‘The Walking Dead’ surprises fans with a huge twist from a controversial moment in the comics

“The Walking Dead” made a huge change from the comics at the end of Sunday’s episode when Sebastian Milton (Teo Rapp-Olsson) was shockingly killed. Jace Downs/AMC Warning: There are spoilers ahead for season 11, episode 18 of “The Walking Dead,” “A New Deal. ” “TWD” deviated from its source material by killing off Sebastian, who survives the comic.

It’s a satisfying moment for comic fans who were upset when Sebastian murdered Rick Grimes. “The Walking Dead” continues to make big changes from its source material. Instead of allowing Sebastian Milton to survive the series as he does in the comic, Sunday’s episode of the apocalyptic thriller surprisingly killed off the TV version of Sebastian (Teo Rapp-Olsson).

On season 11, episode 18, the Commonwealth turned on Sebastian after a recording revealed just how little he cared for the community he’s supposed to lead one day. As the people started to turn on Sebastian, and his mother, the leader of the Commonwealth, a group of the dead entered the community. During the chaos, Sebastian slyly thought he could get revenge on Max (Margot Bingham) by slinging one of the undead onto her.

Unlucky for him, her boyfriend Eugene (Josh McDermitt) came to her rescue and shoved the zombie onto Sebastian, sending him to the ground in terror.  Sebastian’s plan backfired on Sunday’s “TWD,” resulting in his death. Jace Downs/AMCAs Sebastian wrestled with the walker, bystanders ignored his cries for help.

Instead, onlookers watched as the zombie got the better of Governor Milton’s spoiled son, biting him in the neck and terrorizing him until Judith shot the walker dead.  Sebastian’s death on the show not only delivered a satisfying payoff for show viewers, but also helped course-correct a controversial moment for comic readers.  What happens in the comic: Sebastian kills Rick GrimesSebastian’s death is especially surprising because he gets a very important role in the comics.

Not only does he survive the series’ run, but he also shockingly kills its protagonist, Rick Grimes, in a controversial moment. At the end of 2019’s issue No. 191, Sebastian barges into Rick’s bedroom and shoots him as he sits in bed defenseless, trying — and failing — to talk Sebastian out of shooting him.

Sebastian barges in on Rick at the end of “TWD” issue No. 191. Image Comics/SkyboundIn the comics, Sebastian’s upset that Rick has become so popular in the Commonwealth community that he may take his family out of power.

Out of fear, Sebastian thinks the only way to prevent that from happening is to kill Rick. The gun fires, shooting Rick in the chest. Rick asks him what he’s done and the issue ends.

 In the following issue, Sebastian, seemingly in a panic, shoots Rick dead a few more times and then leaves, letting him bleed out on his bed. Rick barely got in any words with Sebastian. The death came as a huge shock to comic-book readers.

No one expected Rick to be murdered in his bed one night after everything he survived.  After killing Rick, the bigger surprise was that Kirkman abruptly ended the entire comic two months later with issue No. 193.

Kirkman later said he wanted to end the comic as if it was one of the series’ many unexpected and shocking deaths. At the time, no one saw it coming because Kirkman’s “TWD” collaborator and artist Charlie Adlard produced three fake covers promoting the continuation of the comic for months to come. A large improvement from the comicSunday’s “TWD” gives comic fans a satisfying moment if they were dismayed with 2019’s comic ending.

Jace Downs/AMCThough “TWD” comic creator Robert Kirkman said he had been working toward Rick’s death for years, the way in which it was executed felt random, lazy, and an incredibly disrespectful way to kill the series’ protagonist. Shot at close range by a cowardly, spoiled child?That didn’t sound like a death befitting of Rick Grimes, who, in the comics, was a man who survived having his arm cut off and separate wars with Negan and the Whisperers. Rick’s death always felt lame and unearned, a sentiment that “TWD” star Ross Marquand, who plays Aaron, shared.

Rick is too stunned to even know what’s happening here to him. Give me a break. Image Comics/SkyboundWith other series in the works at that point, it felt like Kirkman had moved past or checked out of “TWD” and was more focused on his other comic endeavors and adaptations.

Though sad, it was tough to blame him. In 2017, Kirkman and other “TWD” producers sued AMC over profit shares for the series, claiming they were owed a “significant amount of money” for how popular the show became. Ahead of the lawsuit, Kirkman left AMC Studios and signed a two-year deal with Amazon where he has since released an adaptation of his comic “Invincible,” which has included the voices of many “TWD” stars.

The Commonwealth story, the final arc of the “TWD” comic, kicked off at the top of 2018 and has been criticized by fans, including myself, for being boring.    If you were familiar with the legal battle going on behind the scenes between Kirkman and AMC, it felt like the drawn-out proceedings (a judge ruled in favor of the network in 2022) were bleeding into the comic’s quality.  At 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con, executive producer Greg Nicotero suggested that by the time the comic ended in 2019, they weren’t in constant communication with Kirkman anymore.

Nicotero told Insider during SDCC’s press conference that they were all caught off-guard by the comic’s abrupt ending. “We didn’t even know the comic was ending,” Nicotero told Insider in response to a question about the show ending. “I think we were on set one day going, ‘Oh, it’s done.

That’s how they ended it. ‘”During the same conference, “TWD” chief content officer Scott M. Gimple said they were going off of the assumption that the show was going to continue for a while.

It’s possible that those working on the show thought that they’d have material to adapt for years to come before the comic came to a close in three issues with Rick’s death. After all, seasons 12 and beyond of the show were being discussed before AMC decided to end “TWD” in 2020 with the current 11th season. The show has made many deviations from the comic over the years.

The Sebastian one is one of the best.  Not only does Sebastian’s show death provide a cathartic release for comic fans who may have been frustrated with Rick’s abrupt comic death, but the show also treats Sebastian as more than a one-dimensional menace. Unlike the comics, the show provides more depth as to why Sebastian comes off as such an abrasive, spoiled brat.

 The show version of Sebastian gets more layers to explain why he’s such a jerk. AMC, composite by Kirsten Acuna/InsiderIn separate interviews with Insider, both Laila Robins and Teo Rapp-Olsson, who play mother and son Pamela and Sebastian Milton, told us they came up with additional backstory for their characters to get to the heart of why Sebastian is so pretentious and unlikeable. On the show, Sebastian has an older, perfect brother whose shadow looms large after an untimely death.

“We were trying to figure out why I’m particularly so disappointed in Sebastian and it’s partly because I think that we decided — why not have a previous son that was really the golden child who was supposed to sort of carry on the legacy,” Robins told Insider of Sebastian’s nameless brother who is briefly referenced on season 11, episode 18.  The addition makes you feel an iota of compassion toward Sebastian. His frustration is extremely relatable for anyone who has ever had a parent compare them to their siblings.

Could Rick’s death still happen? Maybe. When Sebastian joined AMC’s “TWD,” comic fans feared that someone else may receive Rick’s comic death. Aaron was a prime candidate.

 At this point of the show, Aaron closely resembles comic-book Rick down to his facial hair and missing arm.  Aaron on “TWD” vs comic Rick before he dies. Jace Downs/AMC, Skybound/Image ComicsEven Rapp-Olsson told Insider he imagined his character may kill off Aaron, given their similarities in appearance, or someone else big like Ezekiel (Khary Payton).

Now that Sebastian’s gone, it appears a version of Rick’s comic death is off the table unless the show decides to make someone else in the Commonwealth the perpetrator of a murder. Governor Pamela Milton could certainly have an adverse reaction to her son’s death and go after Eugene and Max. The teaser for next week’s episode makes it look like she wants someone to pay for Sebastian’s death and Daryl is seen trying to smuggle Eugene out of the Commonwealth.

Similarly, we’ve already seen Pamela’s right-hand man Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) descend into madness in a way his comic counterpart doesn’t. Lance looks like the sort of guy who would easily murder someone defenseless in their own bed. With only six episodes remaining, we doubt Sebastian’s death will be the last.

We already rounded up the characters we believed were most likely to get the ax. Sebastian happened to top the list. You can follow along with our “TWD” coverage here.

Read the original article on Insider.