Gonna rate it a 7. As a season opener, it was decent, but just kind of an average episode.

 

I give it a 7 too. I was seriously expecting more from the 100th episode.

 

I gave it a 3.

A premiere episode filled with Gimple's bad habits: time jumps, flashbacks, characters acting stupid, long and winded speeches, and embarrassing dialogue.

 

3 for me too. It was so underwhelming and empty.

 

I'm gonna mercifully rate the season opener at a 7. I just don't think much was accomplished at all. And so many things they should have done different.

 

I give it a 3. I mean I didn’t think it was terrible, but it wasn’t great. I agree that it seemed “empty”, very average for a season opener. It was definitely forgettable. I’m having a hard time now remembering most of what happened, but I guess that’s because pretty much nothing happened. Felt a little dead. Definitely expected more for the 100th. But it’s been 7 years, I guess I just don’t put as much interest in as I used to.

 

2

If they were trying to win back fans that left with this uninspiring, unimaginative crap, they failed. Nothing happened the first half the episode. The Carl storyline was just stupid and unnecessary. The "perfect future" scenes were insulting. JDM probably downs a fifth of Jack before each scene just to dull the embarrassment of spouting such juvenile lines.

I give one point for the always great Xander Berkeley, who deserves much better.

 

I must agree with you, especially, in regards to the JDM lines. Somewhere in the middle of last season, I started imagining he was channeling an inner Andrew Dice Clay, and that STUCK!

 

10.

I loved it. I love Shakespearean-inspired exhortations to bravery and the courage to take on long odds and stand with comrades. That is what has always drawn me to the show.

Eugene's anguished hand to forehead as he tried to calculate his survival odds staying with the Saviours was fun.

I was aghast but then not surprised at all when Gregory ditched Gabriel who was trying to save him. That's exactly what the cowardly weasel would do, and it's fine by me that Gabriel gets his karma, no matter how much the writers have tried to redeem him. Bye, Gabriel, I can hope.

It tripped me up that "Judith" would actually have to be a granddaughter, but I still loved the scenes of a possible future, just as I loved the earlier "what if" scenes where Abraham and Glenn were still at the party table.

I also didn't understand why the walkers kept moving forward without at least some becoming mesmerized by each fire, but I don't mind these small things. Hah--such as Daryl riding past an explosives box and then turning around to fire backwards. The physical poetry of it outweighed the WTH factor.

I enjoyed the scene of Rick with the girl who was a call-back to the little girl/walker with a Teddy bear.

Some things puzzled me, but nothing irritated.

 

This was an average TWD episode. They've done much worse. It probably would have been a bit better if they just told a straight linear story. Having the conclusion of Rick's speech at the end wasn't very effective. Then we had the whole Rick/Carl scenes interspersed in the middle along with the flash forward. So that makes 4 timelines in one episode for no really good reason.

The scene where Negan and his top people all line up in front of Rick's army was very bad. It's not as if they were high up on a balcony. Just shoot them all and be done with it, particularly after all the emphasis on how they had to kill just one man.

Have to give credit to Andrew Lincoln though because he helps keep this show from turning into a complete dumpster fire with his ability to even turn the garbage he's given into something semi-believable.

 

My immediate rating is around a 7.

HIGHS:

• I have loved watched 7x1 all the way through. So the fact that I watched this episode live and can't see myself rewatching it automatically puts it above a 5 for me.
• Loved the Richonne kisses and Richonne being happy in the dream sequence/time jump.
• Carchonne.
• Judith is growing up.
• Savage Rick is back! He is not playing with these hoes!
• The communities taking the fight to the Saviors.
• Negan didn't appear for 30 minutes.
• This was Rick's episode. At least for one night, the main character got his show back!

LOWS:

• I was overall confused by the end of the episode with all the jumping around. I'm not too worked up about it now because it was just one episode and I expect things to make more sense later.
• No Richonne baby in the dream sequence/time jump. Again, I'll see how this plays out first.
• There are too many villains right now between Gregory, Negan, Jadis, and all their minions. They need to thin out this herd.
• Any episode that includes Negan's appearance without his death cannot receive a 10 on my scale.
• I agree with the above comments that even with the shootings and explosions, nothing major really happened.
• I was expecting more callbacks or mentions of past characters given that it was the 100th episode.

It wasn't perfect, but there was no cloud of sadness over it, so it'll do for me.

 

It's a 9 all the way. Great episode to start the season. Too many complainers on here sitting behind their keyboards critiquing something they can't do themselves.

 

Let me know when you write an episode. I'm sure it will be a winner.

 

Typical response from a complainer.

 

lol nailed it.

 

the show is no longer "Must See" TV because of an episode like this one

 

I rated it a six. Waffled between six and seven because I didn't not enjoy it, but there seems to be a one constant with this show that truly bugs me. There was Negan, standing in full view of fully-armed Rick & Company, and - even after Rick told Carl "this ends, today" he allowed Negan to ramble on. And on. And on. He could have taken him out with one single shot...anyone could have...and the war might not have been completely over, but taking out the leader and instigator truly does cripple the enemy. Yet Rick didn't fire a shot. Seems he was more interested in giving the fearful five a chance to join them instead. And then later, once all mayhem had ensued, Rick was desperately - desperately! - trying to kill Negan when he was hiding behind some scrap heap.

This makes no sense. At all.

Also, can someone explain to me why they were shooting out the windows? Was that a scare tactic? I just didn't get it. That one might have been an obvious move, but for me, it just swooped over my head...

 

I rated it a 7. I'd give it an 8 if Gabriel shot negan when he saw him with his assault rifle, instead he just lets himself be (presumably) captured. That was a complete break of realism and logic.

There were a lot of good parts, but too many slow parts. I hate when they spend 1 minute just having someone walking and saying nothing. I like conversation that's good, talking is good, but this show and this episode in particular uses too much silence.

 

8
Lost a point for the 100 times just about anyone could've shot negan
Lost another because I wanted a longer episode for this milestone episode.
I loved the Jerry&edith moment. Dude!

I wish more happened tonight but I'm so glad the show is back and my Monday nights are locked down for the next few months.