The Walking Dead Removed More Violent Takes From Midseason 7 Finale

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead For The Walking Dead Season 7!

Many critics jumped onto the backs of The Walking Dead‘s creative team after the graphic season seven premiere. Many said it was too much to show on television, and that the gore wasn’t acceptable.

They had a point, it was incredibly graphic, but that’s what most people would expect from The Walking Dead.

Apparently, the show’s producers took this criticism to heart, and they let it influence the outcome of the recent midseason finale.

In an exclusive interview with ComicBook.com Walking Dead Insider Brandon Davis, Joshua Hoover – who plays Fat Joey on the show – explained that his death scene was actually much more graphic when they filmed it.

If you remember the episode, Daryl beat Fat Joey to death with a metal pipe. The camera focused on Daryl for most of the scene. In fact, you really didn’t see Fat Joey at all. It felt odd that a show like The Walking Dead was avoiding a violent act, as the show has been built on violence from the start.

According to Hoover, they cut out the scene where his head burst open. When Brandon asked if they held anything back Hoover replied, “Absolutely.” The actor then went on to explain that they filmed an entire sequence that didn’t make the final cut.

“Yeah I took a hit. I took a hit on the head from Mr. Norman Reedus, and it was a good hit. Norman Reedus has swung a metal pipe before in his life I think,” Hoover said. “Yeah I got hit right square in the head. There was the special effects that they do with the blood packet. They had a blood packet on the pipe and it just went everywhere. Everybody said it looked so awesome, but also pretty graphic. So i’m assuming that’s why they didn’t show that angle, they probably had a little too much already with Spencer’s guts. But, yeah, there was definitely another shot, and I’d like to see that footage.”

Wouldn’t we all?

Spencer’s guts scene was a lot to stomach, but it felt out of place to cut away from a violent death on The Walking Dead. Is the show finally toning down the violence?

MORE WALKING DEAD:

Who Is Creeping On ASZ? / Did The Whisperers Arrive? / Midseason Finale Recap / Internet Reacts To Midseason Finale / Gallery Of Negan’s Midseason Finale Kills / Important Fat Joey Detail You May Have Missed / New Season 7B Key Art / Andrew Lincoln Is Unhappy About Unhappy Fans

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of Season 7 on February 12, 2016. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.