The Walking Dead: 10 best episodes by new showrunner Angela Kang

4.“The Cell”

Season 7, episode 3

“The Cell” is another episode that shows how skillfully Angela Kang can balance humor, even absurdity, with nuanced emotion and storytelling. Certainly, no one who saw that episode will forget “Easy Street”…but that was a moment of lightness in an emotionally very heavy episode.

Dwight is still reeling from returning to The Sanctuary, Negan’s punishment for his attempt to flee, and Sherry becoming Negan’s wife. Daryl was still reeling from Glenn and Abe’s deaths. And feeling like he was responsible for getting Glenn killed. His guilt and shame and sadness at losing his friend left him feeling like he deserved the punishment he was getting.

Dwight and Negan try to break Daryl. And if there was ever a point at which Daryl would break it would be at this point. But he doesn’t break. And despite being locked in that dirty cell, fed dog food, and having to look at the Polaroid photos of Glenn’s bashed-in head and lifeless body he refuses to say that he is Negan.

Negan is not happy about this, and orders that Daryl remains locked up. Daryl accepts his fate. But soon after that Sherry slips him the key to a motorcycle and a note telling him to leave after she unlocks the cell door.