The Walking Dead season 7

Negan's brutal rule forces Rick to seek allies against the Saviors.

The seventh season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, aired from October 23, 2016, to April 2, 2017, and consists of 16 episodes. Developed by Frank Darabont from the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, the season focuses on the oppressive Saviors led by Negan, who forces Rick Grimes and his group to submit to his rule. It adapts material from issues #100–114 of the comics and received mixed reviews, winning three awards at the 43rd Saturn Awards including Best Horror Television Series.

Quick Facts

Season number: 7
Showrunner: Scott M. Gimple
Network: AMC
First aired: 23 October 2016
Last aired: 2 April 2017
Episodes: 16

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

The season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on August 22, 2017.
A "Limited Edition Spike Walker Statue" set, exclusive to Amazon.com, was released on October 24, 2017, created by McFarlane Toys to honor the zombie from the "New Best Friends" episode.
The season was released in region 2 on September 25, 2017, and in region 4 on September 27, 2017.

Cast

The seventh season had twenty series regulars. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Austin Amelio were promoted to series regulars for the premiere, with Morgan in the opening credits and Amelio under "Also starring". After the first episode, Steven Yeun and Michael Cudlitz were removed from the opening credits, while Alanna Masterson, Josh McDermitt, and Christian Serratos were added to the opening credits from the second episode onward, having previously been credited as "Also starring".

Tom Payne and Xander Berkeley also became series regulars from the second episode. Andrew Lincoln portrays Rick Grimes, the leader of Alexandria forced to adapt under Negan. Norman Reedus plays Daryl Dixon, the group's hunter taken prisoner by Negan. Steven Yeun appears as Glenn Rhee, Maggie's husband and the group's moral compass.

Lauren Cohan is Maggie Greene, Glenn's pregnant wife. Chandler Riggs plays Carl Grimes, Rick's teenage son. Danai Gurira portrays Michonne, a katana-wielding warrior in a relationship with Rick. Melissa McBride is Carol Peletier, whose tragedies make her question her methods.

Michael Cudlitz plays Sgt. Abraham Ford, a former military sergeant who pursues Sasha. Lennie James portrays Morgan Jones, questioning his pacifist philosophy. Sonequa Martin-Green is Sasha Williams, a former firefighter and Abraham's girlfriend. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Negan, the totalitarian leader of the Saviors.

Alanna Masterson portrays Tara Chambler, who discovers Oceanside. Josh McDermitt plays Eugene Porter, struggling to prove his worth. Christian Serratos is Rosita Espinosa, Abraham's ex-girlfriend.

Production

AMC ordered a 16-episode seventh season of The Walking Dead on October 30, 2015. Production in Georgia started on May 2, 2016, and wrapped on November 18, 2016. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Xander Berkeley, Tom Payne, and Austin Amelio became series regulars after appearing in season six. Several episodes were extended, lasting between 46 and 62 minutes instead of the standard 43. The season finale honored comic artist Bernie Wrightson, who passed away on March 18, 2017.

Reception

The seventh season received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 66% score with an average rating of 6.85 out of 10 based on 620 reviews, with the critical consensus stating that increased character depth and effective world-building help the show overcome a tiresome reliance on excessive, gratuitous violence. The premiere episode, "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be", drew criticism for its level of violence, with one writer calling it equivalent to "torture porn".

The first half of the season saw some of the show's lowest critical ratings. Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd said that in response to negative feedback, they tamed gruesome scenes in the second half, stating "this is not a show that's torture porn... Let's make sure we don't cross that line". However, executive producers Scott M. Gimple and Greg Nicotero countered this claim; Gimple said the violence was "pronounced for a reason" with a purpose of traumatizing characters to make them docile, but noted that episode should not represent the base level of violence for the show.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the premiere holds a 67% with an average rating of 7 out of 10 based on 54 reviews, with the consensus noting it is slow to deliver payoff but ultimately delivers gut-wrenching violence. At the 43rd Saturn Awards, the series won Best Actor on Television (Andrew Lincoln) and Best Guest Starring Role on Television (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Norman Reedus), Best Supporting Actress (Danai Gurira and Melissa McBride), and Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Chandler Riggs).