'The Walking Dead' Midseason Premiere Recap: 'I Wanna Show You the New World'

The Walking Dead midseason premiere is an episode with major endings (read: deaths) and a big beginning for those who’ve been residents of Alexandria for any length of time. Most surprisingly for an installment that includes what is possibly the most devastating three minutes in Walking Dead history — an episode in which so much happens, and most of it not good — things end on a hopeful note. Not that that’s likely to last…

Negan’s Dudes

We saw a teaser of the episode’s opening scene as a postscript to last November’s midseason finale: Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham had the misfortune to have their trip home in the Pattrick’s Fuel Company truck interrupted by a group of motorcycle-riding baddies who identified themselves only as working on behalf of a man named Negan. 

“Working” = stealing from others, and when the full scene plays out in the midseason premiere, additional details are revealed: The leader of the pack is an oddly charismatic fellow whose name we don’t know, but who colorfully demands Daryl and company hand over their weapons. When Abraham hesitates, Head Negan Dude advises him, “If you have to eat s–t, best not to nibble. Bite, chew, swallow, repeat. Goes quicker.”

HND goes on to tell the trio not to ask questions, and then sends one of his men with Daryl to the back of the truck to see what other goodies they might have stashed. When Abraham — referred to by HND as “this ginger” — dares to ask “Who’s Negan?” HND is angered, and shares how he and his crew have a very specific way of introducing themselves to people: They kill one of the newbies. He wasn’t going to do that this time, he says, but now … he has a gun in each hand and points one at Abraham and one at Sasha.