“Swear” (Season 7, Ep. 6)
This episode embodied everything that fans have grown tired of with the show. It was about a coastal scavenging mission gone awry, filled with flashbacks, had no character development and did not move the story forward. Unless the all-female Oceanside encampment becomes a big factor down the road, this one was a misfire.
“Knots Untie” (Season 6, Ep. 11)
By this point in Season 6, we all knew that it would end with Negan’s big entrance. That proved problematic for episodes like this, that only served to set that up down the road without doing much else, though it did introduce us to the Hilltop colony.
“Twice as Far” (Season 6, Ep. 14)
This episode’s sole function seemed to be to set up the season finale. We did get the set up for Eugene’s bullet making, but ultimately all the character development fell to Denise, who dies at the end of the episode anyway.
“Not Tomorrow Yet” (Season 6, Ep. 12)
The battle at the Savior outpost was pretty cool, but other than that this episode was largely forgettable.
“East” (Season 6, Ep. 15)
We get it, Negan is coming. The Saviors are bad. Beyond that, this episode had nothing new to offer.
“Service” (Season 7, Ep. 4)
Sure, this show is bleak. But not a single good thing happened when Negan and his minions come knocking earlier than expected at Alexandria. It needed some levity to break the tension.
“Sing Me a Song” (Season 7, Ep. 7)
OK, who else was mad that Carl didn’t kill Negan the second he got him in his sights on the truck? Seriously! Still, it was quite satisfying to see Carl go full-on renegade.
“The Same Boat” (Season 6, Ep. 13)
This episode allowed Melissa McBride to really show her range with Carol. She plays the timid housewife to perfection, then flips the switch to cold-blooded killer who is also grappling with her conscience.
“The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” (Season 7, Ep. 1)
The Season 6 finale cliffhanger finally gets resolved. It blew fans’ minds — who were expecting to lose one major character. Instead viewers witnessed two of the biggest deaths in series history.
“The Cell” (Season 7, Ep. 3)
Daryl proved his resilience once again in this episode, refusing to submit to Negan. And don’t pretend you didn’t get that catchy pop confection “Easy Street” stuck in your head — for better or worse.
“Hearts Still Beating” (Season 7, Ep. 8)
Despite the first half of Season 7 being a total bummer, the ending of this episode made up for at least some of that. We finally saw Rick get ready to fight Negan. There was also a great reunion scene between him and Daryl.
“The Next World” (Season 6, Ep. 10)
This classic episode saw plenty of friendly banter between Rick and Daryl, who share an easy chemistry. We also got introduced to Jesus, who set up a big expansion of the show’s world.
“Go Getters” (Season 7, Ep. 5)
Maggie tugged on whatever heartstrings we have left in this episode. She took control of Hilltop and defiantly reminded Gregory that her name is “Maggie Rhee.” We miss you, Glenn!
“No Way Out” (Season 6, Ep. 9)
Not only did the entire Anderson family meet their end in this episode, but we also saw Carl lose an eye and Rick go on a straight-up hatchet rampage.
“Last Day on Earth” (Season 6, Ep. 16)
Yes, yes, the cliffhanger ending. But the fact remains that Jeffrey Dean Morgan had one of the best scenes of the entire series. What a monologue!
“The Well” (Season 7, Ep. 2)
One thing there was definitely not enough of this season: King Ezekiel. Khary Payton quickly became a fan favorite as the flowery language loving ruler of the Kingdom.
