It looks as though ‘The Walking Dead’ is being forced to cut down on the show’s gruesome violence. Even though many fans were happy to see the zombie-centric series return to the small screen back in October, they were shocked by the season premiere’s grisly deaths. Many viewers complained about the show’s brutal murders, forcing producers to reevaluate the show’s level of violence.
Reports indicate that viewers were left appalled if not also horrified over Glenn and Abraham’s deaths. Viewers couldn’t help but turn away when Glenn’s head was smashed into a puddle of goop by Negan’s barbed wire bat. After the season premiere, the show moved in a different direction with Carol and Morgan and Dwight’s backstory.
In fact, even Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd admitted that slaying two key characters in the premiere forced producers to make some major adjustments to the show. Fans were particularly concerned about the midseason finale. Three characters were either shot in the face, gutted or beaten with a pipe. Spencer’s death was the most violent, while Olivia’s death left her with a bullet hole in her cheek.
According to Variety, Anne Hurd recently told audience members at the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in Miami, “We were able to look at the feedback on the level of violence. We did tone it down for episodes we were still filming for later on in the season. We don’t want to cross that line.”
Luckily, producers were able to make mid-season adjustments right after the premiere episode. Producers even promise that they plan on toning down the level of violence for future episodes. And while some fans are still unhappy about the show’s grisly violence, viewers will just have to wait and see what happens next.
‘The Walking Dead’ has so far succeeded in shocking and surprising audiences. But have they gone too far in their gratuitous violence? Some fans have even been campaigning to give the show a new television rating.
‘The Walking Dead’ returns to the small screen on February 12 at 9 p.m. on the AMC network. Tell us, were you surprised at all the gruesome violence on ‘The Walking Dead’ last season? Do you think producers are making the right choice? Drop us a line with your thoughts in our comments section below. Also, check back with CDL for all the latest news, spoilers and updates on ‘The Walking Dead’ right here!
Image credit to The Walking Dead // via Instagram