The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 28, 2017

At first thought, it didn't exactly seem like that much of a cliffhanger. One of the group is going to be violently beaten by the cold-blooded Negan, psychotic leader of the all-powerful "Saviors." But the thought of who amongst Rick's group it could be lingered. It gnawed, it festered, it suddenly became a seriously gut-wrenching question and proposition. The characters, and the audience, have been through so much already. Nobody has been safe. But this one felt different. It felt personal. So many characters had so many reasons not to be the one to take the beating. Would it kill the victim? Would those spared get revenge? Would anyone be spared, anyway? The Walking Dead's seventh season begins with a long, arduous delay before revealing one character's fate and going for broke in a way that will leave any survivors as broken mentally and spiritually as their friend(s) physically. Only Rick, at first, appears to be safe from Negan's baseball bat, Lucille. Only that much is certain in the opening minutes, and no matter who is revealed to be the unfortunate victim, it's most assuredly going to be a dark and difficult pill to swallow. The tension only increases, the gut-churning fear only intensifies, and it reaches a point when it seems that things couldn't get any worse for Rick and his survivors. But worse things do become, and the challenge even in watching becomes so great it's tempting to turn it off. But it's so well done, so violently sincere, so necessary in establishing Negan's ruthless dominance and tearing down six seasons worth of Rick's character development that it's impossible to turn away. Stomachs will churn and tears may flow, but it's fantastic television and perhaps in no other episode is the show's central theme -- the loss of humanity when society collapses -- so totally and painfully evident as it is here.

As season seven opens, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is a defeated man: worn, bloodied, in a state of unshakable shock. For the first time he's truly frightened. There's a dead look in his eyes. It's not that fatigued determination but rather a sense of resignation that's out of character but, under the circumstances, completely understandable. Yet he's still somehow holding on to an innate, carnal determination to exact revenge on his latest foe, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the man who has decimated what remains of Rick's group in more ways than one. By episode's end, those who are left alive are beaten shells of human beings, emotionally and physically, and have no choice but to concede defeat and live for one purpose: to please their new overlord, Negan, who leads a strong community ironically named "The Saviors." Meanwhile, Morgan (Lennie James) and Carol (Melissa McBride) find themselves in the relative safety and security of "The Kingdom," another makeshift community that is also living under the less visible, but no less ruthless, hand of The Saviors. That collective is led by a man dubbed "King Ezekiel" (Khary Payton), a benevolent ruler who may hold the key to help Rick and his crew finally bring down Negan and The Saviors once and for all.

Season seven is one of give and take. Negan gives beatings and gives demands. He also takes what he wants, and his victims have no choice but to give as he demands. He's not simply an imposing figure. He's not a physical specimen, but he's ruthlessly intimidating nevertheless, relentless in establishing his dominance whether with a terrifying smile or a vicious beating with his barbed-wire baseball bat he affectionally calls "Lucille." His underlings are equally intimidated by him, and should they cross him, they're punished in a way that neither they nor anyone else in the group will ever forget. Every time he appears on the screen, the audience cannot help but to feel that familiar knot in the stomach, terrified of what's to come and anticipating the worst, even if he walks into a room beaming with a million-dollar smile that's actually more frightening than any scowl he could muster. Jeffrey Dean Morgan's performance is terrifyingly magnetic. The actor somehow exudes a pure evilness in every scene and unequivocally represents what The Walking Dead has always been about: not just the fall of humanity but the disappearance of the soul when society collapses. Negan is many times more sinister than any villain the show has seen before, and his impact will undoubtedly resonate throughout whatever remains of the series and regardless of his fate, his victories, or defeats.

Negan is ever-present throughout the season; his reign over his part of the world drives every action and reaction throughout these 16 episodes, whether it's adapting to his demands or finding a way to fight back in any way the group can. But nowhere is his evil intensity more on display than in that first episode, a classic and quite possibly the finest hour of The Walking Dead yet. The remainder of the season isn't as relentlessly and necessarily intense, though. In fact, episode two approaches the closest thing to levity one is going to find in the show. That's when the audience is introduced to King Ezekiel, a former zookeeper and a man who would be right at home as the centerpiece of a renaissance fair. His "kingdom" is little more than some well-kept buildings and his throne room an auditorium. He keeps a pet tiger by his side. He's intimidating -- perhaps the tiger more so -- but he's in many ways the antithesis of Negan: a ruler whose benevolence and open arms to visitors makes his realm one of safety and security and assuredness, but he's also a reasonable man who understands the world and values the safety of his people and anyone who calls him "friend." He and Negan make for a striking juxtaposition and, even as the main cast continues to chug along, they define the season and represent two of the best characters the show has ever seen.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season features a 1080p transfer largely in-line with the show's established gritty, grainy appearance. Grain is regular and thick, largely consistent but certainly showing some spikes into snowier, more heavily pronounced stages; a foggy morning in the opening episode offers the most obvious example, but at various points throughout the season there's no mistaking the increase in intensity. Details are excellent. Facial close-ups are particularly revealing. Extremely fine lines, pores, facial hair, blood, sweat, tears, everything that defines a character in any condition is readily visible and complexly displayed throughout. Detail extends beyond faces, though, as skin, structures, practical gore and makeup effects, and natural environments reveal pinpoint clarity with only a few softer elements to be found along the way. Colors are never exactly vibrant; the show takes on a somewhat deliberately fatigued color temperature. Red blood and natural greens are lively, but the show's favor of earthy, less punchy tones is evident throughout. Black levels largely hold deep with some mild inconsistencies both towards crush and paleness. Skin tones appear fine within the show's visual context.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season bites into Blu-ray with a well-rounded Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation delivers a full-service listen. The opening title music, as always, delivers hearty spacing, excellent fidelity, and a quality low end depth to its ominous notes. Music throughout the season always follows suit. Gunfire is distinct, popping from every speaker with authority during pitch firefights, while single one-off shots or small bursts are always well positioned relative to the action on the screen. The sense of chaotic immersion comes continuously as necessary and places the listener squarely in the midst of all of the season's chaos. Zombie moans and groans appropriately follow suit, emanating here and there in, again, smaller batches or large-scale groupings. Mild atmospherics, largely in the form of crickets and other outdoor insects, enter the stage with excellent presence and immersion. Dialogue is clear and detailed with continuous front-center placement and prioritization.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season contains audio commentaries for several episodes and additional supplements on disc five. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer Scott M/ Gimple, Executive Producer/Director/Special FX Make-Up Designer Greg Nicotero, and Actor Michael Cudlitz for "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be." Writer Angela Kang and Actor Norman Reeds for "The Cell."

Disc Three:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Director/Special FX Make-Up Designer Greg Nicotero and Actor Alanna Masterson for "Rock in the Road." Co-Executive Producer Denise Huth and Actors Austin Amelio and Josh McDermitt for "Hostiles and Calamities."

Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer Scott M. Gimple and Actors Lennie James and Melissa McBride for "Bury Me Here." Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer Scott M. Gimple, Executive Producer/Director/Special FX Make-Up Designer Greg Nicotero, and Actors Lauren Cohan and Alanna Masterson for "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life."

Disc Five:

• Deleted & Alternate Scenes (1080p, 19:07): Scenes from "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be," "Go Getters," "New Best Friends," "Bury Me Here," "The Other Side," and "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life."
• Inside The Walking Dead (1080p): Episode recaps and brief character and thematic insights for each episode: "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" (4:26), "The Well" (3:31), "The Cell" (3:08), "Service" (3:47), "Go Getters" (3:50), "Swear" (4:25), "Sing Me a Song" (4:32), "Hearts Still Beating" (4:01), "Rock in the Road" (2:18), "New Best Friends" (4:03), "Hostiles and Calamities" (3:38), "Say Yes" (3:18), "Bury Me Here" (2:35), "The Other Side" (3:07), "Something They Need" (3:41), and "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" (3:55).
• The Making of The Walking Dead (1080p): Unlike the extra above, which explored plot details and mechanics, these pieces look at some of the more interesting details that went into each episode's technical construction. Included are "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" (4:26), "The Well" (3:17), "The Cell" (3:14), "Service" (2:14), "Go Getters" (3:04), "Swear" (2:44), "Sing Me a Song" (2:46), "Hearts Still Beating" (2:29), "Rock in the Road" (2:58), "New Best Friends" (3:39), "Hostiles and Calamities" (3:05), "Say Yes" (3:16), "Bury Me Here" (2:08), "The Other Side" (2:46), "Something They Need" (3:44), and "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" (3:20).
• In Memoriam (1080p, 7:19): A look back at the key characters who lost their lives throughout the season and how the actors and characters responded to their losses.
• A Larger World (1080p, 10:14): A look at making some key sets for season seven.
• Breaking & Rebuilding (1080p, 5:07): A closer look at how the season's events tear Rick down and how he's able to pull himself back up.
• A New Chapter of Fear (1080p, 5:04): A closer look at the season's powerful opener.
• Top Walkers (1080p, 8:29): Even though they're secondary to the season and, really, the show, this piece examines some of the memorable zombies and zombie moments from the season.
• Warrior Women (1080p, 7:36): An examination of the season's top female characters.
• The Writers of The Walking Dead (1080p, 4:01): The writers briefly discuss why they love working on the show.

The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even after seven season, The Walking Dead's magnetic intensity remains. In fact, it's never been higher. Season seven focuses on two of the most well-rounded characters the show has seen yet in Negan and King Ezekiel, bedrocks of the season but, more, examples of the show's contrasting depictions of humanity in long-term crisis. It's ever-violent, one of the goriest seasons to be sure, beginning with one of the most intense hours of television one is ever going to find and remaining briskly paced and intoxicating for the duration. Here's hoping season eight can maintain the high standards this season, and the series, have thus far set. The Walking Dead: The Complete Seventh Season's Blu-ray, now released through Lionsgate, is again excellent. Quality video, excellent lossless audio, and a well-rounded assortment of extras make this another must-own set. Very highly recommended.