The Walking Dead: Ep. 707 Sing Me a Song
Things begin to heat up as The Walking Dead marches towards next weekend’s mid-season finale. So far Season 7 has chronicled the brutal deaths of beloved characters, given viewers some interesting backstory on some of the secondary players and introduced new communities including the Kingdom and the all female group from last week’s episode. Sing Me a Song offers a further peak into the Sanctuary and the 90-minute running time gives ample time for several characters to get their due. Jason, Aaron, Olivia, Gabriel, Eugene and Spencer are all featured in scenes that not only drive the narrative but give the actors some good material to play with.
As Jesus and Carl attempt to Trojan horse their way into the Sanctuary, things don’t go as planned with more evidence that Carl is well on his way to becoming his own man. After some short-lived fireworks, Carl soon realizes that his prey is now his host. Fans of the comic book series have some knowledge of what could potentially follow in the narrative, but even if events don’t stick to the source material the upcoming interactions between Carl and Negan should be interesting.
The Sanctuary is a disturbing place. Negan’s iron rule is fuelled by his lust for power and his ability to physically and psychologically torment those around him. Even those closest to him aren’t spared. Dwight’s loyalty is tested time and time again and the fact Negan takes such perverse pleasure in rubbing Dwight’s nose in it is just one example of how corrupt the Sanctuary’s leader is. Negan dehumanizes those around him to fuel his position of power. Terrorizing one moment and then compassionate the next, he keeps those around him off guard. Negan has taken the new rules brought about by the fall of society and fashioned himself as a dictator in the new world order.
There appears to be a paradigm shift in power on The Walking Dead. While Negan continues to be at the top of the food chain, the balance of power outside of the Sanctuary is tilting towards the female characters on the show. Over the past few weeks we’ve seen hardened resolve from the likes of Maggie, Sasha, Michonne, Tara, the all female community and this week Rosita. Filling the void left by Rick’s defeat and Daryl’s capture the women on the show appear poised to drive a greater share of the narrative moving forward.
Sing Me a Song is an informative and at times unsettling episode. It not only opens a window into the inner workings of the Sanctuary but also reveals a lot about Season 7’s complex villain. While the developments put in motion in Sing Me a Song will unlikely payoff during next week’s mid-season finale the intrigue surrounding them hold promise for a eventful second half to the season.
