“The Walking Dead” Season 7 Exec Producer Defends Deaths – Fans threaten to quit watching show

Negan's barbed wire-covered bat has claimed the lives of Abraham and Glenn, two of the most-loved characters, in "The Walking Dead" Season 7 premiere. The eeny, meeny, miny, moe game ended in total bloodshed, giving viewers what they came for. But has the show gone too far this time?

As the Season 7 premiere concluded, fans took to social media what they think about "The Walking Dead" season 7 episode 1. A lot of viewers reacted negatively and said that that they were actually used to the show being gory but this time show creators and writers went overboard. Some long-time fans have even threatened to quit watching the show.

According to E! News, tension has moved from the undead to a human one. It has reached an all-time horrifying peak when Negan decided to kill two beloved characters doing it in a totally barbaric way: by smashing their heads again and again with his bat. But "The Walking Dead" executive producer, Greg Nicotero, has his own interpretation of viewers' negative reactions.

First of all, Nicotero said that he couldn't imagine creating the episode in any other manner. He said that fans' reactions show that they have done something to affect viewers however, they are not yet sure how to process these reactions.

Meanwhile, The Wrap also reported on how Nicotero defended the controversial Season 7 premiere. The executive producer commented that fans who threatened to quit watching the show were just showing a 'jerk reaction' to the episode.

He compared "The Walking Dead" fans' reactions to his reactions to the turn of events on the HBO series "Game of Thrones." He said that despite all the plot twists and turns, he still loves watching the series.  He further described these reactions as fans showing how they love these characters.

Nicotero said that this episode was actually their tribute to every character that has died in their show. He said that it was a shame that people took the episode negatively and promised that "The Walking Dead" still has a lot to offer.

"The Walking Dead" airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. on AMC.