The Walking Dead: Michael Cudlitz Reveals Inspiration Behind Heartbreaking Easter Egg

10/25/2016 04:22 pm EDT

At this point, it's no secret that Glenn and Abraham were killed by Negan in the season seven premiere of The Walking Dead. We know that Glenn's death was extremely emotional as he said goodbye to his wife with his final words.

In contrast, many see Abraham's death as a much more vulgar ordeal, as his last words were "Suck my nuts."

This was a very fitting way for Abraham to send himself off of the show, as his vulgarity was one of his biggest trademarks. What fans are starting to notice, however, is that Abraham's death was much more sentimental than originally thought.

After Negan announces that Abraham will be his victim, the character gave a slight acknowledgement to his girl, Sasha. The motion was so slight that many missed it the first time around, but it's impossible to un-see once you've figured it out.

Just before the camera cuts over to Sasha, Abraham forms a peace sign at his side.

While it doesn't seem like much, this gesture is extremely meaningful to the two characters. Since their relationship started as less-than-friends, they weren't into using any kind of intimate signals. The peace became their handshake as their bond grew.

Even after Abraham and Sasha realized that they cared deeply about one another, they decided to hang on to the peace sign as their unofficial moniker. Each time they would leave one another's sight, a prolonged peace sign would be thrown into action.

This is a great Easter Egg for fans who were playing close attention, and it's the kind of deep cut that takes a lot of thought. A move like this is usually made by the creative team, but the decision to hold the sign up wasn't made by the producers or director.

Michael Cudlitz, who plays Abraham, actually had a big hand in inserting this Easter Egg, as he collaborated with the producers on how to say goodbye. He wanted to tell Sasha that everything was going to be okay, and the peace sign was her last memory of her lover.

When speaking with ComicBook.com's Walking Dead Insider Brandon Davis, Cudlitz addressed his choice to include the peace sign. He had this to say on the subject:

"The peace sign was something that read with Abraham and Sasha throughout the whole series. It was this unspoken, very loaded peace sign."

If that goodbye doesn't hit fans right in the heart, maybe nothing well. While Abraham was a rough ragged kind of guy, he used his final gesture to let the woman he loved know he was going out on his own terms.

In peace.

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