Walking Dead fans heartbroken after The Ones Who Live Episode 4

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live has fans an emotional wreck after Episode 4, with one particularly tough reference hitting a little too hard.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is in full swing now, with each new episode drawing more and more praise for its high-stakes action and intense character drama. Episode 4, the latest installment, saw Rick and Michonne trapped in an apartment building after their risky helicopter escape.

Together, they battled through emotional barriers and the increasing tension of Rick’s situation. As Michonne tries to convince Rick that he can safely escape the CRM alongside her, they struggle to stay on the same page about their relationship and their future.

But one moment in the newest episode struck especially hard for fans, who were blindsided when one moment of vulnerability from Rick reopened a wound from the original show.

Walking Dead fans devastated after mention of Carl in The Ones Who Live Episode 4

In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4, Rick breaks down while talking about Carl, and a flashback to Rick holding a younger Carl’s hand has left fans of the show completely heartbroken.

As Michonne tries to coax Rick back to sanity by talking about their family, Rick makes mention of Carl. He talks about how the CRM took Carl from him, since he used to dream of his beloved son every night until he suddenly couldn’t anymore. The dream (which is a recycled flashback from The Walking Dead), showed Rick walking down a path, holding the hand of Carl, who’s a toddler at the time.

AMC

Online, fans quickly addressed the sadness of it all.

“Rick talking about Carl killed me, seeing the flashback made me so sad,” said one fan over on The Walking Dead subreddit. Another added: “When she handed Rick the phone drawing of Carl, the waterworks started. I haven’t cried this hard during TWD in years.”

“Yeah, this is genuinely the only scene in all of the shows that really got to me. I mean, there’s been other scenes that have hit me emotionally before, but this scene hits f**king hard,” said another comment.

“This was the scene that got me crying,” one user wrote. “I can’t believe TOWL has had such an emotional impact on me so far.”

With two more episodes on the horizon, there’s plenty more emotions to come from The Ones Who Live. For more, check out our guides: The Walking Dead in Order / The Ones Who Live cast / The Walking Dead spinoffs