We hope last week’s Kingdom episode helped you catch your breath after the gruesome premiere because this week didn’t hold back. In 703 we took our first trip to Negan’s Sanctuary where we witnessed Daryl’s torture, Dwight’s reluctance, and Negan’s arrogance. But how did the tense episode stack up to the source material? Although Daryl doesn’t exist in the comics, several moments in the episode are informed by them and imply future storylines. Below we’ve compiled the similarities and differences of Season 7 Episode 3:
The Sanctuary
This episode may contrast a lot with the comics but The Sanctuary was spot-on. In both the comic and show The Sanctuary is a former factory surrounded by pinned-up walkers for defense. See for yourself:
Comics
Show
Daryl
Since Daryl doesn’t exist in the comics his time as a prisoner only happened in the show. HOWEVER, his experience paints an accurate picture of The Sanctuary that DOES exist in the source material, and that’s important for future storylines.
Show
After defying Negan in the season premiere Daryl’s taken to The Sanctuary to become a prisoner. He’s subjected to isolation, dog food sandwiches, endless loops of “Easy Street,” and horrible mind games. It’s all in an effort for Negan to break him, which doesn’t happen. Despite Daryl’s defiance, Negan keeps him alive because he believes he can eventually become his new right-hand man.
Comics
Negan & Dwight’s Strange Relationship
A friend who dates your girlfriend isn’t a friend. A friend who marries your girlfriend, makes you live with them, and acts like you’re cool because he didn’t kill you is…your best friend? This is the hell Dwight lives in for both the comics and show. Sure, Negan allows him to live comfortably in The Sanctuary, but Dwight has to endure watching Negan parade around with his former wife, Sherry. Negan seems content with it but there’s clearly something brewing in Dwight. It’s an odd couple “friendship” worth paying attention to for future episodes.
The Highway
However divergent these scenes were from panel to screen, the show helped make Dwight resemble his COMIC self more than ever.
Show
Dwight runs into a runaway Savior on the highway named Gordon, who has concluded death is a better fate than spending any more time serving Negan. The interaction ends in Gordon’s execution, which serves as a crucial moment for Dwight, who’s plainly conflicted with his role as Negan’s lap dog.
Comics
Gordon doesn’t exist and Dwight never experiences this dilemma. Instead, he’s tailed by Jesus, who’s promptly caught by the Saviors and loaded up into the Jeep. On their way to The Sanctuary the always elusive Jesus sneaks off the back and Dwight instructs the other Saviors not to mention their mishap to Negan.
Dark Dwight Origins
To understand Dwight’s growing reluctance is to understand his past. This week’s episode finally provided closure on how Dwight received his infamous scars.
Comics
Without revealing too much Dwight explains how he and his wife Sherry chose to follow Negan in exchange for a better life. Negan takes Sherry to be his wife, later catches Dwight sleeping with her, and punishes him by sticking a hot iron to the side of his face.
(Side Note: Dwight’s a LITTLE more hostile towards Sherry in the comics…)
Yikes.
Show
In the show Dwight and Sherry escape The Sanctuary and are caught by the Saviors, leading Sherry to strike a deal where she’ll marry Negan to save Dwight’s life. Negan lets him live but makes an example of him by ironing the side of his face. Eventually, Dwight moves up the ranks all the way to Negan’s right-hand man. Although things “worked out,” Dwight still harbors animosity towards Negan for taking Sherry.
You may think this episode was all about Daryl, but really it was more about Dwight. We knew Daryl was strong and wouldn’t break under the craziest of circumstances (that polaroid was a dick move). What we DIDN’T know was how unsure Dwight was to be Negan’s main man. This character trait is true for both show AND comic Dwight, who never completely buys in to Negan’s way of life. How do YOU think this will play out? Will show Dwight head down the same road as comic Dwight? Will Daryl find a way to escape? Will Easy Street become the most hated song in America?? Tell us in the comments!
Dwight is HOT!!
I’m gonna steal that “image not found” picture and use it to break the news to people about everyone’s favorite* greasy redneck when I’m trying to get them into the comic.
* Word is likely not in line with this commentor’s actual opinions on said character
LOLs! You know I like that!
I hope someone else still visits the sanctuary soon. That Was one of my favorite things on the comic.
Only One wife? Walking Around fully clothed?
Well, I guess lingerie is for Negan’s eyes only.
I hope Dwight and Daryl join forces, they would make a good duo.
I was disappointed that they changed the Negan, Sherry and Dwight situation from comics to TV. In the comics, as shown above, Sherry chose to be one of Negan’s wives because she knew it would make things nicer and easier for her and Dwight. There was no marrying Negan to save Dwight’s life, like on TV. And in the comics Sherry didn’t have a sister that Negan was going to force to marry him for medication that she needed.
Those two incidents in the TV show are essentially coercion of women by Negan and that’s something that comic Negan never did. He always made it clear that his wives were with him on a strictly volunteer basis; if they wanted to be with him fine, they would have an easy life and not have to earn points by working hard. If they didn’t want to “marry” him then that was fine too; they’d simply continue to have jobs and earn points just like every other citizen of The Sanctuary. There was no having to marry him to save someone’s life or to obtain life-saving medication. To change those details is to change who Negan is, making him far worse than his comic book counterpart. That’s unnecessary IMO because Negan is enough of a villain already.
Yeah, comic Negan gave them a choice. The alternative was not the better choice. We don’t know exactly how bad the point system was or how bad the details of the alternative was but I’d like to think that Negan’s “wives” didn’t leave their husbands & choose to be Negan’s “wives” because they wanted to. Negan gave them a choice but surely made it emotionally impossible to choose otherwise. They chose the lesser of 2 hardships. The show is portraying what seemingly a lot of people misunderstand about Negan from the comic.