Last Day on Earth (The Walking Dead)

Last updated
"Last Day on Earth"
The Walking Dead episode
Negan Rick.jpg
Rick and his group kneel before Negan.
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 16
Directed by Greg Nicotero
Written by Scott Gimple
Matthew Negrete
Original air dateApril 3, 2016 (2016-04-03)
Running time65 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"East"		Next →
"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be"
The Walking Dead season 6
List of episodes

"Last Day on Earth" is the sixteenth and final episode of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead , which aired on AMC on April 3, 2016. The episode was written by Scott Gimple and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

Contents

This episode marks the first appearance of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, the intimidating leader of the Saviors who rules in tyranny and in turn also marks the debut of Steven Ogg as Simon, a top Savior who is Negan's right-hand man.

Plot

After Maggie suffers pain from pregnancy, Rick and the group urgently try to get her to the Hilltop Colony in their RV for medical attention; however, every one of the routes they take is blocked by a progressively larger number of Saviors, led by Simon (Steven Ogg), with increasingly frightening capabilities.

Concurrently, Morgan finds Carol injured from a cut on her stomach and patches her up. While Morgan goes outside to kill a walker that is making noise, Carol flees and Morgan again pursues on horseback. Roman, the Savior who survived her attack, finds Carol first, shooting her in the right arm and leg, stating that she will suffer like his friends did. Morgan shows up just in time to save her, breaking his vow by killing Roman, and encounters two men wearing armor who approach on horseback: one of them is the mysterious survivor from the barn that Morgan saved from Rick. After the strangers offer them help, Morgan agrees to get Carol medical assistance.

After nightfall, with time running out, Eugene volunteers to be bait to distract the Saviors by driving the empty RV by himself to lure them while the rest of the group carry Maggie to the Hilltop through the woods on foot. However, as the group carries a very weak Maggie on a stretcher, they end up running into the midst of a large group of Saviors, led by Simon from earlier, who were expecting and waiting for them all to arrive. The Saviors have already beat up Eugene and captured him, along with Glenn, Michonne, Rosita, and a gravely wounded, but alive, Daryl. The entire group is disarmed and forced to their knees.

As the group kneels helplessly on the ground, a man with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire, steps out of the group's RV. In an intimidating manner, he approaches and greets a nervous Rick, revealing himself to be Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the totalitarian leader of the Saviors. Unhappy, Negan berates Rick for killing many of his men and then goes on to explain the new world order: the group now works for him and half of their supplies now belong to him. He introduces Rick to his bat, which he calls "Lucille", and reveals that the entire set up, including the roadblocks, was simply to decide "who gets the honor" of dying as punishment for their actions. When Negan threatens to put Maggie out of her misery, Glenn lunges at him, but is pulled back in line by Dwight. Unable to choose a victim, Negan claims to have an idea; he starts a game of "eeny, meeny, miny, moe", pointing Lucille down the line of survivors as he recites the rhyme. He eventually lands on "it", making his choice. From the victim's point-of-view, Negan prepares to beat them, telling his men to cut out Carl's other eye and feed it to Rick should anyone move or say anything. Negan then slams Lucille down onto his victim's head. To the horror of the other survivors, Negan continues to beat the victim over and over again.

Production

Jeffrey Dean Morgan by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Steven Ogg - 2018076123859 2018-03-17 Walker Stalker Con - Sven - 1D X MK II - 0435 - AK8I8091.jpg
"Last Day on Earth" marks the debut of Negan portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (left) despite mixed reviews for the episode itself, Morgan received acclaim for his performance, also marks the debut of Simon, portrayed by Steven Ogg (right), a Savior and Negan's right-hand.

On November 10, 2015, it was announced that Jeffrey Dean Morgan had been cast as Negan and would make his debut in the season finale. [1] This episode is the third in the sixth season to air in an expanded 90-minute time slot. [2] Director Greg Nicotero confirmed that they filmed two versions of Negan's introduction – one for broadcast with toned down language and the other for the Blu-ray release, which has swearing to match his speech from the comics. [3]

Reception

Critical reception

"Last Day on Earth" received mixed reviews from critics. While Jeffrey Dean Morgan's performance as Negan was praised, the episode was mostly criticized for its pacing and cliffhanger ending. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 44% with an average rating of 6.55 out of 10, based on 32 reviews. The critics' consensus reads: Despite Jeffrey Dean Morgan's deliciously evil turn as Negan, the meandering "Last Day on Earth"—and its manipulative cliffhanger ending—make for a disappointing season finale. [4]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave it a 7.3 out of 10 in his review and commented, "For all that "Last Day on Earth" was really about, and what was important about it, it went on too long. And then failed to deliver a satisfying exclamation point. Instead, we got another fake out/cliffhanger. A technique this show is absolutely over indulging in. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was terrific as Negan though." [5] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, the lowest grade given by the website for the show to date, faulting the episode for awkward, drawn-out writing and forced story arcs which couldn't maintain an atmosphere of suspense as they moved inevitably toward a fixed ending everyone knew was coming. [6] Emily VanDerWerff of Vox gave the episode a negative review, calling it the worst episode of the show so far, and commenting, "The extra-long episode spent its first hour dramatizing all the excitement of your GPS insisting that you take a road you already know is closed, and the last half-hour sank some nicely spooky moments with a too-long monologue and a completely botched cliffhanger." However, she gave a positive review on Negan's introduction. [7]

In response to the backlash the cliffhanger received, showrunner Scott M. Gimple said:

If you approach it from a place of skepticism or with the idea that there's some kind of negative or cynical motivation behind it... it's difficult to convince you otherwise. I do think we've done enough on the show and we've delivered a story that people have enjoyed [to warrant fans giving] us the benefit of the doubt. I truly hope that people will see [the Season 7 premiere] and feel it justifies the way we've decided to tell the story. [8]

Ratings

The episode received a 6.9 rating in the key 18-49 demographic with 14.19 million total viewers. [9] This was a significant increase from the previous episode, "East", which received a 5.9 rating and 12.38 million total, [10] but also significantly lower than the ratings for the season five finale, "Conquer", which was watched by 15.8 million American viewers with an 18-49 rating of 8.2. [11] Including live +3 ratings, this episode was watched by 18.42 million Americans. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negan</span> Character in The Walking Dead

Negan is a fictional character in the comic book series The Walking Dead and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the Sanctuary that oppresses other survivor communities and forces them to pay tribute to him. In the comics, the character's appearance is based on Henry Rollins, as confirmed by Charlie Adlard. Jeffrey Dean Morgan portrays Negan in the television series, having first appeared in the sixth-season finale.

No Sanctuary (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 1st episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"No Sanctuary" is the fifth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 12, 2014. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero. In the episode, Rick Grimes' group struggles to figure out a way to escape Terminus, whose inhabitants have resorted to cannibalism to survive. Concurrently, Carol Peletier devises a plan to rescue Rick's group after learning they are in danger.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 6 Season of television series

The sixth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 11, 2015, and concluded on April 3, 2016, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the third consecutive season. The sixth season received positive reviews by critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Horror Television Series, at the 42nd Saturn Awards.

Conquer (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 16th episode of the 5th season of The Walking Dead

"Conquer" is the sixteenth and final episode of the fifth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 29, 2015. It was written by showrunner Scott M. Gimple and Seth Hoffman, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 23, 2016, and concluded on April 2, 2017, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for the fourth consecutive season. The seventh season received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won three, including Best Horror Television Series for the second consecutive year, at the 43rd Saturn Awards.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 8 Television season

The eighth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC, premiered on October 22, 2017, and concluded on April 15, 2018, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Gimple as showrunner for his fifth and final season. The eighth season received mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for multiple awards and won two, including Best Horror Television Series for the third consecutive year, at the 44th Saturn Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Tomorrow Yet</span> 12th episode of the 6th season of The Walking Dead

"Not Tomorrow Yet" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on March 6, 2016. The episode was written by Seth Hoffman and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Day Will Come When You Won't Be</span> 1st episode of the 7th season of The Walking Dead

"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" is the seventh season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, and its 84th overall. Written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, it originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 23, 2016.

Simon (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) Fictional character from The Walking Dead

Simon is a fictional character from The Walking Dead television series. He was played by Canadian actor Steven Ogg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hearts Still Beating</span> 8th episode of the 7th season of The Walking Dead

"Hearts Still Beating" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on December 11, 2016. The episode was written by Matthew Negrate and Channing Powell, and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 16th episode of the 7th season of The Walking Dead

"The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" is the sixteenth and final episode of the seventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired in the United States on AMC on April 2, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

Mercy (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 1st episode of the 8th season of The Walking Dead

"Mercy" is the eighth season premiere of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on October 22, 2017. The episode was written by Scott M. Gimple and directed by Greg Nicotero, and serves as the 100th episode overall of the series.

Monsters (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 3rd episode of the 8th season of The Walking Dead

"Monsters" is the third episode of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on November 5, 2017. The episode was written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

"How It's Gotta Be" is the eighth episode and mid-season finale of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on December 10, 2017. The episode was written by David Leslie Johnson and Angela Kang, and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

Honor (<i>The Walking Dead</i>) 9th episode of the 8th season of The Walking Dead

"Honor" is the ninth episode and mid-season premiere of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on February 25, 2018. The episode was written by Matthew Negrete and Channing Powell, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

"Still Gotta Mean Something" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season and 113th episode overall of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on April 1, 2018. It was written by Eddie Guzelian and directed by Michael E. Satrazemis.

"Wrath" is the sixteenth and final episode of the eighth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead, which aired on AMC on April 14, 2018. It was written by Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang and Matthew Negrete, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

<i>The Walking Dead</i> season 9 Season of television series

The ninth season of The Walking Dead, an American post-apocalyptic horror television series on AMC premiered on October 7, 2018, and concluded on March 31, 2019, consisting of 16 episodes. Developed for television by Frank Darabont, the series is based on the eponymous series of comic books by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The executive producers are Kirkman, David Alpert, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Tom Luse, Denise Huth, and Gale Anne Hurd, with Kang taking over the role of showrunner from Gimple after his promotion to chief content officer for the franchise.

"Here's Negan" is the twenty-second and final episode of the tenth season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The 153rd episode overall, the episode was directed by Laura Belsey and written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. "Here's Negan" was released on the streaming platform AMC+ on April 2, 2021, and aired on television on AMC two days later, on April 4, 2021.

"Rest in Peace" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of the eleventh season of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. The series finale and 177th episode overall, it aired on AMC on November 20, 2022, and was simultaneously released on the network's streaming platform AMC+. The episode's teleplay was written by Corey Reed and Jim Barnes, from a story by Angela Kang, and directed by Greg Nicotero.

References

  1. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (November 10, 2015). "Walking Dead Casts Major Comics Villain Negan". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ Ross, Dalton (March 21, 2016). "The Walking Dead to get expanded 90 minute season finale". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ Ross, Dalton (April 4, 2016). "The Walking Dead director Greg Nicotero says the actors don't even know who died". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Last Day on Earth". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fowler, Matt (April 4, 2016). "The Walking Dead: "Last Day on Earth" Review". IGN . Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ Handlen, Zack (April 3, 2016). "The Walking Dead season finale swings, misses". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  7. ↑ VanDerWerff, Emily (April 4, 2016). "The Walking Dead season 6 finale: "Last Day on Earth" is the worst episode the show has ever done". Vox . Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (April 4, 2016). "The Walking Dead EP Defends Cliffhanger Ending, Teases Season 7's 'Boundary-Pushing' Death Scene". TVLine . Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 5, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' finale scores its best rating of 2016". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  10. ↑ Porter, Rick (March 29, 2016). "Sunday cable ratings: 'Walking Dead' hits season low on Easter, NCAA strong for TBS". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  11. ↑ Baron, Steve (March 30, 2015). "'The Walking Dead' Season 5 Finale is Highest Rated Finale in Series History, Garnering 15.8 Million Viewers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  12. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 10, 2016). "Cable Live +3 ratings, March 28-April 3: 'Walking Dead' finale scores big". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 7, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.