83 episodes, 6 years, and 6 seasons. "The Walking Dead" has gradually earned it’s spot as one of the most watched shows on television to date. Since its debut in October of 2010 I’ve watched every episode, seen every zombie, every death, blood, gore, violence, nothing in the past 6 seasons prepared me for the season 7 premiere. The episode got so much attention as from the Television Parental Ratings company telling AMC they pushed their TVMA rating boundaries. Suggesting almost the episode was so violent and inappropriate for family viewing they should create an even higher, stronger rating above TVMA.

For the past few years I have personally felt "The Walking Dead" needed a revamp, something big, and something to electrify the show. We’ve seen a consistent narrative where people continue to die, get eaten by zombies, get bit, with random out bursts of violence among the surviving humans in this zombie apocalypse nightmare. At a certain point something new has to be thrown into the mix. Something new has to change the entire equation. The greatest protagonist the comics and this show has ever seen arguably changed the show Sunday night.

Negan, played by Jeffery Dean Morgan is by far the most ruthless, blood thirsty, driven sociopathic monster The Walking Dead audience has ever witnessed. Negan destroys the balance of order. Rick, the leader of his group within the first three minutes of the season is grabbed by Negan and taken on a joy ride. Negan spends the better part of the episode breaking Rick down, destroying his superiority complex, his leadership, everything that he’s done up to this point is thrown out the window.

While they’re taking this trip Rick has a flash back just to hours before, of Negan killing two people from his group. Two major characters were taken from the shows fan base this past Sunday. Both Abraham and Glenn finally met their fates with a razor wrapped bat named Lucile. Negan bashes in the skulls of both Abraham and Glenn. First he does a game, Enny Miny Miny Mo. He plays this game to figure out which member of Rick’s group dies first, since Rick had killed so many of his men. After Negan chooses Abraham he thrusts Lucile straight into his head. Abraham begins to bleed rapidly as his last words to Negan “Suck my nuts.” Negan then pummels Abraham until his head is a heap of blood and crushed bones.

Then a surprise occurs, something that truly made the season 7 premiere so spectacular. A main character from Rick’s group Daryl, rushes up to Negan punching him in the face. Negan quickly tells everyone there is no tolerance for that. He makes sure someone else will face the same deadly punishment. He tells everyone in Rick’s group he doesn’t lie, he keeps his word, and within the next second, swings around and strikes Glenn in the head. This was the turning point for the episode. Everyone expected from last season someone would die at the hands of Negan, but no one could truly predict two death, in the time frame of five minutes. Glenn then lifts his head up, still miraculously breathing, with his entire face disfigured. Blood dripping from every point of his face, his skull fractured and his left eye bulging out as he tries to say goodbye to his loved one. Negan makes a few snide comments and quickly bashes his skull in. We’re left with another heap of blood, with Glenn’s finger tips still twitching ever so slightly.

Glenn’s brutal graphic death that was displayed on television shook the shows audience. I have a high tolerance for blood and gore, but this removed everything I’ve ever personally known about the show. It has reached the point in the show where the zombies themselves are just objects, getting in the way of the more prominent, important issue that surrounds the show, people. How they interact with one another, what they do, we’ve taken our focus off of the dead, and have made it all about the living.