Scott M. Gimple talks Carl’s loss on The Walking Dead
![WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 10: Scott M. Gimple executive producer and show runner of 'The Walking Dead' speaks during 'The Walking Dead' event at Smithsonian National Museum Of American History on October 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for AMC) WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 10: Scott M. Gimple executive producer and show runner of 'The Walking Dead' speaks during 'The Walking Dead' event at Smithsonian National Museum Of American History on October 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for AMC)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/a61fe64a2490ac6f26cdce39d74d660fdd4b9062afb8ec2b41d1f3e42c4d08ca.jpg)
As we move closer to the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead, questions abound about what’s next and why not get answers from Scott M. Gimple.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Walking Dead czar Scott M. Gimple talked to Dalton Ross about what fans can expect in the upcoming mid-season premiere. Though he wasn’t able to give away all of the secrets (obviously), he was able to share some insight into how Carl will leave a lasting impact on the rest of the group.
Gimple was quick to praise the work that actor Chandler Riggs has done in his final performance as Carl Grimes. He adds that “a certain compulsion is given to the story, certain ideas and wishes and even reveals with incredible importance to this season in the overall story.”
This is idea that Carl’s death will set things into motion really plays into not only the mid-season premiere but the back half of the season as a whole. Take a look at what Gimple had to say on the subject:
"Dalton Ross: We’ve seen Carl pleading with this dad to sort of rethink his approach in the wake of everything that has happened with Negan. How much of that is going to guide the second half of season 8, even after Carl is gone?Scott M. Gimple: This episode, 809, 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. 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."
There’s a sense in what Gimple is saying that the current plan, namely to destroy the Saviors, might change after Carl’s death. He goes on to note that with Alexandria in ruins, there is the matter of figuring out how to survive and find shelter, so in a lot of ways there will be a need to start over. And maybe starting over will take precedence over the war.
Of course, Gimple can only say so much right now, and we won’t know what any of this means without seeing the episode itself. But there’s no question that Carl’s death is going to be felt throughout the rest of the season in more ways than one.
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You can read the entire interview with Scott M. Gimple here. The Walking Dead returns February 25 at 9pm on AMC.