{"id":949,"date":"2016-04-04T20:29:27","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T20:29:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wsantosblog.com\/?p=949"},"modified":"2016-11-29T14:36:49","modified_gmt":"2016-11-29T14:36:49","slug":"who-did-negan-kill-heres-the-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wilsonsantos.blog\/?p=949","title":{"rendered":"Who Did Negan Kill? Here’s the Answer."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lucille\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Spoiler Alert: turn back now while you still can)<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know whom Negan killed in the season finale of The Walking Dead<\/em> (TWD). At least I have a good theory of whom he killed. Of course the episode ended with a cliffhanger, sadistically leaving fans to ponder this question for the next six months or so. No one but those behind the scenes actually know who was killed, but if we look closely at the clues in the final scene, we get a good idea. In fact, having an understanding of how film and television is made will give us an almost undeniable answer to the question, \u201cWhom did Negan kill?\u201d Forget the comic. We already know the show is not following the story as presented in the comic. So how do we know for sure?<\/p>\n

Film employs a technique known as \u201cset-up and pay-off\u201d in order to build effective and engaging stories. Both the screenwriters and directors are aware of this industry standard and most often use this technique to great effect. TWD<\/em> has used this often and the pay-off<\/em> is usually very cleverly done. According to thescriptlab.com<\/a>, a set-up<\/em> and pay-off<\/em> is \u201ca device by which a motif, a line of dialogue, a gesture, behavioral mannerism, costume, prop or any combination of these is introduced into a story and then often repeated as the story progresses, until in the changed circumstances toward the resolution, the planted information assumes a new meaning and \u201cpays off”.”<\/p>\n

Understanding how and when this technique is used, reveals who was likely killed by Negan. First, let\u2019s look at the pay-off.<\/em> The pay-off<\/em> is obviously the final point-of-view shot of our now-dead mystery character\u2019s head being bashed by \u201cLucille\u201d and blood streaming down his\/her face. The first indication of who this person might be, comes right after the first blow to the skull. Negan, in his best sadistic form, smiles after that first thrash and is pleased by the resilience of his victim, claiming, \u201cOh look at that. Taking it like a champ!\u201d This tells us that his victim is strong, fearless, and has a hard skull to crack. Knowing this, we can now rule out certain people. It surely cannot be any of the female characters, because based on what we know of each, they are not likely to withstand such a hard blow and remain quiet and motionless. Of course Maggie couldn\u2019t even walk before being captured, so forget her. She\u2019s still alive. The other women, besides Michonne, were all crying. But it can\u2019t be Michonne either.<\/p>\n

We can also rule out the whimpering Eugene, who until recently was a sniveling coward that couldn\u2019t even kill a Walker<\/em>, let alone withstand such a blow. Carl only has one eye, so his point-of view shot would look very different than the way it was shot, and besides, his teenage skull would not likely withstand such an initial blow and still take it \u201clike a champ.\u201d We also know that Rick wouldn\u2019t have remained silent and since we didn\u2019t hear him scream in the background while the lights went out on the victim, it could not be the young zombie killer. With the same reasoning, it could not be Glenn, because Maggie would\u2019ve let out a loud screech of agony, despite instructions from Negan not to say anything. It was not Rick either, because of all our characters, he was probably the most fearful and vulnerable in this final scene, unlike we have ever seen him before. He was practically \u201cpeepy pants city\u201d the whole time. In that state, Rick couldn\u2019t handle that first blow \u201clike a champ.\u201d In fact, no one in that group could, except of course for Daryl or Abraham.<\/p>\n

This brings us to the set-up<\/em>. A close look at, and recognition of, the set-up<\/em>, tells us exactly whom Negan killed. Could it be Daryl? I suppose it could be. But it is not likely. Daryl was bruised and battered before being forced to his knees; so again, he couldn\u2019t take this blow \u201clike a champ.\u201d Therefore, it is obvious that Abraham is the only person in the group that could take this blow and was even willing to take one for the team. Why do I say he was willing? If the significance of Negan\u2019s pleasure after the first blow and his remark that his victim took it \u201clike a champ\u201d is the pay-off<\/em>, then the set-up<\/em> is a gesture Abraham makes shortly before Negan actually begins his \u201ceenie meenie mynie mo\u201d game to determine his victim.<\/p>\n

Notice as Negan walks up and the down the flank of our beloved characters, that only Abraham raises his chest with pride and fearlessly stares down Negan’s gaze, suggesting to Negan that he\u2019s willing to sacrifice himself so the others can live. He is not afraid of dying and is certainly not afraid of Negan or Lucille. Negan clearly takes note of this and gladly accepts the challenge. The director sets up this gesture in order to prepare us for the inevitable pay-off<\/em> that Abraham willingly volunteers to be sacrificed, well before Negan even decides whom it will be. Given Abraham’s resilience, strength and rebellious posture in face of such pending brutality, only he could take that first bash by Lucille \u201clike a champ,\u201d remaining upright and not even letting out as much as a whimper, before his lights are cut off. Besides, have you seen the size of Abraham\u2019s head? Who else could take a hit like that and not be killed immediately?<\/p>\n

Well, let\u2019s wait until October to see if my theory is correct. One thing is clear; the producers of this show are genius.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Spoiler Alert: turn back now while you still can) I know whom Negan killed in the season finale of The Walking Dead (TWD). At least I have a good theory of whom he killed. Of course the episode ended with a cliffhanger, sadistically leaving fans to ponder this question for the next six months or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37404269,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[651],"tags":[36869,110147,778956,374,327454,77812364,25606,868675,3786,1637842,597481,1637094,2213393,58320],"class_list":["post-949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-abraham","tag-critical-thinking","tag-daryl","tag-ideas","tag-lucille","tag-negan","tag-rick","tag-the-walking-dead","tag-thinking","tag-twd","tag-walkers","tag-walking-dead","tag-wilson-santos","tag-zombies"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2z1Px-fj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":935,"url":"https:\/\/wilsonsantos.blog\/?p=935","url_meta":{"origin":949,"position":0},"title":"what can i say about paris?","author":"Wilson Santos","date":"November 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"what can I say about paris that hasn\u2019t already been said? on this day of mourning more than 120 killed should I call for a collective prayer? that\u2019s been done millions of times on your facebooks and your twitters and your instagrams. 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