Spoiler below:

THEY KILLED DALE!!!!!

End spoiler.

“18 Miles Out,” last week’s episode of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” was directed by the typically reliable Ernest Dickerson, though I still had a problem with the episode.

It had nothing to do with Dickerson or his directoral chops; those were always top-notch.  No, what bothered me was that they killed off–to me, at any rate–one of the most engaging characters on the series.

They killed Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn).  I was bothered because he struck me as the voice of reason on the show.  When everyone appeared to be losing their moral moorings, Dale was always nearby to help someone navigate some emotionally turbulent emotion.

Sure, he tended to be talkative, and wasn’t exactly a man of action.  Then again, not everyone can be ‘John McClane,’ though that’s not to imply that he was a coward.  He contributed to the group the best way he knew how.

He was also at the time the only person able to repair the trailer that was a primary transport for the group, a most useful talent.

That’s what I guess was the best thing about him:  He appealed to everyone’s better angels, which is a good thing when you have someone like Shane in your group, who has been on the crazy train for quite a few episodes.

Dale will be missed because he not only elevated the show beyond being a zombie of the week show,  he reminded viewers like me that just because the world around us is insane, doesn’t mean that we have to follow its example.