Viewers were shocked upon learning the fate of Carl at the end of The Walking Dead mid-season finale which saw the fan-favorite character revealed to have been bitten by a Walker.
Chandler Riggs last episode of The Walking Dead airs Feb. 25 for the show’s midseason premiere where the 18-year-old actor offers that he is at least happy Carl has a last impact on the series.
“He’s definitely leaving behind a really long-lasting legacy,” Riggs told EW.com, “which was the coolest part about playing those final moments — knowing that Carl was going to have such a lasting impact on the story.”
Showrunner Scott M. Gimple agreed: “Carl’s presence is felt very deeply throughout the story. It’s a critical aspect of the season.”
Regarding the story, Andrew Lincoln offers that his character, Rick, is greatly impacted as well.
“The back half [of the season] is him trying to live through the unbelievable pain, in the middle of a war, and trying to reconcile this loss with what he’s fighting for. This is his worst nightmare being realized,” Lincoln said.
The death of Carl doesn’t come without controversy as Chandler Riggs’ father stated his son was fired from the show, which you can read about here more in detail.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9pm EST on AMC. Watch a preview for when the series returns:
