‘The Walking Dead’ Returns With ‘A Very Big Turning Point In The Series’
Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead is set to pick up with the second half of Season 6, and even as the Alexandrians face threats from the undead and from Negan’s Saviors, there is even more to anticipate and to dread. Showrunners Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, and Greg Nicotero reveal that The Walking Dead is preparing to take off in a new direction, as the producers hope to revitalize the series by setting up a larger world than has been previously seen in the series.
The Walking Dead Returns With The Alexandrians Life And Freedom Hanging In The Balance
As the second half of Season 6 picks up, the most dire crisis facing Rick’s group is the onslaught of walkers attacking the community, but even if they do survive that assault with minimal casualties, the Alexandrians will still be faced with another great threat in the form of Negan’s Saviors.
Meanwhile, Scott Gimple says Rick and his group will face the dilemmas brought about by the power they wield, which is drawn from their experience in combating the walkers for so long.
“The second half, we answer the questions: ‘What do they do with that power? What is their responsibility? How can they create a future? What does that look like?’ You see the billboards and ads about this this larger world … they are going to find that the world wasn’t exactly what they thought it was in every way — in very practical ways and even in philosophical ways — and how are they going to handle that.”
For the mid season opener, everything on The Walking Dead hinges on the battle at Alexandria, where up until now, the living have enjoyed reminders of what civilized life was once like. That may all be over now, as walkers prepare to take over.
Robert Kirkman On The Future Of The Walking Dead
For the man behind the comic book series, as well as the AMC television adaptation, change is the operative word for the future of The Walking Dead. Mr. Kirkman throws around phrases like “new elements” and “a lot of big changes,” when asked about his plans for the future of the series. More specifically, he says that Sunday night’s mid season premiere will already begin to debut some of the coming changes.
“It will really set the stage for what’s going to come and the many seasons that will hopefully come after this,” Kirkman said.
The creator of The Walking Dead teased that the episode would be “a very big turning point in the series.”
One of the things Robert is hoping to make clearer in the show is the sense of optimism that has always existed on The Walking Dead. He reveals that Jessie and all of her sons die, during the big invasion sequence, but after the battle is over and things begin to settle, he’s sure the positivity will shine through.
“I think at times, people would find [that] hard to believe, but after the midseason premiere, that’s a little more clear,” Robert Kirkman said. “I think more people will see the optimism that actually does exist at the core of the show.”
Greg Nicotero seems to have a different viewpoint, as he talks about the dangers that exist beyond the walls of Alexandria. He says they try to show the threats that exist in the world and that they have tried to give a larger scope of that, instead of keeping everything focused on Alexandria, or Rick’s group. He says fans of The Walking Dead will again be reminded of those unknown threats, as Negan and his Saviors come to town.
[Image by AMC]
