"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.
This episode features the final regular appearances of characters Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun), who are both brutally killed by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Glenn's death is reminiscent of his death in the comic book series, where he is killed in virtually the same manner. However, Abraham's death in the comic books differs from his death in the TV series; he is killed by Dwight (Austin Amelio) in the comics, whereas Dwight kills Denise in the TV series.
The episode's title is a callback to Dr. Edwin Jenner's warning to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) from the first season finale ("TS-19"): Rick says that he's grateful for getting a shot at surviving the apocalypse, to which Edwin replies that "the day will come when you won't be."
Plot
Cornered by Negan and his men, Rick and his group continue to be forced on their knees in front of Negan to pledge servitude to him. To further coerce them, Negan selects one of them to bash in their head with "Lucille", a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. His selected victim is Abraham, who remains defiant after the first strike. Negan proceeds to pulverize Abraham's head to a pulp, as the others recoil in horror. When Negan presents the blood-soaked bat to a horrified Rosita, Daryl leaps up and punches Negan, but is quickly subdued by Dwight and two other Saviors. Negan states he will not tolerate such behavior and punishes the group again, this time by bashing Glenn's head, much to Maggie's anguish. As the group watches in terror, Negan continues to smash Glenn's head in the same manner as Abraham's.
After witnessing Negan kill two members of his own party, Rick quietly vows to the Saviors' leader that he will kill him someday. Unfazed, Negan drags Rick to the group's RV, announcing that he will be back and if Rick isn't with him, his men have permission to kill the rest of Rick's gang. After taunting Rick, Negan drives off and brings the RV to a stop near one of the Saviors' roadblocks by an overpass, amid a horde of walkers in thick morning fog. Negan then tosses Rick's hatchet onto the RV's roof and orders Rick to retrieve it before pushing him out of the RV. Amidst the heavy fog and smoke, Rick scrambles for safety on the RV's roof and sees a walker body dangling from the overpass. He begins to have flashbacks to the deaths of Abraham and Glenn, but Negan becomes impatient for Rick to return and starts firing up through the roof. Immediately, Rick jumps to the hanging corpse, but slips and falls, dropping the hatchet. As the walkers swarm around his rival, Negan fires onto them, giving Rick the chance to collect the hatchet and return to the RV; Negan drives off.
As Rick sits in silence, Negan drives back to the clearing and hauls Rick from the RV. Reunited with both groups, Negan explains to Rick that he hoped that the trip changed Rick's mind about him. Since Rick still refuses to submit to him, Negan forces Rick to his knees and has his son, Carl, lie prone next to him. Negan then warns Rick that he will order his men to kill every member of Rick's group and those back at "home"—Alexandria—if he chooses not to cut off his son's arm. However, Rick begs Negan to let him take Carl's place instead, but Negan refuses. Hyperventilating and sobbing, an anguished Rick picks up the hatchet and braces himself to cut Carl when Negan stops him at the very last second, satisfied that Rick has finally submitted. Negan then goes on to announce that he and his men will show up at Alexandria in one week to take one half of Rick and company's supplies. After seizing Daryl as a hostage, Negan and the Saviors leave the group in despair.