Producer Gimple has by far given the most hints about what to expect from season seven. "I hope with [episode] 701 people see that it justifies the way we've decided to tell the story," he told The Hollywood Reporter, defending the controversial cliffhanger. "I know what 701 is and I feel that it delivers on what 616 sets up." He also confirmed that we will see stories from Negan's perspective, and that the theme of the season will be "How do you begin again?" Gimple elaborated on that in a statement read by Chris Hardwick on Talking Dead:
"You know the beginning, and it's almost here, so enjoy your summer because the beginning is someone's end. But it is a beginning. What happens in episode one will shatter the lives of those who survive and will rend the narrative into different trajectories in which we will see our characters in completely new situations, torn from the pages of the comic and remixed in the Walking Dead remixinator 5000. We'll see an all new different worlds with new friends, enemies, and other, with alignments ranging from lawful good to chaotic evil and all the neutrals in between and we'll see unthinkable dangers from the damnedest of places, yes there will be blood but there will also be cobbler, we kid you not. There's going to be a hard goodbye at the beginning, but you know that, and it's almost here. As Simon says, be good to each other."
Those who read the comics also know Negan has a strangely close relationship with Carl, but will that translate onto the small screen? "Oh, yes. 1,000 times yes," Gimple told EW of their friendship. "It may be very, very brief, but we will absolutely see them have a pretty intense moment. There will be a bit of remixing. There may be another character involved that takes some of it . . . That relationship will be absolutely shown, whether it's with Carl or not, I cannot say. But I absolutely want to explore Negan having that strange respect for someone, which I think was the hallmark of that relationship, and tell versions of that story."
