MovieChat Forums > The Walking Dead (2010) Discussion > the redemption of negan...

the redemption of negan...


so the writers are putting all bad things on simon’s shoulders! either negan was in control, we are all negan, or he wasn’t.

no matter how many letters carl wrote, there is no redemption for negan.

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Agreed, nothing can redeem the sociopath that is Negan. He was like this before the ZA and will remain so.

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they are both really bad dudes, just different types of bad in how they try to justify what they do.

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The best thing the writers can do...is continue creating a dichotomy around Negan. Give him moments of vulnerability...even compassion. Possibly even make him sympathetic (how he lost his family could achieve this very quickly). But then...do something to remind us of just how brutally he murdered Glenn and Abraham.

I don't like one-note "villains" who are just 100% bad, and easy to hate. I like a nuanced character with complexities and conflicts within. Negan could very well end up being a tragic figure. But I can't fathom redemption.....after what he did to Glenn/Abraham. That's just too much to come back from.

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You're right, no redemption for Negan. Simply, a new way forward. Either some forgive and forget his past actions, or not.

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Well, if a batshit crazy serial killer like Morgan can be somewhat redeemed, Negan probably can.

We saw only small bits of his life in the ZA, but Moran have killed dozens, maybe hundreds of people... before meeting the 'Zen master'...

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I don't think Morgan will be "redeemed". I think he's just a complex character, who has done bad and good, (like everyone else in the ZA), and it will just be interesting to witness how his story plays out. Whereas Negan......it seems like their (could) be an eventual attempt at redeeming him (mainly, per Carl's dream sequences). However, that probably would not be realistic. They've done a good job making Negan a bit more complex than a one-note villain.....and they could even make him just a little bit sympathetic (if they show how his family was taken out, and how that made something inside just snap). However, what he did to Glenn and Abraham.....not to mention the original doctor, and Dwight.....is just too much to come back from and be a decent guy.

I will hand it to JDM. He is really upping his game. Early on, people were complaining about his antics, and his portrayal or Negan. But his acting has actually been quite good, especially lately. When Rick got him to drop his guard (by talking about Carl)...the tearful look in Negan's eyes was powerful. It showed he still had some humanity in there somewhere. Rick....is ruthless. He will use any tactic he needs to.

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I will hand it to JDM. He is really upping his game. Early on, people were complaining about his antics, and his portrayal or Negan. But his acting has actually been quite good, especially lately. When Rick got him to drop his guard (by talking about Carl)...the tearful look in Negan's eyes was powerful. It showed he still had some humanity in there somewhere. Rick....is ruthless. He will use any tactic he needs to.


I said the exact same thing last night. While I never thought his acting was poor (felt like more of a direction thing to me), the scene where Rick got him to drop his guard by talking about Carl was incredible. It may have been the best scene of the season. He was going to give in to what Rick was saying. It was great acting, you could see it in his eyes. He was done. He was ready to settle. And then, Rick sliced him, causing him to go back on it, saying, "Carl didn't know a damn thing". So now, I don't know what will happen in the future. I didn't like it though. I felt like he should have either killed him, fully betraying Carl's wishes, which would then allow us to see Rick continue to deal with that inner conflict, or not slice him at all and actually try to make peace. I heard he was jailed in the comics, but the in-between thing seems kind of pointless. I don't think it was quite what Carl had in mind, so if you're not truly going to try and honor Carl and make peace, you might as well have killed him.

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Well, IDK, I do read the comics and was happy to see that Negan will be dispatched to the jail cell. He had somewhat of a 'talking' relationship while in jail for two years ( in the comics). Will he have such with another person? IDK.

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I'm on issue #6 right now, so obviously nowhere near all of this. I look forward to it though.

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I will hand it to JDM. He is really upping his game. Early on, people were complaining about his antics, and his portrayal or Negan. But his acting has actually been quite good, especially lately. When Rick got him to drop his guard (by talking about Carl)...the tearful look in Negan's eyes was powerful. It showed he still had some humanity in there somewhere. Rick....is ruthless. He will use any tactic he needs to

So true!! I am becoming a tad more tolerant of Negan and JDM's acting. I have to say, this week, once again, I am very impressed by his acting. Whether or not he is really a psychopath or just knows he's "beat" we will see.

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My impression of Negan, after reading the comics and especially Kirkman's special short comic series "Here's Negan" is that Negan is a complete narcissist and really a sociopath.

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negan burning the doctor alive was the no redemption point for me.

i like jdm’s negan portrayal. it will be interesting, i hope, what they do with the character next season.

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Agree totally. I'd say 99% of the Saviors were there because they were petrified of Negan. They'd be doing a happy dance if Rick had killed Negan. Also, it is a waste of resources to keep Negan alive.

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In the comics negan and rick eventually become allies against the whiperers ! .... negan even saves rick's life !

Personally i hope they follow the comics with the negan storyline and continue to humanise him !

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does maggie feel the same way in the comics as she did in the finale?

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I heard that maggie gets negan alone and negan is at such a low point that he begs her to kill him, but she spares him as she can see a change in him.

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yep, that's what happens

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