[dropcap size=small]I[/dropcap]f you have not yet watched the mid-season finale of season five of The Walking Dead, then I recommend that you stop reading, as there are definite spoilers ahead. So catch up with Rick and the rest of the zombie-killing gang, and then proceed reading.
Emily Kinney’s character, Beth, was killed at the end of the episode in a confrontation with Dawn, the leader of Grady Memorial Hospital, where Beth was taken in, nursed backed to health, and forced to work to pay off her debt. Needless to say, her death sent fans of the show into an absolute frenzy. And to make matters worse, the official Facebook page for The Walking Dead uploaded a photo of Daryl carrying Beth’s lifeless body with the caption “RIP Beth.” Have a look below.
The problem? This was shortly after the episode aired on the east coast, thus spoiling the major character’s death for millions of devoted fans in other parts of the country and world altogether. Bad move, AMC.
In response to Beth’s death, fans created a petition on Change.org lobbying to bring the character back to life, and it has since gained over 57,000 signatures. The petition acknowledges the difficult situation that this would present:
“We realize that the circumstances she dies in are irreversible, but this is television. Anything is possible. By signing this petition you can at least show your support for Beth. Let’s show Emily Kinney how much we love her and want her back.”
Rumors abound regarding the possibility of Beth returning to the show, and in the off-chance that The Walking Dead creator and executive producer Robert Kirkman does listen to the fans, the likeliest of storylines is that her death was all in the mind of Carol, who is portrayed by Melissa McBride. Carol, Beth, and Norman Reedus’s Daryl Dixon have an understated post-apocalyptic love triangle, and although nothing overtly romantic has happened between any of them, there have definitely been shared moments over the past couple of seasons. If this situation were to play out, the manifestation of Carol’s jealousy of Daryl’s possible affection for Beth could force Kirkman’s hand in creating a concrete romantic situation for Daryl in the future. Needless to say, Kirkman and his team would have their work cut out for them.
Do you want to see Beth return to The Walking Dead? Have you already signed the petition? Let us know in the comments!
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on February 8.
