Jeffrey Dean Morgan pays emotional tribute to Walking Dead co-star Chandler Riggs

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has paid an emotional tribute to his Walking Dead co-star, Chandler Riggs.

The Walking Dead‘s biggest ever goodbye finally took place this week, as long-term star Riggs left the show. Riggs’s character Carl suffered a fatal bite by a walker last season, which was revealed in the show finale. Riggs has played Carl for eight years, from the tender age of ten.

The departure is a turn away from The Walking Dead comics, where Carl remains alive and a vital part of the story.

Morgan, who plays bad guy Negan in the drama, posted an emotional tribute to Riggs on his Instagram – expressing his regret that the show only scratched the surface with Negan and Carl’s relationship.

Writing on Instagram, he said: “@chandlerriggs5 man…. what a pleasure. Not only getting to work with you… but, getting to know you. You, my friend, are an incredible young man.

“Well before joining this cast I was a fan… a fan that loved watching you grow up in front of a camera. From the moment you first put on the way too large sheriffs hat as a boy… to the end, the hat so befitting of the man Carl had become. Wiser and more compassionate than all of us. You held all of our hearts.

“Honestly… a huge reason I wanted so badly to join this band of misfits… was because I was such a fan of the Negan Carl relationship in the comics… that storyline was one of my favorites, as I know it was one of yours. I’ll forever be dissaponted we only scratched the surface of what could have been.”

In the comics, Negan and Carl shared a complex bond that continued even after the defeat of Negan.

REVIEW: The Walking Dead S8 E9 ‘Honour’ is needlessly long and miserable

The Walking Dead is finally back from the winter after that cliffhanger – and ‘Honour’ is about as joyful as one might expect.

Those hoping for a Jon Snow-style resurrection twist will be disappointed, as this episode does seem to confirm we’ve seen the last of Carl. His departure was every bit as depressing as actors and showrunners hinted it would be, fully fleshed out for maximum emotional impact in a feature-length opening episode.

‘Honour’ starts by going back in time and showing us Carl’s final days, from the fatal bite to his last letters to his burgeoning friendship with Siddiq. This extended sequence, which, like the episode, is longer than necessary, is set to the inspired choice of song ‘At the Bottom of Everything’ by the Bright Eyes. With a jovial tune and lyrics such as ‘We must rip out all the epilogues / From the books that we have read’, it’s oddly fitting.

There are two very satisfying reveals in this episode. Firstly, that Carl did not sacrifice himself for anyone – Siddiq seems an all round good guy, who also happens to be a doctor. Secondly, the ‘Old Man Rick’ timeline is finally explained. It’s not Rick’s fantasy for the future, it’s Carl’s. It a painful and beautiful resolution, one of The Walking Dead‘s more poignant plot twists.

Elsewhere, we learn how the Saviours escaped and how Morgan and Carol were able to rescue Ezekiel. Morgan’s transformation is beautifully contrasted with Carl’s. As Carl relays how easy it is to lose humanity in the new world, Morgan relapses into killing machine mode. This is surely the beginning of whatever it is that will cause Lennie James to leave the show and join spin-off Fear The Walking Dead.

For a goodbye episode, ‘Honour’ is about as drawn out as it gets. There’s plentiful misery, crying, and wise last words from Carl. It’s not necessary – this episode, including both Carl’s death and Morgan’s relapse, could have easily been handled in a normal-lengthed episode. It would have still been painful. The appeal of the end result thus depends on how much you like relentless misery.

REVIEW: The Walking Dead S8 E8 “How It’s Gotta Be” delivers the biggest shock of the series

The Walking Dead‘s midseason finale did the absolutely unthinkable, killing one of the show’s “untouchables” in the biggest shocker of the series so far.

The Walking Dead has always been somewhat predictable. Being based on a comic series means certain characters are always earmarked for death. New characters tend to last around a season and a half before meeting their gruesome end. A certain few individuals are immune from death, no matter the odds. All that has changed, as of “How It’s Gotta Be”.

The death of Carl Grimes changes everything. Yes, the death has been confirmed. At least according to Chandler Riggs himself, this isn’t a Jon Snow situation. Carl isn’t coming back. This could go one of two ways. The shock could lead to a new lease of life for a tired show, or else it is the beginning of the end for The Walking Dead. Killing off a character who has grown with the audience, becoming both powerful and compassionate, is a risky move. Time will tell if it’s successful.

One cynical reason for The Walking Dead including such a traumatic ending could be to distract from the rest of the episode, which was substandard at best. For one thing, no amount of adjusting the screen brightness made most the episode easier to see.

Perhaps that was to detract from the jumbled nature of the plot, bouncing around characters and stories at a far too quick pace. The long and the short of it is that the plan to destroy the Saviours has failed. Negan is out and wreaking revenge. “How It’s Gotta Be” shows the characters responding to this terrible failure.

The best moments of the episode are the moments focused on Carl, particularly his interactions with both Rick and Negan. Carl-the-sudden-humanitarian had some beautiful speeches this season, but it doesn’t make up for what might well be a terrible mistake.

REVIEW: The Walking Dead S8 E7 ‘Time for After’ is the best episode of the season

For years, Eugene Porter has been a firm fan favourite on The Walking Dead. He’s never been the most exciting character. He’s never been the most loyal character. He’s never arrived last minute to a battle to save the day, armed with a missile launcher. His trademark? His remarkable intelligence and instinct for self-preservation. Despite all this, Eugene is the most relatable character on The Walking Dead.

Most people would like to think they’d respond to crisis like Daryl – a born survivalist with a knack for looking incredibly cool while doing anything. Eugene’s path to survival however, one born out of self-preservation and necessity, feels a lot closer to home than suddenly becoming a zombie killing machine. Eugene’s selfish nature somehow made him the most human character on the Walking Dead – and because of this, one of the most interesting characters.

‘Time for After’ centres on Eugene. It’s fair to say the character has had his ups and downs. He’s lied to his friends to survive. He’s learnt to fight for himself. He’s learnt the value of friendship, only to turn around and stab it in the face because his survival was more important to him. Eugene has gone full circle, but every moment with him is a pleasure to watch. Every moment spent on this character is interesting – maybe because it speaks to the dark part of one’s self that is sure they would react to – even want to react to – a zombie apocalypse like Eugene. Eugene can carry an episode. For this reason, ‘Time for After’ is the best episode of season eight so far.

‘Time for After’ is the argument of doing what is right for yourself versus doing what is right for others that we didn’t realise the show needed to discuss further. There is the right thing, and then there is the right thing for you. What do you do when your morals and your survival don’t reconcile in your head? What do you do when death is knocking on your doorstep and every escape route is blocked with a person you did wrong in your scramble to be inside in the first place? This struggle is painful, complex – and yet surprisingly human.

REVIEW: The Walking Dead S8 E6 ‘The King, the Widow and Rick’ is the messy aftermath

We prayed for an end to the day that lasted forever – and finally The Walking Dead has delivered. The aftermath of the conflict is character-heavy and a mess, but it’s wonderful to watch things get moving again.

A lot happens in ‘The King, the Widow and Rick’. The Hill Top community is trying to work out what to do with their Saviour prisoners. Carol is trying to find a way through to a traumatised Ezekiel. Rick wants another deal with the Junk Yard community. Carl tracks down the survivor Rick scared away, Sadiq, and invites him to join Alexandria. Rosita and Michonne, missing for most of the series so far due to conflicting actor commitments, go on a road trip. It’s a lot happening all at once, especially considering the last few episodes have moved at the pace of a confused snail.

As with any episode of this nature, some stories are more interesting than others. Pairing Carl and Sadiq is an interesting introduction to the new character. Maggie and Gregory’s discussion about leadership makes Maggie’s eventual imprisonment of Gregory all the sweeter. Elsewhere, Rosita and Michonne’s mission feels like an excuse to include the actors – and I have no idea what they’re trying to achieve with Rick.

It’s still not clear what The Walking Dead is trying to do this season. Is it trying to wrap up the war against Negan? Is this another minor skirmish to be forgotten quickly? The war against the Saviours has been tiring for the best part of a season and any move to progress the story should be welcomed with open arms.