Fans of The Walking Dead were shocked in the latest episode, after Glenn (Steven Yeun) appeared to be eaten alive by zombies. Unwilling to except this fate for the beloved character, many speculated that Glenn managed to somehow get away and is still alive. In an effort to clear things up, producer Scott Gimple recently discussed the matter with the Los Angeles Times .
Gimple only further stoked the fire during the after show, The Talking Dead , when he promised fans that “some version of Glenn” would be seen again. With that in mind, Gimple was asked whether or not Glenn survived the attack and why he decided to release the statement.
“That’s a very direct question. I had to take the unusual step of releasing a statement on it. Ordinarily in storytelling, that’s not usually a part of it,” he stated. “I think it answered that question super ambiguously.”
Although Gimple’s comments did not shed any more light on the issue, he did share a little more on what Glenn’s absence could mean to the show. This is especially relevant, given the fact that Glenn serves as the show’s moral compass in many ways.
“I think all of these characters have their own struggles with what exactly is moral and immoral in a world that has fundamentally changed what being a civilization means, what being a person means,” he stated. “Glenn didn’t kill Nicholas, that’s not who he is. At the same time, he didn’t want Nicholas out there. Unfortunately, he got cornered into that situation.”
On a more encouraging note, Gimple did state that the actors know well in advance if their character is going to die. At least that means if Glenn did meet his end at the mouths of zombies, then at least Yeun was given some time to prepare.
“I talk to the actors throughout the year whenever big stuff is happening with the character, from death to them perpetrating death, we talk about it. They absolutely have an idea of what’s coming up,” he revealed in the interview. “Typically we’re a couple episodes ahead, sometimes it’s a little tighter than that, sometimes there’s a great deal of lead time with regard to the discussion.”
At the same time, it is still unclear when can we will officially learn of Glenn’s untimely fate. While Gimple didn’t state exactly when this will be revealed, he did promise fans that their questions will eventually be answered as long as they keep watching this season of The Walking Dead .
“I would just encourage people to watch the entire thing because all of their questions will be answered,” he explained. “It’s absolutely cool that they’re reacting any way at this point, but there are a whole lot more chapters, a whole lot more reels in the movie to watch to get the whole picture.”
Speaking of reactions, the conversation surrounding Glenn’s death has certainly brought a boost to the show’s viewership. In fact, according to Variety , the show saw an increase of around eight percent in its viewership ratings, with some 13.1 million people tuning in to watch the episode.
These statistics are impressive, especially considering the competition the show is going up against on Sunday nights. Whether or not this uptake in ratings continues is yet to be seen, especially considering the next episode will have to battle alongside NBC’s Sunday Night Footballand Fox’s coverage of the World Series.
Considering all the buzz the episode has generated, both online and on social media, the upcoming installment might even draw more people in as we all eagerly wait to find out what happened to Glenn.
Tell us! Do you think Glenn is really dead? Or will we see him again on The Walking Dead ? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via AMC]