The Walking Dead is not a show to shy away from gruesome, stomach-churning violence. Over the years viewers have laid eyes on some truly shocking moments, as Rick and the gang navigate a zombie apocalypse with one golden rule – Fight the dead. Fear the living.
Season 7’s premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be,” arguably took things to the next level, as Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s diabolical Negan lined up Andrew Lincoln and his ragtag crew of allies as though they were about to face a firing squad. The truth was much worse, as Morgan’s barbaric villain waved Lucille – a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire and his nightmarish weapon of choice – high in the air before settling on his pair of victims.
What followed was perhaps one of, if not the most horrific and shocking scenes in The Walking Dead‘s history, and it’s small wonder why AMC has decided to tone down the show’s violence following season 7’s premiere. Shock value is all well and good until it begins to turn away even TWD‘s most faithful supporters.
That said, it seems the UK premiere of The Walking Dead season 7 presented a censored cut of Negan’s killing spree back in October, focusing more so on the horrified reaction of Rick and the gang than the actual kills themselves. See if you can spot what’s missing from the clips below and remember, each snippet is filled with spoilers.
Following its midseason finale, The Walking Dead season 7 will shuffle back onto the airwaves on February 12. An eighth season is already on the cards, though series creator Robert Kirkman hopes AMC’s adaptation can stretch all the way to 10 seasons.