'The Walking Dead' Season 7: Will Dwight betray Negan and the Saviors?

In a show like The Walking Dead, which makes pretty clear distinctions between its heroes and villains, Dwight is an anomaly. Sure, most viewers probably aren't fans of the guy, especially since he was tormenting fan-favorite Daryl for much of the season. But it's hard not to feel sympathy for the character after what he's endured from Negan. 

He was punished for attempting to escape with Sherry, and gained his gnarly scar as a result. Plus, Sherry became one of Negan's many wives — a fact Negan has repeatedly pushed in his face. Now, after the latest episode of season seven, "Hostiles and Calamities," we learn that Sherry left the Sanctuary and set Daryl free. Instead of waiting for Dwight at a getaway spot they agreed to awhile back — which was probably their home before the zombie outbreak — she left a note along with her wedding ring. 

"I let Daryl go because he reminded you of who you used to be, and I wanted to let you forget," a Sherry voiceover says. "I loved who you were, I'm sorry I made you into who you are." Ouch. 

While it's a small mercy that Dwight lies to Negan and says that he kills Sherry, he's far from a good character. Case in point: Framing Sherry and Daryl's escape on the Sanctuary's (admittedly curt) doctor. That man literally gets thrown into a furnace by Negan as punishment, and Dwight shows little remorse after the fact. For now, he's still a loyal follower. He's one of many "Negans." 

But is that set to change in the near future? If The Walking Dead comics are any indication, we could see Dwight become a turncoat by the end of the season. 

Comic book Dwight eventually betrays Negan and the Saviors, basically, because Negan continuously taunts Dwight about Sherry and how attractive she is (he does this frequently in the show as well). Eventually, this leads Dwight to set up a secret meeting with Rick, King Ezekiel and Jesus to take down Negan. In the end, Dwight is one of the most important catalysts in the Saviors' eventual downfall. 

The key difference here, of course, is that Sherry is now firmly out of the picture. In the comics, she's still at the Sanctuary when Dwight decides to betray Negan. 

Since Dwight told Negan that she's dead, and we can't imagine the character reappearing on the show, the biggest question is: If Sherry leaving doesn't turn Dwight, what else could? We've seen Negan emasculate Dwight — and really, everyone on The Walking Dead — for the better part of season seven. If Dwight is going to follow the comics and eventually help Rick and co., something more abhorrent than stealing Dwight's wife and burning his face with an iron has to happen. In other words, something pretty big.  

Conversely, Dwight could remain a bad guy in the show. He's the Daryl Dixon equivalent of the comics (Daryl is a TV-only character) and having both characters imbue the same anti-hero characteristics might not make much sense. The show doesn't always have to follow the route of the comics. Also, Dwight was torturing an imprisoned Daryl with "Easy Street" on repeat, so it's difficult to imagine Daryl showing any mercy the next time they meet — just look at what he did to Fat Joey. 

Depending on how TV-show Dwight sways, the character could be around for the long-term — or one of many casualties in the show's take of "All Out War."  

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