Season 7 of The Walking Dead got off to a loony tunes start last week with two major character deaths in the premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.”
Fans are clearly still smarting from the sight of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) giving Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) a taste of Lucille.
Negan must die. #DemDeadz #TheWalkingDead
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) October 31, 2016
When you love the walking dead but you're still pissed about last week… ? #thewalkingdead pic.twitter.com/YF6ZQiLXJX
— Sunny Marshall ☀ (@SunnyMarshall) October 31, 2016
That said, “The Well” was all about our introduction to the leader of The Kingdom, King Ezekiel (Khary Payton), and his tiger, Shiva.
I'm really impressed with Ezekiel, he has my full attention. All hail the king & Shiva? #TWD #DemDeadz pic.twitter.com/topKhHSrjc
— Neysha (@La_Ney_sha) October 31, 2016
Sitting down to watch the tiger and the hippie episode of #thewalkingdead
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) October 31, 2016
how amazing is this tiger from twd?! loved it! #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/ShIeYpa5vq
— taci (@twdspunisher) October 31, 2016
Morgan (Lennie James) wheels in injured Carol (Melissa McBride) to meet Ezekiel.
“So, tell me: What do you think of the kingdom, Carol? What do you think of the king?” asks the King.
Carol adopts a new persona and gives the only answer you can really: “I think you’re amazing. It’s amazing … I would be speechless if I wasn’t already speaking. I don’t know what the hell’s going on in the most wonderful way!”
Awkward.
Fortunately, it was fruit time.
Did dude just say, "It's fruit time"?! ?
I swear I'm here for everything the Kingdom is throwing down! #AllOfIt#TWD
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) October 31, 2016
Yep, fruit time: part of a balanced diet. Later, they’ll have bran time. And almond milk time.
King Ezekiel lays out what’s expected of her: “Drink from the well, replenish the well.”
Carol: Yup. Got it. All good.
Later: “You’re shitting me, right?” incredulous Carol says to Morgan after they leave the presence of His Majesty.
Some fans were struggling with similar feelings.
When you get hype for #TWD but it ends up being an hour of Carol and Morgan pic.twitter.com/iizKjQWrC9
— christian janik (@____WaffleHouse) October 31, 2016
Pig time! Morgan goes on secret pig herding missions with the King and company, and asks Richard why he’s feeding Walkers to the pigs.
“Because I want their bellies full of rot. That’s why,” Richard says.
Carol pilfers weapons and gear to the soothing sounds of an a cappella choral rendition of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Nobel Prize recipient Bob Dylan.
Cobbler time!
“We have cobbler at every meal.” says clothes-folding guy, while Carol plans her next theft.
And, naturally, fans become obsessed with the cobbler.
I'm all for all-day cobbler #TWD #TheWalkingDead @WalkingDead_AMC
— Courtney @ The Salvatore School & Hill House… (@CourtneyPerdue1) October 31, 2016
I have a great cobbler recipe if you need one.
— Rachelle Lefevre (@RachelleLefevre) October 31, 2016
Morgan bonds with young Ben over philosophy and — at the request of Ezekiel — staff training.
Pig delivery service. The Kingdom’s heavy hitters, including Morgan, ride out to serve up some swine. Negan’s Saviors arrive to take possession of the slaughtered pigs full of Walker-rot — and even complement the King and his minions on the fattened animals.
Zombie-infused pork fried rice time. Walker pork dumplings time. Putrid meat-stuffed pork chops time. Dinner officially spoiled time.
Smug Savior Jared is an idiot. Just sayin’.
When they return to The Kingdom, Morgan gives a half smile on Carol’s disappearance.
Carol #demdeadz #TWD pic.twitter.com/EF8XeeEkuc
— ????? ??? ????? (@Maria_Giesela) October 31, 2016
But King Ezekiel busts Carol attempting to bust out and calls her out on her “sweet-and-innocent act”: “What’s that saying? Never bullshit a bullshitter.”
Carol pushes her luck, telling him that he and his Kingdom are a joke: “You’re selling these people a fairy tale.”
King E gets real: “People who feel safe are less dangerous.” He explains his own mythology: “I faked it till I made it. I was a zookeeper.” He explains how he saved Shiva and that her obedience is gratitude.
When you realise Shiva got more of a back-story than Glenn.. #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/l6PDGc7iJz
— vijay (@kingurira) October 31, 2016
Carol: “Why do you care?” King Ezekiel: “’Cause it makes me feel good.”
He tells her she “can go and not go.”
Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd weighs in:
Where there is life, there is hope. Words to remember when times are dark. The #wisdom of #KingEzekiel #TheWalkingDead
— Gale Anne Hurd (@GunnerGale) October 31, 2016
Morgan takes Carol to a house they had passed along the way. They have a touching moment.
Later, Carol gets a visitor (and his tiger).
I ship Ezekiel and Carol so hard. #TWD
— Mattie (@readmyredmouth) October 31, 2016
They were right- this week's ep is the total opposite of last week's. Last week I felt every emotion & this week I feel nothing lol #twd
— Bee Knight (@beenugs) October 31, 2016
"NO YOU HATE NEGAN YOU CANNOT BE DISAPPOINTED THAT HE WASN'T IN THIS EPISODE!" #TheWalkingDead #TWD pic.twitter.com/0iCV6xEiyI
— kathleen (@kathleen_hanley) October 31, 2016
i'm upset the fact carol and morgan don't even know glenn is dead. i'm a mess #TWD pic.twitter.com/6o6uWcrtmS
— mariah (@purposesmoxie) October 31, 2016
Bob has the last word — ’member Bob?
#DemDeadz #TheWalkingDead Bob from the grave is like pic.twitter.com/EnbTHWKSAQ
— Nother Brother Ent. (@NotherBrother) October 31, 2016
A sneak peek from next week’s episode teases a Walker awakening of sorts:
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC
– Social reporting by Zoey Moore
