The level of violence and bloodshed shown in "The Walking Dead" Season 7 premiere led to complaints, with some fans even insisting they would no longer watch the series from then on. Despite the gory scenes depicting the death of Glenn and Abraham in the episode, however, the zombie apocalypse drama is reportedly not in breach of broadcasting codes.
"The Walking Dead" Season 7, episode 1 was one of the most anticipated episodes in the entire series because of the iconic deaths of major characters Abraham and Glenn, Comicbook reported. The episode required extra effort from the show's visual effects team to create a realistic depiction of Negan's brutality in killing the two, especially Glenn, who died after his head was repeatedly bashed in with a razor-wired baseball bat named Lucille.
Due to its horrifying scenes, some fans sought the help of UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, to investigate the gruesome Season 7 opener. After delving into the matter, the regulator ultimately said the series was not in breach of any broadcasting codes despite the horrific images shown in the Season 7 premiere.
According to Ofcom, the foul work of Negan in the scenes in question did not warrant further action since FOX had already done its part to cut the goriest parts. The spokesperson of Ofcom told The Sun, "Our investigation found that FOX took appropriate steps to edit the program for the 9p.m. showing."
Ofcom explained that while viewers had seen Glenn's face bathing in blood following Negan's initial whack, his eyeballs popping out and his brain partly exposed, the scene lasted for just a couple of seconds. The episode also did not include the five-second shot of Glenn while faintly uttering "I will find you" to his girlfriend Maggie moments before his death.
Over 1.7 million people watched "The Walking Dead" Season 7, episode 1 during the broadcast in UK within the first 24 hours, Digital Spy reported. At the time of this broadcast, a spokesperson from FOX reiterated to the publication their commitment to ensure that all of their programs adhere to the parameters of the Ofcom codes.
"The Walking Dead" Season 7 returns on Feb. 13 on AMC. Watch the trailer for episode 9 here: