The Walking Dead panelists discuss Lydia’s arrival and interrogation

The capture of Lydia on The Walking Dead was a pivotal moment in the Whisperers arc. Our panel talks about Lydia’s arrival and Daryl’s methods of interrogation.

Was the capture of Lydia on The Walking Dead a setup? It’s hard to know for sure but it’s entirely possible that Lydia didn’t give herself up out of fear but rather out of a desire to get inside the Hilltop and scout for information.

She may seem like just a terrified little girl but there were subtle clues in The Walking Dead “Adaptation” that hint that Lydia is more in control of things than she let son. And in the previews for the next new episode “Omega” she is seen gently pumping for Henry for information about the Kingdom which he gives up easily.

That brings into question whether she was really the half crazed and scared girl that she seemed when Daryl was interrogating her or if that was just another act to try and figure out the motives and temperament and the security protocols that are in place inside the Hilltop so that she can give that information to Alpha later on.

Lydia’s story changed several times and while she may be a good enough spy to fool an ordinary person she’s not good enough to put one over on Daryl. It’s easy to forget the fantastic observational skills that Daryl has since he’s been underutilized for the past few seasons but Daryl is not about to fall for any of Lydia’s tricks. Were his interrogation methods effective? Can Lydia’s information be trusted? Here’s what our panelists thought:

Is Lydia Lying?

What are your first reactions to Lydia? Do you think that she is being completely truthful or is she lying about her group? Is she a spy?

Sonya says:

"I think Cassady is a fantastic Lydia. But Lydia is definitely lying. She’s pretty good at it, but not quite good enough. She’s obviously done this before, which makes me think that all of it was a setup and that she got herself captured on purpose to get inside the gates and get intel on Hilltop for Alpha. But I do think she was a little scared and a little on edge at the same time. That kind of cunning plan seems like something Alpha would come up with because she really likes to keep enemies off balance. I think she’s a spy."

Sara says:

"I’m really intrigued with Lydia’s character and found her first episode to be really compelling. I don’t however believe that she is being completely honest with Daryl. I think she is definitely hiding a lot about the Whisperers. I think she is afraid to say anything that may get her killed by her own group. I also have a feeling that she might be brainwashed by her group due to the trepidation in her voice. I’m so excited to see more from Lydia, and to see which side she is really on."

Jeffrey says:

"First of all, I think Cassady McClincy did amazing work in her debut performance as Lydia. I do not trust her even slightly even though she does seem genuinely terrified. The fact that she started to open up to Henry and even revealed her name to him makes me concerned that she will manipulate him into revealing information that she can use against him and the Hilltop. Anyone who has survived for this long clearly did so by having some skill and I think hers is deception."

Sarabeth says:

"I don’t think Lydia is a spy, but she’s definitely not telling the entire truth. They already caught her in lies. I think she’s trying to figure the Hilltop community out as much as they are her. I’m not sure what she’s after, though. That’s the mystery. She’s not begging to be freed. So what does she want?"

What did you think of Lydia TWDFamily? Do you think she is telling the truth? And do you think that Daryl’s method of using Henry to get information out of Lydia is smart? Tweet us @SonyaIryna, @WrittenBySara, @TWalkingDWorld, @SarabethPollock, and @UndeadWalkingFS and tell us what you thought of Lydia’s arrival on The Walking Dead.