‘The Walking Dead’: The Comic Books Vs. The TV Series — Who Will Die At The Hands Of The Saviors?

For comic book fans of The Walking Dead, the arrival of the Saviors meant, ultimately, the death of a much loved character. However, after the surprise hostage situation at the end of the recent Episode 12, could someone unexpected die at the hands of Negan?

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 12 of Season 6 of AMC’s The Walking Dead, as well as plot story lines from both the TV series and the comics it is based on. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed Episode 12 (entitled “Not Tomorrow Yet”) or do not want spoilers from the comic book series.

As long as the television series of The Walking Dead has existed, AMC has had to battle with how things played out in the comic book series as opposed to how they will play out on TV. Sometimes AMC have followed the comic story lines fairly closely; other times they have gone their own way. And when it comes to expected comic book deaths, AMC has been just as varied.

With the Saviors story line beginning to come into play, AMC has kept somewhat close to overall introduction story line so far. So, for fans of Glenn Rhee, played by Steven Yeun in the TV series, this is of major concern. After all, in the comic books, Glenn’s first encounter with Negan is also his last. And, after Glenn seeing the photos of people with their heads bashed in in Episode 12 of The Walking Dead’s sixth season, it seems there is a bit of foreshadowing going on.

But then Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Carol (Melissa McBride) got themselves captured by the Saviors and are now in the midst of a tense standoff between Rick’s group and Negan’s.

For comic book fans of The Walking Dead, the question has always been, “Will AMC kill Glenn Rhee?” Considering his wife, Maggie, is now pregnant — just like in the comic books — it seems Glenn’s time will be up shortly. The general consensus is that Negan will not appear until Episode 16 of season 6, so that means fans still have at least a couple more episodes to enjoy Glenn’s company — if AMC follow the comics.

Considering just how much foreshadowing AMC has done in regard to Glenn and baseball bats (the weapon of choice for Negan in the Walking Dead comics), this does seem likely. And, with a recent Entertainment Weekly interview between Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan, describing the season 6 finale as the hardest one they have done, it seems the death of Glenn may very well occur here. Lincoln explained the season 6 finale script kept him awake at night before filming and Cohan agreed that it was the “hardest day on set” she had ever had with The Walking Dead.

However, now that Maggie and Carol have been taken hostage, could one of them die first before Glenn? Lauren Cohan describing the finale could indicate she is still alive in it, but what if she only appears in a flashback?

Or, considering just how loved Melissa McBride and her character is–both on set and off — could Carol now die at the hands of the Saviors?

Since the announcement of the Saviors and Negan’s arrival, many people have been focused on Glenn and his potential death. Interviewers have always asked about this scenario, questioning not only Steven Yeun, but those around him, notably Lauren Cohan and Andrew Lincoln. But, as far as interviews with Melissa McBride go, they have been fairly light on that topic. Her most recent interview with Entertainment Weekly revolved around the fact her past is starting to catch up with her and her budding romance with Tobin (Jason Douglas). There was not a lot asked about her possible survival. But that’s the thing with Carol, everyone knows she will just come in and save the day. So what if AMC are just letting everyone make assumptions about who will die at the hands of Negan and then go ahead and kill off Carol?

Considering all the foreshadowing done with Glenn and baseball bats, there is also a little foreshadowing to back up Carol’s demise if you look hard enough.

When Negan’s group was first introduced, Daryl Dixon was one of people involved. Many fans are desperate to ship Daryl and Carol in the TV series of The Walking Dead. Daryl Dixon is also a name that keeps popping up in relation to a potential death swap with Glenn. While Daryl dodged the bat in the season 6 mid-season return of The Walking Dead, he was present when the Saviors announced that they like to kill one person “right off the bat” just to show they are serious.

So, with Maggie and Carol held hostage and Rick only holding one person hostage, the scene is ripe and ready for either Maggie or Carol to die in Episode 13 (entitled “The Same Boat”). Considering the conversation Glenn had with Enid about people living on in those who love them, it would be more likely to keep Maggie alive. Not only does this happen in the Walking Dead comics, but it would tie in nicely with this conversation.

Added to this is the fact Carol is starting to find her happy place in Alexandria, even if she still struggles with some of her decisions. She is the legitimate mother hen for everyone there now and has found herself some romance with Tobin. And we all know what happens when people get happy in The Walking Dead— someone will ultimately die!

In the comic books, Carol does not exist anymore, so her TV storyline could actually unfold any way AMC likes. In recent episodes, AMC has been concentrating more on Carol’s storyline, fleshing it out and making fans a little nervous at just how closely they are delving into her life. While Carol hasn’t appeared a lot, her story has been filled with angst over how many humans she has killed since the zombie apocalypse started. Having Carol’s moral standards clash with Morgan’s is also a concern. Perhaps this is how her story arc will ultimately end, with Carol realizing it is better to be human and compassionate than a killing machine — even if that means she dies at the hands of someone just like her?

But, for those who think Maggie might switch places with Glenn in regard to his death, a look at one of the stills for the Episode 13 teaser video is of concern:

That woman behind Maggie actually looks a lot like Maggie! Could Maggie accidentally get mistaken for this woman — or vice versa — and be killed by accident? Only tuning into season 6 of The Walking Dead will ultimately tell!

What do you think: will Carol or Maggie die in the upcoming episodes of The Walking Dead? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below!

Season 6 of The Walking Dead returns to AMC with Episode 13 (entitled “The Same Boat”) on Sunday March 13 at 9 p.m. ET.

[Image via AMC]