How 'The Walking Dead' Director Mastered Shiva For Episode 8x02

Shiva snacks are a treat for fans of The Walking Dead but require a bit of extra effort from the show's directors.

On Sunday night, Shiva made a Savior into a snack as King Ezekiel lead his group to an outpost they have been burdened with raiding. The tiger lept into frame and devoured an unsuspecting enemy, who was probably as surprised to see a tiger in the Virginia woods as fans were to see her in the Season 7 trailer, in the first place.

In order to execute such a sequence, according to director Rosemary Rodriguez, a bit of extra planning and special shot selections are required.

"The first thing you have to do is find the perfect location," Rodriguez said. "You have people on one side of the river and you have the other side. You have to deal the action of th camera on the other side, too, so that you can go over. There's really a point to have a camera go and see the guy getting attacked by Shiva and actually you see that happening, then see our people on the other side of the river."

To deliver the stakes, it was important to Rodriguez to bring more than only "Ezekiel and Carol's perspective," to the scene, which requires the camera "to get inside to get close to it."

Interestingly enough, Rodriguez's journey to becoming a director on The Walking Dead was facilitated by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. While she has directed him in an episode on Season 7, Rodriguez's efforts on Episode 8x02 did not call for a single scene involving Morgan's Negan.

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