***Spoiler Warning*** Last night's ending of The Walking Dead was definitely a surprise, especially for fans of the comic book. In a recent interview, Robert Kirkman talks about not always following the comic book and how the event in episode 11 will change the group:
"...Are you disappointed that you weren't able to explore the romance between Dale and Andrea that was such a big part of the comic series?"
Robert Kirkman: Not necessarily. I have talked many times how much I like the difference between the comics and the show. There are going to be big plot lines that we may not necessarily get to, like the romance between Dale and Andrea. If you think you really want to read that story line, that's available in the comics, and I highly recommend you pick those up. The show is always going to be a different animal and the decision to kill Dale off was a big one and it wasn't one that was made lightly.
Dale has become the moral center of the group and especially in this episode for him to be going around and saying, "Let's retain our humanity," he's the last guy that's preaching that at this point with Rick making the decisions he has been making of late. To lose this guy at this moment means so much for this group. It's going to be such a monumental death that it's going to affect things a great deal moving forward. It seemed like the right time and that to me, all the stories that are going to come out of this that people haven't seen yet, are worth losing the Dale/Andrea relationship.
This final moment with Daryl seems like something that you've been building up to for a long time. How will his new leadership be further explored? Was that mercy shot with Dale his closure for Sophia? Was this his way of processing her death in his own unique way?
Kirkman: It was a little bit of that. To a larger extent, this was him discovering his role in the group. When he was out there looking for Sophia, he was putting everything on the line and opening himself up in a way he had never done before because his childhood was so messed up and his relationship with his brother Merle was so complicated. So when he found out she was dead and in the barn all the time, that's why he retreated and separated himself from the group. It was because he allowed himself to care and it just backfired on him in a big way. He didn't want to be a part of the group and have those emotions and care about these people. So he's been distancing himself from them up until this point, and now he's seeing that these people need him and that he can fill a role and in being that harsh distant guy, you can do the things that no one else wants to do. He wants to step in and take that burden away from Rick for a moment. Rick is the one who stepped up and shot Sophia. Daryl saw that and because of his pain over the loss of Sophia he couldn't do that. But when he sees Rick hesitate to do the same thing with Dale he knows: this is my moment, this is where I can prove my worth, and he steps in and does what he needs to do."
To read the rest of the interview, visit The Hollywood Reporter and keep an eye out for photos and clips from episode 2.12 later today.
After spending more than 10 years as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his interest in horror and sci-fi. Since then, it has grown into an online magazine with a staff of writers that provide daily news, reviews, interviews, and special features.
As the Editor-in-Chief of Daily Dead, Jonathan is responsible for bringing the latest horror news to millions of readers from around the world. He is also consulted with as an expert on zombies in entertainment and pop culture, providing analyses of the zombie sub-genre to newspapers, radio stations, and convention attendees.
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