‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7 Updates: Negan’s Introduction In Series Stirs Massive Changes; Controversial Season 6 Cliffhanger Finale Critical for Storyline

‘The Walking Dead’ season 7 is set to feature more of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s psychotic villain Negan. His introduction into the series is set to stir massive changes for the show. It was also reported that the controversial season 6 cliffhanger that polarized audiences was critical for the continuation of the series’ storyline for the next season.

According to Pop Matters, Negan emerged as one of the series’ most vile villains especially with his stunt on the preceding season’s shocking finale. The episode, entitled “Last Day On Earth”, saw Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s psychotic Saviors leader bludgeoning someone to death with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed-wire. The finale ended with Negan’s victim remaining a mystery.

Negan is set to be the series’ main antagonist. He was introduced as the tyrannical leader of a group of ruthless survivors known as the The Saviors. Although Negan is a brilliant strategist and charismatic leader, he is known to be dangerous, sadistic, and ill-tempered.

Negan was last seen rounding up Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) group after they were captured. He then proceeds to terrorize, hurt, and kill them one by one.

According to the Examiner, creator Robert Kirkman shared his own thoughts over the introduction of Negan into the small screen. He said, “I don’t want to worry people, but Negan is going to be an ever-present, constant threat that is going to change everything moving forward. And maybe I’ve said things like that before, but I promise you, Negan is going to be different. Season seven is going to be really cool. I couldn’t be more excited about it."

Executive producer Greg Nicotero defended season 6’s cliffhanger by explaining that this will set up the important events for season 7. Nicotero told IGN, "The main thing about Season 7 is establishing that the world isn't what everybody thinks it is, the world out there.”

He explained, “…At the end of Season 6, Rick was so confident. 'We're just going to knock out that outpost, we're going to f--k these guys up before they f--k us up,' and it ends with him going, 'Heh, oh well, I had no idea. What I perceived as the world is not even close to what the reality of the world is,' and Negan's there to show him that."

‘The Walking Dead’ season 7 is scheduled to premiere on AMC on October 2016. The popular horror-drama television series follows a group of survivors as they confront a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.