Nobody Is Too Important To Die On The Walking Dead
By Adam Carlson
Comic Book Resources recently shared the transcript of an interview from The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple. There were some interesting parts of the transcript, but here are the highlights:
"“I mean, it’s a bummer, but nobody’s too important to kill off,” Gimple said. “I’m not thrilled to say that, but it’s just the nature of this show.”"
While this is the right answer to say to a question like this from a political view, I’m not buying it. I can’t see The Walking Dead killing off an insanely popular draw like Daryl Dixon when a large part of the fan base see him as one of the best and most interesting characters on the show. Plus, he’s not in the comic books. And that could add another level of safety to his character.
But we have seen some shocking deaths, including that of main characters and children. While I think that most characters are expendable, I don’t think we’ll see main characters like Rick Grimes or Daryl Dixon killed off any time soon.
"“Anybody can die, anybody will die, and my goal is that it not just be for shock value and that it serve the story,” Gimple said. “People might last a good long time, or they might be taken tomorrow. And the speculation of all of it – I try not to pay too much attention to that because it’s really important that we just serve our story.”"
Sadly, shock is sometimes an essential part of the story. Surprise deaths of characters like Lizzie, Mika, Hershel, and many others gave us unforgettable moments on the show. When a death is expected like clockwork during a midseason or season finale, it loses some of the power of the death on screen. And that is something that The Walking Dead needs to avoid.
"“People are thinking that we’re killing too many people, that we’re not killing enough people,” he said. “I’m just trying to tell the story.”"
And a great story it has been so far. With so much more to tell, it will be interesting to see who survives this season to continue telling their tale on The Walking Dead.