So he was likely well aware of the story rapidly flying through the comic issues in the first half of this latest season.
Some fans have been vocal about how the more focused episodes are “too slow,” but many clearly aren’t understanding just how much of the source material got covered in this year’s episodes.
Now, Robert Kirkman said this well before Season 7 premiered, but likely at a point when the season’s scripts were mostly structured, if not completely filled out.
Elements from a slew of issues have been brought into different aspects of Negan’s arrival, so even using the comic books as a time gauge is getting tougher.