Monday night was broadcast the final episode of season 7 of The Walking Dead. A season 7 criticized, disputed and unloved but which has raised the level with some (too few) episodes. And episode 16 is one of those few nuggets. Let's take a look back at this biting episode, literally and figuratively. Spoilers alert.
The first day of the rest of his life
So we find the whole clique facing a Dwight for whom the time is for repentance. We then understand that he is the shadow to the crossbow that we saw in previous episodes. Indeed the latter comes to offer his help to put an end to the reign of Negan. "I want Negan dead," he says. Suspicious as usual, and here we understand it, Rick finally decides to trust the stared and ravaged man, and he knows that he is taking a risk: "If he lies, it's already over". But it is above all the opportunity to find an animal and wild Daryl as we knew him. And it is only in three minutes that Dwight manages to convince Rick and his gang, yes, a little hard to believe, as the man has poured his hatred on the group in any way whatsoever.
The episode soberly titled " The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" sounds mostly like a tribute to Sasha. Because the real heroine of the episode is her. We will not go back on his shabby vendetta, initiated by the useless Rosita. But we finally manage to find a certain usefulness to this vain and stupid gesture: a way to pay tribute as it should to one of the female characters marking them, although little exploited to our taste in the series. His death is almost revealed at the beginning of the episode: we find him first with Maggie facing a blinding light and then with Abraham (whose return we savor and whose "no return" of Glenn we regret) with whom she talks about the usefulness of putting herself in danger for the people we love. And it's as if to convey a message to Rick that Negan carries Sasha in a coffin to the site of the battle. Believing her to be alive, Negan once again provokes Rick by showing him that someone he loves will still die. But it's Sasha who surprises everyone by leaving the box… Dead, beautiful paradox isn't it? We understand that she took advantage of the trip to suck herself with the pill that Eugene had given her. Everyone discovers, tears in their eyes, Sasha's zombified body throwing himself on Negan to satisfy his need for food.
Sasha will remain one of the most interesting female characters of The Walking Dead, but to our great regret, too little exploited. We will certainly miss this character who deserved to go further in his evolution and we will especially remember his incredible sacrifice.And in doing so, she offers an opportunity for her group to regain the upper hand, which finds itself in a very bad position.
A better offer for an inevitable betrayal
On the Alexandria side, Rick and his new allies, nicknamed the scrap dealers, are waiting for Negan. But it was to be expected, it was a beautiful betrayal. How was it possible to trust this group? Even we spectators could sense this horrible betrayal from afar.But naively, we let our guard down as our attention is focused on something else: Sasha's story in particular, but also Eugene's vein action who prefers diplomacy to action.
While an explosion was supposed to wreak havoc, surprise, nothing happens. And there amazement! Yes, because almost everyone is Negan, including Jadis' band and its scrap dealers. The guns are pointed at Rick, Michonne and the others and here they are, again, in bad shape. Unfortunately we all expected it and yet we still feel a huge sense of betrayal. It is quite natural that this band of profiteers seized "a better offer". And that's where Sasha comes in. With her little element of surprise, she allows her group to regain the upper hand, well almost. Yes because things are never simple in The Walking Dead.
More than a group, a real family
Let's not kid ourselves, Alexandria and her people are far too few to face the group of Negan and Jadis. Even if for a moment Rick takes over, it is inevitable that he finds himself kneeling on the ground, side by side with his son, Carl. We take the same ones and we start again : Negan spins his dear and tender Lucille, thirsty for blood, and is about to give an ugly lesson to Rick by pointing with his bat Carl. As a reference to the first episode of the season, the realization establishes the same state of stress and panic, except that it is a Rick more determined than ever that we find facing a Negan who loses more and more weight. Because yes, he will kill him, maybe not today or tomorrow, but he will kill him, even if it means having to say goodbye to his son. Cruel you said? Yes, but a way not to fall into the too easy and after saying goodbye to Glenn, Abraham and Sasha in the same season we think that the writers could go even further by removing the flesh of his blood to Rick. It was without counting on the rest of the team, which we had almost forgotten.
We arrive at this moment in one of the most spectacular and unexpected scenes of the episode when Shiva, the tiger of King Ezekiel, appears from nowhere to come and devour one of Negan's minions. And we take great pleasure in seeing Negan, as charismatic as he is, in a posture in which we have not yet had the opportunity to see him: surprised, concerned and weak. Behind Shiva follows Ezekiel, Carol and Morgan who have finally realized that the fight is necessary (it was time) and Maggie, Jesus and the rest of their group who took the risk of jeopardizing the semi-peaceful life of The Hill because they understood it: the family spirit takes precedence over everything. 
We are at war
In the absence of a real war, episode 16 stages a simple and beautiful battle, because yes we will have seen better ones. While we will almost forget Michonne, until we believe her dead, we will unfortunately not have witnessed a great fight. And even the 100% female fight that eventually saw Michonne triumph will not have served much. This is surely one of the biggest regrets of the episode. Because we expected a lot of action at the end of this season 7 a little flat. But this season helps us understand that The Walking Dead is not only an action series, but also a series that reflects on the human condition in a post-apocalyptic world. A season 7 that serves as a transition in the evolution of the main characters that could not have been done in one episode: a development that deserved that we really take an interest.
As promised by the producers, this season 7 does not know concluded on a cliffanger but on a moving speech that sounds like an end. On the side of the Saviors, Negan prepares his group and announces that "we are going to war". This is also the case on the side of the "good guys". And it is soberly, on a sweet and beautiful music, that Rick and Maggie take stock and realize that they are part of the same family, that Daryl discovers Dwight's loyalty. And while she is found at Jesus' side in the woods to kill Sasha's zombified body, Maggie remembers the beginning. That day Glenn offered his help to a man he didn't know. This has meant that today simple foreigners have become a real family. A speech that gives Glenn all the importance he gave and still gives to the series. This is a great way to remember why we loved The Walking Dead, why we continue to watch today and why we will be waiting for season 8 with great anticipation.
In short, an episode that has raised the level of a season in low morale, like their characters, after a shocking and memorable recovery. Nevertheless, the season like episode 16, served as a transition for a next season that promises to be bloody. A transition that refocuses on the characters, their feelings and what makes them human beings before being fighters. However, the war has only just begun.
