Did ‘The Walking Dead’ Just Kill Off One Character In Order To Save Two Others?

The mid-season finale episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 9 contained a shocking death. However, will this death now prevent two others from occurring?

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses the mid-season finale episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 9 as well as the comic books on which the television series is based. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed this episode or read the comic books and wish to avoid spoilers.

Episode 8 of The Walking Dead Season 9 saw the death of the beloved character Jesus Rovia (Tom Payne). TV and comic book fans alike were shocked by the death as it wasn’t expected. However, it is possible AMC has chosen to kill off Jesus in order to save two other characters’ lives, according to Forbes.

Currently, AMC has been a little light with killing off characters in The Walking Dead. While Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) nearly died, the last substantial death has been that of his son, Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs), in Episode 9 of Season 8. For The Walking Dead, that’s a significant length of time. And, for fans, it seems likely that more characters are likely to die as a result of the dry patch.

As for Jesus, he didn’t die in this point in the comic books, of which The Walking Dead TV series is based. However, two major characters do end up dying in relation to the upcoming Whisperers storyline that was revealed in the mid-season finale episode.

In the comic books, King Ezekiel and Rosita both die in the comics as a result of the Whisperers storyline. Their heads are then mounted on pikes for everyone to see.

With the sudden death of Jesus now, it is possible that these two deaths could be avoided, surmises Forbes. After all, if AMC decides to kill off two more major characters, it would feel very much like the double deaths that occurred in The Walking Dead with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) bashing in the heads of Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) and Glenn (Steven Yeun).

Although considering the deaths of Ezekiel and Rosita are so iconic in the comic books, much in the way the death of Glenn Rhee was, it is still possible that AMC will decide to replicate this scenario in the TV series.

While this scene does seem to be destined, perhaps with the death of Jesus, it means only one character will die at the hands of the Whisperers now? This could also be another possibility. As to whether it will be Ezekiel or Rosita is anyone’s guess. Considering both people are currently in happy relationships, it really could go either way as AMC loves to kill off individuals who are content in The Walking Dead. In addition, AMC is not averse to changing things up a bit by switching out comic book characters deaths for others within the TV series.

However, fans of the TV series will just have to tune into the Season 9 return to find out whether AMC will follow the comic books or not in this instance.

Season 9 of AMC’s The Walking Dead will return to AMC on Sunday, February 10, 2019, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.