There was a lot going on in this week’s episode of The Walking Dead. We were re-introduced to a new bad guy on the series, we witnessed one of the creepiest sequences of the series’ run, and a character death may have spelled doom for one Daryl Dixon.
A lot of crazy things have also happened over the course of the entire series, but Robert Kirkman and the three showrunners (Frank Darabont, Glen Mazzara, and Scott Gimple) have always managed to keep the series rooted in reality, inasmuch as one can when dealing with an apocalyptic zombie scenario. Credit to the writers of the show for their ability to make us believe in a lot of wild, implausible scenarios.
In this week’s episode, however, they went too far. They finally introduced a character development that no one believed for a second. For Daryl Dixon, it’s practically bordering on character assassination. In “Twice as Far,” writer Matthew Negrete suggested something about Daryl that no one could believe, and Negrete is a frequent enough writer on the series that he should know better.
Guys: They tried to convince us that Daryl Dixon couldn’t drive a stick shift.
Twitter wasn’t having it.
Daryl can't drive stick. He wouldn't last on The Amazing Race. LOL #TheWalkingDead
— Tracee (@TraceeM) March 21, 2016
Daryl's kryptonite is a stick shift?! LMBO! #TheWalkingDead
— Letty (@rowdycow1) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/BeardedHeckler/status/711722087044489216
Daryl can't drive a stick? That's the 1st thing I've seen that he couldn't do well. #TheWalkingDead
— HorrorFuel.com (@HorrorFuel_com) March 21, 2016
Daryl the badass motorcycle riding crossbow shooting can't drive a stick?#TheWalkingDead
— Brandon (@teamfuel88) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/TheDarkPixie/status/711722209404846080
https://twitter.com/AuthorNinaPerez/status/711722258591383553
https://twitter.com/The_Becktacular/status/711722279441461248
Daryl can't drive stick. What kind of blasphemous s#!t is this?!? He is supposed to be the manliest of men. #thewalkingdead #TWD
— – Aaron – (@AboveAverageA) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/lainsb2231/status/711722536086544384
Most unbelievable part of this show is that a Redneck like Daryl doesn't know how to drive stick.#TWD #TheWalkingDead
— Krystle #Kraze Stan 🤓🌊🇺🇸🏴🔴⚫ (@Kryingkrys) March 21, 2016
Not believable that #daryl would not be able to drive stick. Bah! #TWD #TheWalkingDead badasses drive stick @wwwbigbaldhead
— Katia (@oolasha) March 21, 2016
Funny that in #TheWalkingDead, the most unbelievable thing that's happened in six seasons is Daryl not knowing how to drive a stick.
— nabor605 (@nabor605) March 21, 2016
Since he rides a bike Daryl wouldn't have so much trouble driving a stick… a clutch is a clutch…just sayin' #TheWalkingDead #DeadBuzz
— 😎 Böschii 😎 (@Boschii) March 21, 2016
Daryl rides motorcycles. He should know how to drive a stick. #TheWalkingDead
— Carl Stawicki (@Carl_Stawicki) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/Tray_Hurn/status/711723076715732999
Daryl can shoot a crossbow, kill walkers, be a overall badass. Yet he can't drive stick! #TWD #TheWalkingDead
— FleurDeWolves (@FleurDeWolves) March 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/cintron_matt/status/711722800310935553
More unbelievable than a world full of zombies: Daryl Dixon cannot drive a stick shift. #TheWalkingDead
— Kelli Marshall (@KelliMarshall) March 21, 2016
Zombies overrunning the planet, we will believe. Ten characters in Alexandria basically killing 1,000 zombies in a montage, we have no trouble buying. Glenn surviving that incident on the dumpster, no problem. But Daryl Dixon not being able to drive a stick shift? No f*cking way. That is a bridge too far.