I just finished watching The Walking Dead episode 615 and my heart was so happy with the Easter egg I saw that it sent a joyous message to my brain. My brain then sent a message to my fingers, instructing them to smash keys, telling Walking Dead fans everywhere about this joyous Easter egg.
But SPOILERS ABOUND. Turn back, purists! Well, comic readers may proceed, as can those who watch with open anticipation, but those who don’t want Walking Dead season 7 spoilers will need to run away!!!
Seriously. I’m about to spoil the beans.
The Walking Dead Season 7 Spoilers
As Rick and Morgan were coming up to the farm they stumble upon an odd sight–a guy inquiring about his horse. Of course, Rick was ready to murder him, while Morgan was ready to talk to him, and the end result was him running away. But we caught several clues in that scene:
- He was riding a horse.
- As he ran away we saw he was wearing some sort of body armor.
- He had a spear that seemed to be fashioned by the Hilltop community.
Comics readers will immediately recognize this adds up to one thing: Ezekiel and his Kingdom.
The Kingdom is part of the trading network that includes the Hilltop, so they’d get their weapons from the Hilltop. The Kingdom is also part of the network that is being shaken down by Negan.
Those who travel on behalf of the Kingdom are known to travel on horses, wearing a sort of body armor. They fashion themselves as “knights.”
Looking Ahead to The Walking Dead Season 7
It was a quick scene this past week, and certainly one that could be overlooked, particularly as Morgan’s conversation with Rick was so jammed packed with implications on future episodes.
But don’t gloss over this quick scene as it holds tremendous implications for The Walking Dead season 7:
- First, although comics fans knew the TV world was going to greatly expand, we now have visual confirmation beyond simply Hilltop. Jesus told them their world was about to get so much bigger, and now it is going beyond just words.
- Ezekiel is such an eccentric and enjoyable character, and this small Easter egg all but confirms his appearance in Walking Dead season 7. Perhaps they will have more of a slow build, but I’d place an early 3-2 odds bet that Ezekiel appears in the season 7 mid-season cliffhanger.
- The Kingdom will be critical in the fight against Negan. Rick will soon find himself under Negan’s thumb, that much is for certain. Rick is about to learn the hard way that he isn’t the toughest guy in school, so he’ll need to learn to trust others, build alliances, and plan broader in order to bring down Negan. Ezekiel will be key to that.
Morgan said in the episode: “Maybe he was just looking for his horse.” But we know that small scene has much bigger implications for The Walking Dead season 7!!
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