Spoilers below for the latest episode of Fear the Walking Dead, titled "Honey," so be warned.
Just as Fear the Walking Dead fans had gotten comfortable with the happy resolution for Dwight's years-long search to find Sherry, this week's nickname-eponymous episode came along and disrupted the pair's status quo all over again. (I dare not consider the same thing happening to John Dorie and June so soon after their reunion, even though it's probably inevitable.) Dwight and Sherry's relationship wasn't completely shattered by the end of the twisty installment, but Negan's looming shadow had returned and displaced Dwight's happiness once more, which could theoretically set up a temporary return to The Walking Dead proper.
"Honey" revealed to viewers that Christine Evangelista's Sherry is actually part of this season's mystery group, which was mostly made up of former members of Virginia's community. After dropping a reference to the Sanctuary earlier in the episode, Sherry tearfully confessed to Austin Amelio's Dwight that her insistence on taking Virginia down has been directly tied to Negan, and her regrets over not hurting or killing him when she had the chance. It was strange to hear Negan's name on Fear the Walking Dead, but it was definitely meaningful for these characters in particular, so let's speculate about why this would be a great set-up for Dwight to return to the flagship drama before it wraps its final season.
Negan Already Ruined Dwight And Sherry's Lives More Than Once
The image above is a good reminder that the first time Walking Dead fans met Dwight and Sherry, they were attempting to make their first escape from Negan and the Saviors when they crossed paths with Daryl. Unfortunately for them, they were later discovered and taken back to the Sanctuary, where Dwight got his face burned and Sherry suffered an existence as one of Negan's "wives." And even though Dwight became part of Negan's inner circle, he was still treated just barely better than dirt most of the time, and even though his double-agent attempts to set Negan up were eventually successful, a more personal one-on-one revenge is warranted here.
Dwight Deserves A Chance To Go Off On Reformed Negan
By sticking Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan in his basement jail cell for however many years, The Walking Dead has "proven" that Rick's idea of prisoner rehabilitation totally worked the first time they tried it, and on one of the biggest antagonists that fans have met in this universe. But for characters like Maggie and Dwight, Negan will likely never truly finish paying for the wrongs he dealt to them. Viewers also have yet to see these characters' reactions to the new and improved Negan, and I think it would only fuel their rage even more to see him walking around as a free citizen, regardless of how he'd helped out others in the meantime.
Negan Needs To Die For Dwight And Sherry To Let The Past Go
Dwight's emotional state on Fear the Walking Dead has been relatively pleasant, peaking on his adventure with Maggie Grace's Al in Episode 3, which ended in his reunion with Sherry. But Negan, as well as the things Dwight had to do for him, are always in the back of his mind. Sherry hasn't been as successful at mentally compartmentalizing those traumatizing memories, to the point where she's now set her sights on Virginia as a surrogate target for Negan. I'm definitely not judging Sherry for any of that, but I don't think either of these characters – among others who were chewed up and spit out by the Sanctuary – will be able to break free from their histories while Negan is still living and breathing.
It Could Echo The Walking Dead Comic In A Cool (Depressing) Way
The biggest difference between Dwight's TV and comic book storyline was his exit, since he went on to become the leader of Rick's makeshift army in the source material. (Which wouldn't have been entirely possible anyway.) If Dwight made the trek back toward Alexandria to kill Negan at a time when he has allies like Carol, it could be a way for the TV show to remix Dwight's attempt to overthrow the Commonwealth's governor Pamela Milton at gunpoint. Granted, that situation did not go well for Dwight at all thanks to Rick's well-placed bullet, but maybe things would go differently in live-action, and he'd be allowed to lethally stop Negan's entire comic book story from playing out. It'd be even better if Maggie tag-teamed it with him.
Speaking realistically, it's not altogether likely that the Austin Amelio's Dwight will actually show up on The Walking Dead to kill Negan off at any point, due to production scheduling and Jeffrey Dean Morgan being a big draw for many in the Walking Dead fanbase. But it would be a justifiable decision if the creative teams wanted it to happen. The timeline differences wouldn't really factor into it too much, since it could happen at any point down the line. And while it would have been a long shot a few years ago before the crossover tie-ins entered into the stories, it would almost be commonplace at this point. What would all you readers want to see happen? Let us know in the poll below.
With more of a laser focus on its characters' stories in Season 6, Fear the Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET, followed by The Walking Dead: World Beyond at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Walking Dead is currently in production on new Season 10 episodes that will premiere on AMC at some point during the early months of 2021, with plans for Season 11 to debut its first batch of episodes in October. While waiting for new episodes, stay updated with what's coming to the small screen soon with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.
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