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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Before we get micro, lets start big picture.
I know sometimes you guys look at these as 8-episode chunks or arcs of what youre going to do.
AMC
So the outcome is going to be quite different.
I think people are going to be pretty happy to be along for the ride.
Lets talk about the Terminus folks.
What do you want to say about that?
Yeah, we left the season on a cliffhanger and it was a big cliffhanger.
We havent ended the season on a cliffhanger before.
This is really our first season ending in a cliffhanger.
What can you say about what jot down of adversary he is going to be?
What is it about him that makes him dangerous?
I think the main thing about him is probably his intelligence.
More than anything, he certainly has this element of calm to him that the Governor especially lacked.
He seems to be very pragmatic and that serves him well in terms of keeping the community going.
And well be seeing two people who are pretty much on equal playing fields leadership-wise.
I want to talk about this mission to Washington to stop the zombie plague.
What does this mission represent for the group?
Is it a sense of purpose?
Or is it different things to different people?
We already know that one of our major scenes from the season is this massive trip to Washington.
Theres quite a bit of material to deal with before we bridge those two storylines.
It could very much bring them all together.
It certainly has the potential to tear them apart.
Its kind of a mixed bag.
It looks like were now going to see them on the move again.
It gives it sort of a different feel, doesnt it?
Well, I like the realism of it.
This is not a very safe world.
I think thats a very exciting.
It keeps our show unique.
Were really excited to have them back on the road.
There are a lot of cool storylines thatll come from that.
Well see where we go from there.
We got a lot of downtown Atlanta in season 1, yet we really havent seen it since then.
Were going to be getting a taste of that again this year.
What is that city like now?
Ill definitely say that the show just looks different.
Weve spent a lot of time in the woods, as they say.
Going back into the city it is coming home again.
This is a very different urban environment from what weve seen before.
All of our actors, it becomes one big happy family.
People spending time on set and having everyone together, its a much different atmosphere on set.
Everyone seems to be having more fun to a certain extent.
No one is feeling left out, and thats pretty exciting.
You kind of have these little pods that form as youre writing episodes.
I think thats something that will be coming out this season.
That is definitely the result of having the bigger group together for a longer period of time.
You mentioned Rick and Abraham, and obviously in the comics they have a very bumpy ride at first.
Are we going to be seeing a little bit of that between those two headstrong characters?
Thats something we can expect.
So hes that much more immovable when it comes to making decisions and leading.
Thats something that is going to certainly put him at odds with Rick, at least at first.
And what about some of the others?
Is that something where the dots are going to get connected at some point?
That is certainly a lingering plot thread that will be dealt with.
We did not forget that.
We will be dealing with that.
Its a toss up.
That conflict could be a bit of a powder keg.
If they were to come together at some point, how is that going to play out?
Ill say that that we dont waste any time getting around to that conflict.
I do know that were going to have a little more romance this season.
Abraham and Rosita in the comics have a relationship that we havent really seen much of yet on screen.
You have some other characters where there may be something there, like Bob and Sasha.
Do you have anything to say about romance beyond Glenn and Maggie in season 5?
Theres certainly more couples.
I wouldnt say that the entire group is starting to pair off, but theres been some hints.
Sadly, I would say that Daryls situation remains somewhat ambiguous, or should I not say that?
Youre just crushing the dreams of a lot of people.
Thats a powder keg for my Twitter feed, I tell you.
But yeah, a lot of romance this season.
Im going to regret answering that question.
So what about Father Gabriel?
Seth Gilliam has taken on this very prominent role from the comics.
I would say its very close.
Theres quite a lot to get to in the first half of season 5.
The Beth storyline is definitely one of them.
I wouldnt expect it too terribly soon.
Its going to have some pretty far-reaching ramifications for all the characters.
You know I cant answer that.
Its entirely reasonable to assume that, but, that said, we have jumped around a lot.
We might be doing something very big before that just to throw people off.
Ive already said too much.
Does that sort of remix philosophy hold true in season 5?
Fair to expect more of that?
Well always be doing that.
Theres certain things that are going to happen to different characters than the way they happen in the comics.
Is the Alexandria Safe Zone a place the group may end up in season 5?
Its certainly a possibility, but it seems like thats a ways off to me.
Finally, we talked about how you planned the comic as a zombie movie that doesnt end.
Im optimistic to a naive degree, I guess.
But I dont know.
We havent really started thinking about that yet.
Check out our Walking Dead: One-Minute Refresher below.
And for more Walking Dead scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
