Comic-Con 2020: Negan doesn't deserve a redemption arc in 'The Walking Dead', he should be killed by Maggie
Some crimes can be forgiven, others cannot. Bashing the heads of two well-loved protagonists into the ground falls into the second category. Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) swooped into Season 7 premiere of 'The Walking Dead', wielding his baseball bat in a game of murderous duck-duck goose. One had to pay the price, he promised. Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) was the first to go, and in one of the bloodiest and most scarring scenes of television history, Negan ensured that there was nothing left of him.
A furious and broken Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) lunged at Negan. Negan didn't kill Daryl, oh no, he got Glenn to pay the price, with his wife Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) watching. Glenn went the same way Abraham did, probably in a more grotesque manner. It was a horrifying premiere, as no fan expected to say goodbye to two characters in one go, least of all Glenn, who was a fan-favorite, partly because of his wholesome relationship with Maggie.
Negan's actions earned him the hatred of Daryl, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Maggie, obviously. Maggie vowed revenge on Negan and even though she had her chance to kill him when he was imprisoned, she didn't, after seeing what a broken man he had become. Negan seemed to have paid the price for his actions, but it's unclear whether he had actually changed.
The showrunners have attempted to follow the comic-book storylines and give Negan the redemption arc, but honestly, it's going to take a while to forget his introduction into the show. Negan saved Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) during a snowstorm in Season 9, but his path to a better life was taken in Season 10. He infiltrated The Whisperers, won the demonic Alpha's (Samantha Morton) trust, and then slit her throat. It was all part of a bargain with Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) and Negan carried Alpha's head back to her. Later in Season 10, Negan saved Daryl from The Whisperers. Oh and let's not forget that he saved Sasha from being raped too. Strange mix, Negan doesn't condone rape but has managed to emotionally traumatize women on that show for a long time.
Does Negan really deserve a redemption arc? Maggie is going to return in Season 11 and she isn't going to be pleased to see him, to say the least. Negan's crimes were by no means small and doesn't deserve forgiveness, regardless of the steps he has taken after that. He was a straight-up murderer. The best ending to his story would be to have him die at Maggie's hands, pleading forgiveness. Sorry folks, Negan can give the best lines that we can quote for ages later, but it's what it is. You don't really get away with bashing people's heads in now, do you?
Catch 'The Walking Dead' panels at Comic-Con 2020 on July 24 and hear what all your favorite stars have to say about the show.