@Chris “Daniel's death was not always part of the plan. Gandolfini told
TV Insider in a recent Q&A that in the original version of the scene, his character's pleas were heard by Buck, and he ended up surviving the bloody encounter. The actor even filmed some scenes for Episode 8 before the creative team decided to change course at the last minute. It was decided in post-production that the "right" move would be to kill his character off, as it added more weight to his final moral choice and gave him a definitive, more meaningful, hero's arc.”