Andrew Lincoln talks Carl’s death and The Walking Dead moving forward

That’s right, Carl was bitten by a walker on The Walking Dead, and star Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) has some thoughts on it all.

It was a move out of left field that not even the actors themselves saw coming, but when Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) lifted his shirt to show Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) his walker bite, events were set in motion that set The Walking Dead fanbase into a world of hurt.

But was it the right move? Actor Andrew Lincoln spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about Carl’s eventual death and what it means for the show in the seasons to come.

"It’s huge. I always thought Carl was going to be the one who led the show forward; that Rick would hand over his boots and revolver when he walked off into the sunset in season 28."

Season 28 would be an ambitious feat for a show that seems to be in steady decline. The writing is stale and the showrunners seem to be content with rehashing the same formula of having characters aimlessly and stupidly blunder through the apocalypse before regrouping to defeat whatever evil they face. It’s tiring to watch, quite frankly.

In fact, the show has yet to be renewed for season 9 (which it most likely will be) and Andrew Lincoln’s contract is up after season 8 (the current season). So where does that leave the story now, especially since one of its main characters in Carl, will no longer be a part of the cast?

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When Gimple called Lincoln to inform him that Carl would be dying, the actor was literally speechless. In regards to how this will change Rick, and in larger part, the show moving forward, Lincoln says many answers will be revealed rather quickly in the mid-season premiere.

"All of those questions are resolved in the back end of the season. The beginning [of the midseason premiere] is the most painful episode I’ve been involved in."

As far as his contract ending this season, and if he sees a stopping point for the show, Lincoln says the fans deserve a definite ending.

"There needs to be an end game and that is something that is definitely being talked about. (Laughs.) I can’t get into all of that. But all of that will be answered. As I’ve said to you before — and I will continue to say — my relationship with Rick Grimes is far from over."

Next: 25 Most Brutal Deaths on The Walking Dead

We will see how Rick and company react to Carl’s death, when The Walking Dead returns for the back half of season 8, in February 2018.