The Walking Dead is a show about survival in a world overrun by the undead, so there were bound to be many character deaths. However, no one wanted their favorite characters to meet their demise, whether it was due to a sudden walker attack, a heroic sacrifice, or a tragic twist of fate. But unfortunately, the brutal reality of the show’s world spared no one.
Throughout the show's successful 11-season run, fans were forced to confront the reality that attachment to the fictional world was both a blessing and a curse. Every moment of connection, every bond formed between characters, carried the heavy weight of uncertainty. You cheered when you saw your favorites find love, hope, or even a fleeting sense of peace, but also lived in constant fear that the next scene could tear that joy away in an instant. That happened way too many times in this zombie series, and many character deaths still stick with fans to this day.
Remember T-Dog, the loyal and brave member of Rick's group who made the ultimate sacrifice in The Walking Dead season 3? In the fourth episode where he met his end, there was originally a shocking plan for someone else to die instead. This character would go on to become one of the show’s most iconic and resilient survivors. Can you guess which character it was?
The Walking Dead's Carol could have died in the third season
No, you did not read that wrong. Carol (Melissa McBride), who started off in the AMC series as a quiet and unassuming member of Rick's group, was actually supposed to die in season 3. In a 2016 interview with SFX, The Walking Dead executive producer and special makeup effects artist Greg Nicotero revealed that Carol's death was originally planned for the same episode in which T-Dog heroically sacrificed himself. She was supposed to meet her end instead of him.
Nicotero stated that at that time, the writers were unsure what to do with the Carol character. This is likely why they initially were going to kill her off. But in the end, they chose to spare her. This was the right choice because Carol went on to become one of the most beloved characters of The Walking Dead.
"Not a lot of people know that when we were shooting season three, in the episode where T-Dog died, there was a moment where Carol was going to die in lieu of T-Dog’s character. At that point there was some concern in the writers’ room that they didn’t know where to take her character. So the fact that [showrunner] Scott Gimple and the writers have been able to craft this amazing journey for her just goes to show that there is a tremendous amount of story to tell for a lot of these characters.” - Greg Nicotero
I mean, just imagine how different the show would have been without Carol. She began as a timid member of the group, often staying in the background, but over the seasons, Carol transformed into a fearless, resourceful, and strategic survivor who would help save countless lives and become a key figure in the group’s survival. Although we would've liked to see T-Dog survive as well, we would've been just as deeply hurt if Carol had met her end instead.