recap video
https://twitter.com/WalkingDead_AMC/status/821040143440035840

 

"There are some people who go to the dark side who are going to take you by surprise, and there are some people who are going to come over to the light – and that’s all a matter of perspective," James said.

 

from comicbook.com and EW
Late in Season 7, one character will have their Braveheart moment but it's not who you would typically suspect. With the impending war against Negan and the Saviors inbound, some members of Rick's group are going to have to step up if the good guys are going to have a shot at victory.

In the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, the moment is spotlighted from a set visit on The Walking Dead's penultimate episode of Season 7.

Somewhere in the woods, presumably on a march to battle or the Oceanside commuity (or both), Alanna Masterson's Tara Chambler character will deliver a speech "speech filled with emotion, delivered under duress, and with character's lives -- including Tara's own -- at stake." It's a scene so emotionally involved that it takes the young actress several attempts to get it just right, growing frustrated in between, but being constantly reassured by The Walking Dead's leading man Andrew Lincoln.

Following the scene, Norman Reedus, Andrew Lincoln, Seth Gilliam, Chandler Riggs, and director Michael Slovis offer hugs one by one to congratulate Masterson on her impressive performance. While the context of the scene remains unknown, we do know that Rick and his group will be rallying various communities to take on Negan when The Walking Dead returns. Based on how many cast members were on hand to deliver hugs to Masterson, it's safe to say this is a pivotal moment heading into the last episode of Season 7 which required a whole slew of cast and characters.

It sounds a lot like Tara's Braveheart moment on the AMC series. She became a more integral part of the show after having an entire episode to herself with 7x06 (Swear) where she discovered the Oceanside community and narrowly fleed to Alexandria. Here she is, though, rallying the good guys to stand up for what's right.

"It was really sweet when I finished that scene," Masterson said. "That was a great day on set, because you get through something challenging and you have all of your peers there who respect and love you. It was pretty rad."

 

Episode 9 is titled, "Rock in the Road"

 

Nicotero is directing 9,12, and 16

 

Season 7, Episode 9

Rock in the Road
Rick is introduced to a new community.

 

• Episode 7x09: Greg Nicotero
• Episode 7x10: Jeffrey F. January
• Episode 7x11: Kari Skogland
• Episode 7x12: Greg Nicotero
• Episode 7x13: To Be Confirmed
• Episode 7x14: To Be Confirmed
• Episode 7x15: To Be Confirmed
• Episode 7x16: Greg Nicotero

 

The midseason 7 premiere will run for 73 minutes, from 9:00 pm ET to 10:13 pm ET. Episode 7x10 will run for an extra six minutes on February 19, making it a 66 minute episodes from 9:00 pm ET to 10:06 pm ET. Episode 7x11 will run for an extra eight minutes, making it a 68 minute episode on February 26.

 

When The Walking Dead returns for its seventh season, the community at Alexandria will finally be rising up to the challenge of taking on Negan and his Saviors.

Given those details, it is expected that Rick Grimes might actually see a much needed victory after half a season which saw him broken down and humiliated. Several cast and crew members have already been teasing an exciting bit in the Season 7 finale but there might be more than that.

Speaking to fans of The Walking Deadaboard the 2017 Walker Stalker Cruiseat a poolside panel, Norman Reedus pointed out that there is one specific moment coming up in the back half of Season 7 which had him giddy with excitement.

"Without giving anything away, there's a moment in the back half where [Jeffrey Dean Morgan] and Andy [Lincoln] have that thing," Reedus said.

Sitting beside Reedus, Morgan was quick to make jokes with the crowd in true-to-Negan form. "You know what kind of a f---ing thing," Morgan said.

"Like a serious thing, and I was watching in video village, by the monitors," Reedus said. "I was jumping up and down and I threw my headphones in the air, there's one moment coming up there, one of my favorite, I think."

"I remember you jumping around by the way, and you came running in and you were slapping high-fives to me and Andy," Morgan said.

"I'll say one other thing, when the actors get the scripts, they have a keen perceptions of who their characters are," said executive producer Greg Nicotero. "One of the great things about is, Andy will come to me, Jeffery will come to me, Norman will, they'll come to me and they will be like, 'This is a great moment and I want to play with this aspect of what's going to happen.' It's really great to let these guys, who know their characters better than anybody else, explore those moments. I remember what Norman's talking about, it's great, it's great. It's ridiculous."

In fact, the moment is so great that Reedus ran into the shot before Nicotero could even say cut -- which leaves us with the possibility of this moment taking place in Episodes 7x09, 7x12, or 7x16, seeing as Nicotero directed those episodes.

"He was in there so fast," Morgan said. "He was like, 'This is my most favorites scene that's ever been on The Walking Dead, and I'm not even in it.'"

Nicotero cut the cameras only to realize, Reedus ended up in the shot.