No matter what Daryl himself may think, actor Steven Yeun says the fault for Glenn’s death on The Walking Dead lies with Negan and Negan alone.
The death of Glenn on last Sunday’s Season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead shocked many fans. Plenty of viewers had guessed that Negan might claim two victims. But after Abraham’s brutal death, it seemed Negan might be done. It wasn’t until Daryl’s outburst, where he actually punched Negan in the face, that Glenn was slated to die. So does that make Daryl responsible for Glenn’s death?
Many people have said “yes,” including members of the cast and crew. Norman Reedus says Daryl blames himself and will go to some dark places this season. On the Talking Dead episode that aired after the premiere, Jeffrey Dean Morgan even weighed in. “If it weren’t for Daryl, Glenn would still be alive,” he said.
Not Daryl’s Fault, Whether He Believes It or Not
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, Image Credit: AMC
So what about Steven Yeun, who played Glenn Rhee for seven years on The Walking Dead? Does he blame Daryl?
“No,” says Yeun in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I think Daryl is a character that will blame himself,” says Yeun. “I think that’s enough for him. Even if it’s not real or even if it’s not accurate or fair, I think he would shoulder that type of burden. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with that and I’m sure Norman will crush it.”
A Dark Reflection
In the same interview, Yeun also talked about having to see himself in the special-effects make-up. In case you’ve somehow forgotten, Glenn’s skull was split nearly in two. One of his eyeballs was visible protruding. “It was pretty messed up,” says Yeun. “It was really terrible to see what it looked like, but it was also so striking. They did such a great job. It helped me be there. That’s the coolest part is the whole team at KNB were able to let me be in a place where I could physically see the thing that’s happened to Glenn and apply that to the moment.”
And You Thought You Had it Bad
A lot of viewers have reported having difficulty watching Glenn’s death. It was by far the most gruesome scene ever on The Walking Dead. Some people watched through their fingers as their hands covered their faces. Others that did actually watch it said they will never watch the episode again. If it was that bad for viewers at home imagine how awful it was for Yeun’s family.
“My cousin texted me, and she was like, ‘I walked out of the room,’” says Yeun. “My wife watched it and she was just shocked. It wasn’t the gore that messed her up. It was everything that Glenn is, and it all comes rushing back to you in that moment when you see his broken face. It makes me emotional, too, because I’ve never really been a participant as a viewer. I’ve mostly just been a participant as someone who’s helping to make this show. It was gnarly to watch, even though I knew how everything was going down.”
