Negan will spread fear into Rick’s group by forcing them to witness the death of one of their own. The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere will show who Negan decided to beat to death, but it’s just a small part of the bigger storyline.
Norman Reedus recently explained to CinemaBlend Negan’s actions weren’t personal. He wasn’t getting revenge against Rick’s group for killing his men. Negan sees the scenario as a business and there’s no other way to show Rick how serious he is about getting his way.
“He's got an army of people who all call themselves Negan,” Reedus told CinemaBlend. “They are doing everything he says. There's no way around that right now. How is Negan able to stop [Rick's] group in its tracks where others have failed? Fear is a bigger motivator than love or revenge or anything else. He is putting fear in people and that does wonders. It is particularly cruel because he uses a nursery rhyme. He's not remorseful and it's not personal. It's just going to happen...just to keep the order.”
Negan is smart. He knows Rick’s group has skills most survivors do not. Rick’s group was able to fly under Negan’s radar for a while; he had no idea Alexandria even existed before the attacks. Negan needs Rick, though if he won’t admit it. Unlike Rick, Negan understands you need people to survive. The more people you have, the more resources you can gather and the better you can defend yourselves. Afterall, it’s been at least two years of the zombie apocalypse. At this point, survivors know how to handle the dead, it’s the living who are the real threats.
Still, the power shift between Rick and Negan will make for a very entertaining season of The Walking Dead. We’ll also get to see the world get bigger than ever, with more communities popping up near Alexandria. The Walking Dead Season 7 premieres Oct. 23 on AMC.
