As a series that depicted a zombie apocalypse with unprecedented and terrifying realism,The Walking Deadwas full of grisly death scenes, from the show’s first episode to its finale. However, one horrifying scene outdid the rest, in terms of sheer brutality, emotional punch, and the fact that it happened at the hands of a human rather than a walker. In the context of the overarching plot of the series, this death simply had to happen. But its necessity didn’t make it any less mortifying, heartbreaking, or infuriating to watch.
AmongThe Walking Dead’s best characters, one stood apart as a consistently selfless human being who was universally liked by the show’s fanbase. Subjecting this character to the show’s cruelest fate appalled viewers, and hisdeath even took its toll onThe Walking Dead’s creator. The death in question is, of course, the demise of Glenn Rhee, one of the show’s first and greatest heroes. The manner of Glenn’s killing, as well as his absence from the remainder of the series, meant thatnever again couldTWDreach the heights of its earlier seasons.
The Brutality Of The Death Scene & The Popularity Of The Character Made It Hard To Swallow
The murder of Glenn Rhee, bludgeoned to death slowly and mercilessly byThe Walking Dead’s most powerful villain, Negan Smith, left most viewers reeling for years to come. The profoundhatred engendered inWalking Deadfans by Negan’s actionsis unsurprising, given just how lovable Glenn was as a character.
A father-to-be who’d found his true love amidst the zombie apocalypse in fellow survivor Maggie Greene,Glenn was one of the few living inThe Walking Deadwith reasons to be genuinely hopeful. What’s more, throughout his stint in the show, he was a selfless and loyal hero who wasthe last character deserving of a violent and excruciating deathat the hands of another living human.
When Negan took a baseball bat to Glenn’s head, cracking his skull and perforating his eyeball, it wasa shocking act of barbarity beyond even the dystopian world ofThe Walking Deadwe’d come to know. It was devastating, too, to see someone we’d come to know, love, and root for through the years of watching the show remorselessly dismissed from its cast of characters in such a sadistic way. Years after the originalThe Walking DeadTV series ended, Glenn’s death lives on in infamy as the show’s single-most harrowing moment.
It Followed Canon & Demonstrated Negan’s Credentials As A Villain
On the other hand, Glenn Rhee was always supposed to die in season 7 of the TV series.Glenn’s story inThe Walking Dead’s comic booksdictated that he had to go this way. It would have been a major departure from the franchise canon if he didn’t, instead living to see the birth of his child with Maggie. In fact,The Walking Dead’s creator Robert Kirkman had originally intended forGlenn to die way earlierthan he eventually did, because Kirkman was just too attached to the character.
No one survived the entire run of the show from its very first episode, with the twolongest-survivingWalking Deadcharactersboth arriving in episode 3 of its debut season. It was only a matter of time, then, until the likes of Glenn Rhee, and even Rick Grimes himself, met their end in the show somehow.
The Walking Dead’s most likable character was sacrificed for Negan’s terrible statement of intent, demonstrating just how far he was willing to go
Glenn’s death also signaled the arrival of Negan as the show’s central villain.The Walking Deadhad to makea statement about the kind of evil Negan was capable ofcommitting. So, Kirkman deliberately chose the story’s most likable character to sacrifice for this terrible statement of intent, demonstrating just how far his new antagonist was willing to go. As Negan himself put it, seconds before he split Glenn’s skull in half, “I need you to know me.” Moments later, we’d never forget him.
Despite His Fate In The Comics, Glenn’s Death Ruined The Walking Dead
The Show Was Never The Same Without Him
Nevertheless, just because Glenn had already died the same way inThe Walking Deadcomics, and Negan needed to make a statement, these things didn’t make his death scene any less upsetting for viewers. In fact,Glenn’s death in theWalking DeadTV show was much worsethan in the comics, both due to the realism of its depiction and the fact that Negan had already done away with Abraham Ford, so killing Glenn was even more gratuitous and cruel.
While it’s true that most viewers were already used toRobert Kirkman’s knack for killing off his favorite charactersbefore Glenn met his fate, this main character’s death was simply one too many to swallow. Audiences began switching off during the course of seasons 7 and 8, and those who stayed till the end complained thatThe Walking Deadmissed Glenn’s boyish charm, human decency, and infectious optimism. Without him, the show lacked levity and variety, and was too mired in misery for a lot of fans to bear.
Glenn’s Death Was The Catalyst But Not The Cause
AlthoughThe Walking Deaddid rediscover some of its mojo in its final three seasons, the series was never really the same after Glenn died. Butits decline wasn’t solely down to Glenn’s exit, as his death was merely symptomatic of longer-term problems resulting from the show’s attempts to continue past its prime.
Regardless of the comic-book canon, it might have been better if the TV show had gone out on top, rather than continuing on a downward trajectory for several years past its best.
The loss of Steven Yeun’s character was just one of many things thatwent wrong withThe Walking Deadthroughout the second half of its 11-season run.The series developed a holding pattern of repeating the same kinds of storylines,death scenes, and climactic action sequencesacross each season. As it began to run out of creative steam, its plotlines also lost momentum, and many episodes felt as though they were just there to buy time.
Glenn’s death precipitated several more badly executed character killings in the show’s later seasons, too. Most notably, the death of Rick Grimes’ son Carl in season 8 felt like the moment whenThe Walking Deadreally jumped the shark. Regardless of the comic-book canon, it might have been better if the TV show had gone out on top, rather than continuing on a downward trajectory for several years past its best. The end of Glenn Rhee was ultimately the beginning of the end forThe Walking Deaditself.
