Season 7 of The Walking Dead has been a doozy so far. After years of watching our survivors kick ass and take names, we're now given a totally new perspective on the zombie apocalypse. We now have to watch Rick and company submit to the massive strength and resources of The Saviors. And to make matters worse, everyone's favorite redneck Daryl is in their captivity and having a really hard time surviving their conditions. The most recent episode of The Walking Dead titled "The Cell" saw Daryl enduring a mixture of physical and psychological torture, and eating nothing but dog food.
But this fate could have been avoided if Daryl just bowed to Negan and vowed to serve him. When asked about why Daryl couldn't bring himself do to do this, actor Norman Reedus said the following:
I think because of Glenn, he can't give up who he is because Glenn never gave up who he was. Glenn was a very honest person, always saw the good in things and had an optimistic point of view. I think with how this episode ends, if Daryl would have said he's Negan, it would have completely belittled every single thing Glenn was about. Even if Daryl died being Daryl, he has to keep his head up for Glenn. He couldn't just let it all go at the last minute. He's fighting not just for himself, but for Glenn as well.
Does anybody else have chills? This statement, which comes to us from a Q & A from AMC themselves, gives a totally different perspective to Daryl's actions, as well as Norman Reedus' performance in the last episode.
Season 7 of The Walking Dead has so far been made of capsule episodes. With our group of survivors spread across a few locations, TWD has given each plot line their own time to shine, while also building suspense as to what's happening with the rest of the cast. "The Cell" provided us with our first glimpse into the world of The Saviors, while also fleshing out the character Dwight in unexpected ways. Throughout the episode we watched as Dwight and Negan tried to break Daryl and recruit him into a Savior. It all cumulated in a moment where Negan asked Daryl to take Negan's name and lifestyle, to which he refused. Daryl will likely face even more terrors after this action, but he's apparently doing it all for Glenn.
Daryl certainly feels an immense amount of guilt for Glenn's death. After Negan killed Abraham, they could have been in the clear for the most part. But Daryl stood up for Rosita and punched Negan, which resulted in Glenn's untimely death. For Daryl to take the lifestyle and resources that The Saviors were offering after getting Glenn killed is just not acceptable for him; he couldn't end up benefitting from his actions that made Maggie a widow. So it's back to the cell for him.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC.
