Hi Bloodlust fam! Aunt Sandy will be here every week, recapping the most recent episode of AMC's The Walking Dead for you, and listing her top 4 moments of the night's episode. She hopes you also have an unhealthy codependent relationship with this show...

Episode 1: "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be"

So, uh...yeah. Let’s just get right into this thing. SPOILERS AHEAD (obviously).

Season 7 picked up (more or less) right from that horrible stomach ache-inducing mess we were left with a few months ago, at the end of season 6. Negan is clearly a “put up or shut up” kinda guy; a lesson Abraham learned that the hard way when his head was turned into cherry jello before our very eyes. Poor devastated Rick swore he would kill Negan for this. Unsympathetic to Rick's devestation, Negan then set about systematically trying to break the spirit of our fearless leader - and, eventually, he did. Wow. So how'd Negan do it? First there was his weird RV fieldtrip in the mist to kill walkers, then the bashing in of Glenn’s head, followed by beating the already wounded Darryl, and lastly, threatening to shoot everyone in the group until Rick agreed to further disfigure his already one-eyed son. Thus, turning Carl into his one-eyed, one-handed son.

True to the source material, Glenn exited the show last night after a grueling bout with Lucille. Rick tried to resist, attempted to barter (as did Michonne), and cried big old tears but, in the end, Carl urged him to chop in order to save the fam. Negan stopped him at the last moment, finally believing he now owns the sheriff and all his people. Leaving them with a truck, instructions to collect all the treasure for him they can find, and the promise that he will return for a visit soon, Negan and his Saviors abducted Darryl as ransom and took off. Rick & friends are left to collect their soupy, fallen compadres and go home. This time, there will be no plan for vengeance. Our team now lives in a new kingdom ruled by a deranged, unremorseful, and brutal king. You live by his rules or you watch your loved ones be maimed and/or murdered in front of you.

We were told this episode would be a sort of "reset" to the series and that things would never be the same after Negan came to town. Tonight’s deaths were a HUGE loss for fans. Two favorites, including an OG character, were offed in the most heart breaking and devastating of ways. Someone has finally, actually, really broken Rick Grimes. Where do we go from here? Sounds like good horror TV to me.

Top 4 moments of the night:

Glenn’s final words to his wife: “Maggie, I’ll find you.” I let out an audible gasp of sadness here. Totally beautiful despite the fact that one of his eyes was literally bulging out of his skull.
That weird yellow gunk that comes out of walkers now. Eeww. I wanna see more, though.
Carl giving his father permission to chop off his arm to save the others. Brave and heroic kiddo!
Negan’s psychotic, sadistic monologues. Bravo, sir!