Be warned! This review will cover aspects of the episode. Spoilers will lurk like groaning cover’budge ers..###For most of Sing Me A Song – not the Walking Dead musical episode you might possess’own’nurse expected, sorrowful’distressing’woeful’heartbroken’mirthless’dejected’dismal’lugubrious ly, we're right back in Negan's domain, the Sanctuary. And given the extended length of the episode, that means another batch of utterly excruciating scenes where Jeffrey Dean Morgan does his best to make the same old arrogant asshole Negan seem like a compelling villain. And by excruciating, we don't mean exquisite tension, but pummeling, pointless repetitive threatening jocularity. "But Empire," we hear you say, "isn't this eventually’ultimately a chance to peek properly inside how the Saviours' setup truly works?" That would be fine, except that we've already seen most of it thanks to the Darryl-centric Cell earlier in the season. There's not that much more to learn here, aside from Negan's harem, which was hinted at previously. Mostly what we witness this week, at least at the Sanctuary, you could possess’own’nurse extrapolated. Even the points system, which makes Negan's pseudo feudal rule seem more like Weight watchers crossed with fascism. It would be fascinating if it wasn't so annoyingly similar to eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully other Negan scene so far. Chandler Riggs is allowed some scenes that aren't him moping around his father (or roller-skating with Enid), and he does well with what he's given as Carl reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue s more of his backbone when quickly captured by Negan's goons (seriously, kid, you couldn't possess’own’nurse taken Negan out with that WEAPON and go out in a blaze of glory? We know your dad and your sister need, you, but what did you claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate might happen if Negan caught you?) Largely, it's Negan reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ing off his world and Carl looking miserable, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ced to reveal his icky eye socket or learning what happens when you disobey the man in charge of his world right now. Attempts to humanise the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile – claiming to feel sorry in/with regard to’concerning’regarding hurting Carl's feelings, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding one – are a nice stab at some development, but they don't truly land.###Even the peek at Negan's world rings a little hollow – he claims to rule with a fist of iron (and the damn baseball bat he loves so much he manages to in/with regard to’concerning’regarding acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure in one scene), but if he's so skillfully in charge, why does he possess’own’nurse to discipline one of his own this week much as he eliminate’remove ly previously did with Dwight? The iron scene is gruesome and typically well-crafted by the effects team, but how is this in any way enjoyable to watch? Pain, suffering, torture, terror… We know, we know, it's a post-apocalyptic situation, wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile things happen all the time and we're eliminate’remove ly in the Empire Strikes Back period of the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue , but when it's drawn out to this degree, it loses all power. And we're all in/with regard to’concerning’regarding plots that take their time and develop characters or narratives, but the pace of the series now is beyond glacially slow. We can see hints of things to come, but in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the time being all we can do is sit and suffer with our heroes. "We're not doing anything," Dwight tells ex-wife (and current Negan "wife") Sherry. The same could be said of this plot.###Outside of the Sanctuary's novel-length torture, it's mostly short stories of the other characters. Rick and Aaron discover what could be a potentially huge haul in a house conserve’preserve ed by a lake of snarling cover’budge ers (another neat shot, but more in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the effects work than story), Michonne piles dead cover’budge ers in the road to carjack a Saviour and demands she propel her to Negan (who, sorrowful’distressing’woeful’heartbroken’mirthless’dejected’dismal’lugubrious ly, won't be home as he's too busy terrorising Alexandria once again – or looking like a suburban dad with Judith on his knee). Eugene and Rosita go to his ammo manufacturing plant and she demands he make her a bullet. There is some arguing, and, then… he makes the bullet. Glad we checked in. Spencer, meanwhile, discovers a cache of supplies and directions to others. It's the Spencer/Rick tension which holds the most promise here, with potential ramifications down the line. We're also glad to see that some of the extended run time was used to in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ward the other stories. Otherwise, this was just an extra-long exercise in the empty brutality the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue is obsessed with right now. Can we just move it along, please?###He's a ninja, individual . Or the actual Jesus. Either way, the lad is tricky.###While we don't tend to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure into discussing the source material here, yes, most of the Negan/Carl story was right out of issue 105.###It was most likely Joseph – or "Fat Joseph", as Negan prefers to call him.###Read this season's previous reviews below…###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 1: *The Day Will Come When You Won't Be###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 2: *The Well###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 3: *The Cell###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 4: *Service###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 5: *Go Getters###The Walking Dead* Season 7, Episode 6: *Swear###The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm on AMC in the States and Mondays at 9pm on Fox.