The Walking Dead: Carl was shot, for the second time, seven years ago

Actor Chandler Riggs portrayed Carl Grimes on The Walking Dead from season 1 until his death in season 8. Throughout his time on the series, Carl encountered several close calls. One of these incidents occurred in the season 6 midseason premiere of “No Way Out,” which aired on Valentine’s Day 2016.

Carl was a precarious child who would never stay wherever he was told to stay and often found himself in dangerous situations because of this. He wanted to prove to his dad and others that he was capable of handling himself in this new dangerous world he found himself in.

The first time Carl was shot happened during season 2, “What Lies Ahead.” While trying to come upon a deer, Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince) accidentally shoots Carl. Viewers would learn that Otis was a farm hand of Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson), who would perform surgery on Carl and save his life. Rick’s (Andrew Lincoln) group would then stay on his farm until it was overrun at the end of season 2.

The Walking Dead – No Way Out

The second time Carl is shot is quite a shock to the fandom. During “No Way Out,” Rick, Carl, and others are making their way through a horde of walkers that had descended on Alexandria. Covered in walker gut ponchos, the group slowly makes its way to the armory. Sam (Major Dodson) becomes frightened, panics, and stops dead in his tracks. His mother, Jessie (Alexandria Breckenridge), begs him to keep moving, but his whines draw the walkers to him, and he is eaten alive in front of his mother and the rest. In her shock, Jessie doesn’t fight off the walkers, who also begin to eat her alive. She doesn’t let go of Carl’s hand, putting him at risk, so Rick chops off her hand with a hatchet.

Watching in horror, Jessie’s older son Ron (Austin Abrams) picks up her discarded gun and aims it at Rick. Before he can fire, Michonne (Danai Gurira) runs him through with her katana, and the gun goes off. Viewers hear Carl weakly say, “Dad?” and Rick looks at his son, who has been shot a second time, but this time the shot takes out his eye.

At the end of the episode, after the Alexandrians and Rick’s group fight off the walkers, Rick sits by Carl’s side in the infirmary. Rick tells him that he is ready to rebuild Alexandria, and for the first time since the outbreak, he is hopeful for the future. Through his tears, he tells Carl that “I want to show you the new world,” as Carl’s fingers grip his hand.

Follow Undead Walking on Twitter and sign up for the once-daily Undead Walking newsletter to avoid missing out on all things in The Walking Dead universe.