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‘The Walking Dead’s’ Seth Gilliam Insists Father Gabriel Locked the Gate

Since the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead there’s one hot topic that continues to be on everyone’s mind. Negan’s release. The common thought is that Negan escaping his cell is Father Gabriel’s fault. Many tweets went around the internet the night the finale aired that emphasized the shock as Negan walked out of his cell. This of course left some people cheering and some people wondering how on Earth this could have happened. The truth is fans of the comics knew that this moment was inevitable. What takes place from here is always up in the air though as we know the show does not follow the comics. However, despite our assumptions on who dropped the ball on locking the guard gate, Seth Gilliam is quite adamant that Father Gabriel did not.

While at Walker Stalker Con in New Jersey he passed the blame onto the guard working at the time insisting that, “I think he’d be pissed at the guard that he left on duty when he slammed the gate — shut and locked.” Gilliam provides a good point that makes it almost vital to watch the mid-season finale upon the return in February of the show to see if fans might have missed that small detail. Regardless of who didn’t lock the door no one was there to stop Negan from escaping! Where the guard then?

We all know the distraction Gabriel faced upon hearing about the injury Rosita sustained from the previous episode. Anyone would be angry if they had to sit around and essentially baby-sit a prisoner who has shown no desire in eight years to better himself. Why should Gabriel keep trying? Gilliam has a point when he reiterated that Father Gabriel “slammed the f—ing gate shut and it locked.” One would assume there’s no bounce back, but there’s always the what ifs regarding the scenario. However, I fortunately do not know how most prison doors operate in an actual prison yet alone a zombie apocalypse prison.

Regardless, the entire idea that Gabriel is to blame for Negan escaping has Gilliam quite passionate upon explaining once more “there was a f—ing guard standing by.” I love the passion Gilliam has when defending his character.  I find it difficult not to want to defend characters actions sometimes in my writing because as a writer we all want to believe our character would or would not do something.  We truly become a part of these characters and the actors portrayals are no different in what way.

I am interested in seeing which characters blame whom upon once the show returns in February.  Will Father Gabriel’s anger rise to the surface and unleashed on the guard working at he time?  Will they blame Gabriel? I predict that whoever received the blame will have Michonne’s wrath unleashed upon them as well as Aaron’s.  After the death of Jesus in he mid-season finale I feel that Aaron will be itching to take his anger out on whoever blame falls upon. In all fairness though Negan’s escape appeared inevitable with Morgan’s talents lurking within the cell yearning for a release.

Do you feel that Father Gabriel unintentionally left the door unlocked?  Was Negan’s escape inevitable?  Let us know in the comments below.

Source: ComicBook.com