Since Frank Darabont was fired or quit or was asked to leave his hit series The Walking Dead, his silence over the matter has been frustrating. The show continues to be highly-rated and regarded, but the question over whether Darabont was at fault or AMC was just acting as a tight-wadded network that doesn't value artists hung over the first seven episodes of the show's second season.
Darabont has moved on, and is busy getting ready to shoot his new TNT series L.A. Noir, based on John Buntin's non-fiction book L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City, but did tell TV Guide a bit about what happened regarding his exit from The Walking Dead.
It was, for the sake of my cast and my crew, a tremendously regretful thing to face, to have to leave. But I was really given no choice. I don't understand the thinking behind, "Oh, this is the most successful show in the history of basic cable. Let's gut the budgets now." I never did understand that and I think they got tired of hearing me complain about it. It's a little more complicated than that, but that's as far as I want to go with it because otherwise it's just provoking more controversy and that's not really of interest to me. I just want to keep my head down and do my job and be allowed to do my job, that's key, and continue to, hopefully, enjoy it and do good work.
[The cast and crew of The Walking Dead] are like family to me. It has not been easy for anybody. Let me put it that way: It was like a death in the family. Only I was the dead guy. I felt like William Holden, face down in the swimming pool, narrating this thing.
As for why AMC never offered an official explanation about his exit, Darabont has this to say:
It was a lot of obfuscation and on my end just maintaining what I thought was the most dignified silence that I could. Who needs a cat fight in the press, oy vey. There's plenty of stuff in this world that I'm excited about doing, and how lovely that we're getting the opportunity to do this with TNT. How great is that.
However, Darabont's first casting decision could spoil things for the second half of The Walking Dead's second season. SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION WHEN READING FURTHER, THERE MAY BE SPOILERS.
Variety reports that Jon Bernthal, who plays Shane on The Walking Dead, is in early discussions with TNT for the lead role in L.A. Noir, though nothing is confirmed so far. Bernthal would play Joe Teague, a L.A. cop that is the central character on the show, which would immediately raise the question: "How could Bernthal play both Shane and Teague at the same time?"
Answer: Deft scheduling or Shane's dead by the end of Season 2.
Being involved in two shows doesn't guarantee that Shane will be killed off, as it is conceivable that Bernthal could schedule both shows and manage both commitments. Still, it would be unusual for an actor to be in two, concurrent hour-long dramas.
Shane has already outlived his involvement in the comic book, but the character adds a much-needed contentious element. Watching the first half of the season, I called Shane possibly fracturing the group and taking a few survivors with him as they head off in their own direction. So, that could be a possibility too, which would again free Bernthal up to shoot another show.
