WARNING: Some ‘TWD’ spoilers ahead!
On Sunday night, zombie apocalypse series The Walking Dead aired its Season 7 premiere after a long six-month hiatus. Audiences waited with bated breath to see who big baddie Negan would kill with his weapon, Lucille (a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire).
After a lengthy 20-minute lead-in (and two commercial breaks!), Negan finally did the deed, killing not one, but two main characters. Yes, fan-favourites Glenn and Abraham bit the dust; but it wasn’t so much who died as much as how they died.
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The show did not hide the two characters’ brutal beatings, and there was another gruesome moment where leader Rick was almost forced into cutting off part of his son’s arm. It was harrowing, and many longtime fans said they were going to quit watching the show because of the graphic violence. Here is but a sample of the tweets about the premiere:
Now, Greg Nicotero, who directed the episode and is usually in charge of the show’s special effects, is defending the use of violence and gore in the Season 7 premiere.
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As for people who say they’re giving up on The Walking Dead, Nicotero says they’re going to miss out.
Audience disgust with the violence most certainly didn’t impact the show’s ratings: its Season 7 premiere had The Walking Dead‘s second-highest viewership numbers since the series began.