We’re still basking in the glow of The Walking Dead’s eye-popping 2016 premiere “No Way Out,” even if at least a few lives were lost to the carnage of Alexandria streets. That said, one fan-favorite character may have sustained an injury that could prove stealthily fatal, if not outright foreshadowing their imminent demise.

You’re warned of full spoilers for Sunday’s Walking Dead premiere from here on out, but where the hour only appeared to claim Jessie, Ron, Sam, Negan’s men and the Wolf, did you happen to notice one series regular suffering a significant wound amid all the carnage? No, we’re not talking about Carl (grave though the loss of his eye may be), but the seemingly invincible Daryl, who took a minor off-screen laceration from an unnamed Savior before decimating the rest with a rocket launcher.

The Walking Dead No Way Out Daryl Cut
AMC
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Such a wound may seem innocuous enough (Daryl himself even shrugs it off), but could have a deeper significance, considering “No Way Out” again took time to spotlight the cut at the end, as Denise stitched him up. What’s the big deal, you ask? Why, just one particular stretch of the comics where Negan’s men used some downright dirty tactics against Rick’s group, namely coating their weapons in walker filth to infect anyone they cut.

The Walking Dead Negan Weapons
Image Comics
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It certainly doesn’t bode well either, that the imagery put blood on Daryl’s iconic winged vest, perhaps a sign of his increased vulnerability. We know the back half of Season 6 will prove particularly Daryl-heavy, unlikely to be slowed down by the fever associated with cuts and bites, but might the wound have made Daryl Dixon a marked man? Lest we forget, Norman Reedus has a new show on AMC, while many have theorized that someone other than Glenn will suffer the fate bestowed by Negan’s introduction in the books.

It’s only a theory for now, but might Daryl’s invincibility have finally expired? Should the countdown have truly begun, how might we finally lose our favorite cross-bow wielding hero? Will Norman Reedus’ fanbase ever truly recover? Stay tuned for more on tonight’s premiere, and celebrate the return of The Walking Dead!

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