National Earl Day We must acknowledge John Finn’s character Earl Sutton
By Renee Hansen
Who knew there was a day celebrating Earls? There is so we can’t overlook The Walking Dead character, Earl Sutton. He was a member of the Hilltop Colony with his wife Tammy (Brett Butler) and his son Kenneth (AJ Achinger).
John Finn is the actor who portrayed Earl from season 9 until his death in season 10. He served as the main blacksmith at Hilltop. He also supported Maggie (Lauren Cohan) becoming the community’s new leader when they held the election with Maggie and Gregory (Xander Berkeley) vying for the leadership role.
Earl spent some time in the jail cell at Hilltop that he, ironically, helped build. He attacked Maggie when he was provoked by Gregory, which ended in Gregory’s execution. Earl then spent over a month in jail for his actions. His wife forgave him, but he felt that he needed Maggie’s forgiveness. He shared his story of being an alcoholic with Maggie, reminding her of another alcoholic who changed his ways, her father, Hershel. She gave him a second chance, and he was released back to his blacksmithing position and eventually brought Alden (Callan McAuliffe) and Henry (Matt Lintz) along as his apprentices.
Earl Sutton suffered heartache but still pushed on to save the children
When we first met Earl, it was tough to like his character. But, he had suffered the loss of his son, and that can’t be an easy thing to deal with. But, he eventually became a productive member of the community and passed his knowledge on to the younger generation.
Just as things seem to be going smoothly, he loses his wife to Alpha’s pikes. This was such a blow to everyone, but especially those whose loved ones were killed in this horrific manner. But, Earl, who really had turned away from his old ways, still kept pressing on, and when the children of Hilltop needed a savior, he was there.
When Earl starts to gather the children during the Whisperer’s attack on Hilltop, he had already been bit. However, this didn’t stop him from ensuring these children were safe and made it to a safe place away from the destruction.
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His final moments with Judith are so heartbreaking. He tries to remain strong, and it is extremely touching how he treats Judith like an adult giving her the facts. He leaves her in charge of the children as he tries to end his own life before turning. Sadly, his options were limited, and he does reanimate, requiring Judith to complete the task.
Earl’s legacy will live on in the lives he touched and the children he saved. Thanks to John Finn for making this character a great one.