Warning: There are major spoilers ahead if you are not caught up with "The Walking Dead."
The end of Sunday's "The Walking Dead"caught fans off guard.
In the episode's final moments, Dwight (Austin Amelio) unexpectedly shot fan favorite Daryl. Before fans could learn the character's fate, the screen faded quickly to black.
Many fans are probably jumping to the conclusion that Dwight killed Daryl, and they are losing it.
Tech Insider learned from "The Walking Dead" actor Austin Amelio, Dwight himself, that that isn't the case. Daryl is alive and (somewhat) well. Not only did Amelio tell us he shot Daryl in the right shoulder, but he also said you'll want to take another listen to the end of Sunday's episode. A line, which upset fans may have missed, was specifically added to reassure viewers Daryl would be okay.
However, Austin hopes fans don't notice the added line of dialogue.
He told Tech Insider he's looking forward to being the most hated man on the show — at least until the season six finale.
"I’m ready for the hate mail," Amelio said eagerly. "I was like, my ears and mailbox are open. Let the hate mail come in. I know Daryl is like the most beloved character on that show."
While Amelio may garner a lot of hate directly after the episode from fans, the actor told us a line Dwight says after the screen fades to black, "Don't worry. You'll be all right," was added later to the episode by showrunner Scott Gimple to soften the blow to his character.
"You know, what’s interesting is that Scott was so afraid that people were going to hate me so much that he actually added in a line for me at the end so I would be hated less," Amelio explained. "That wasn't in the script originally. Then Scott called me up a couple weeks ago and he's like, 'We should put in this line at the end here because I just don't want people hating you TOO much.' And I was like, 'Oh, okay. Great! Thanks, Scott. I appreciate that.'"
"He’s looking out for me, which is nice, but I am ready for the hate mail," he added. "People are not going to like me, but I guess that comes with the story of Dwight’s character."
If you're familiar with the comics, Dwight's one of Negan's right-hand men, but he doesn't always stay that way. Overtime, though it may be hard to believe, he too may end up being a fan favorite.
Amelio says he already started to experience a little bit of mixed reactions from fans after killing off Denise's character in the March 20 episode.
"Since last Sunday’s episode came out, it’s been pretty funny watching all the comments come in on Twitter and Instagram," said Amelio. "They’re like, ‘I love you, but I hate you! Welcome to ‘The Walking Dead.’'"
When it comes to a main character like Daryl, the stakes are a little bit higher. Many of Daryl Dixon's fans call themselves Dixon's Vixens. The fandom mantra is "If Daryl dies, we riot," one which Amelio says he's very familiar with.
Amelio said the cast and crew didn't prep him for any potential backlash his character may receive from "The Walking Dead" fandom.
"No. Not at all. When I shot that episode, it was a while ago," Amelio said. "But it was kind of an ongoing joke. You are going to be the most hated guy ever on this TV series and I welcome that. That’s all right. The TV show is doing it’s job, and, hopefully, I am if people hate me. I can’t complain. I’m working, which is awesome. If people will hate, hopefully it will just be for a little bit of time and then they’ll start to like me … sooner or later."
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