Carl's Final 'The Walking Dead' Episode Gets Extended Runtime

Carl's send off from The Walking Dead can't be contained to the standard 60-minute broadcast slot. As a result, The Walking Dead's Mid-Season Eight premiere has been extended to run for 82 minutes.

The title of the episode has not yet been revealed.

While The Walking Dead fans have largely shown their displeasure with the AMC show's choice to suddenly take Carl out, director of the Mid-Season Eight premiere and executive producer Greg Nicotero believes audiences will come around when the new episode airs. "It's a beautiful episode and the people that clearly are upset about losing Carl and questioning where the show goes without Carl — I really do believe that a lot of people will put those feelings aside when they watch this episode because they're really going to get an opportunity to make some peace with it," Nicotero told EW. "I mean, that's what I think. I don't know, I could be completely wrong."

Rick actor Andrew Lincoln previewed the upcoming run of episodes while speaking to ComicBook.com, ominously promising a dark road ahead. "All of the back eight is this terrible death," Lincoln concludes. "This emotion is unending throughout the whole cast and, I think, it's palpable. The cost of this battle is much more full because of what happened."

At this point, Rick has nearly lost everything. "He has his extended family," Lincoln said. "He's not Judith's father but he's her dad. And, of course, Michonne. They're in love. But this is... There are times in the back eight that I felt that the show was very courageous in that we didn't know what we're doing. Season 1 through 4, we're still investigating and work out what the show is. Still, I think we're trying to do that, but it felt like a bit like those seasons in this back eight."

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 pm ET on April 15. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.