The Walking Dead Exclusive: Austin Amelio Wants Dwight To Betray Negan

Spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 11 follow.

Negan is pushing Dwight really far on The Walking Dead. In fact, Negan might be pushing Dwight too far. He already stole his wife and burned his face but repeatedly belittling and having him beaten might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In Sunday’s Hostiles and Calamities episode, Dwight paid for Daryl’s escape. We learned that it came from Sherry’s aid, which Dwight ultimately covered up to protect the woman who left him for Negan. He lied to Negan and got another man killed, along the way.

Why did he do that?

“He’s got a bigger plan,” Dwight actor Austin Amelio tells ComicBook.com.

One thing is clear, Dwight reached his breaking point on Sunday night. According to Amelio, though, it wasn’t when the character was beaten or the the doctor was killed. Instead, it was a more intimate moment which pushed him over the edge.

“In the episode, the breaking point is going to the house and going down memory lane, going back to where him and Sherry’s hopes and aspirations lived and where their dreams lived and then just riding into it, it’s like a cemetery,” Amelio says. “Everything is dead there, besides the fact that he leaves beer and pretzels. That’s the one thing that he remembers, which I thought was a really special moment just because in the letter, she’s like, ‘You forget everything,’ and it goes off on that. That’s the one thing he remembers. That’s how much he cares for her.”

Of course, all of this will naturally prompt fans of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead comics to suspect Dwight’s arc in the books of betraying Negan and becoming an ally of Rick and King Ezekiel in the war ahead will be fulfilled on the AMC series. While Amelio can’t reveal whether this will be the case in the coming episodes, he is in the same camp as most of the fans who are rooting for the betrayal.

“I would love to do that, man,” Amelio said. “Are you kidding me? That would be great. Of course. I think he’s going to do whatever he can do in order to hang onto Sherry in this moment in time. Betraying Negan or coming into power of some sorts would be a pretty epic maneuver if he can pull it off. I would love to see the emotion going through him if that were to happen, if it does happen.”

MORE WALKING DEAD: What Happens To Dwight In The Comics? / What Happens To Eugene In The Comics? / Who Dies In Hostiles And Calamities? / Austin Amelio Calls Season 7 Finale A Fulfilling Turning Point / Another X-Files Connection In TWD

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.