TV Review: The Walking Dead – Season 7, Episode 3

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

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EPISODE 3: The Cell

THE HOOK: Daryl quickly learns there are worse things than torture and bad food going inside the Savior complex.

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS, so I don’t recommend reading this if you haven’t watched this episode

THE LOWDOWN: One of the greatest aspects of this season for me, is the fact that I stopped reading the comics after issue 100 (basically the end of last season), so for the first time, I have no idea what’s going to happen. That said, I loved everything about tonight’s episode, as we delve into the everyday workings of The Saviors. Negan runs a tight ship, but when you look at it, I mean, really look at it, I can’t help but think it might be a better life than that of Rick and his crew. It’s certainly not a hell of a lot different, and I think that’s going to be the real magic behind this season, revealing that in this world, everyone’s a little sadistic.

Now don’t get me wrong. Negan’s way of things is far harsher than Rick’s. Or is it? Negan tries to break you, we’ve seen that, but I’m loving the psychological torture. And you want to talk about evil, making Dwight’s wife marry him? That’s rough, but keeping Dwight around to see it? If that’s not the definition of torture I don’t know what is. With Rick, you disobey or try to screw him, he blows your head off. Messy, but it gets the point across. Negan though, this guy reaches into your chest, grabs a hold of your soul and squeezes the life out of you little by little, letting go if you’re about to die, just so he can do it again once you recover. That’s cold, but I have to say, I’m intrigued. This is a villain worth watching, something this show has been in dire need of for quite some time.

Dwight’s got more depth to him than I originally thought. I liked the unfolding of his character through this episode. He’s not happy, that much is evident. The guy’s lost, and he’s fixated on Daryl. Christ, he’s got his bow, his bike, he’s even wearing Daryl’s clothes. It’s a little creepy. You’d think he hates the Daryl, feeding him dog food and absolutely reveling in his misery, but then he turns around and gives him advice on survival. Dwight seems to want him to live, though I’m not sure why. Negan clearly sees the potential in turning a guy like Daryl, and Dwight’s smart enough to see how turning Daryl may not work out too well for him in the long run. There’s a lot of mixed emotion and burning tension here, but it’s definitely a marvel to behold.

THE WALKING DEAD Season 7’s third episode is another solid run in the right direction. Know thy enemy. This is the message, and I’m digging it. There’s so much going on with The Saviors, and I’m thinking we’ve only begun to scratch the surface. I feel like this is a lot of great material being revealed at just the right pace. Next week we’ll see how Rick and crew are dealing, then we’ll hopefully have Morgan return to share his findings, forging an alliance with The Kingdom. Poor Daryl, I honestly don’t see how he’s going to get out of his predicament, but if I had to guess, I’d say Dwight will break and help him or he’ll eventually pretend to blend so he can escape. Either way, I’m still pumped and eager to see more.

ZOMBIE KILL OF THE WEEK: There were a lot of walkers throughout, but I think the only kill was Dwight smashing one’s skull in with his boot, which happened off screen.

BLOOD AND GORE: Not much of that tonight, but putting that pic (of a Lucille destroyed Glenn or Abraham) in Daryl’s cell was just terrible.

COOLEST SCENE: When Daryl tries to escape, only to be nabbed by Negan and his crew. That whole exchange with Negan was awesome.

FINAL VERDICT:

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