Angela Kang breaks down the season 11 premiere.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the season 11 premiere ofThe Walking Dead.
She also took us inside that silent opening scene and Yumiko’s big discovery at the Commonwealth.
Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan on ‘The Walking Dead’.Josh Stringer/AMC
(Also check that to read ourepisode Q&A with Jeffrey Dean Morgan.)
ANGELA KANG:We knew that we wanted to start the season with a really cool action sequence.
We liked the idea of doing something with lurkers.
Michael James Shaw and Brandon O’Dell on ‘The Walking Dead’.Josh Stringer/AMC
We liked the idea of having to go into something that feels like a nest of vipers.
There’s a little bit of sign language, but there’s nothing verbal that you hear.
We’re like, “No, no, no, it’s okay.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a scene from The Walking Dead'.Josh Stringer/AMC
They’re just going to signal each other and go.”
And it was just a really fun challenge to think about.
Let’s talk about the Commonwealth.
What do we learn here from this interrogation about this community doing the interrogating?
But there’s definitely a bit of an apocalyptic version of how you vet people.
I think what it says is they’re very, very security-minded, which they are.
They are vetting everyone very, very hard.
And so it means they’ve learned some things about who’s out there in the world.
It probably tells you there there’s not a lot of trust of outsiders.
What do we do?"
How is that going to impact things moving forward?
I think once you see, “I’ve got family there,” it makes it less abstract.
And after you’ve passed the test, maybe there’s something good at the end of it."
And I think that that absolutely affects the mindset of our people.
And then there’s obviously the story of what happens when she finds the small lost family.
What does that even feel like?
And what can they tell them about this place?
But there are elements of it that she is taking over.
Let’s switch over to the Alexandria group.
I think from his point of view, he’s really right.
I mean, is there an objective truth?
I think for both Maggie and Negan, they have strong opinions about the other person.
I actually gasped when he said that.
That’s pretty hardcore.
For me, a Negan that is completely soft is not interesting.
And I think it’s also not really true.
If he got all the edges sanded off, I would never think he’s being genuine.
Because what’s true about Negan is he likes to talk a lot about his own philosophy.
Sometimes he can’t help himself.
And so I think that those are things that are core to his character.
So that’s what we’re offering when we’re dealing with Negan.
So what do you have to say aboutthat, Angela Kang?
And all the little signs along the way are there.
She does not seem like she’s soft.
You’re surrounded by people that are not your ally.
Maybe for a kid that he likes, but other than that, that guy is there to survive.
But we were like, “No, that guy is amped up.
He would leave her.”
Does he have a right to do that if he feels she’s trying to kill him anyway?
It just depends on the point of view you take.
Those things are not the same.
But we like living in those kinds of questions.
That’s what’s fun for us to write.
Okay, what’s going to be coming up in next week?
We’re obviously going to see the aftermath of what happened at the end of this episode.
You will get to see more of our people in the subways.
There are some tough choices that are made in that episode, some gruesome things that happen.
So lots more to come and then some scary, scary things at the very end.
