The Walking Dead Review: Ep. 617 Last Day on Earth
If you care about anyone, there’s a price to pay and you’re going to pay it.
Tensions run high and spirits begin to crumble during Last Day on Earth, the Season 6 finale of The Walking Dead. After taking some mighty blows from the forces around them, several characters on the show began to bend under the strain of the odds they faced. Stoicism and confidence gave way to fear and despair as hope grew dim. Survival and its cost comes with sacrifices whether they be physical, emotional or spiritual.
Last Day on Earth begins with Rick and the gang getting ready to transport Maggie to a doctor on the Hilltop to relieve her abdominal pain. They set off in the RV as Maggie’s health begins to deteriorate leaving Gabriel and the rest to protect Alexandria in their absence. Elsewhere, Morgan finds Carol broken and bloodied in a small town. They continue their oil and water routine and bump heads on what their next course of action should be. Ironically despite their diametrically opposed positions, they actually want the same thing.
As mentioned in last week’s review, one of Rick’s failings was his inability to accept that there’s always someone more badass than you are out there in the world. That realization hit Rick hard and left him broken in Last Day on Earth as Negan’s grip tightened around the group. If the lead up to Negan and his crew wasn’t harrowing enough then Last Day on Earth cemented just how difficult dealing with the boss himself will be next season. Steven Ogg played another in a long line of Negan’s lieutenants and his performance illustrated the level of commitment as well as the resourcefulness of The Saviours.
Negan’s introduction did not disappoint. Charismatic, powerful and evil, Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of Negan is true to the comics and will have viewers waiting anxiously to see how Rick and the gang are able to survive the new challenge that faces them. Last Day on Earth presented Rick and the group in a different light, exposing their weaknesses and calling into question the choices they’ve made. The cliffhanger at the end of the 90 minute episode only adds to a growing list of unanswered questions that will have to wait until Season 7 begins and Negan and Lucille will be waiting.
