The Characters We Love

*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SEASON 7 OF THE WALKING DEAD*

For those of you who may or may not know, last night's season premiere of The Walking Dead was a shocker to say the least. Followers of the show knew that a character was going to die, but the reveal of who delivered a shock that has still left me with a feeling of numbness. I'm tempted to watch the episode a second time just to take in everything again from a new perspective.

While I had a strong feeling that Abraham was going to get the business end of Lucille and that Negan would kill more than one person, actually seeing it play out on screen was uncomfortable.  I'm usually able to keep a certain level of emotional investment in the shows I watch without getting too bothered when characters suffer. This was different.

Glenn was one of the most remarkable characters on the show. Since season 1, we have seen him evolve from the awkward but capable survivor to the badass who was still able to maintain the best parts of his humanity despite the many hardships he faced. He was a husband and father-to-be. This is no longer the case.

Despite knowing that Glenn was killed by Negan in the graphic novel, the initial twist in the episode made us think that Glenn was safe. Instead, Negan literally crushes this important character--and us on an emotional level. After all of the close calls that Glenn had on the show, he ultimately goes down in the same fashion as the graphic novel. I'm sure the ending result has left many divided.

One of the most important Asian American characters on TV has been killed off. The character himself leaves behind a wife and unborn child. This will surely have repercussions throughout the season and even the rest of the show.

The morning after watching the episode, Glenn's death by baseball bat brought up another thought. There is in fact a real life example of an Asian American man getting beaten to death with a baseball bat. His name was Vincent Chin.  Like Glenn, Vincent was a young man with his whole life still ahead of him. Instead, he was killed through an evil and senseless act.

Perhaps I'm looking too deeply into this, but the image of an Asian American man being beaten to death hurts me on a deeper level. Sure, Glenn was a fictional character, but he was a great character. He was a role model not only for Asian Americans, but all people. He will be missed.

At the same time, I really hope that this will allow actor Steven Yeun to really branch out and have a successful acting career outside of The Walking Dead. It seems like most actors who were killed off on the show have faded into obscurity. I don't think this will be the case for Mr. Yeun. He was one of the most beloved characters on the show and the actor was really able to shine all of these years. I can imagine him taking on important roles that will continue to develop Asian American characters in the mainstream. At the same time, Mr. Yeun can certainly take on roles that do not specifically require a person of Asian descent.

I normally don't discuss pop culture extensively in regards to my writing. However, this was different. I'm still processing my thoughts and reactions regarding the death of this character. It goes to show us that even a make-believe person can be kept close in our hearts. A character like Glenn encourages us to be better people despite the shit around us that seems impossible to control.