TWD: The evolution of Eugene and his hair

Character evolution has become one of the things fans of The Walking Dead love seeing most. Supporting your favorites can be rewarding and painful at times, depending on where their story goes. But at the end of the day the twists, turns and developments keep the show fresh!

The show really puts everyone living in the undead world through their paces. We see this take a toll on their physical appearance to reflect where they are; personally, they all have become their own hairdressers, too, along with everything else they have learned. First impressions really matter in the destruction they are surrounded with, so keeping yourself as regulated and organized as possible is a helpful bonus to other potential new allies.

There are many presentable characters with well-kept hair in the show, considering they are living through an apocalypse. However, one man that stood out from the crowd with his super slick Kentucky Waterfall was Dr. Eugene Porter (Josh McDermitt). What a hairstyle!

How has Eugene Porter evolved so far in The Walking Dead?

Eugene’s arc has to be one of the biggest growths in the entire TWDU, along with his hair. Eugene first appeared in 410 “Inmates,” very quiet and afraid as he emerged from a military vehicle alongside his traveling companions Sgt. Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) and Rosita Espinosa (Christian Serratos). From the off, we saw Eugene wasn’t great at using weapons to kill walkers –  but oh, how times change, and he became a fighter.

If we look at Eugene’s physical appearance, this too has changed alongside his weaponry and communication skills. From his first appearance on screen until 816, “Wrath” Eugene kept his Tennessee top hat well-groomed along with being a part of who he was, and it definitely drew attention from people. I think the only time Eugene’s mullet looked slightly untidy was in 815 “Worth” when he hid under ashes and returned to the Sanctuary entirely covered in soot, but he still looked great and fashioned it out.

During this entire period, Eugene had his times of really trying to fight even though he really didn’t want to because he was scared. Rosita knows this all too well as he didn’t participate in her weapons class, but hey, come on, he was protecting the people there in open-toed shoes! I am not saying the entire time Eugene had his mullet, he was scared to fight, but he did have many times in tears because of his fears that restricted him.

Eugene and the mullet of life had brave moments. In 510 “Them,” he helped the group hold the barn doors shut during the raging storm, he saved Tara and stood up to Nicholas in 514 “Spend,” faced his fears in 609 “No Way Out” as he joined the fight to help save Alexandria. He drove the RV away to save Maggie and his group in 616 “Last Day on Earth” after handing Rick a bullet-making recipe (wouldn’t that become important for Eugene later on). He rigged the bullets to massively contribute to helping win and end the ‘All Out War’ against Negan and the Saviors in 816 “Wrath.”

However, the biggest change we have seen in Eugene began in 901, “A New Beginning,” and he came not only with an amazing ponytail but also his new cowboy hat. This change allowed us to see he began engineering again and even got another Rick Grimes thank you – Go Eugene!

Coming into later episodes of Season 9 and Season 10, fans have been blessed to see Dr. Porter evolve once more and style a braid. Even a denim jacket and a bolo tie in 1016 “A Certain Doom,” along with new fighting skills, facing villains along with running into fires to save much-loved communities and civilians. He really has begun to run with newfound confidence, and I could not be prouder of the character!

Whether you love him or hate him, his importance can’t be denied. He has seen and been through a lot during the apocalypse in a time that hasn’t been easy for anyone. Eugene, you really are a survivor and a brilliant one at that, and I can’t wait to see where he goes next – let’s hope it’s him finding his happiness!

The Walking Dead returns for Season 11 on AMC August 22, Star on Disney Plus August 23 for UK viewers.