The Walking Dead 2019: 5 New Year resolutions for Negan

Negan is at a crossroads heading into the second half of The Walking Dead season 9. Let’s look at 5 New Year resolutions that should be on his list.

While Michonne and Aaron were away from Alexandria, Negan managed to escape his cell in the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead. What happens next will define who he will be in the post-time jump world, but what he will do is anyone’s guess. Negan does as Negan pleases, which is what makes him such a fascinating character. Here are 5 things that should be on his list of New Year resolutions for the second half of season 9.

Should He Stay….

When Negan discovered that the prison door was open, his first reaction was to leave the cell. This makes a lot of sense, because who wouldn’t escape a prison cell? However, Negan is alone in this new world, and if he hopes to be a different person then leaving will cause people to think that nothing has changed. If he turns himself back in, or sticks around to prove his intentions, it could go a long way to showing the people of Alexandria that he’s a new man.

…Or Should He Go

But let’s face it. Negan is Negan. Sitting in that cell didn’t change who he is. He has been biding his time and the time has come. He found an opportunity to escape and he is going to take it. He knows that certain people in the community will never forget what he did, and that means he will always have a target on his back. That said, why wait around?

Now is the time to take advantage of the unrest and confusion to steal away and start rebuilding an empire.

Revisiting The Past

We’ve seen Negan at the Sanctuary in previews. Negan was a leader in the past and he can be a leader in this new world. He has a choice to make and it all comes down to who he wants to be. Upon reflecting on the past, he can return to his old ways, he can change, or he can do both. But he should absolutely consider how his past will impact his future, because he might be better off joining in the fight against the Whisperers than trying to fight alone.

Making Friends

The Saviors are gone. The Sanctuary, as far as we can tell from the previews, has been abandoned. Negan is a lone wolf now.

Negan won’t find many people from his past who will want to join him. Without the Saviors, the only people left would be those who fought against him in All Out War, which means he needs new friends.

The Whisperers present an interesting opportunity. The stories in the comics suggest that they cross paths, but given how the show takes detours from comic book canon there’s a chance that things won’t go as they did in the comics, and that could lead to fascinating possibilities.

Judith

Make no mistake about it – Negan’s strange friendship won’t lead him to change his ways. Negan is loyal only to himself and he will do what it takes not only to survive but to get back on top. But his time in Alexandria, and knowing that there are children there, just might change his tactics.

Negan asked Rick if the Savior attack on Alexandria led to Carl’s death, and he was visibly relieved to learn that Carl had died from a walker bite and not their attack. This is important to him. Knowing Judith is in Alexandria could change the way Negan does things moving forward.

Love him or hate him, Negan will have a lot to do in the second half of The Walking Dead season 9, and what he does with his freedom will determine who he is moving forward.