The Walking Dead: Who deserves more screen time in season 7B?

It’s been a tough start to the seventh season of The Walking Dead; not just for fans, but also for some of the characters. According to one fan’s analysis at The Spoiling Dead Fans, some of the major characters only managed to sneak in to a measly 10 minutes of screen time over the entire first eight episodes.

I could be wrong, but even two characters who fell victim to Lucille in episode 1 probably managed a similar amount of screen time to that. And they didn’t even make it out of the first episode! At least according to reports about the pay of the Walking Dead cast, the two actors in question might be able to see a rise in their income if they manage to get another regular gig on a another TV show. One where there isn’t a barb-wire covered bat permanently dangling over their expendable heads.

With so many new characters being introduced and time spent in many different locations, The Walking Dead just hasn’t had a lot of time to spend with its core characters. According to the analysis of season 7A screen time, unsurprisingly it’s Rick and Negan who come out on top with both being on screen for around 110 minutes each of the first eight episodes. That’s why Andrew Lincoln gets the big bucks on the show.

Carl (63 minutes) and Daryl (48 minutes) are third and fourth on the list respectively with Tara (46 minutes) being the female cast member with the most screen time this season in fifth place. Well, she did have a whole episode dedicated to her adventures with the Oceanside community.

So who needs more screen time in season 7B if they are really going to earn their income from The Walking Dead? Father Gabriel made his paltry 10 minutes of screen tome count, as did Jesus with his 15 minutes. If the comics are anything to go by, expect to be seeing a lot more from Jesus now that Rick has got his mojo back and is preparing to take the fight to the Saviours.

Carl’s crush Enid only got 16 minutes, but until she develops back into something more than just Carl’s love interest, she can remain in the background. It’s Morgan and Carol that need to raise their game in the back half of this season. We barely saw them at the Kingdom with Carol getting just 31 minutes compared to Morgan’s 26 minutes. As Rick rallies the troops and drags The Kingdom into the fight, expect to see a lot more of both. Yes please.

Finally, Eugene. Poor old cowardly lion Eugene. We only got 27 minutes of him in the first half of the season, but with him ending the last episode in a very precarious situation, it could go either way for him. He’s got a huge part to play in the upcoming war, but his bullet-making skills might not make for the most exciting viewing. Fingers crossed Negan finds him useful and decides to keep him around for a long time.

Who do you want to see more of in season 7B of The Walking Dead? More Negan? More Michonne? Who do you think has been most neglected?