30 things we need to see in The Walking Dead Season 7B

26. Not so many bottle episodes

Bottle episodes can be great for television shows when used at the right times. If done sparingly, they can have quite an impact. For one great example, think back to the episode “Clear” in the show’s third season. It’s possibly the best episode in the entire show’s run, even though it has a self-contained story.

This season has seen many fans start to depart. One of the common complaints is the show’s use of bottle episodes. After an explosive opener for Season 7, a stream of bottle episodes would begin. We’d spend one whole show at the Kingdom, followed by another whole show at the Sanctuary. By the time Tara’s bottle episode at Oceanside came about, fans were already getting burnt out on them.

It took nearly until the mid-season finale to get back to the main narrative. For at least the first few episodes of Season 7B, it looks like we’ll be on that same track. This is certainly a good thing if that is the case. As I was saying, bottle episodes can be fantastic. But considering how many we had during the first half, I’d say Season 7 has already hit its bottle episode quota.