The Walking Dead Season 7 Trailer & Sneak Peak Breakdown: A Possible Over Analyzation

Just about a month ago, we were given a trailer to Season 7 of the AMC smash zombie hit The Walking Dead. Although the trailer didn't give us very much information on Negan's victim, it did temporarily introduce a couple new aspects that will, without a doubt, bring this show to heights it's yet to reach. While those are going to play major parts in this upcoming season, I'd like to take some time and focus on Negan, in particular. For those of you who haven't read the comic, I will do my best to bring some justice to the lines he delivered in the most recent trailer. Again, a possible over analyzation, but we shall see.

“I’m gonna beat the holy hell out of one of you”

This is Negan's obvious implication that one of our eleven Alexandrians will receive a bashing, but who will it be? Higher-ups at AMC and showrunner Scott M. Gimple have been going to drastic lengths to keep this truth from being told. Are we seriously supposed to believe they filmed eleven separate deaths in order to prevent someone from spilling the beans? Regardless of who it is, let’s just hope this six-month hiatus will be worth the wait.

I cannot recall another moment in television history that has left its fans hanging and frustrated all at once. From petitions to reveal the victim, to actors being patronized by fans, this has sent viewers into a downward spiral of negative thoughts and emotions. Some people have even threatened to stop watching the show, itself. Suffice to say, I will not be one of those people. I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I won’t know the truth until October, and that was not easy. All I ask is that they show us some graphic violence and toy with our emotions, as they’ve been promising over the course of these long and strenuous months.

“Everything's his, or will be”

Holding what we can only assume is an Alexandria resident at gunpoint, Dwight omits these words with a ferocious tenacity, clarifying who is truly in charge of these people (and the new world, itself). The Saviors and Negan do not take kindly to hesitation or fighting back. Our group needs to accept how absolutely outnumbered they are, and be realistic about the things they say and do. One wrong move could easily get them into a heap of trouble, or worse, dead. I feel like after the whole “line up” scenario, these people will be much less likely to step out of line. We as the viewers understand that Negan is not messing around, and from that final look in Rick’s eyes, it seems he does as well.

“There is no door number four, this is the only way”

It’s rather clear here that someone is asking for another option or choice to be made. This is simply Negan's way of telling them there is no other way. Our group has been used to having their way for much too long, and it’s time for someone to step in and tell them how the new world operates. Essentially, those unwilling to make the necessary adjustments to their new lifestyles will be unable to last in a world this cruel and demanding. Negan knows this, and plays off of that inner fear, manipulating them until he gets what he wants, or using the necessary force to do so.

Negan knocking upon a gate

The trailer gives us a few seconds of Negan's silhouette banging away at a gate. From what can be inferred, I imagine this to be either the community of Alexandria or perhaps one of their surrounding allies. Regardless, this isn’t good news for whoever may be on the receiving end of his tapping. It was mentioned in the previous finale that half of everything Rick and the group owned was now in Negan's possession. This ties in directly with Dwight's, “Everything's his, or will be”; there is no way around it, Negan always gets what he wants, end of discussion. Anyone who has anything to say otherwise will have a sudden date scheduled with Lucille.

Dwight & the Sneak Peek

Several shots of Dwight are shown throughout the trailer. From pointing his gun to traveling around, his name and (burnt) face are all over this season’s teaser. However, what becomes even more of a tease are not necessarily the things he is doing, but what he is wearing. At the end of our Season 7 sneak peek (hosted by Chris Hardwick), we were given a fifty-second glimpse into some footage for the upcoming season. While it mainly consisted of Dwight just walking a motorcycle at a snail’s pace, there may have been something that was overlooked: Dwight is cloaked in Daryl’s vest.

This sent some people into a frantic craze, immediately thinking that Daryl had met his demise. I really don’t think that AMC would go through all of this trouble to prevent the spoiler, only to give it away as a hidden message through a minuscule clip. It really just seems like another red herring to throw us off, but truthfully, who knows at this point? They understand how beloved Daryl is to fans of the television show. He’s one of the noticeable differences between the comic and the show, for we know by now that Daryl is not a character in the comic. Along those same lines, this means that he could possibly meet his demise at any given point, whether that’s the season premiere or seasons from now. Robert Kirkman did state in a recent interview that “everyone dies, eventually”.

Negan

All we’ve had so far is a solid ten to twelve fulfilling minutes of our villainous brain banger, and there already seems to be a plethora of reasons to dislike his character until the day he, eventually, dies. This cliffhanger truly did a number on fans across the globe, so much that we all completely overlooked Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s charmingly perfect performance. I would know that, because that was one thing people (including me) failed to take in, due to other frustrations. From the second he exits the trailer, you can see a malicious grin make its way across his face. Anyone who smiles at the thought of inflicting pain is either a sadist or just bad news. Now, put that man in charge of a hundred others, and you’ve got an abundance of people willing to do whatever it takes to stay on his good side.

Strength in numbers is a real issue, and it is most noticeably displayed in the finale; surrounded by countless weirdos whistling you into a sickening trance and making you feel even more helpless than you already do…how does one come to terms with something like that? Knowing all of those men would do anything for Negan at the drop of his bat speaks volumes about the control he holds over them.

Negan is a go-getter, and by that, I mean he points at something and tells his men “Go get it”. He is not about to bow down to anyone who holds anger or resentment towards him. In fact, he may just feel more inclined to see what other methods of physical and psychological pain he can inflict upon said person. This is his world now, and if our characters can’t learn how to live and interact within its newly set boundaries, they might just become another victim of this unhinged apocalyptic society.