Walking Dead World Beyond season 2 Leo Bennett smartest man alive
By Renee Hansen
The Walking Dead World Beyond is the young adult series in The Walking Dead universe. In season one, we saw a group of young adults as they navigated the undead world for the first time in their lives. We also learned of a man, Dr. Leo Bennett (Joe Holt), called “the smartest man alive,” and is involved in vital research for the CR. He just so happens to be the father of three people in the above-mentioned group.
The second and final season of World Beyond will give us a deeper look into the CR and their research to find a cure. Dr. Bennett is one of the researchers, and he has been separated from his family for a very long time. When his daughter receives distressing messages from him, they, along with some friends, embark on a mission to find him.
It was discovered that the messages were planted by an undercover CR operative who was tasked with bringing one of Dr. Bennett’s daughters to the facility to help him with his research. Bennett has been reunited with his two daughters and his adopted son Felix, but during this time, some shady discoveries have them all questioning the motives of the CR.
Walking Dead World Beyond Leo Bennett smartest man alive
In season one, we are told that Dr. Leo Bennett is the smartest man alive and that he was sent to the CR research facility to work on a cure for the virus. When we finally meet him, we discover he is not only smart but is a man of integrity and a wonderful father to all three of his children.
In an interview with AMC.com, actor Joe Holt shared that he has enjoyed playing Dr. Bennett as he is a complex character. He states that as an African American actor, the roles aren’t often dependant on the character’s intelligence and humanity. Holt believes that Bennett’s optimism stems from the idea that his children are the future, and he must have hope in that future for them.
Dr. Bennett has met a new woman named Dr. Lyla Belshaw (Natalie Gold). She is a bit of a mystery, and the little we have learned about her makes us wonder if she can be trusted. She is one of the scientists conducting experiments on walkers and humans. We see her with a walker test subject in season one, who we discover is a colleague Dr. Abbott (S.J. Ovaska). There has been no reason why he became a test subject, but it can’t be good. Was Lyla involved in choosing him? Or was she given no choice?
The Walking Dead: World Beyond returns to AMC on November 7 with “Who Are You?” This episode is currently available on AMC+.