The Walking Dead may have had its Season 6 finale over a month ago, but that hasn’t stopped fan discussion and speculation regarding the big cliffhanger. The episode, titled “Last Day on Earth” saw Rick and the group truly powerless for the first time in the show’s history. After thinking they could outwit and outfight the Saviors, the bubble is soon popped and we realize that Negan has a vast amount of men, weapons, and resources at his disposal. And, of course, it all ends with most of the principle cast at the mercy of Negan and Lucille.
Now that Rick and his group have officially lost a major battle to The Saviors, the question is: how will Mr. Grimes cope with his guilt? The Walking Dead’s creator, writer, and EP Robert Kirkman recently did a reddit AMA where a fan asked if Rick was going to be “totally broken” in Season 7’s premiere, to which Kirkman responded:
I'd say that's a fair assumption. The premiere episode of season 7 is going to be hard on everyone... Rick especially.
Here we go again. It looks like Rick Grimes will be at the precipice of yet another mental breakdown in Season 7. I’m sure his gross beard will somehow magically grow back so the audience can see just how broken Rick is after losing one of his own, and half of their supplies, to Negan.
While Rick and his group have never had an easy path during the zombie apocalypse, they’ve always managed to somehow win the day. Although collateral damage inevitably occurs, the group has fought their way out of every conflict they’ve encountered. “Last Day on Earth” was a major changing point for the group. They lost big time. And they will surely be mourning that loss, before making a new plan to try and battle the villainous Saviors.
Rick’s upcoming breakdown also presumably has to do with which member of the group was at the receiving end of Negan’s fury. If you look at the group, it seems that there are tiers of connections to Rick. If he’s truly going to have a breakdown, it seems that the folks that Rick is closest with are in the most danger of being killed off. I’d say that group would be Carl, Michonne, Glenn, and Maggie. And looking at the plots of those characters, I’m going to predict that Glenn is going to finally meet his maker in the Season 7 premiere, just as his comic book counterpart did.
Of course, only time will tell just how Rick copes with his guilt and anger over their loss to Negan and The Saviors.
While we have to wait until the fall for The Walking Dead to return, make sure to tune into AMC for Fear The Walking Dead on Sundays.
