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The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere: Fan Reactions? ‘TWD’ Fans Are In Shock

By Kim McLendon
Published on: 22:17 PST, Oct 23, 2016

The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere was simply a stunner. There was a disjointed feel to the episode, similar to a nightmare. It went past horrific, though, it felt demoralizing for both the characters and the many fans who often identify with them. The loss of Glenn was almost too much for fans to withstand.

For most Walking Dead fans, the loss of Glenn, played by Steven Yeun, evoked a visceral response. Both Glenn and Abraham (portrayed by Michael Cudlitz) died on screen during a previously unequaled gore fest. Fans are still struggling with disbelief and sorrow.

The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere has been long awaited and the source of endless speculation. Fans have been waiting all summer to discover which one of their beloved TWD characters would die. The writers, however, decided that not one, but two characters would face Negan’s bat, according to Rolling Stone. By now, the fans had seen all the spoilers and many had a good idea what was about to happen, but even those who knew were shocked.

Most of The Walking Dead fans are upset and just stunned by the gore, the humiliation of Rick, and most of all the death of Glenn, who leaves behind a pregnant wife. Fans’ reactions were over the top in what was possibly the most traumatizing television episode ever, judging from some of the reactions.

The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere left some fans, like the one below, feeling as if they had been punished. It was a very punishing episode that left the cast of characters broken and the audience in tears.

The Walking Dead fan in the video below is watching alone except for the company of his cell phone. He is recording his reactions. This is obviously a veteran fan with full knowledge of many spoilers. He’s cool with everything, at first. He is casually munching on chips, even smiling, despite a fit of literal nail biting, he seems pretty cool with Abe getting beat to death.

Notice The Walking Dead lover, though, when Glenn is attacked. Look how serious this viewer gets, at one point crying out “Glenn.” Even this veteran fan and obvious lover of gore can’t look during the worst parts. Wrestling with his emotion, he manages to complete the crucial scene, only covering his face once or twice. He hopes against hope that somehow Glen will survive. Even a death twitch spurs a bit of hope. Still, he was brave to watch alone in the first place.

The Walking Dead fans in this second video are apparently watching in a group with the camera fixed on the computer screen so that their viewers can see the big scene. For those fans who did watch alone the first time, or who haven’t seen the episode yet, the death scenes are right here, along with a sense of comradery and interaction, so one isn’t really watching alone.

The unseen The Walking Dead fans in this video are quite emotional, so enjoy watching this long-awaited scene with them and feel like part of their TWD premiere party.

The Walking Dead kept fans captivated for six years with various aspects of major zombie horror, but now it is year seven. The zombie fascination is beginning to evolve. Fans want more terror, but tonight was something different, and somehow zombies became the least of their fears. Some fans may not like that aspect of Season 7.

‘Walking Dead’ cast and producers. [Image by Jesse Grant/Getty Images]

Even before The Walking Dead, people dreamed of a zombie Apocalypse. The Zombie Survival Guide trained the general public to become zombie hunters. Long before that, The Night of the Living Dead trilogy captured the imaginations of millions over the years. Zombies have become very much a part of pop culture, but tonight fans discovered something uglier than zombies.

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The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere reminded fans that sometimes humans can be even more terrifying than zombies. This bleak look at the dark underbelly of human nature gone wrong reveals a madman with a strong upper hand over fans’ beloved cast members.

‘Walking Dead’ cast. [Image by Rich Polk/Getty Images]

The Walking Dead’s new villain Negan is a bit reminiscent of a nightmarish bully from childhood, except that Negan is quite deadly as well as heart-crushingly humiliating. Apparently, Negan is an inescapable new reality for the cast in Season 7. Just as the zombies call up those childhood fears of things that go bump in the night, Negan pulls at those other childhood fears that were not nearly as fun. Horror fans love being scared, but will they be able to appreciate the cast being demoralized and randomly murdered by this merciless man in Season 7?

The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere has fans in shock.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]

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