Walking Dead Just Gave Negan His Comic Ending (Without Carl)
The Walking Dead season 11 has all but confirmed Negan will get his comic book ending - without Carl Grimes, for obvious reasons. Like The Walking Dead as a whole, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's live-action Negan has broadly followed the path of his comic book counterpart, despite taking a few detours along the way. However, Negan feels particularly distanced from his original self in The Walking Dead season 11, where a few old habits have crept back into his persona. Also, we really hope we're imagining those Maggie romance teases.
In Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic books, Negan spends years locked inside Alexandria's prison, but redeems himself by killing Alpha, saving Rick Grimes from a horde, and just generally resisting the urge to bludgeon folks. As thanks, Rick allows Negan to walk free. No longer behind bars (but still unwelcome in Alexandria), Negan settles down in an abandoned house, living the rest of his days alone aside from Carl Grimes occasionally dropping by with supplies. The pair never actually talk, but Carl continues to show Negan kindness the rest of his community aren't willing to give. After Negan's resettlement, Maggie takes an execution squad to his new location, but walks away upon seeing how pathetic and alone the former Savior leader has become.
In The Walking Dead season 11's "No Other Way," Maggie's violent actions against the Reapers convince Negan that, sooner or later, she'll come for revenge on him. Not willing to wait, Negan declares he's going "my own way" and separates from the group. Back at Alexandria, Lydia hears about Negan's decision, and a look of thoughtful contemplation spreads across her face, strongly suggesting she's planning to seek him out. Negan leaving The Walking Dead's main group in season 11 - and then Lydia being the only one interested in checking how he's doing - points Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character toward the same ending as Negan's comic incarnation. If he's striking out alone, Negan could once again find himself in an isolated, lonely house. And whereas it was Carl dropping off supplies in The Walking Dead's comic ending, Lydia now looks destined to adopt that role instead. Just like Carl Grimes, she's the only one who actually cares.
That doesn't mean Negan's story is done already in The Walking Dead season 11 - the TV show may adapt Maggie's aborted assassination mission. If Negan is right about Maggie's resolute determination to kill him, she won't stop just because Negan isn't at Alexandria anymore. Just like the comics, Lauren Cohan's Maggie could seek out Negan's new shelter ready for blood, then experience a last-minute change of heart once the perfect opportunity to avenge Glenn finally presents itself.
The Walking Dead season 11 could even be setting up a future Negan spinoff series. Separate from the main comics, "Negan Lives!" revealed what became of the character post-Alexandria. Exiled, Negan encounters a young woman called Lucy, whose companions foolishly try to kill him. Negan dispatches them (obviously), and Lucy accompanies him on a mission to retrieve Lucille's physical remains (not just the baseball bat), and give his wife a proper burial. In The Walking Dead's TV series, Negan burned down the building containing Lucille's zombie, so her charred bones are still out there somewhere. "Negan Lives" could be adapted either in the final episodes of The Walking Dead season 11, or in a fully-fledged Negan spinoff.
Lydia is the best choice to replace Carl Grimes as Negan's sole supporter in The Walking Dead. Just like the Savior leader, she joined Alexandria from an enemy community and faced distrustful glances from the other survivors. Since she didn't murder anyone with a baseball bat whilst grinning ear-to-ear, Lydia hasn't faced quite the same skeptical side-eye as Negan, but she can at least empathize with his plight. Lydia is also Carl's girlfriend (for a bit) in the Walking Dead comic books, so it feels appropriate to have her take his place in the TV show's ending. Having said that, the switch does serve as further proof that killing off Carl Grimes in season 8 was a huge mistake, with The Walking Dead still regularly forced to plug his storylines with other characters.
The Walking Dead season 11 airs Sundays on AMC.