The midseason finale's shocking death marks yet another dramatic departure from the source material under new showrunner Angela Kang.
The loss of both Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan a few weeks back apparently wasn't enough for new "The Walking Dead" showrunner Angela Kang, and fans weren't happy with that major midseason finale death at all, while the actor admitted to being "frustrated."
With all the possible characters still alive on the show, we have to agree it was a little surprising who they chose to be the first victim of the Whisperers as it marked the fourth character in a row to leave the show while still living and thriving in the original comics the show is based on.
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View StoryY'all know the comics are still ahead of the show, right? Are they reading the comics?
Okay, that's the last stalling tactic you're going to see. From here on out, we're going all in. So if you haven't watched the episode yet, what are you waiting for? This article isn't going anywhere. Get to it and then come right back.
We're still wrapping our heads around our own shock when Jesus was suddenly grabbed and stabbed from behind by a Whisperer. It was chilling seeing a walker duck out of the way of his attack and turn the tables like that. It was even more shocking that it was Jesus, the de facto leader of Hilltop, going down like that.
And we weren't alone, as fans immediately lit up social media with their shock and outrage. Jesus is still a pivotal part of "The Walking Dead" comic book universe, alongside Rick, Maggie and Carl. While the show continues to follow many of the major storylines of the graphic novel series, including the Whisperers, it's cast is starting to look more and more different.
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View StoryBut the news was taken quite well by Jesus actor Tom Payne, who admitted to Entertainment Weekly that he'd grown somewhat dissatisfied with the role. Maybe he's been reading the comics, because that version of Jesus was much more interesting and exciting than he ever was on the show.
"I was kind of frustrated with what I had gotten to do on the show and I was kind of a bit bored with it," Payne told EW. "If I wasn't being given anything, I was kind of ready to go. And then when Angela called me, I was quite chill about it. I was like, 'Oh, OK. Great. Cool.'"
He had to admit, though, he did appreciate how his character went out. Jesus mowed down a whole swath of walker with his sword before the last one turned things around on him unexpectedly. But he looked like a total badass throughout.
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View Story"I was pretty happy with the whole thing," he said of his character's arc and resolution. "I just want to tell a good story and be part of a shocking moment on the show. I much rather be that than hang around at the Hilltop for another few years."
So yes, we can all agree that as deaths go, it was a good death. But can we also agree that Jesus was one of the coolest characters in the source material and Payne had all the potential in the world to try and realize that on the small screen. It just never came together.
We will say one thing, though, that was one hell of a way to introduce the Whisperers. The whole foggy night-time scene in the cemetary was terrifying and felt like a proper horror movie, complete with a shocking twist in the dodging walker. Beautifully filmed but we're going to need some time to process it, along with our friends on Twitter:
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