Good post, have to agree with a lot of that.
Rick and Daryl really make it for me too. And if Daryl is ever killed off which seems likely as everyone is expendable in this series, then I might just shed a tear.
With regards to you asking about Daryl's back story, Norman Reedus, just recently gave an interview, where he said that the directors had originally planned to kill him off, and that he was meant to be exactly like his brother. He was supposed to be anti-social, racist and aggressive, but he changes the role himself, and it has clearly worked.
I think Glenn was a big loss, but it is what makes the series so great, Glenn was always the one that seemed to balance the group for me, and was always the voice of reason, when Daryll and Rick were pissed.
How about when Rick bites the guys throats out when he is in the bear hug? That is one hell of a scene.
What is amazing about this series, is that to me it's very realistic, in the sense, you see the lengths that people will go to survive and the mental effect that it has on ordinary people. In most zombie films, all humans get along and try to survive whereas this truly shows people's selfish nature, and the development of different factions.
The girl scene didn't effect me too much personally, but the young girl you talk about played the role really well tbf to her, to act so dark and so convincingly is impressive.
I agree on Negan as well, a character that people love to hate, and he really is a sick Son of a bitch. In the comics I have been told he survives and is chucked in jail, but I just don't see that happening in the tv show, as he has pissed off, Maggie, Rick, Daryl, Tara and Rosita, to the point where they all want to kill him.
And as Rick has promised him. He will kill him, so will be interesting to see how it develops. Role on October.