Fans of The Walking Dead may have been outraged by the show's decision to kill Carl Grimes (and don't the figures show it), but that doesn't mean the series is going to shy away from going rogue.
Again.
What to Read Next
Talking to Digital Spy and other media, TWD boss Greg Nicotero has hinted that more deviations from the source material are coming – and the reasons why are pretty straightforward. So, sorry about that, purists.
"I think if we just did a panel-for-panel remake of the comic book it wouldn't be very exciting, because then everyone could just say, 'Oh, this is what's coming up next!'" Nicotero conceded.
"Part of it is deviating from the graphic novel to serve our story and I think it's safe to say that we embrace those detours."
Arguing that it's important to keep the show "fresh" for the audience, the director did go on to say that there are "key moments" in the comic book that they still want to pay "tribute" to, even if we may not immediately recognise them.
Related: Watch how The Walking Dead created one of the grossest scenes in its history
"Ultimately, there are key moments in the comic book that we want to pay tribute to, and a lot of times they get reworked to fit our format, like with Abraham's death and Denise – that was modified so we could get to that moment with Glenn and Abraham," he explained.
And it seems Greg Nicotero isn't the only one ready to defend the show's occasional change in direction – Christian Serratos (Rosita Espinosa) also told us that she thinks deviations "better the story" rather than change it for the sake of it.
(Tell that to Rick, Rosita.)
Related: The Walking Dead star Tom Payne says Carl's death "throws a hand grenade" into the show
"I think it's a balance of staying very honest to the comic book, which is the reason that TWD was able to make it to TV, and a balance of keeping people on their toes," she said.
"I always think that if and when the TV show veers from the comic book, it's always to better the story not necessarily change the story."
The Walking Dead continues today (March 11) on AMC in the US and Monday (March 12) on Fox in the UK.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
