Former The Walking Dead star defends Tyreese’s “lame” death

Over the years, The Walking Dead has had more than its fair share of controversial death scenes. From Hershel and Beth to Glenn and Abraham, there are way too many to list. One such death that still has fans (and actor Chad Coleman) talking is Tyreese’s untimely passing in season 5.

Tyreese’s final episode came in “What Happened and What’s Going On,” which saw him bleed out after Michonne amputated his arm in an attempt to prevent the spread from a walker bite. As he passes, he begins to hallucinate, seeing visions of the people he’s impacted throughout the series.

Of course, The Walking Dead fans are open with their opinions, and during an appearance on The VOC Podcast, Coleman was told how one fan thought his character had the “lamest” death on the entire show, which he disputed. “I don’t believe that at all,” he said.

"How many times do you see an African-American male with power and vulnerability like that? He’s not, you know, ‘save everything Black Panther’, but an amazing mix of vulnerability…I love playing that. The dude can take a hammer and smash your face in and then just feel the most vulnerable for his family and people. So I love that thought the episode was totally apropos for what he was."

Basically, Coleman thinks his final episode was a perfect capstone for Tyreese’s character. “If you never saw the show and you watch that one episode, you get who Tyreese is.”

The way Tyreese’s death scene was handled was unique to the show. In The Walking Dead comics, his story ends in an entirely different way. He gets the same death Hershel Greene has in the TV show: being decapitated by the Governor during his attack on the prison.

Check out new stills from The Walking Dead season 11B!

Next month, The Walking Dead returns for its next batch of eight episodes as we hurdle towards the end of the show’s 24-episode final season. Season 11B promises to take us deeper into the mysteries of the Commonwealth, and will introduce us to its Governor. We already have a trailer, and now look at these new high-quality stills from the new episodes.

First, take a look at Mercer, the leader of the Commonwealth military and all-around badass. He’s looking stoic as always, wearing his signature red armor:

In this image, Eugene (Josh McDermitt) shares a heart-to-heart with Princess (Paola Lazaro):

Here’s the Governor of the Commonwealth, Pamela Milton (Laila Robins). She’s already been talked about a lot, but she officially makes her first appearance in season 11B:

Next up is a sweet image of Carol (Melissa McBride). This is the first time we’ve seen her inside the Commonwealth, and she appears to be settling in nicely. At least, that’s how it seems:

Daryl is in a sticky situation following a battle against the Reapers in the season 11A finale, resulting in the death of Pope. In this still, he’s found some new friends:

And finally, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is out playing lone wolf, with some blood spatter over his face. What’s he been up to?

The Walking Dead returns for season 11B on February 20, or a week earlier for AMC+ subscribers.

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