Carl is definitely going through his teenage rebellious years in The Walking Dead Season 8 and it’s giving us anxiety. Seriously, Carl, just listen to your dad and try not to get yourself killed, please.
There’s one scene in The Walking Dead Season 8 premiere that will raise all your red flags regarding Carl. a throwback to The Walking Dead Season 1 episode 1, where Rick Grimes stops to get gas at a gas station. It’s a shot-for-shot remake of that scene, except it’s now Carl who has an unfortunate encounter.
In the original scene, Rick sees the walker little girl. In Carl’s version, he meets a stranger who wants food. Or so he says. It’s hard to trust anyone post-apocalypse. Carl points his gun at the mystery man who begs him for supplies. But before Carl could decide whether to help or not, Rick shows up. In true Rick fashion, he starts shooting at the man’s feet. Rick doesn’t kill the stranger, but manages to scare him away.
Carl’s reaction to Rick shooting at the stranger was interesting. He was mad Rick shot at the man instead of giving him supplies. Rick reiterates that he shot at his feet and he didn’t kill him, while also expressing hope the man survives. Carl tells Rick “hope” isn’t good enough. At the end of the episode, we see Carl return to the gas station with some food and a note that reads, “Sorry.”
This moment has to foreshadow a big moment to come in The Walking Dead. Carl doesn’t seem like he agrees with Rick’s actions. Originally, Carl wanted to kill Negan with Rick talking him out of it. Could the tables have turned? Carl has seen a lot of tragedy and doesn’t seem to idolize his father the way he used to.
In The Walking Dead Season 6, Morgan showed up to Alexandria as a voice of reason, asking Rick to speak with Negan first, before going in and killing people. He also told Rick all life is precious. We don’t have any reason to believe Carl will be the new moral compass on the show, but he did have a powerful moment with Negan last season. For those who need a refresher, Carl snuck into a cargo van heading towards the Sanctuary and opened fire at the gates. Negan could’ve killed him, but he didn’t.
Instead, Negan talked to Carl in a way his own father refuses to do, recognizing Carl as just a kid who has survived many horrific situations. Carl humanized Negan that day. This isn’t to say Carl likes Negan. He still hates the guy for killing Glenn and Abraham. But Negan spared his life once, and Carl might be the one to ask Rick to spare his.
Don’t forget Morgan built a jail cell in Alexandria to give Rick the option of sparing lives. Rick doesn’t want to be like Negan, so he might just spare his life. Do you think Carl will ask Rick to spare Negan? Do you think Carl even cares what his father plans to do? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Walking Dead Season 8 airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.
