'The Walking Dead's Chandler Riggs Watches Fans React To Carl's Death

After starring in the zombie apocalypse TV series The Walking Dead for the better part of a [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

After starring in the zombie apocalypse TV series The Walking Dead for the better part of a decade, original series star Chandler Riggs departed the series after his character Carl suffered a fatal zombie bite. Many of the show's most devout fans knew the moment was coming and decided to document their reaction to the emotional sendoff. Riggs himself sat down to watch these reactions and how his character's passing affected the passionate fanbase, which you can witness in the video below.

Given the character's history and longevity through the show's history, many fans thought Carl's death would be an impossibility. As you can see in the video above, knowing that a beloved character would no longer be a member of the show was an emotional revelation.

Many of the viewers used colorful language to express their sadness over the scene, with one fan saying, "This is so f-cking hard." Riggs chimed in to say, "I had the same reaction when I was reading the script."

Riggs ended the video by thanking the fans for tuning in and supporting Carl, and Riggs, over the years as it was the viewers who kept the show going this long.

Fans weren't the only ones disappointed with Riggs' departure, as co-star Norman Reedus shared the sense of loss he felt when learning the character was leaving the series.

"I was desperately unhappy about that," Reedus said in an interview with EW. "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."

The series' creator, Robert Kirkman, also detailed the difficulties of killing the character during a recent Tumblr Q&A.

"This was a big one," Kirkman shared. "It's a very hot button issue on the internet as well because there's a very vocal group of fans blowing up my Twitter at all hours of the day very upset over the loss. It was very tough for me as well. I think there's a disconnect in that this is something I was dealing with a year ago… so I may seem flippant in interviews now when it's brought up, because I've made my peace with it."

"That's not to say I didn't support it," Kirkman added. "Because I did. But Carl is one of my favorites and Chandler Riggs was an essential part of the show from day one… so it's still upsetting. It's not unlike Andrea's death in the comics, which upset me very much, and yet I was 100% responsible for it. But I knew it was necessary for the story and would lead to interesting developments to keep things moving along… same with Carl in the show. It's upsetting… but knowing what's coming out of it makes the loss a little easier."

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 p.m. ET on April 15th. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

What was your reaction to seeing the character die? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Twitter, rhettandlink]

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