The Walking Dead has finally returned and if the rest of the season 7 is anything like the premiere, the walkers are the least of our worries. As you no doubt already know, Negan is one hell of a villain, and unfortunately for Rick and the gang, he doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Longtime fans of the show will know all too well that the producers often take creative liberties on the series, but rest assured, they’ve always found a special way to tip the hat to diehard fans of the comics. The season 7 opener was no different in that regard, as it was packed with easter eggs and nods to the source material. There were quite a few of them included here, but in the video above (and text below), you’ll find 5 of our favorite!
5) Rick On The Roof
After a long night of watching Lucille work overtime, Rick needs some peace and quiet and day dreams of a more peaceful time in his life on top of the RV. It’s at this point that he regrets the moment he and his team ever came face to face with Negan the most.
In the comics, Rick also falls asleep on top of their vehicle, but there’s one minor change. It’s at this point he and his team first meet Negan and his band of misfits, and as you now already know, it’s all downhill from there.
4) Negan Quotes
The season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead follows the sequence of events from the comics pretty closely. Not only do the images leap off the pages, but the words do as well. Negan’s one liners are what made him such a terrifying villain in the “What Comes After” story arc, and it’s nice to see the producers stick with those quips for the show.
For example, in the comics, seconds after Glenn greets Lucille head first, Negan commends him on “taking it like a champ.” In the season premiere, familiar words are echoed to Abraham right before he bites it. Also, in case you’re just like the rest of us and turned away when Glen’s eye ball leaped out of its socket, you may have missed an easter egg as a towering Negan taunts Glenn regarding the “gross” display.
3) Ax In The Back
On the TV show, Glen’s death could have been avoided, but sadly, pride got in the way. After Abraham’s corpse hits the ground, all but Rick are at a loss for words. As a form of punishment, our fearless leader is taken for a joyride by Negan and his spirit is broken down little by little as the villain toys with him. There’s even a moment where Negan dares him to drive an ax through his back while no one is around.
This, as fans of the comics will know, is a reference to the conversation that Rick and Negan had before Negan swung his bat. The saviors and Rick’s crew were witnesses as Rick cowered at the idea of going toe to toe with the big bad. At least in the show, Rick got to somewhat keep his dignity and have the conversation behind closed doors.
[zergpaid]2) Carl’s Arm
In the past, The Walking Dead TV series has stayed away from harming multiple key characters on the same episode. After two of their most valuable players went down on the season 7 premiere though, there was no telling what could happen next.
At one point, Carl is bought front and center and Negan puts an axe in Rick’s hand and orders him to do the unthinkable – chop his only son’s arm off. In the comics, it was Rick who walked around with 5 fingers and for a moment, you believed the writers could pull the ol’ bait and switch. Thankfully, though, Carl walks away clean.
1) Lucille’s Victim
Glenn has already cheated death once on the show, but during the season 7 premiere, it was the viewers who almost felt cheated.
Actor Steven Yeun knew how iconic Glenn’s death was in the comics and didn’t want anyone to take that away from him. For a second though, it looked like they did, as it was Abraham who lost the game of eeny, meeny, miney, moe. However, thanks to Daryl’s lack of self control, Steven Yeun got his chance to go out like a champ. Glen will certainly be missed, but definitely not forgotten.
So, there you have it, 5 nods to the comics/easter eggs that were found in the season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead. Tell us, what did you think of last week’s episode? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section down below and subscribe to us on YouTube for more great videos!