Now that the third presidential debate is behind us and voting day is still a couple of weeks ahead of us, it’s time to discuss an issue of almost greater importance. Namely, who’s going to die this Sunday?

Season six of the Walking Dead left left us at the precipice of a horrifying cliffhanger, with most the the shows starring characters on their knees before Neagan, with the certainty that one of them will be meeting their demise due to a close encounter with Lucille, Neagan’s barbwire-wrapped baseball bat.

Who will it be?

Glenn, Rosita, Darryl, Michonne, Abraham, Maggie, Rick, Sasha, Aaron, Carl and Eugene – pick one.

We can safely take two of them off the list immediately. Rick is safe, not only because he’s the star of the show, but because Neagan is counting on Rick’s leadership ability to keep the rest of the group in line after the execution.

CAUTION – SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD
CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK

Carl, likewise, is safe. Not because of any special purpose (though, spoiler alert, Carl does go on to have some form of relationship with Neagan in the comic book), but because Neagan instructs the Saviors to cut out Carl’s other eye and feed it to Rick if anyone acts up during the clubbing. Therefore, Carl is not the one being clubbed.

Glenn is an obvious candidate because he’s the one that gets it in the comic.

The only downside to the Glenn “theory” is you have to wonder why the show’s writers had him escape two almost impossible to survive situations in Season 6, only to kill him off a few episodes later? Unless they were toying with us, making us think he’s “immortal” only to kill him off to show us that no one is safe (an element of the show that I enjoyed about the show in its earlier years, but which seems to have gone by the wayside).

Next in the line up is Rosita. I don’t think it’s going to be her for two reasons. First, from a viewer perspective – while she’s been with the show for a few seasons now, she hasn’t taken on much of a role – killing her won’t have much impact on the audience.

Secondly, from the perspective that Neagan has doubtless gained by surveilling the group, he has no reason to think that Rosita is an integral member of the group. Therefore, killing her off won’t have any real impact on the ability of the group to operate.

Therefore, Rosita is safe.

Sadly, the two factors that Rosita has in her favor are certainly not in Darryl’s favor, being both a fan favorite AND one of the group’s most valued members. If I were Neagan, he would be my choice. But, I’m sure the writers have some empathy for the fans and won’t do away with Darryl in such a senseless fashion. Therefore, unless they concoct a way for Darryl to give his life in a trully heroic manner, I’d expect he’s with us ’til the show runs out of juice.

Darryl is safe.

Abraham has MAJOR problems.

He’s been active enough in the show for us (the viewers) to have some attachment to him. He’s also taken on a prominent role in the group AND has established himself as a leader in the eyes of the Alexandrians as well. Not to mention, the fate that he met in the comic was visited up Denise in the show, meaning he’s on borrowed time.

Next in line is Michonne. Given what’s happened to the previous women that Rick developed feelings for, she’s already tempting fate. She’s also a popular character among the viewers and within the group, so her death would be felt across the spectrum.

The factors that she has going for her are that her character plays an important role in the upcoming storyline of the comics (although Carole looks positioned to take that story line), and (putting myself in Neagan’s shoes), just the fact that Abraham looks like far more of a badass than her, so if his goal is to take out a powerful member of the group, Abraham fits that role much better than Michonne.

She’s safe.

Maggie is next in line. Killing her would certainly showcase Neagan’s cruelty, and her death would be jarring to fans, the group, Alexandrians and even the people at the Hilltop. The fact that she’s pregnant MIGHT have been a factor too – that could have been a storyline that was developed just to make her death even that more jarring.

Recall, the show already has one baby who hasn’t had any real part of the story – Judith, so I can’t see why the writers would go out of their way to add a second baby to the storyline.

Adding to the plausibility of it being Maggie are the rumors that the opener will have not one death but two. Killing Maggie would cause Glenn to lose it and take actions that would lead to his rapid extinction, giving us two deaths, and as an added bonus(?), have Glenn die as a result of Neagan, just as he does in the comic.

We already know that Rick isn’t going to be it, so we’ll skip him.

Sasha is next in line. She has a role in the main group, but hasn’t played too central of a role, so her death would be sad, but not as devastating an Abraham, or a Maggie/Glenn twofer would. Plus, she benefits from her unimposing stature, same as Michonne, meaning that Neagan won’t perceive her to be a risk to the Saviors.

Aaron is too new to the show for his death to be very moving to the fans, and he, too, gets the same shield as Michonne and Sasha – there is no strategic advantage for Neagan to gain by killing him.

Carl is safe, because he needs to be be alive to have his eye cut out and fed to Rick if the group acts up during the execution.

Last in line is Eugene. Viewers and the group all know him well, so his death would be jarring to everyone involved. However, he benefits from the same unimposing, nay, wimpy, clause that should save so many others in the group

My prediction?

1) Abraham

2) Maggie, then Glenn

3) Glenn alone

4) Darryl

I can’t imagine it being anyone else. What about you?