The shocking death of fan favorite character Dale on last night’s episode of ‘The Walking Dead’ comes at a time when he’s very much needed, one of the show’s executive producers, Robert Kirkman, told MTV News. Kirkman, who is also one of the writers of the comic book the show is based on, pointed to the fact that the survivors are trying to figure out what to do with Randall. There’s still tension between Rick and Shane, and their moral compass, Dale, played by Jeffrey DeMunn, is taken away.

Dale was mortally injured by a roaming zombie in the fields of Hershel’s farm. Daryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus, ultimately euthanizes Dale with a bullet to the head.

Dale’s death will have massive repercussions on the rest of the characters on the hit AMC post-apocalyptic horror show, Kirmkman added. One of the chief consequences will be the emotional toll on Carl, played by Chandler Riggs, who was partially responsible for his death. Carl wandered onto the field and taunted the zombie who bit Dale, despite trying to prove that he deserves to carry a gun.

‘The Walking Dead’ television series once again proved that it’s not afraid to deviate from its source material. Dale survives dozens of attacks before finally succumbing to a fatal bite in the comic series. Kirkman said the show is aiming to prove “how dangerous these zombies actually are. We were siting around the writers’ room early on in the planning of season two, and we thought there aren’t a lot of zombies succeeding in what they’re trying to do.” He added that “we’ve never really had a zombie actually take down one of our main characters-at least not for a while, not since the first season.”

Kirkman added that losing DeMunn is a tremendous loss. “It’s difficult for the cast, because they’ve become pretty much a family hanging out in rural Georgia,” he said. DeMunn “in particular brought a serious sense of gravitas to the role and definitely legitimized this show by gracing us with his presence.”

Written by: Karen Benardello