The Walking Dead panel debates redemption for Negan

Negan took a huge risk to save Judith but will that be enough to win him a real place in the community of Alexandria instead of a prison cell on The Walking Dead?

Negan was finally allowed out of his cell on The Walking Dead but only because of the impending blizzard. He made good use of his time with other people by being his usual self and irritating everyone in the vicinity. But he also proved to be very useful when he ran after Judith and saved her from freezing to death.

Alexandria is going to have to decide what to do with Negan. They’ve kept him in prison for over seven years now. He escaped but came back, so is it really a punishment to keep him locked up when he wants to be in Alexandria? Wouldn’t they be better off putting him to work? They could use the help and it’s clear he’s not going to run off.

But more than that is there any point to keeping him locked him anymore? Rick wanted to spare his life as a symbol of the type of society that the communities wanted to create. However, the Sanctuary fell a long time ago and most of the Saviors are dead too. The few that are left have joined the other communities. Is Negan really serving as an example of anything at this point? Alexandria could be better off using his skills to help them survive instead of just letting him take up resources.

Negan clearly wants to be part of the community. He still has an impressive set of skills that could be very useful against the Whisperers. So should Michonne and the others allow Negan to be a free man because he saved Judith? Our panel has some thoughts:

Is There Redemption For Negan?

Negan saved Judith in a blizzard in the episode. Michonne seemed very grateful for this, do you think Negan is finally ready to be redeemed?

Sonya says:

"I’m not ready to go that far yet. I think it’s nice that he cares so much about Judith, especially since Rick is gone. But I’m not willing to forgive or forget what he did killing Glenn and Abe and I don’t think Michonne is ready to either. I think he could be a great asset in fighting Alpha but I’m not ready for him to find full redemption yet. I also think he wouldn’t hesitate to take over leadership in a community if he saw an opportunity."

Sara says:

"I’ll never ever forgive Negan for the characters he has killed, but I am very thankful for what he did for Judith and Dog. It’s clear that he cares about Judith very much, and the group could use Negan around for extra safety. Especially with the Whisperers out and about, babysitter Negan isn’t a bad idea."

Jeffrey says:

"I think this season finale will mark a major turning point for Negan in the future of the series. While the characters and myself will never be able to forget everything that he did, I definitely think he is on the path to redemption. In Season 10, we may see a side of him that we’ve never seen before, especially if Michonne and the others begin to trust him more and allow him to be a formal member of the community. This is still Negan we’re talking about, so it would be a good idea to keep an eye on him."

Sarabeth says:

"Clearly Negan cares about Judith so it’s not surprising to see him save her. But if he was truly a bad guy he would have stayed quiet about the chimney problem. He didn’t. He wants to contribute and he’s trying to show that even though the reception has been lukewarm from everyone except Judith and Michonne."

What do you think TWDFamily? Has Negan earned his place in Alexandria? Are you willing to forgive him for Glenn and Abe? Do you think he can contribute and earn his keep in future episodes of The Walking Dead? Tweet us your opinions: @SonyaIryna, @WrittenBySara, @TWalkingDWorld, @SarabethPollock, and @UndeadWalkingFS