“The Walking Dead:” Episode 716 “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

By Luke Oldham, Staff Writer

We are going to War!

The seventh season of “The Walking Dead” wrapped up in epic fashion. An intense battle between the Saviors and the combined forces of Alexandria, The Kingdom and The Hilltop finalized the remarkable season.

Basically, the episode picked up where the last one left off. Dwight is in Alexandria and he wants to help Rick’s group overthrow Negan. He explains a full-proof plan and Rick is interested, despite the group’s general ill-will towards Dwight. I personally trust Dwight. I think he is sick of living under Negan’s tyrannical rule, and he wants to take action.

Things begin to shape up quickly as the group learns that the Saviors will be paying a visit to Alexandria in the near future. Rick quickly gathers the Junk Yard people, the group that was enlisted to help Alexandria fight against the Saviors, and they gear up for a firefight.

Shots of Sasha sitting in darkness, illuminated by a faint light, replayed after each commercial break. This was a little confusing when watching it at first, until you saw the end and what important actions it resulted in.

Just when the Saviors arrive and Rick gives the signal to fire on them, the Junk Yard people turn their guns on the Alexandrians, in a truly unexpected twist. At this point, things were looking bleak for Rick’s group, and I genuinely thought their plan had failed and there was no hope. But just as things looked most disheartening, Sasha’s brave sacrifice was realized.

Negan was surprise attacked by a zombie-Sasha and gunfight broke out. It turns out that Sasha took the poison pill that Eugene had given her, while she was locked up and taken to the scene at Alexandria. She turned into a walker on the journey there, and when they revealed her to Rick, she emerged as a walker, attacking Negan. Walker-Sasha almost got Negan, but he managed to escape, and it sparked off an intense battle between the two factions.

Just when it looked like the Alexandrians were losing ground, The Hilltop and The Kingdom miraculously arrived to reinforce their friends. They successfully drove out the Saviors and triumphed in their survival, and the amazing sacrifice that Sasha made for them. The Saviors retreated back to the Sanctuary and began to gear up for war.

Overall, this season was very different from others. We have never seen Rick’s group so controlled and dominated by a villain before. The Saviors seemed to be one step ahead of them at all times, and it made for a different, hopeless feeling at times.

While this season had it’s depressing moments, it also had inspiring ones, where characters rose against oppression and fought for their freedom. Next season should be insane! It is sure to be filled to the brim with action and violence, which are staples of the series. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until October for season eight, but the wait is sure to be worth it.