IGN got a chance to talk to executive producer, director and make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero about The Walking Dead Season 7 and why they decided to end Season 6 on a cliffhanger.
“It propels our people,” he told the site. “It affects our people profoundly, as it does in the comic book. That changes everyone’s direction. The main thing about Season 7 is establishing that the world isn’t what everybody thinks it is, the world out there. At the end of Season 6, Rick was so confident. ‘We’re just going to knock out that outpost, we’re going to f–k these guys up before they f–k us up,’ and it ends with him going, ‘Heh, oh well, I had no idea. What I perceived as the world is not even close to what the reality of the world is,’ and Negan’s there to show him that.”
Nicotero added, “Season 7 of The Walking Dead, there’s all new worlds that we’re going to meet, so it wouldn’t have made sense to end a chapter and then start it halfway through the next chapter. You want to end in one place and pick it up.”
He also addressed fans who think they may have figured out who met Negan’s Lucile, saying that they aren’t necessarily shooting The Walking Dead Season 7 episodes in order. So although fans may have not spotted a certain actor on-set in paparazzi photos or read that they weren’t there, it doesn’t mean that much.
And what about fans’ concerns that Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan held back on the swearing compared to the comics? “When you watch the DVD [of Season 6], we shot alternate takes [of Negan’s monologue] with him saying ‘f–k’ every other line. On the DVD, you’ll get the full [Negan].”
Even though such a great villain will be present, Nicotero said they aren’t forgetting the walkers. “That’s what The Walking Dead is. It’s always important to keep the walkers relevant in the show. That’s why the gags that come up, if there’s an episode that doesn’t have a ton of walkers, there’ll be some awesome gags in it that you’ll just be blown away by. I came up with a couple this year that we’ll be shooting next week that we’ve never done before, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be cool.'”
Who died on The Walking Dead Season 6 finale? You can check out our thoughts in the slideshow below. The Walking Dead Season 7 premieres on AMC in October.
The Walking Dead - Who's Dead?
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Rick
Well, if Rick was killed, that would certainly be a surprise that is worthy of a cliffhanger. I don't see it happening. Rick is undoubtedly the lead of the show, and I can't think of anyone else who could take over his mantle as leader of Alexandria. Daryl is too grouchy; Morgan is too soft; Carl is too young; Carol has given up; Maggie and Glenn have a baby and Maggie's health to focus on. Maybe Michonne, but she doesn't quite have the people skills. Like Carl, Rick is about as safe as one can get in The Walking Dead.
Likelihood? Slim to none.
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Carl
Carl isn't going anywhere. He has been the driving force for like 75% of everything that has happened. Every move Rick has made, he has done to keep Carl safe. Carl has become less annoying as a character, especially now that the number one question on everyone's lips isn't "Where's Carl?" In addition, he becomes very important in the Whisperers plotline, which I suspect will be the focus of season eight. No one is 100% safe in The Walking Dead, but I feel like Carl is as close to safe as one can get.
Likelihood? Slim to none.
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Michonne
Michonne may be my favorite character on the show, so I cannot imagine The Walking Dead without her. I feel like her death would serve no purpose other than to infuriate fans and destroy Rick.
Likelihood? Slim to none.
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Daryl
We all know that Daryl does not appear in the comics at all. We also know that there is a small fortune to be made in "If Daryl Dies, We Riot" t-shirts. Daryl is too popular of a character to kill off, and he is too much of a bad-ass to be killed in that manner. If Daryl dies, I expect him to go out swinging. Also, the character has taken a bit of a backseat this season. If the producers are running out of storylines for Daryl, killing him may be an easy way out.
Likelihood? Slim.
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Glenn
Glenn already got almost-killed in episode 603, so it seems unlikely that the producers will try that again. However, in the comics, Glenn does die in a similar situation, at the hands of Negan. But if the producers are following the comic book for this death, why the cliffhanger? He would be a perfect choice to kill: a fan-favorite, whose death would effect all the characters and the plot. But the one thing that the show has done is not follow the comics with regards to who dies and when they die, so I see no reason for the series to start now.
Likelihood? Slim.
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Maggie
In the comics, Maggie takes a leadership role as the head of The Hilltop (the same place we see in episode 611), so her role is fairly vital, but there is nothing unique about Maggie's role as leader. Another character could easily take over. The easy money says that producers wouldn't murder a pregnant character, but I don't know that Negan would see that as a reason to save her. To me, Negan would be more likely not to kill her because she is ill; it wouldn't be sporting. But Maggie would be a good kill, whose death would have major effects through the series. Earlier in the episode, when Maggie became sick, I theorized that they may kill Maggie off instead of Glenn, and give Glenn her leadership position.
Likelihood? Fair.
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Rosita
To me, Rosita has always been window dressing. She is pretty, and she is a badass, but she doesn't have much personality. She still hasn't gotten a major plotline, and in the comics, she doesn't get one until the Whisperers show up. Rosita has been around long enough to make her a more important death, but personally, I don't think I would feel anything if Rosita died.
Likelihood? Fair.
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Eugene
When Eugene was sent on his suicide mission, he gave Rick the recipe for making bullets. A portent of what is to come? A misdirect? Or just something an intelligent character would do before a dangerous mission? Eugene is still alive in the comics, and I sense we are building to a bigger storyline with him there, so there is still use for Eugene. As a character, I have always liked Eugene. He is weird, quirky, funny and useful...which may make him the perfect character to kill.
Likelihood? Fair.
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Abraham
Abraham would be a solid choice to kill. He has had enough growth over the course of the series to make him an integral part of the team, and thus a "worthy" death. However, Sasha has already lost an awful lot. Since we have met her, she has lost her boyfriend, Bob, and her brother, Tyreese. That might be a little too much for her, and quite frankly, I wasn't a fan of her last those-important-to-me-are-dead-so-I-am-going-to-sulk time. I don't know that she can handle it, and I don't know if I can handle the aftermath.
Likelihood? Fair.
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Sasha
I could see Sasha being a likely option. She is a strong character who has been with the group for quite a while, giving her the emotional connection to the audience that would make it a "good" kill. Her death would also give Abraham some new motivation to kick some ass.
Likelihood? Fair to good.
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Aaron
Easily the most unnecessary character in this group, Aaron joined late and does little. Once he got Rick and his group to Alexandria, he became a background character. He doesn't really have much of a storyline in the comics, either. Aaron could die, but his death would be anticlimactic and make the cliffhanger even more unnecessary than it already is.
Likelihood? Slim, based purely on emotional impact.
