Carl’s death has been…surprisingly well handled in a show that often kills off characters in clumsy ways. The issue is that The Walking Dead is, and has always been, Carl’s story to some extent. The death of Carl feels like the death of hope on The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead will never be able to “grow” a Carl like they’ve done in the past eight years ever again. It’s exhausting, and The Walking Dead is a rare program that feels like it’s punishing its viewers for caring about its characters and investing in what should be well thought-out long-term arcs.

Source: Forbes February 26, 2018 14:26 UTC