Negan could’ve killed Rick in The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere, but instead he decided to take two other people. Many probably think Negan made a mistake by not taking Rick, but that’s not necessarily the case.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan explained it best during a behind-the-scenes interview released by AMC. Negan has no use for a dead Rick. He recognizes people will riot against Negan if he kills their leader. However, everyone else in Rick’s crew is fair game.
"Maybe the smart thing would have been to kill Rick," Morgan said. "Cut the head off the snake. But I think Negan is thinking a couple steps ahead here, and he's like, 'Well wait, if I can break this guy and have him working for me, I stand to gain a hell of a lot more.'" He adds, "As horrible as the deaths of two survivors, that moment of possibility of cutting off Carl's arm I think is the emotional low point of the show. I think it all led to that."
The point is if Negan can break Rick, a man who threatened to kill him immediately after smashing the skulls of two of his men, then he can break anyone. Not only was Negan sending a message to Rick, but he was also speaking to anyone else who might want to rise against him. Look what Negan did to Daryl for lashing out after he killed Abraham. Negan didn’t kill Daryl, he forced him to live with the consequences of his actions, which was Glenn’s death sentence. A broken person is easier to manipulate than strong one.
That said, Rick has lost his way many times in The Walking Dead and brought himself back. Rick might bow down to Negan now, but he won’t stay down, especially with Maggie ready to get revenge. Maggie will get Rick to end Negan, even if it takes her a while to do so.
Catch The Walking Dead Season 7 on AMC Sundays at 9 p.m.
