The Walking Dead is one of the most popular shows on television. Some people think it's just a stupid zombie show, but those of us who watch every week know better. It's a story of hope in the face of overwhelming darkness, and it's told some pretty incredible stories. The characters have grown so much over the years, and we've been there the entire time to watch them transform. So many incredible tales have come from this show. The friendship and rivalry between Rick and Shane, Carol losing Sophia, Daryl losing Merle, Glenn finding love. All of these stories have brought us closer to the main cast and it's been hard to lose some members such as Dale, Tyreese, Beth, and especially Herschel. But this latest plot twist was too much to handle.
Spoiler Warning: If you haven't seen the season 7 premiere of TWD, go watch it and come back after you quit crying.
We had to wait all summer to see who had their head beaten in by Negan and Lucille. Unfortunately, we lost Abraham. Always the comic relief, he went out in true Abraham fashion, with a resounding "suck my nuts" to the new big bad. I'll miss all of the memorable quotes from the big ginger, but his story felt fairly resolved. He made amends with Eugene and realized the one-time wimp didn't need his protection any more. It was hard to see his relationship with Sasha cut short, but there would have been draw backs with any character getting whacked. I was just relieved to see Glenn make it through the scene, unlike in the comics. So imagine my outrage when a certain tough guy (Daryl) gets up and punches Negan in the face after he finished. That was a big no-no.
Negan proceeds to spare Daryll and kill another member of the group. He looks right next to Daryl and hits Glenn. My favorite character; the pizza delivery boy turned post-apocalyptic badass was beaten mercilessly. But always a survivor, he lives through the first blows and says the most heartbreaking line in the history of the show. "M-Maggie. I will find you." He says this with his skull crushed and an eye popping out. Dying as he lived, Glenn Rhee died thinking of others. This death changed the show fundamentally. The Alexandrians lost their moral compass, the man who had been their rock through thick and thin. He saved the group several times and has been a close friend of Rick since the very beginning. Without him, things are going to spiral.
Maggie is going to get reckless, putting her and Glenn's baby at risk in the process. Rick lost not only his right-hand man (Glenn), but his other crutch (Daryl, having been taken by the Saviors). As the faithful have seen, Rick doesn't cope well with loss. This death changes the show in unimaginable ways. Rick is broken, Maggie is heartbroken, Daryl is guilty, Negan has total authority, and last night, with a few swings of a bat, our heroes lost their heart. RIP Glenn Rhee.
