When original The Walking Dead character Carl (played by Chandler Riggs) was killed off in episode 10 of the zombie horror, long-time viewers were left completely gobsmacked.
Not only was Carl the son of Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and had grown up on the show, but he was also the heart and soul of the increasingly bleak post-apocalyptic universe.
What’s more, the eye-patch-wearing teen goes on to take over his father’s role in Robert Kirkman’s comic book series, so the show was making a huge diversion from the original story.
It was no surprise that fans were devastated by the loss but now director Greg, who appeared at the show’s Walker Stalker Convention this weekend, has shed some light on how the production tried to soften the blow.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk and other media, he revealed: “I think that we handled it in the best way that we could, by establishing it in one episode and then giving people time to adjust to it and we sent him off in the best way that we could.
“The only time was that moment.”
The special effects and makeup artist went on to say that he was fully aware other characters had suffered from “senseless” deaths in the past, but Carl’s had been given more time than most.
He continued: “Don’t forget we have senseless deaths like Abraham and Glenn and Beth that are so, so shocking that you don’t even have time to process it.
“I think with Chandler it was important that the audience could process how he was going out so that it could resonate with them,” Greg added.
In terms of how he personally saw the decision to axe such a major character, Greg insisted that it “made sense” however.
He explained: “It made sense to me from a storytelling standpoint that they’re in the middle of this war there’s got to be some way for everyone in it to suddenly sit back and listen.
“So they can think, ‘If we don’t stop, there’s not going to be anyone left’.”
The producer admitted he felt bittersweet about that fact that he’d been present to see Chandler go through his entire childhood on-set however, and it was a huge loss.
“When I heard about it clearly everybody goes through what we’ve been talking about, all those stages of grief and denial, and anger and it’s hard,” he shared.
“I think, with Chandler, knowing he had been on the show since he was 10 years old, knowing that he was a young man and had a great career and I then heard about it… it is sad but it made sense to me.
“It made sense in that he would go and could go to continue on with whatever he wanted to do next at this stage in his life.”
The Walking Dead season eight continues Sundays in the US and follows one day later on FOX in the UK.
