'The Walking Dead's Scott Gimple On Carl's "Very Important" Death

The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple is offering a preview of Episode 8x09 -- the episode which will feature Carl's death -- and promises it will be pivotal for the rest of Season Eight.

"This Episode, 8x09, sets very important ideas for the rest of the season — very important motivations and it re-contextualizes everything that's been going on and gives it a perspective that just can't be denied," Gimple told EW. "It scrambles some things. But Carl's presence is felt very deeply in the story throughout the story. It's a critical aspect of the season."

Gimple goes on to say the back half of Season Eight will be heavily driven by the group figuring themselves out in the aftermath of Carl's death as the war with Negan rolls on. "Them deciding who they are going to be is certainly part of it and how they might be able to win this thing and also rethink the entire effort to beat Negan rather than find another way," Gimple said. "And that's all pretty heavy emotional, philosophical stuff, but there are also a lot of practical realities going on about how Alexandria has been definitely, you know, screwed up.

"We saw what happened in many ways. Now it's where are they going to go? What are they going to do? Is it a question of beating Negan or just surviving at this point? Is it a last stand? Is it a surrender? Is it an escape? There are those big philosophical questions but then there are practical questions that just kind of surmount everything. Which is: How do they survive the night?"

With "How do they survive the night?" being a question for the Mid-Season Eight premiere, it seems the first episode back will pick off immediately where the Mid-Season finale left off.

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.