The Walking Dead: Why T-Dog Died In Season 3 Instead Of Carol

Carol Peletier was nearly killed off in The Walking Dead season 3 instead of Theodore Douglas, better known to fans as “T-Dog” – and here’s why. Melissa McBride has played Carol since the AMC hit series launched in 2010. In fact, she’s the only original character continuously appearing on the series aside from Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) – and now they’re the only remaining characters who’ve been on the show since season 1.

Unlike Carol and many of the other Walking Dead characters, T-Dog (IronE Singleton) didn’t have a comic book counterpart. The character was created by initial showrunner Frank Darabont strictly for the TV series. First introduced in season 1, T-Dog was an original member of the main group of survivors. Though he didn’t have much to say in terms of leadership since Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) took control, T-Dog never backed down from a fight. He took down walkers and looked out for the group as they relocated to Hershel Greene’s (Scott Wilson) farm and then the abandoned prison.

T-Dog had a lot of potential as a long-lasting character, but that changed in the early episodes of The Walking Dead season 3. In “Killer Within,” a horde of walkers got into the prison courtyard. The survivors were split up but T-Dog attempted to secure the gates with Carol. He was bitten by one of the walkers, and to allow his friend to get away safely, he sacrificed himself since the pair had run out of ammunition. Before T-Dog was killed off at that moment, there were early talks of Carol being the one to die instead, since the writers were at a loss at what to do with her character. Scott Gimple and Greg Nicotero were opposed (via Insider) to killing off McBride’s character, so they fought for her future. Because of that, she lived.

TWD Wanted To Show Carol’s Journey Following Her Abuse

It was no secret that a segment of fans felt that T-Dog lacked character development. His backstory was unknown and he was often pushed to act as a supporting character. Carol, on the other hand, was a victim of domestic abuse and lost a young daughter during the events of The Walking Dead. Even though the writers were stuck with her arc at the prison, there were many routes they could take with her. The series wanted to present a story centering on a victim of abuse becoming a hero. It took Carol a very long time to realize how strong she truly was. Even though she carried on, she continued to encounter tragedy with the losses of Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino), Mika (Kyla Kennedy), and most recently, Henry (Matthew Lintz). She also encountered issues with romance through relationships with Tobin (Jason Douglas) and Ezekiel (Khary Payton).

This isn’t to say that T-Dog couldn’t have had a meaningful arc had he been kept alive. But looking back, Carol had a bigger opportunity to flourish in the series. Not only has she emerged as one of the fiercest characters, but she’s also one of the lone figures who have anchored the show since the beginning. Carol continues to surprise, having orchestrated a plan to kill Alpha with Negan, and even though she still suffers emotionally, she will never go down without a fight. Most important themes throughout The Walking Dead have been represented through Carol Peletier.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1745 Articles Published)

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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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