The last time there was a 90-minute episode, The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 4, it wasn’t necessary.

It definitely wasn’t necessary for The Walking Dead Season 6 Episode 16.

This was unfortunately a huge letdown, especially considering it was The Walking Dead Season 6 finale.

Things certainly started out rather intense, and the excitement for what was coming was there. Everyone gearing up and characters on the move was a great way to kick things off.

But it slowly went downhill as the focus was on the RV driving around in what felt like circles. It just was tedious and burning time until Negan’s entrance.

Sure, Negan’s crew seemed menacing and everywhere at once, but the whole leading the rat in the maze became far more boring than exciting.

Ultimately, the episode was just a tease involving who might get killed off.

Even Carol and Morgan’s side-story tried to amp up the anticipation for either of them getting killed. But it became pretty obvious it wouldn’t be them, even when Carol was getting shot by that one guy.

I rolled my eyes at the guy just shooting her, knowing Morgan would come in to save the day.

Sure, he broke his rule, and for Carol, so it was technically a big moment for him, but it just wasn’t as affecting as it should have been.

Granted, I’d love to see more Carol and Morgan interaction when the show returns. There’s definitely more to explore with them and their life outlooks now.

And who was that guy that showed up?

But I just wish that more time had been spent on delivering a more engaging story for the finale rather than focusing on ramping up everyone’s fear/anticipation for losing a character or characters.

Considering the length of the finale, there should have been so much more going on rather than just an episode biding its time.

Sure, Negan’s entrance was fantastic, even if it was almost near the very end, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan delivered an electrifying performance as the character. I was finally pulled back into caring about what was going on.

He was so captivating as Negan and believably terrifying. Just watching him go back and forth with that bat in hand was tense. Even seeing the survivors looks of horror added to the moment.

This is the villain The Walking Dead has been waiting for.

And then when he finally chose his victim to beat (presumably to death), and I’m sure everyone’s heart stopped waiting to see who, there was no reveal.

C'mon.

That was a lot of buildup to be told to wait until next season. Why hype everything up only to have no real payoff?

Negan was by far the highlight of the episode, and I look forward to seeing Jeffrey Dean Morgan command the screen when the show returns, but this was a frustrating conclusion. I'm leaving The Walking Dead Season 6 not on a high note of excitement but disappointed by such a waste of what could (and should) have been a killer finale.

What did you think of the episode? Did you enjoy Negan's entrance? Who did he kill? Sound off below, and be sure to watch The Walking Dead online now!

17 TV Episodes To Watch When You Need a Good Cry

Start Gallery

Sean McKenna was a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. He retired in May of 2017. Follow him on Twitter.