Most fans were furious when The Walking Dead killed off Carl and failed to replace him, which unsurprisingly left a huge hole in the series. Likewise, Glenn’s death sparked a lot of controversy, and while opinions are still split about whether it was the right decision or not, such a brutal exit was always going to cause backlash.
However, despite these peculiar decisions being frustrating several years later, Beth’s exit remains one of the most disappointing Walking Dead deaths after the series spent so much time building her up. She had some great progression, particularly during season 5, and I’m convinced the franchise should have swapped her fate with another high-profile survivor.
Considering Maggie was an extremely important comic character, fans may have responded angrily to her dying on TV, but I believe The Walking Dead should’ve killed her and spared Beth. Just like Daryl Dixon, Beth was created specifically for the TV series, and she managed to exceed expectations, slowly becoming more and more popular.
After Beth failed to escape several times, Rick’s group eventually found her and bargained to free Maggie’s younger sister. However, she was shot in the head after stabbing Dawn with some scissors, which many fans felt was a complete waste of her development.
Even if the show felt they needed a big death during “Coda”, Beth was the wrong culprit, and killing off Maggie instead would’ve been just as impactful while offering a huge swerve for comic readers. Sure, it would’ve been controversial, but Maggie’s death could have completely reshaped the series, potentially allowing Beth to step into a bigger role.
Likewise, while Glenn’s Walking Dead death may still have happened, seeing him as a grieving widower going down a darker path would have been fascinating. Perhaps the creators felt Maggie was simply too critical to the franchise’s future to die in season 5, but looking back, it feels like there was more to gain by keeping Beth around instead.
Seeing her step up as a leader and taking over Hilltop was exciting, as was watching her develop some more ruthless tendencies. However, despite getting numerous opportunities, Maggie decided not to kill Negan in The Walking Dead, even though she has never fully gotten over what he did to Glenn, with the duo even being forced to work together on multiple occasions.
Lauren Cohan has the third most appearances of any Walking Dead actor as Maggie, with only Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride appearing in more episodes.
While this was fun at first, their reluctant partnership has gone on for years, and it has felt like Maggie’s entire arc has been trying to overcome her hatred for Negan since season 9. As a result, the survivor’s story hasn’t really gone anywhere recently, and I can’t help but feel TWD could’ve done much more with Beth if she was still around.
During her introduction, Beth was presented as a shy and timid survivor — the type that looked like she’d never last in the apocalypse. This made it all the more satisfying to see her learn how to handle herself while still providing a level of innocent optimism, with the hospital arc really testing her resolve and resilience.
Her friendship with Daryl would’ve undoubtedly provided some balance, and Beth could have evolved into the ultimate underdog, with many villains completely underestimating her. The idea of this once scared survivor turning into a badass — similar to Carol’s development — would have been a joy to watch, especially if she ended up honoring her sister’s legacy.
It’s still hard to imagine what The Walking Dead would look like without Maggie, given she’s been a focal point on and off for years, but with how much Beth matured throughout the series alongside her limitless potential, I would’ve loved to see her stick around longer.
Alternatively, Maggie’s death could’ve provided the same shocking payoff, and while viewers may have been angry about a classic comic character being killed off so soon, in hindsight, it wouldn’t have been the worst decision. Seeing Glenn and Beth’s reactions would’ve also made for a brutal moment full of heartbreak that I’m sad we didn’t get.
Considering that Maggie’s character eventually hit a wall, whereas Beth could’ve continued to thrive without any restrictions, I believe the two should’ve swapped fates in The Walking Dead, and for better or worse, this decision would have completely changed the franchise forever.
The disparity and arguably downfall of HBO’s live-action adaptation of the video game of the same name, The Last of Us, was surprising. What started as one of the best television shows in recent history slowly descended into mayhem over a few controversial decisions.
For context, The Last of Us season 1 received a 96% Tomatometer score, with the audience providing an 86%. However, season 2 received a 91% Tomatometer score with a 37% audience score.
What happened? Questionable choices throughout the second season, including Joel’s death, sent the fandom spiraling.
Fans of the video game were disappointed with various pieces of dialogue and changes. Meanwhile, fans of the show with no prior knowledge of Joel’s death, in particular, were betrayed.
The heart and soul of the story, the father-daughter relationship and bond between Joel and Ellie, was over. Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, recently spoke on The Awardist podcast about the incessant hate the show has since received, leading many to wonder how it will recover next season.
As reported by Deadline, Ramsey said, “There’s nothing I can do about it anyway. The show is out. There’s nothing that can be changed or altered. So, I’m like, there’s not really any point in reading or looking at anything.”
Ramsey continued, explaining that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, stating that, in regard to the upcoming third season, if haters hate the show so much, “You don’t have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again.”
It has been confirmed that The Last of Us season 3 will be focusing on Abby’s story, most likely leading up to where season 2 left off. While we cannot deny that Joel’s death wasn’t brutal and devastating, the effects of which will live on as strongly as Glenn’s demise in
How did she become involved with The Wolves? What was her relationship like with her father?
How did she finally learn of Joel’s location? If we look at The Last of Us as a whole, each season follows a different character’s story, beginning with Joel, continuing through Ellie, and perhaps ending with Abby.
Stream The Last of Us on HBO Max.