We had the death of a major character, chaos among the survivors, and potential cliffhangers galore. Also, in the post credits preview, we had the introduction of a character that will play a big role in the future of the AMC blockbuster. Familiar to fans of the Robert Kirkman created comics on which TWD is based, the first mention of the Negan villain last night seems to put Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee, Daryl Dixon and the other survivors in even greater danger than usual and thats saying something in a world gone terribly wrong. Add to that the fact that Sundays Start To Finish episode saw the Alexandria Safe Zone now under siege by legions of Walkers and the communitys leader, Deanna Monroe, bitten by one of the Walkers. After the multi episode arc of whether or not the Glenn played by Steven Yeun survived being knocked into a horde of frenzied Walkers he did, Season 6 of the series marks yet another shift and reinvention for a show that regularly reinvents itself. With tensions within the Safe Zone between its residents and Grimes survivors, a murderous invasion by members of the Wolves gang and a moral decision by Lennie James Morgan character that will definitely determine aspects of the rest of the Season 6, TWD also saw the series hit some ratings potholes after years of record breaking growth. Related. The executive producer also offered insights on the roles of Negan and Norman Reedus Daryl, plus looking toward Season 7. DEADLINE Youve said that the return of the second half of Season 6 of The Walking Dead next year will be with one of the biggest episodes youve ever done. What do you mean by thatGIMPLE Oh Lordy, its taking us to. Its taking us to a closed quarters situation that is both emotionally explosive and terrifying in as much as people are closed in with an army of Walkers. Its a horrific and unique type of claustrophobia. DEADLINE What was your reaction to the reaction of the fate of Steven Yeuns Glenn Rhee character this past half seasonGIMPLE From the end of Episode 3 to the beginning of Episode 7, I thought it was a remarkable pop culture moment. I love that people who didnt know each other had something to talk to each other about and that made the world a smaller place with a lot of passionate feelings on both sides, on all sides. When it was all said and done after Episode 7, the incredible elation that fans seemed to have was very cool to see. We dont get to tell those type of stories very often on the show and to see Glenn live, to see the hero survive, I felt was something the audience earned after six years of watching The Walking Dead. Six years of seeing the hero die, I believed this was something the audience deserved. Related. Last nights midseason finale also seemed to really tease the fate of Carl and whether he would suffer the horrific injury he gets in the comic. Watch Poker Night Online. Walking Dead Season 4 Ep 14How much were you playing against that expectation GIMPLE It wasnt specific to play against that expectation, but I will say that last years midseason finale and Episode 1. Season 5 were very much episodes that closed the stories. We wanted to do something different this year we wanted to play with that general expectation and that its not always going to be the same thing as the comic or previous seasons. Related. That character is the one who kills Glenn in the comics, so how is that character going to be different on the show than he is in the comic GIMPLE I would say this Its an incredible drag that its come out that weve cast that role. I know that its really hard for that information not to get out, but I would have loved to have been able to manage expectations there with fans. We make this show pretty far in advance and when they find out about things weve planned in the future, pretty deep into the future, I dont want them just thinking, Oh I want to get to that. In a perfect world they wouldnt even know about that or asking questions about that save for our mention last night, which is fair play. I will add that weve done things from the comics to the letter and weve done things from the comics very very differently. I think thats probably the guiding principle that fans should have when they think about Negan. DEADLINE Speaking of doing things differently from the comics, are we going to see a lot more from Norman Reedus Daryl Dixon character, which isnt in the comics, the rest of this season There seems to have been a lot of emphasis on him, as that preview from last night hinted as well. This upcoming half season is very very different than the previous half season in the structure, in the lineup of characters in the episodes, and I think even in the types of stories we are telling. I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I had to have this DVD. I ordered the 2 Disc DVD set. This is a great DVD set to add to my collection. I do have Season 3 and 4. The Walking Dead Season Two continues the story of Clementine, a young girl orphaned by the undead apocalypse. Left to fend for herself, she has been forced to learn. I have us go outside what is my comfort zone because I love telling stories that are character based first. In lot of ways, this next half season has that character but the plot really does take over for several episodes. I was trying to push myself to take it in a new direction, maybe not permanently but for these next eight episodes I wanted to do something different and youre going to see something different. Walking_dead_season_1_episode_4_vatos_%2819%29.png/revision/latest?cb=20101123025251' alt='Walking Dead Season 4 Ep 11' title='Walking Dead Season 4 Ep 11' />Related. Why do you think that is GIMPLE I dont think its been that huge a dip and further I dont think it might be a story regarding The Walking Dead but really I think it might be a story about television. I think that there are similar shows in the 1. Look, were undergoing a shift, even from when Walking Dead started, in the way that people consume television. Were seeing its effect not just in Walking Dead ratings, but rating across the board. Technology is taking a nibble out of us. Im to blame too, I watch a lot of things on my DVR. I can only blame myself, I like to watch my shows when I want to watch them and I think a lot of people are in the same place. I will say, I get far too much stuff spoiled for me and if I had my druthers Id liked to watch TV when TV is on. Like, Im just getting into Game Of Thrones now and I already know everything thats going to happen and thats annoying. DEADLINE OK, but after several years as the showrunner, how would you rank this season of all the Walking Dead seasons GIMPLE I cant do that laughs but I will say that this certainly was the most challenging. Just from a really basic physical standpoint for myself, for the crew and for the cast. This was a really hard one. Were very proud of it, but man, people are still sleeping it off. DEADLINE How soon until you start pulling things together for Season 7 GIMPLE Im sitting down with the writers next week, in a lot of ways we havent really stopped. There isnt entirely a break because were still doing post on Season 6 and we just stopped shooting just over a week ago. Robert Kirkman created the never ending zombie movie and were in the never ending television production. The Walking Dead Season 1 Episodes. 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