It’s an even worse-kept secret than Jon Snow not being dead on Game of Thrones: Carl Grimes’ days are kaput on The Walking Dead. The midseason premiere on February 25 will be his final episode. This is a big deal for many reasons: Carl’s still alive in the comics, he’s the son of the main character, and Chandler Riggs is one of only four actors who have been on the show since season one. One of the others, Norman Reedus, is not happy with this decision.
“I was desperately unhappy about that,” he told Entertainment Weekly about Carl’s forthcoming demise. “I’ve seen Chandler grow up from a little boy. I’ve known that kid so long, and it always hurts when you lose a family member on the show. Chandler is definitely a family member to me. I was not happy about it. I always thought Chandler would be the last man standing, to be honest.”
This could be Reedus drawing publicity for a show with declining ratings, but it doesn’t seem like it — he sounds legitimately upset with soon-to-be-ex-showrunner Scott Gimple’s commitment to kill Carl. “The people that started this show, to me, are the heart of the show,” Reedus said. “When you lose those key members, it’s such a big blow to the show, and to the fans, and to us that are there. Who’s left? There’s only a few of us left out of all those people. If you wanted to turn it into a totally different show, you get rid of those people. But if you want to hold onto what made the show special, you’ve got to be very careful what you do with those people.” At least Rick, Daryl, and Carol are safe.
For now.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
