(Major spoilers ahead for the Nov. 12 episode of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”)
Hey, so what an episode, huh? It was 80 percent Ezekiel (Khary Payton) having an existential crisis, 10 percent Carol (Melissa McBride) being awesome, 7 percent Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) doing a car chase and 3 percent an emotionally devastating character death.
Before we get into our discussion of that last thing, we’re gonna provide a bit of a buffer for the sake of folks who may have wandered in here without seeing the episode.
So here’s a picture of Ezekiel looking freaked out.
OK. So Shiva bit the dust this week. It’s a huge bummer on a lot of different levels, not the least of which is that Shiva was a tiger who has eaten a bunch of the Saviors and she also saved Rick and Carl from being executed by Negan in the season 7 finale.
And she died saving Ezekiel, Carol and Jerry from zombies — unfortunately there were too many of them and all of them piled on her were too much even for Shiva to handle.
It’s a huge tragedy for Ezekiel, who was already experiencing a major emotional breakdown before he watched his best friend get eaten by the undead. It’s also a huge tragedy for us, because it means “The Walking Dead” no longer has a tiger in it.
Fans expressed their grief on Twitter in a variety of ways. Here’s a roundup of some of the best tweets.
#TheWalkingDead so Gregory is alive and Shiva is dead? #TalkingDead @AMCTalkingDead pic.twitter.com/jDAcqpM0uV
— ?Pao Loves ME? (@PaoLoves_ME) November 13, 2017
the whole fandom watching shiva’s death #thewalkingdead pic.twitter.com/zG58PCkTip
— taci (@twdspunisher) November 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/moonybagans/status/929907382649606144
So many people have died in this war already but as soon as Shiva dies we all can’t handle ourselves ? #TheWalkingDead #RIPSHIVA pic.twitter.com/sKcAZF7WPt
— Enjoi (@enjoix100) November 13, 2017
Noooooooo Shiva!!! #WalkingDead pic.twitter.com/CcSngyb4pF
— ??? 9¾?⚡️ (@CARMELDIMPLEZZ) November 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/ammcdon/status/929906051943682048
Of all the deaths on @WalkingDead_AMC, this one…daaaaamn….the hurt and tears are real @AMCTalkingDead #Talkingdead #twd #WalkingDead
— Samantha (@missgoogoodoll) November 13, 2017
Out of all the deaths in the #WalkingDead, Shiva was the worse one for me to endure ??
— Donique Oliveira (@DonQ7) November 13, 2017
I'm not watching #WalkingDead anymore. ?
— Dr. Frances M (@mooref83) November 13, 2017
Not Shiva Lawd!! #DeyWalking #WalkingDead pic.twitter.com/gqpEal1WEF
— Brent World Peace (@BL_d2nd) November 13, 2017
i'm crying more over a CGI cat than I have at half of the deaths this season… #TheWalkingDead #walkingdead
— Just Another Harley (@AnotherHarleyQ) November 13, 2017
@AMCTalkingDead that was the saddest death to date I am now going to drink my sorrows #WalkingDead #TalkingDead @WalkingDead_AMC
— Brell Elyse (@BrellElyse) November 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/KarlaJoan13/status/929907048275480576
Hug your domesticated tigers a little tighter tonight. #RIPShiva #WalkingDead @WalkingDead_AMC pic.twitter.com/4bI9v3TC6t
— Jarid Munsch (@JaridMunsch) November 13, 2017
Despite the abundance of feels, one viewer had a pretty good suggestion for how “The Walking Dead” can help us heal in the wake of our Shiva loss.
https://twitter.com/desconrad/status/929902641726947329