Its been a while since a read a character death handled so well. Its not just a matter or "stakes" or "seriousness". It plays into the theme of people being able to change or find peace, for both the dead and the living.
Honestly that was an unsastifying chapter. Bring some no name new guy in to kill off a character, and then the new no name guy doesn't even die in return. Pure win for the bad guys chapter.