from a foundational character.

I did like the way Rick was broken; and the group scene dealing with the aftermath was powerful. But again, the ugly writing is ruining what was once my favorite show ever.

 

I love how you keep saying "the writing", but then point out the Rick Broken narrative was something you liked...literally, the entire show was WRITTEN to get you to see how Rick goes from the proud man at the start of the season finale of last season to the broken, almost GoT "Reek-like", man he became when he realized he has no chance against Negan now. I didn't really care for all the flashbacks, because I feel they are over-used, but I think the WRITING is actually pretty strong. I think linear story telling is not all bad. I also think the Abe death should have revealed in the finale, but it didn't and I still like the show, I gave it an 8. Mainly due to the overuse of flashbacks and the way that the emotional impact, for me, was lessened by the cliffhanger.

 

10/10. Such an awful episode to watch but they achieved what they set out to achieve and managed to genuinely shock me when I thought I had it all figured out.

After the first shock I really let my guard down so the second shock hit me so hard. I actually feel a little sick after watching the episode and the last time I felt that way was when Not-Batman got burned alive in Kick Ass (it's a huge fear of mine) or when that guy gets electrocuted with a dry sponge in The Green Mile. I love those movies but I have to mute those particular scenes and look away because I find them so traumatising to watch.

I felt the same way watching this episode of the walking dead. I love the characters and the show and I loved this episode for the impact it made - but this episode will be the 'scene' that I mute and look away from if I ever re-watch the show again from the beginning (which I do before every new season). I just couldnt bare to watch it again as a longtime fan of the show because I care about these characters and didnt feel that they deserved that. How do you come back from that?

I dont think I spoke the entire episode and I havent spoke since (I just finished watching - I havent' 'not spoken' for an entire day or anything). I just thought I had it all figured out and its knocked me for six.

Very, very strong episode but I will be walking around with my mouth open in shock for the rest of the week I think.

 

I liked the episode and Glenns death after Abraham already died was a big shock. I thought the violence was a bit over the top this time, but then, it's Negan...
The acting was really great and I love Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the new addition to the cast.
It was a strong season start.
Oh, I rated it 8

 

Best episode ever. 10/10

 

This is obviously a 6/10. Probably one of the worst episodes ever written, and I should know, I'm a "writer/critic" for IGN. You can trust me. I'm honestly just still bitter about the finale last night. I'm off to give 10/10 to a Vampire Diaries episode.

 

I really liked this episode, minus the hallucinations of the others getting Lucilled. That was a bit much. But everything else, was what I was looking forward to seeing.
The raw emotion of just seeing someone you loved, murdered in the most horrendous way. The actors all had that feeling nailed. Specially Lauren Cohan. She went from terror, to sadness, shock and then hardened. Maggie is on her way to becoming a good leader.
Even Eugene had a great response. When you see something so frightening, you cover your eyes, to make it go away.

Kudos to the actors for such a great episode.

 

I gave it a 9. I thought the sequence in the RV with Negan trying to break Rick actually worked well, especially since we know of Rick's ability to disconnect with reality when things get tough.

I'm not sure how anyone who watched the episode when they attacked to compound and saw the polaroids could have been surprised by the level of
gore, I think they told us exactly what they were going to show us. If Rick had cut Carl's hand off, that would have been over the top for me. I also think Carl's demeanor was just a little too calm for believability. I know he was stepping up for the team, but I needed so see some emotion there.

I could have lived without Daryl's outburst. I don't need more guilt heaped on his shoulders. I just hope it's a springboard for anger this time.

I would have liked to have seen a little less Rick and a little more of the rest of the group reacting. A little bit more of the picnic would have been nice as well. It seems like it barely flashed on the screen.

 

its a 1, because he/she wet their new Star Wars pajamas.

 

Ya know when I saw the one I immediately thought 'troll' or some such

Come to find out it was WalkingHorn - wish I would have known otherwise I would have not poked fun at the rating. But in my defense I had no way of knowing

 

I gave it a 7. There are some TREMENDOUS moments but also some where I felt bored and FFed. If I *ever* have to FF an ep, then I can't rate it more than an 8. And I hit the remote twice.

First, honestly, Lincoln better get some, any, whatever kind of award for his presence during this episode. A heavy hitting prime time award. In fact, he's been consistently one of the actors on the show who always gives it 10000%, is always believable, whom you can't take your eyes off of (And he's not even my favourite on the show. But acting skill wise, he's phenomenal).

At the end of the episode, it made me really look forward to the rest of the season. I hope it delivers. Season 5 made me look forward as well, and it is by far my least favourite, so season 7 better deliver. I think it will, because it's just so raw.

I'm going to miss them both, but I realized at the end of the episode how much I'm going to miss Glenn. He was in my top three favourite character list, and he's such a *good person* that it kills me that he could be so easily snuffed out. Abe was a fantastic character, but Glenn had a good heart and that is rare now in this universe. I'm sad that is going to be gone. So many others have gone so hard and bitter.

the whole scene in the RV could have been cut WAY down. And the entire scene where he was outdoors looking for the (magic???) axe that somehow landed on top of the RV while they cut away to flashes of everyone's faces took way too long. I skipped through it. We should have seen more of their reactions.

That final scene --- Rick driving away while a walker comes to "clean up" the remains on the ground. Wow. A whole new level of ick.

 

I gave it a 10 and I would give it a 20 if I could. And although I will never ever ever ever watch it again, I also can't bring myself to erase it off my dvr and probably won't ever. lol weirdo...

 

Me too!!!! I always keep the season until it airs on Netflix. But I was thinking, "I'll never watch it again...." And still couldn't bear to erase it.

 

HA! Glad I am not the only one. lol

 

Really? I've been telling you for years you're a weirdo. Nope. Didn't wanna believe me. I guess we all have to figure things out on our own

 

LMAO!! You jerk. lol