That fake death was actually incredibly effective because it causes people to think that the characters are invincible, which will make the inevitable real Glenn death all the more impactful.
People are already complaining about this "main characters are in no real danger" thing.
http://www.vox.com/culture/2015/11/3...8-recap-finale
This will go double if Carl gets shot in the f***ing face before then, too. Can you imagine if an episode closed with Carl getting half his head blown off and then he LIVES? People would go nuts. "THIS SHOW WON'T KILL ANYONE OFF ANYMORE!"
Well, folks, say hi to Lucille.
EDIT: actually, come to think of it it would have made some sense to have the Carl thing be the mid-season cliffhanger, wouldn't it??