Scott Gimple says The Walking Dead 10C will feel more ‘intimate’

The six bonus episodes of The Walking Dead will have an ‘intimate’ feel to them

Now that all new episodes across The Walking Dead Universe have aired for 2020, it’s time to look ahead to 2021 and in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, TWD’s Chief Content Officer Scott M. Gimple shares some insight into the six bonus episodes coming in February.

Now that there is an end in sight for AMC’s flagship zombie drama, the final 30 episodes have more meaning than fans could have imagined. The six bonus episodes tied to season 10 will feature deep dives into stories and characters that deserve more exploration, allowing writers time to adjust to COVID-19 restrictions while preparing for the final season.

AMC released a list of the episode titles and descriptions in early November, and now Gimple is offering some insight about the episodes and their “intimate” feel.

Here’s what Scott M. Gimple told THR’s Josh Wigler:

"THR: What’s the status of the six additional Walking Dead season ten episodes, which are slated to start arriving in February? Are they still in production?Gimple: Season 10C wrapped very recently, this past week. The shows are amazing. There’s a lot of circumstance that was put on these episodes. Things everyone is dealing with with the pandemic. But the way [showrunner Angela Kang] charted these stories with the writers, and the way they came together and worked so hard and so quickly and yet crafted some of the best stories we’ve had in a long while … they’re just intimate. Initially, I was describing them as “acoustic,” but they aren’t. It turns out it’s more like seeing your favorite band at your favorite bar. They are not a step down in any way as far as the scale — at least, they don’t feel that way. They feel more intimate because they are more [character] focused. There are just a couple of characters per episode, or a few characters per episode, and that makes them special. It’s an incredible accomplishment from Angela, the writers, the cast, the crew, the producers. I am very, very proud of what they’ve done. I think the audience is going to love them. It’s incredible how quickly they’re going to be in the audience’s hand."

With the success of Fear the Walking Dead season 6’s anthology format, which is character driven and focused on a tighter story that plays into a larger one, these 10C episodes seem to fall in line with that same framework rather than being labeled as traditional bottle episodes.

The Walking Dead’s cast has grown to quite the ensemble over the years, and in many cases fans don’t get a chance to see as much of their favorite characters as they would like. These bonus episodes allow for the kind of character-driven stories that don’t fit into the traditional season, and with only a few characters per episode they allow for bigger stories to be told.

It’s also worth noting that filming has wrapped on the bonus episodes, so that means there is a green light for filming on season 11 to begin as soon as the holidays are over. (This might mean that season 11 could be ready as soon as fall 2021 if that’s part of AMC’s plan)

In many ways, these bonus episodes are a gift that will make the long hiatus between seasons seem shorter while also giving some screen time to beloved characters, and that’s a win-win for the TWD Family.