I stopped watching once darabont got pushed out as I knew that the studio was going to cut quality and drag it out as long as they could and from what I've heard, sadly I was right...
When season 2 was filming. At some point during the first half. The network cut their budget. There’s also rumors they didn’t like how quickly Darabont was progressing through the source material on the show. Darabont gave them shyt about the budget (as he should’ve). Then they fired him. I think he later sued them as well. The actor who portrayed Dale requested he be killed off because Darabont was fired, and they did just that (Darabont and Dale, as well as Andrea, and Carol all worked together on the movie “The Mist”).
But anyway they made Herschel's role bigger, and more important than in the comics because he basically had to remain Herschel, but become as important as Dale. He had to fill in that missing void in Rick’s group because Dale was still alive in the comics during the prison arc.
Four things that would’ve made Walking Dead the best show ever.
1. Not going to AMC because they’re extremely cheap, and since season 2. Wanted the showrunner to drag things out
2. Going to HBO. WAY bigger budget, and is uncensored like the source material
3. Keeping Frank Darabont happy, and on board, alongside Angela Kang who at least showed effort in bringing the show back to being watchable after Scott Gimple ruined the show for years beforehand. Major props to her.
4. Keeping Scott Gimple as far away from the show as possible. Fukk that guy. His direction of the show versus Darabont’s direction of the show were a night, and day difference.