The death of Glenn Rhee is haunting Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead

One of the saddest parts of The Walking Dead episode 712 titled ‘Say Yes’ was Rick Grimes admitting that he is haunted by Glenn Rhee’s death.

“Say Yes” was a brief respite from an overall intense season of The Walking Dead. Not all the moments were lighthearted though. After Rick is almost killed by walkers he and Michonne talked about some pretty heavy topics.

They discussed what would happen after Negan was defeated. They also talked about what comes next for Alexandria. Rick admitted he didn’t want to be a leader anymore. And he told Michonne that he hasn’t been sleeping since Negan murdered Glenn and Abe.

Rick was upset about Abe’s death, but it was Glenn’s death that really traumatized him. Glenn was the third person that Rick encountered after he made it out of the hospital. He met Morgan and Dwayne then headed out for Atlanta.

Once he got to Atlanta he got into serious trouble. He ran into a massive herd in the city. He was able to take cover in an abandoned tank after the walkers got his horse.

Then he heard Glenn’s voice on the radio. Glenn guided him out of the tank and met him in an alley. Glenn risked his life to save Rick. If he hadn’t done that Rick would have never found his family and never survived.

After all the years together and everything they had been through together Glenn was just as much Rick’s brother as Daryl. And losing him was probably the worst blow that Rick has faced in a long time. Glenn was by his side from the beginning. But ultimately Rick wasn’t able to save Glenn. And he can’t seem to come to terms with that.

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Regret And Responsibility

Ultimately Rick feels responsible for Glenn’s death. Negan probably wouldn’t have killed Glenn if Daryl hadn’t attacked him. But none of them would have been in that lineup if it weren’t for Rick’s decision to slaughter Saviors at the outpost. Rick is the type of leader who feels responsible for everyone else. And he definitely feels like he should have done something to try to save Glenn.

Right now he’s struggling with the guilt and regret that he has about Glenn. Immediately after Glenn’s death he probably stayed away from The Hilltop because it was too difficult for him to face Maggie.

But Maggie doesn’t blame him for Glenn’s death. No one else does either. So Rick needs to put his regret and responsibility aside and focus on the task in front of him. By winning the war that is coming and taking Negan down he can avenge Glenn’s death as well as ensure the safety of Alexandria.

Next: Michonne emerging as a leader

Rick needs to remember what Glenn once said, “You honor the dead by going on, even when you’re scared. You live, because they don’t get to.” The best way that Rick can honor Glenn now is to destroy Negan and The Saviors so that Maggie and Glenn’s child can have a shot at a life even in the bleak world of The Walking Dead.