Viewing ratings for The Walking Dead season seven have been down for the first time since season three - that's an irrefutable fact. Whether they deserve to be is another matter.

This season, the series has reshaped its format - as it's often done - in such a way that has alienated those watching on a weekly basis (season premiere 'The Day Will Come When You Won't Be' amassed 17 million compared with the midseason finale's 10.58). Showrunner Scott Gimple opted to hone the majority of each instalment in on a small set of characters based in differing locations which has inadvertantly seen fans cry 'bottle episode' (a term used to describe a cheaply-produced hour of television in an attempt to save money).

This series is no stranger to this shake-up - see: the latter half of season four when the group were split up en route to Terminus - but it's never been utilised for this long. Sure, it may see casual fans' interest wane (Rick, Michonne and Carol fans are unlikely to give a damn about what Tara and Heath have been up to) but let's make one thing clear: The Walking Dead is not being made for viewing ratings, but for the fans; the diehards who have stayed true from the very moment they watched Rick ride into Atlanta on a horse.

The season seven premiere arrived on a wave of dread, built up over six months, that was impossible to live up to. Only, it did. By dropping a traumatic, fraught and, sure, gratuitous episode, Gimple cemented the one thing the ensuing seven episodes needed hammering home - without being exploitative: Negan is a threat different to what's come before. Take your Gareths and your Governors - as Negan left the shell-shocked group sat among the brains of fallen friends Glenn and Abraham, these characters lives - without realising - had never been further apart. The format of season seven's first half supported this notion.

Granted, not all the episodes hit the right notes ('The Go-Getters' gets my vote as the weakest Walking Dead to date while 'Service' - relatively maligned upon airing - was an enthralling episode) but that's not to say others didn't. It could be argued that the writers have boldly deployed a tactic no TV show has done before (to such a degree, anyway): knowing its strength lies in the group's union, they've ripped them apart in a bid to make their eventual reunion more crucial (more on that below).

The Walking Dead, for all its success, has been plagued with criticism for rehashing its once-trusty formula: the group come across another, they turn out to be rabid murderers, Rick leads the charge in killing them all; repeat to fade). It seems many are unable to deal with it taking longer than three episodes to overcome a threat. It's time to give the writers a break.

Now, there'll be those who attribute their dislike of the season thus far to Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the actor tasked with filling the shoes of the Saviours' malevolent leader, Negan. Yet, the several actions we've seen him commit - the brutal killings of Glenn, Abraham and Spencer, his post-murder goading and perverted behaviour - are all present in the comic book source material. For those who struggle to look past the fact he's not a towering bulked monster, I urge you to take his Cheshire cat grin and frightening air of unpredictability as token that Morgan's doing better than most could.

The most shocking Walking Dead moments Show all 10 1 /10 The most shocking Walking Dead moments The most shocking Walking Dead moments Sophie's a walker (season 2, episode 7) Much of season two's opening half is spent looking for Sophia, the missing daughter of Carol (Melissa McBride). Turns out she was locked up in Hershel's barn as a zombie all along. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Shane reanimates without being bitten (season 2, episode 12) When Carl (Chandler Riggs) guns down a deranged Shane (Jon Bernthal) to protect his father, the shock arrives when he manifests into a walker despite not being bitten; turns out everyone's infected with the virus and will turn whichever way they die. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Axel's bullet to the eye (season 3, episode 10) A character introduced in the show's prison arc, Axel is a reformed prisoner who strikes up a friendship with Carol - until he's gunned down mid-sentence. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl kills Lori after she gives birth (season 3, episode 4) Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) goes into labour at the very moment a zombie siege breaks out at the prison. Unfortunately, she doesn't make it through the procedure with her son Carl being the one to put a bullet to her head. The most shocking Walking Dead moments The Governor slays Hershel (season 4, episode 8) The Governor makes his dramatic return for a showdown at the prison after he captures Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Hershel (Scott Wilson). Rick reaches out, attempting to reason with him - but The Governor starts a war when he proceeds to decapitate poor old Hershel instead. The most shocking Walking Dead moments "Look at the flowers" (season 4, episode 14) In a standout episode from the show's fourth season, Carol is forced to take drastic measures when young teenager Lizzie murders her sister Mika in the belief that she'll live on as a zombie. Realising Lizzie's depraved mind would endanger those around her, Carol puts a gun to the young girl's head and, telling her to "look at the flowers," pulls the trigger, fighting back the tears. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Carl's bullet to the eye (season 6, episode 9) Season six returned from its mid-season break in typically dramatic fashion when an iconic moment from the graphic novels came to life: Carl takes a bullet to the eye. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Beth is killed (season 5, episode 8) Upon being kidnapped, Beth (Emily Kinney) is taken to Grady Memorial Hospital managed by Atlanta Law Enforcement. Forced to reside there against her will, the group - including Rick and Daryl (Norman Reedus) - eventually find her - only for her to be accidentally shot in the head by her captor. The worst thing? Her sister Maggie (Lauren Cohan) had just arrived outside. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Abraham Season seven opened in brutal form as we discovered it was Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) at the opposite end of Negan's baseball bat. "Suck my nuts," the soldier growls as the Saviours' leader brings Lucille raining down on his head until nothing remains but a pulpy mess. The most shocking Walking Dead moments Negan kills Glenn Negan decides to punish the group once more after getting clocked round the face by Daryl. Without expectation, he thwacks Lucille round the head of poor Glenn. With his eyeball popping out of his head, he manages: "I'll find you, Maggie before Negan proceeds to finish the job ending the former pizza delivery boy's life.

But ultimately, perhaps the finest proof that the The Walking Dead part A has been a commendable piece of work is the midseason finale, a brilliant outing which showcased the old (an adventure in the form of Rick and Aaron's supply run and a showdown to rival season three's prison shocker) while daring to venture into brave new territories - ending this batch of morbid episodes on a note of hope rarely - if ever - conveyed in this series.

The final scene sees a reinvigorated Rick, Michonne, Carl, Rosita and Tara arrive at the Hilltop Colony where they reunite with Maggie, Sasha and a newly-escaped Daryl with the intention of sparking the rebellion against Negan. It's a powerful scene enhanced by fantastic performances from a cast who flourish when acting opposite one another and composer Bear McCreary's finest work yet.

The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 8 - Five major talking points

However, it's the layout of the previous seven episodes that made this scene what it was. Would that hug between Rick and Daryl have been such a tearjerker had Daryl not been separated from the group and cooped up in a cell being tortured for the first half of the season? Would Rick's admission to Maggie that she was right - they do need to fight back - have made you fist-pump half as hard had he agreed with her back in the premiere? The answer is no and the scene consequently stands tall as one of the best in the series' seven-year history (it's certainly the most emotional). It's also it's most honest - whereas most happy moments shown in The Walking Dead are stripped away by a tragedy, this pivotal scene exists to shape its future - and without this run of episodes, it wouldn't have landed.

If you're one of the fans who've remained loyal to this series slap yourselves on the back - you've earned it - and from the looks of what's to come, you're certainly going to be happy you did.