The Walking Dead Villains: Who ISN’T the worst? Part 3

Allen

I have a bit of a confession: Allen is the character who caused me to begin this quest in the first place. Knowing that Allen was part of The Group in the Walking Dead comics, I always felt he deserved a second chance, I always believed he got a bum wrap, and I always wanted him to redeem himself. Now, I won’t pretend he wasn’t a bitter, jealous jerk to Tyreese, I also won’t pretend that he didn’t try to convince Tyreese and Sasha to help him use the shovels to bury Donna with to attack The Group and try to take over the prison.

No, I won’t pretend those (Especially that last part) didn’t happen, but, I will try to provide an explanation for them: Grief. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “…Grief? Really?” Yes.

For evidence, I direct you no further than Rick. Do you remember how Rick was when he first met Allen and company? Do you recall what he did? He saw a ghost of Lori and officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of Crazytown! He flipped out and had everyone thoroughly convinced he was demanding Allen, Tyreese, Sasha, and Ben leave (Even though it looked like he was about to relent and let them in). Do you also remember how long Rick was in Crazytown? It was a while.

I think, if we can give Rick the benefit of the doubt (In spite of all the people he’s killed, including one he definitely didn’t need to), we can extend the same courtesy to Allen.

But, that’s not the only reason I feel we should all give Allen a second look. If you recall, when The Governor spazzed out and gunned down half of his army, Allen, immediately turned his gun on The Governor. He opted to stand with his fellow Woodburians over The Governor. Now, I imagine you may be reading this saying “Yeah, but…HE DIDN’T TAKE THE SHOT!” and, you’d be right, he didn’t, and I think I know why, which also goes to why I think we need to give him a second chance with the whole “prison takeover” thing: Allen’s not a killer.

Think about it: He had a perfect opportunity to shoot The Governor, but he hesitated, because I don’t think he had it in him to be a killer, even of someone like The Governor. “But, he was gonna attack The Group with shovels!” You might exclaim.

Was he? He could have kept up with his plans, hell, he could have tried to take the shovel’s before Tyreese, if he was really adamant about his scheme; he didn’t. I proselytize that that scheme was Allen’s way of being in Crazytown, but, with his friends Tyreese and Sasha nixing the idea, it, much like Hershel talking to Rick about the phone, helped pull him back to Earth.

I believe that, had Rick not seen Lori’s ghost when he did, and let Tyreese, Allen, Sasha, and Ben in right there, that would have been the last we’d have heard of Allen’s delusions of a take over, and he would have, eventually, become a member of The Group. Call it a gut feeling, but I think that last part, especially, is true.

Next: More season 3 redeemable villains