When The Walking Dead returns with its mid-season premiere it will mark the last episode for Chandler Riggs in which Carl dies.
While there is controversy surrounding the death of Carl, as they say, the show must go on (The Walking Dead Season 9 has been green lit).
Now EW.com catches up with the 18-year-old actor about his final episode.
“Well, it is gonna be some of Carl’s final moments in the next episode,” Riggs said. “And though you can see that the story is coming to an end, he does have a lot to say because he’s been watching Rick over the last however many years, and has been learning from him and seeing every mistake that he’s made and every right decision. And he’s turned out to be a really well-shaped leader — kind of suited for this world and an icon for the new age. And so Carl’s just really going to be trying to teach Rick as much as he can.”
Regarding this being Carl’s last episode, Riggs does admit it came as a shock.
“You know, it was obviously really emotional with all of the cast and all the crew, because I’ve had such an awesome experience working on the show for eight years. And it’s definitely been such an awesome ride, and I’m super, super happy to have had this opportunity. And though it was a sad time on the set, it helps that they had such a positive outlook on it because of how bittersweet it was, for me, because it was just quite the shock to hear the news,” Riggs explained. “It was a weird kind of goodbye in that I now get to do all these other things and have so many more opportunities, but it was also kind of bitter because I have worked with these people for so long. And it’s really a family atmosphere.”
While Chandler Riggs will be leaving the series, it seems Carl will still be there in spirit.
“Yeah, he’s definitely leaving behind a really long-lasting legacy, which was the coolest part about playing those final moments — knowing that Carl was going to have such a lasting impact on the story,” Riggs said.
The Walking Dead returns Sunday, February 5th at 9pm EST on AMC. Check out a preview:
