Basically None of the Stars Are OK With Carl's Death on The Walking Dead

In the January issue of Entertainment Weekly, Reedus wasn't shy about sharing his disappointment over the death. "The people that started this show, to me, are the heart of the show. When you lose those key members, it's such a big blow to the show, and to the fans, and to us that are there," he said. "Who's left? There's only a few of us left out of all those people. If you wanted to turn it into a totally different show, you get rid of those people. But if you want to hold on to what made the show special, you've got to be very careful what you do with those people."

In a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Gurira revealed that the death hit her pretty hard. "I got a little depressed for a while. Straight up. You're in the story. You're in it, and you're also in a family. It was hard." She continued:

"Carl and Chandler are a blessing to Michonne and to Danai, you know what I mean? I adore Chandler, and [for] Michonne, Carl is her healer. Everything she and Rick do is to protect Carl, so this is kind of the worst nightmare realized . . . These are very resourceful people who do everything they can. Rick and Michonne don't really stop easily. What do you do when that's what you're facing? So, yeah, I was devastated. Michonne was devastated."

Lincoln gave more insight into the death in Entertainment Weekly, and also talked about his initial stunned reaction:

"Scott Gimple always makes a phone call to everybody, and he said to me, 'You're going to hate this one.' And I mentioned four names. None of them were right, and he had to tell me that it was the kid. I was so shocked that he said three times, 'Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?' I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say.

When someone from the old guard goes, there's a part of you that goes with them. It's like what they say — when formative people in your life die, a part of you dies because what is carried in that relationship is your memories and your history, and all those kinds of things. It's not that dramatic, OK. It's a job and all those kinds of things, but certainly for Chandler and my relationship — he's a kid. I saw this child grow into an amazing young man in front of my eyes, and one of the best parts of this experience has been watching that young man turn into who he's become today."

In another interview, Lincoln talked a little bit more about how it all goes down. "It's a very sad farewell, and a farewell that I never thought would happen. Neither did most of the rest of the cast, I would imagine," he said. "He is the linchpin. It goes back to the flash-forward where my mercy prevails over my wrath. There is a balancing of the scales in Rick's life that happens in the back eight episodes. A lot of it is because of what is said in episode nine, by his son."

Cohan talked to Entertainment Weekly about the whole ordeal as well. "I didn't really believe it," she said, referring to the moment she found out about the impending death. "I was definitely in shock. I'm still in shock about it . . . I'm interested in what ideas we're going to have moving forward because I was just really devastated."

Then, of course, there's the actor himself. In the wake of the shocking episode that revealed his inescapable fate, Chandler Riggs spilled the beans to The Hollywood Reporter. "Leaving The Walking Dead wasn't my decision . . . It was quite the shocker for me, Andy, and everyone because I don't think anyone saw it coming," he said. "It was devastating for me and my family because the show has been such a huge part of my life for so long. For a few days, we didn't know what to do."