Ezekiel Is Exactly What The Walking Dead Needed Exactly When It Needed Him

On the heels of The Walking Dead‘s season 7 premiere, Khary Payton’s portrayal of Ezekiel was exactly what the show needed exactly when it needed him.

After months of fans promising to boycott the show following the cliffhanger finale of the show’s sixth season, showrunner Scott Gimple and executive producer/director Greg Nicotero delivered on their promise for a dark and vicious introduction of Negan which would satisfy the most bloodthirsty of fans. It was about 9:30 p.m. on the east coast when viewers shifted their complaints from not knowing who Negan killed to claiming the show was too violent for television.

The episode was so brutal that the showrunners decided to swap the second and third episodes of the series to offer up a sense of levity in the wake of such horror. Rather than follow Daryl and his captors Negan & Dwight back to the Sanctuary this weekend, we were taken to the Kingdom and introduced to Payton’s Ezekiel.

Yeah, Morgan and Carol were in the episode, but the hour didn’t end with fans talking about them.

Instead, it was the all new hero of the show that made a major impression on fans. Ezekiel sat on his throne as the King of the Kingdom and new King of The Walking Dead.

Look at it this way: Negan’s introduction was brutal. He cemented himself as the most terrifying and threatening villain in the show’s history. Still, he has the same traits of being a selfish, mean, and violent new foe to Rick Grimes which The Governor, Gareth, and even Merle had. Yes, he is worse, but he is part of what some are starting to see as a cycle of villains.

Ezekiel on the other hand is something The Walking Dead has never seen or attempted before.

The new character is a glimmer of hope in a world shrouded with darkness. He is both complexity and positivity like the show has never seen. He is a man of power with a good heart, despite using the community for gains on his own behalf, who wants to see a group of people not only survive but also thrive. It’s basically who Rick Grimes wishes he was.

At a time when the show gears up for Rick vs. Bad Guy round 5, Ezekiel brings a new layer to the show. Combining his unique characteristics with the introduction of his tiger, the Kingdom soldiers, and (let’s not forget) the Hilltop, the show can finally introduce some political drama as communities align to take down their familiar oppressor. The show has potential to strive towards battle plans, betrayals, and high stakes, all the while showcasing a the most one-of-a-kind character on television right now.

Ezekiel distances himself from his people by flaunting a Kingly attitude – one which he gathered from the likes of MacBeth and other Shakespearean plays. It’s a ridiculous act (which he is aware of) but one which convinces folks to follow him.

To top it all off, the aforementioned tiger he keeps as a pet brings something so bizarre to life in a somehow acceptable fashion. Greg Nicotero’s team masterfully portrayed the jungle cat on a show which is not exactly known for its computerized effects.

Payton is already greatful for the reception of Ezekiel by fans.

“It’s been pretty good,” Payton told ComicBook.com. “I don’t know what exactly I was expecting. If I was going to get some backlash for whatever reason, but I don’t feel any backlash. I think everybody’s pretty happy with it, so I’m feeling no pain today.”

“Maybe a little bleary eyed from friends buying me drinks, but other than that, everybody seems happy with Ezekiel and that means I’m over the moon because he’s such a special character and I felt a responsibility to the comic books, to Kirkman, to everybody on the show, but I feel a responsibility to the other guys who auditioned for Ezekiel,” Payton said. “It’s like, I want them to watch and be like, ‘Okay, you know what? That guy did a good job. I feel good about this,’ because he’s such a great character and he doesn’t come along very often. I want everybody to be happy about it.”

Negan clearly flipped the script on its head and made it something new by dethroning Rick but Payton’s Ezekiel throning himself breathes all sorts of life into the show in the exact moment it needed new life.

We all see now that The Walking Dead is capable of being much more than a show about only survival.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.