The second season of The Walking Dead almost began with a completely different story. Behind the scenes, the production was surrounded by chaos, including Frank Darabont's departure, Glen Mazzara taking over as showrunner, cast frustrations, and budget reductions that changed the direction of the series. The original plan was for a ninety-minute premiere, which would have delivered a much larger opening chapter. However, much of that material was removed, leaving fans with only fragments of what was originally intended.