This may be the most horrible Walking Dead theory I have ever held in my tasty brain, but there it is. I'm still getting over how the midseason premiere was so rousing and heartwarming. Still, danger is around every corner, and I'm becoming increasingly worried that Negan will kill Daryl on The Walking Dead next. Spoilers for The Walking Dead comics ahead.
That's right, I said Daryl. I'm not the only person to think of this, it's growing as a fan theory. I know that in the comics, Negan randomly selects and kills Glenn with a barbed baseball bat named "Lucille." The so-called reasoning for this action in the comics is that since several of the Saviors (Negan's gang) have been killed, justice is served by public execution. That's how comic book readers first met Negan, by the way. It's a pretty epic villain introduction. Did you notice how the midseason premiere referenced it, too? Negan's crony made the off-hand remark "usually we introduce ourselves by just popping one of you right off the bat." Get it — bat? Hilarious.
So, why do I think Daryl might be the one to die instead? What gives me the right to wish ill on perhaps the show's most beloved character? First of all, we're all expecting Glenn to die — and after the events of the dumpster, I don't think the show would try to pull the same thing twice. Daryl is not in the comics, so there are no expectations for his character. Second of all, Daryl killed a whole group of Saviors by himself — and as HollywoodLife points out, there may have been a car moving in the background, indicating that there were witnesses beyond Abraham and Sasha, possibly Negan himself. Finally, Norman Reedus is developing a biker gang reality series for AMC, which could indicate that he's already moved on from The Walking Dead.
I just have a bad feeling. What has Daryl been up to lately, besides losing his bike and his burgeoning friendship with Aaron? His time might have come, as upsetting as that is. I'm mostly just worried because the phrase "if Daryl dies, we riot" has been popular with fans for so long that I think the producers might be willing to test that theory. There are no safety blankets on The Walking Dead. We can't get cocky about anything. If this show really is laying down the beginning threads of Daryl's death, it might be time to start preparing for the worst.
Image: Gene Page/AMC
