In an interview with ScreenRant's Tatiana Hullender, Kim was asked about what is going through Hershel's mind when he sees Negan in this episode, along with what this means for Hershel's relationship with Maggie. Kim explains that his character believes Negan is the person standing in the way of Hershel and Maggie having a good relationship. Hershel wants to kill Negan so Maggie can no longer be obsessed with him and to remove this obstacle from their relationship, which Kim compares to real-life dynamics between parents and their children. Check out his comments below:
I think Hershel sees Maggie's relationship with Negan as a very big issue because of his own relationship with his mother. The only person standing in the way of that, in Hershel's mind, is Negan. He has a lot of malice and a lot of hate towards Negan because he's in the way of Maggie, and he just wants Maggie to be free of him. So, he wants to free Negan from life. [Laughs]
Talking from experience with my own mother, I don't necessarily like not being heard. If I'm saying something that's not going through, I get a little frustrated. But for Hershel, it's a lot different because this is about the guy who killed his dad. I think that what Herschel wants to see is his mother connecting with him more. She does try; she's trying to listen to him, hear him, and respond to what he says. I think that it is very close to real life in how a mother and son interact, but maybe a little bit more bloody.
What This Means For The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2
Hershel's Attitude Toward Negan Is Misguided
Hershel has previously told Maggie that she needs to let go of her hatred for Negan. Meanwhile, Hershel is unable to practice what he preaches, which becomes more evident than ever when he tries and fails to kill Negan almost immediately after they cross paths, even though Negan just saved his life. Hershel's hatred for Negan is not rooted in what the former leader of the Saviors did to Glenn (Steven Yeun) all those years ago. It is instead based on the effect Negan has on Hershel and Maggie's relationship.
Negan's timeline throughout the main series and the ongoing spinoff is complicated and deeply intertwined with Maggie and Hershel's lives. What Hershel fails to realize is that killing Negan will not make things any better with Maggie. Hershel's relationship with his mother has suffered for reasons that go beyond Negan, and his death will not fix those issues. Matters are also made worse by Hershel lying to his mother about what happened when he saw Negan.
Our Take On Logan Kim's Comments
Hershel Needs To Rethink The Situation With Negan
Negan could die at Hershel's hands during Dead City season 2, although that would be a disappointing way for the story of the nuanced and fan-favorite character to end. Hershel does not need to like Negan, but he would greatly benefit from learning about the many sacrifices Negan has made for him. In the end, Hershel needs to understand that killing Negan will not solve anything and instead work through his issues with Maggie as The Walking Dead: Dead City continues.
