Merle's character was important to keep on the show, he may have been ruthless, but he was needed and he had a hidden heart unconditional love for his brother in some strange way, but they canned him. If you all notice they had that one eye govenor kill off two major character's himself. The one handed man, which was Merle, he shot him in the chest. The other one legged man {Hershel he decapitated him. Both Merle and Hershel were missing a limb and was able to survive being killed by the undead, but was taken out by a one eyed monster. Something is not right up in the writer's room of the Waliking Dead.