The Walking Dead Season 7 episode 3 will take a look at the Savior compound, The Sanctuary. There we’ll see Daryl at his most vulnerable state, ever. He’s completely powerless.
We don’t know what Negan has planned for Daryl. It’s possible Negan kills Daryl and hands his head over to Rick as a sign of his power over him. Daryl isn’t a comic book character, so there’s no way of knowing what direction the show will take him. However, Daryl is much more valuable to Negan alive for now.
Daryl will likely remain at the Savior compound for the majority of The Walking Dead Season 7. If The Kingdom represents peace and freedom, The Sanctuary represents conflict and captivity. Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl on the show, explained to ComicBook.com his character’s mindset as a prisoner of war. He feels a deep sense of guilt as his actions directly led to Glenn’s death. Had Daryl stayed on his knees like everyone else, Glenn might have lived to see the birth of his baby boy.
"He goes very, very dark," Reedus told ComicBook.com. "He does certain things that he can't go back from. He goes to a very, very dark, dark place. It's a combination of hatred. It's a combination of self-loathing. It's different from when he first started on the show. He has a big chip on his shoulder. He thought people wouldn't like him. He didn't give a shit. He hates you, too. It turns now into he kind of hates himself. He hates the world that we're in, and he doesn't lose the fight in him, but he definitely no longer sees anything good in the world, that's for sure."
It seems like The Walking Dead Season 7 will use Daryl to show fans how messed up Negan’s compound is. In the comics, Carl is the one who gets to see The Sanctuary. Negan takes Carl on a tour of his compound, shows him his wives, and tries to relate to him on a deeper level. Carl leaves the compound with a better understanding of Negan and a strange bond that really hurts Rick. Not that Carl believes Negan is a good guy, but he does confide in him. Carl opens up a lot to Negan, and leaves Rick in the dark.
It’s possible Daryl will take over that role and develop a strange relationship with Negan. After all, Rick and Negan aren’t that different when you think about all the things they’ve done. Rick has killed for his people and was a tyrant at one point. Rick and Daryl were like brothers are one point, but they drifted apart once they went to Alexandria. Maybe Daryl will become Negan’s new righthand man. Who knows?
Catch The Walking Dead Season 7 at 9 p.m. Sundays on AMC.
