So Who Dies On “The Walking Dead?”

HOLLYWOOD—For nearly 6 months, fans of the AMC hit series “The Walking Dead” have eagerly waited to find out just which character met their demise courtesy of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) at the hand of his barb-wired bat, ‘Lucille.’ Well on Sunday, the long-awaited cliffhanger will be revealed to fans. There has been much speculation about whose time has ended, but with an unlimited string of choices, could the writers be throwing a curveball our way we least expect?

When we last left off, Negan had lined up Rick, Carl, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, Michonne, Abraham, Sasha, Eugene, Rosita and Aaron, and we got to see from the point of view from the victim their grisly death. Too bad, the audience did not get to see the face of that victim. Considering, the series just got a renewal for an eighth season, even before the seventh season kicks off.

Let’s just be honest, Rick and Carl are off that list. There is no way the writers are getting rid of those two characters, not right now anyway. I’d also place Maggie in the mix, because she is pregnant; I mean if the series were to actually take her out, it would be the death that might actually leave fans speechless and licking their wounds for weeks to come.

With that being said, I think everyone else is fair game: Glenn, Daryl, Michonne, Abraham, Sasha, Eugene, Rosita and Aaron. Even with these individuals we can eliminate a few for the purpose of shock value. The death of Sasha, Eugene, Rosita and Aaron would not be as impactful in my opinion to the characters on the show and the audience. So who do we have left people?

We have Glenn, Daryl, Michonne and Abraham, and they are equal candidates in my opinion to meet the Grim Reaper. Abraham, I’ve gone back and forth regarding how impactful his death may be perceived by viewers. Would it upset us? Yes, but would we be devastated. I honestly don’t think so. So this brings me to perhaps the top 3 candidates whose fate will be revealed in a just a matter of a few days.

Glenn has been the heavy favorite for months because he meets his demise in the comic book series courtesy of Negan and his bat. Yes, it would only be fitting for the TV series to follow in the steps of the comics, but at the same time that level of predictability is not as exciting, especially when the audience knows and suspects its coming. The other candidate is Michonne. Now at first, I never thought she could be a victim of Negan and his bat, but the more I think about it, it would indeed stun the characters and the viewers.

The TV series has a long history of taking out female leads, especially those who get close to Rick. That would not only be a devastating blow to Rick’s love life, but to the group as a whole, because a major fighter would be out of the mix. At long last, there is Daryl. What is it about Daryl Dixon that fans love so much? He’s a character that just connects with the audience and is loved by everyone on the series. Daryl’s death would stun me, and I mean it would literally stun the audience at the same time. The goal of the writers and the series producers has to deliver some level of ‘shock’ that lives up to the hype. I mean we can’t have a 6-month wait, to find out the person who was killed was Aaron (no disrespect to the character of Aaron), but we need a bigger character to justify that long-awaited reveal.

So with that being said Glenn, Daryl or Michonne will likely meet their maker in Sunday’s episode. My gut tells me Glenn is likely going to depart the series, because after so many incidents where he cheated death, the inevitable is bound to happen. However, my instinct won’t let go of the fact that it’s a strong possibility Daryl will be the death that has us talking for days after the episode ends.

Place your bets people, because this is certain to be a death to be felt for weeks to come. “The Walking Dead” returns on Sunday, October 23 at 9 p.m. on AMC.