Luckily for fans, AMC opted to bring The Walking Dead back for a second season, doubling the number of episodes in the process. With that number increased, it will give the writers of the show a chance to delve deeper into the characters, their back-stories and getting them to reflect their comic book counter parts. THR got to have a chat with the show's producers, Robert Kirkman and Gale Anne Hurd to discuss the characters and their direction this season as well as some key plot questions that were left unanswered at the end of last season.
What did Jenner whisper to Rick at the CDC? When Season 1 ended, the band of survivors was suddenly forced back onto the road to nowhere after Jenner blew up the CDC shortly after whispering something to Rick. What did he tell him and when will that be revealed? “We certainly tease it in the premiere,” Hurd tells THR. Is everyone infected? Is Lori pregnant? “We’ll definitely tell you what that is and resolve that while you’re still wanting to know about it,” Kirkman says, noting that the writers are very mindful of retaining viewers' interest. "It will be wrapped up before the end of the second season -- it could be the first episode, it could be in the last."
What caused the zombie apocalypse? While the origin of the story has yet to be approached, even as Kirkman's series approaches Issue 90, the AMC drama will reveal things "here and there," the comic creator says. "As far as actually finding the answer to things, we're probably not going to be doing that anytime soon." In the meantime, the impact of the apocalypse will affect the survivors -- and the new people Rick and company meet along the way -- in different ways.
Should I stay or should I go? With Shane left with no choice but to watch as Lori stands by Rick's side, in the premiere he'll ponder splitting from the group -- but he won't be the only one with branching out on their mind. "Everyone is seeking two things: first, a safe harbor, a sanctuary," Hurd says. "Second, a feeling that they belong to something."
"Shane is kind of being tortured by being around Rick and Lori, having had that relationship [with Lori] so of course he would be tempted to just kick himself out of the equation and go out on his own," Kirkman says. "We see very early on in the second season that things aren't necessarily easy and that the idea of going off on your own may hold less appeal than sticking it out and struggling with these people."
Who's The Governor? The legendary character from the comics has yet to make an appearance on the AMC series and, despite speculation that Daryl's brother, Merle, could eventually be the twisted psychopath, Kirkman maintains that viewers have yet to meet him. "The Governor character will be introduced at some point and it will probably be an original character that hasn't appeared in the show up to that point," Kirkman says.
New characters Rick and company are heading to a farm (as seen in the key art for Season 2), where they will meet Hershel (Scott Wilson), his daughter Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and farmhand Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince), as in Kirkman's comics. However, the budding romance between Maggie and Glenn may not play out as they did in the pages. "There will be an attraction but it's not going to be simple; it's going to be complicated by things that are very clearly not in the comic," Hurd says.
Adds Kirkman: "Shane is already dead at this point in the comics, so when they arrive at the farm, he's completely out of the picture. Having him be a part of the story changes things in a lot of interesting ways and the Andrea-Shane relationship, what ever that entails, is a big part of that."
It sounds as if Shane may be pushed to the forefront of the show. The teaser trailer we have previously seen shows much of what was discussed in this interview, but it seems there is so much more to unfold in the coming weeks.Be sure to check out the link below for the entire interview, where you will find info on who goes and who stays!
The Walking Dead returns to AMC this Sunday night.
ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.