Strap in, folks; Entertainment Weekly has confirmed today that the fourth episode of The Walking Dead season 7 will clock in at an eye-watering 85 minutes, a significant bump up from the usual 60 minutes.
Entitled “Service,” the super-sized installment has been pegged for premiere on November 13 – after this Sunday’s “The Cell” – and unless you’re fully caught up with all the goings-on of AMC’s flagship series, we’ve advise you remain on this side of the jump in fear of encountering any spoilers ahead of time.
Still with us? While we fully expect Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Dwight (Austin Amelio) to take center stage this coming Sunday, next weekend’s extended episode will likely place the focus on Negan as he introduces himself to Alexandria. The official logline teases as much, too: “The remaining members of the group try to keep it together in Alexandria; they receive a sobering visit.” And we all know how fond Negan is of flamboyance.
In tandem with the announcement, series stalwart Andrew Lincoln spoke to EW about the season in general.
“All I will say is that this is a rocky road. It’s a shocking beginning to a season, but it is the beginning of a season. That’s what people have to remember. This is where we begin, after the quake.
This season is about rebuilding and about characters dealing with the trauma and grief of this brutal attack, but also this new regime that they are now a part of. And each react in their own individual ways. It’s more Lord of the Rings than Lord of the Flies this season.”
The Walking Dead season 7 marches on with the premiere of “The Cell” on Sunday, November 6 (see the first promo here), while fans can expect that super-sized fourth episode to debut on November 13.
