The Walking Dead: Ep. 716 The First Day of the Rest of Your Life
An explosive season finale of The Walking Dead, littered with bullets and death brought to a close one of the most controversial and gut wrenching seasons in the show’s history. The First Day of the Rest of Your Life echoed the season premiere and by it’s conclusion many of this season’s narrative threads were woven together in a satisfactory manner.
We’ve all had dreams we wished were real. The kinds you knew weren’t real but didn’t want to wake up from because of the utopia they presented. Sasha’s visit with the sandman was a welcome moment of relief for her and viewers, but alas, all good things come to an end. The shifting narrative timelines, employed to distraction in Season 6, work well here and keep the audience guessing throughout the episode.
Dwight’s defection leads to several tense moments for Team Rick but keeping him alive helps to unify the group. Season 7 has been a delicate balancing act of emotions and Daryl’s restraint from plunging his knife deep into Dwight’s brain sets the stage for the coming war. Previous episodes have chronicled the gathering of forces to combat Negan and Dwight’s addition to the group may be the final piece of the puzzle.
Negan’s tyranny and the preparation war has taken a toll on everyone. Sasha tries to grapple with the consequences of Negan’s deal, Maggie weighs the difficulties of leading the Hilltop and Morgan struggles to contain the rage and grief that consumes him. The assault against the Saviors has already taken a physical toll and there promises to be a psychological price to pay as well.
The first third of the finale is all setup and things don’t really get rolling until the midway point. The twists, turns and unexpected cameo elevated The First Day of the Rest of Your Life above most of the fare from this season. The finale was like a long good bye and the climax was a cathartic release for fans. It served as a fitting bookend on the season and reset the narrative for Season 8.
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life was a strong episode that brought the season full circle and reunited several of the cast. It also payed homage to several of the main cast that fell this season and was a fitting good bye to another. With a few months until Season 8 rolls around, there’s time to reflect and gear up for what might be an even bloodier season than the one that just ended.
