The Walking Dead follows Game of Thrones in character killing
WARNING: This story contains spoilers for the Oct. 25 episode of The Walking Dead
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains major spoilers about the Oct. 25 episode of TV's The Walking Dead.
If you haven't seen Sunday's episode of TV hit The Walking Dead, run like you're being pursued by a horde of ravenous zombies. But if you have, you are likely one of millions of viewers who have started their work week grieving the death of a fan favourite.
My heart's broken. One of my favorites. <a href="https://twitter.com/WalkingDead_AMC">@WalkingDead_AMC</a>
—@Sarah_HylandIf I don't watch the latest episode of The Walking Dead does that mean it'll never happen?! 😭
—@blakeisenglishI DIDNT GO THROUGH FIVE SEASONS JUST TO WATCH GLENN DIE
—@skywaycthThe show apparently dispensed with Glenn Rhee, pizza delivery boy-turned-hero of AMC's popular zombie apocalypse show.
Killing off beloved protagonists has become a storytelling trick of choice for shows looking to shock audiences and grab ratings in the increasingly competitive TV drama market. It is of crucial importance to shows like The Walking Dead, where speculating on who will die next has become part of the show's intrinsic appeal to fans.
But lately, it has not been death, but ambiguity of death, that has generated the most publicity for television's top-rated shows. And Glenn's graphic death scene was no exception: many fans seem to think he survived what looked like being disembowelled by zombies.
GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD GLENN IS NOT DEAD!!!!!!!!
—@ricavelezHES NOT DEAD. RED ALERT. HE IS NOT DEAD. GLENN IS ALIVE!!
—@BrileyPaulOne of the first clues the fans point to is the timing of the death scene within the episode. Glenn's death plays out a good 15 minutes before the episode ends — an atypical, seemingly disrespectful ending for a character who has been on the show since the earliest episodes.
Then, there is the placement of Glenn's body as he falls into the zombie throng from a dumpster where he had sought refuge. As Nicolas (a cowardly, relatively new character saved by Glenn more than once) sees what seems to be certain demise, he shoots himself and pulls Glenn down with him into the waiting horde below.
What many fans have noted is that Nicolas's body lands on top of Glenn, allowing for the possibility that the human entrails being consumed by the zombies are actually his, not Glenn's.
Nicholas was on top of Glenn which is why it appeared that he was being torn apart! GLENN IS NOT DEAD!
—@twd_fan_pagePost-show analysis
Fans have also seized on the presence, or rather, absence, of certain elements on The Walking Dead's after-show, The Talking Dead, as proof of Glenn's survival.
The wrap-up show, hosted by comedian Chris Hardwick, has without fail featured actors who portrayed major characters immediately after their characters died. It was a way of giving fans some closure and having an actor weigh in on his or her character's death. But actor Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn, was notably absent from Sunday night's round table.
Also absent was specific mention of Glenn's death in The Talking Dead's "In Memoriam" segment, which looks at the episode's notable deaths. Instead, the last words in the segment just repeatedly stated: "Please don't let it be true."
Glenn can't be dead because he's not in talking dead
—@lobes4423Finally, fans turned to the cryptic message issued by The Walking Dead executive producer Scott Gimple and read out by Hardwick:
"Dear fans of The Walking Dead, this is a hard story to tell, and when we were planning to tell it, we knew our friends over at Talking Dead would be talking to you about it, and knowing you'd be talking and feeling and commiserating, I knew we should say something about it, lest our silence say something we didn't mean to say or not say so I will say this.
"In some way, we will see Glenn, some version of Glenn or parts of Glenn again, either in flashback, or current story, to help complete the story."
Of course, "some version of Glenn" on a zombie show could mean Glenn in undead form, but the majority of fans seem to be putting their money on Glenn coming back in his human form.
Jon Snow of The Walking Dead
If this discussion sounds familiar, it's likely because fans of the equally gruesome HBO series Game of Thrones had a similar reaction when that show saw the untimely demise of its own fan favourite — the dashing Jon Snow — on last season's finale episode.
Months after we saw daggers entering the body of Castle Black's ill-fated Lord Commander, many fans still believe the character didn't actually die — a speculation boosted by sightings of actor Kit Harrington at the show's set in Belfast.
Glenn Rhee and Jon Snow share many similarities as characters: both started out as bullied and downtrodden characters, who emerged as leading figures whose humanity was undiminished by the sullied society around them.
Fortunately for Walking Dead fans, unlike Game of Thrones aficionados, they won't have to wait until next year to find out what happened to their hero. The hit AMC show returns next week with an extra long, 90-minute episode and season six is only four episodes in.