Why did Arat choose to kill Olivia on The Walking Dead?
By Sonya Iryna
Why did Arat choose Olivia instead of Carl, Rick, or even Rosita when Negan ordered her to kill someone during The Walking Dead season 7 midseason finale?
In The Walking Dead midseason finale a couple of Alexandrians didn’t survive Negan’s latest visit. Spencer was gutted by Negan, and Olivia was shot by Arat. Not too many people were upset by Spencer’s death. He had it coming for going behind Rick’s back and trying to get Negan to appoint him the leader of Alexandria.
But lots of fans were upset that Olivia was killed. And Negan told Arat to kill someone as an example. But he didn’t say who. The decision to kill Olivia was all hers. Why did Arat choose to kill Olivia instead of Carl, Rosita, or any of the other people in Alexandria?
According to Elizabeth Ludlow, who plays Arat, Olivia was killed because Arat didn’t trust her. Earlier in The Walking Dead Season 7 Arat and Olivia had a run in. When Negan and the Saviors showed up at Alexandria in “Service” Arat was the Savior who went through the armory with Olivia.
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When the gun count didn’t match Olivia’s logbook Arat thought Olivia was lying about not knowing where the missing guns were. Negan almost killed Olivia then, but decided not to. He believed her that logbook was correct. The missing guns were eventually found. And Olivia got to live for a little longer.
Making Olivia An Example
Arat could have killed Carl or even Rick. They were both present at the time. When asked why Arat didn’t kill a more well-known character Elizabeth said that Arat would have known that Negan wouldn’t like that.
No matter what the Saviors think of Rick and Carl it’s clear to them that Negan likes them. Or is fascinated by them. Arat knew that Negan wouldn’t have wanted one of them killed. The killing was supposed to send a message. And to punish Rosita for shooting Lucille. Because of that, Arat zeroed in on a person that she didn’t like in Alexandria, Olivia.
If Olivia hadn’t been present at that moment it’s hard to guess who Arat would have killed instead. But she accomplished Negan’s mission of sending a message. Rosita will have to live with knowing that she got Olivia killed. And she also was responsible for Eugene being taken by Negan.
Next: Exclusive interview with Elizabeth Ludlow (Arat)
In The Walking Dead no one’s hands are clean. But it will be interesting to see if Rosita will think twice about acting impulsively after what happened in The Walking Dead‘s season 7 midseason finale titled “Hearts Still Beating.”