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The Walking Dead: Andrew Lincoln says mid-season premiere will scare some people

By Susie Graham

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 05: Actor Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes in 'The Walking Dead', participates in the 'Behind the Scenes of The Walking Dead, Smithsonian Associates' panel discussion at the George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for AMC)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 05: Actor Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes in 'The Walking Dead', participates in the 'Behind the Scenes of The Walking Dead, Smithsonian Associates' panel discussion at the George Washington University, Lisner Auditorium on February 5, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for AMC) /
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Andrew Lincoln talks Deanna, Alexandria, and the darkness of the second half of season six of The Walking Dead, beginning with the craziness of the premiere next Sunday.

Entertainment Weekly has treated us to exclusive interviews leading into the mid-season premiere next Sunday.  Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, and Tom Payne have all given their insights. Now Andrew Lincoln joins the list.

Andrew seems very excited about this half of the season and where things are headed. It seems like things are about to move very quickly. I have to say, I’m excited as well. From what I’ve experienced this season and what I’ve read and heard from other cast as well, it does seem like we are at the top of the roller coaster hill and about to go wooshing down and around some loops and turns.

Related Story: The cast looks ahead to 6B

"“We do realize very quickly in the returning episode that it’s almost like the end of a chapter. Something happens. Rick learns a lot about himself in this episode. What I will say is that the pace quickens a lot in the back eight. It jumps up a gear, maybe two gears, and we move very, very quickly. A lot of things happen in quick succession that propel us towards a very thrilling finale.”“I will say that five of my favorite episodes in a long time — and very different episodes — are in this back eight. I loved shooting this back eight, from the moment we started with episode 9, which felt like a season premiere. The scale of it is astonishing. And [director] Greg Nicotero and our brilliant crew put their bodies and everything on the line to get it shot. It was all night. It’s absolute mayhem. I think it’s going to scare some people.”"

Speaking of episode 9, which is coming up Sunday, Andrew talked about how smart the set up has been. Some people were disappointed with some things in the start of the season or in the mid-season finale. People forget sometimes that we have to look at The Walking Dead as a whole, not just parts.

Episode 9 sounds like it’s going to play a huge role in the turning point of everything that has led then to this point, including much of what happened last season in Terminus and Grady and the road to Alexandria. On the calendar of The Walking Dead, not that much time has passed. For us it’s been a year or so, for them it’s only been a few months.

"“The writers have done a very smart thing in that they’ve thrown a lot of propositions and questions and challenges to Rick and the family and the community, and you will quickly realize they are answered in a very shocking, brilliant, terrifying, epic way.”“I think you’ll see there’s a marked change in Rick as a result of what happens in episode 9. It’s one of those watershed moments that happens. And as a result he learns something vital about being a leader. And yet again, he changes. And he develops a new way of leading. And that could be said for the back 8, in that it turns very dark.“I’m more excited than I’ve been for a long, long time. We’ve been spending so much time looking inward and looking inside the walls, certainly in the Alexandria chapter. Now, we’re looking to the horizon. In one direction you see good, and in the other direction, you see very, very bad. But the world is suddenly growing. And as a result, the show grows again. And as a result, the family and Rick as a leader has to develop and adapt to this new world order.”"

It seems they will stay in Alexandria instead of running and moving as they’ve had to do in the past. This is a refreshing change. The show might be able to focus on different things other than the road or difficulties of travel. They’ve stayed places before like the farm and the prison, but those places weren’t in shambles.

The threats came to them, like the flu and The Governor. This has a different feel. We’re building a new stable home, yet the world is expanding. We’re looking out, not in. There are still threats, obviously. Negan is supposed to be the game changer.

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"“Deanna, for all of her flaws, she was an incredibly savvy leader and had great ambitions for the place. The mere fact that they were able to build the fortifications and the solar panels and all of the infrastructure is an astonishing achievement — and with nothing, no soldiers or anything. Rick’s strength is seeing that we can fortify this place.  A lot of these concerns and questions get answered relatively quickly in the first two or three episodes of this back eight. There is a time jump, I will say, at some point. And you will see why we stay in Alexandria.”"

I am with Andrew. This is the most excited I’ve been in a long time for The Walking Dead. I’m always excited, but this is a notch higher than in the past. It’s like they left us hanging at the episode before the midseason finale.

Related Story: Major questions heading into 6B

I think I read somewhere that episodes 8 and 9 were supposed to be one long episode and they decided to split them. That’s how it feels. It might have been torture when it ended at the time, but it’s really a great build up now!

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

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