Fans of The Walking Dead have been in limbo about the Season 10 finale ever since COVID-19 disrupted production and post-production schedules. During the San Diego Comic-Con at Home panel hosted by Chris Hardwick, a definitive air date has been set. The finale entitled “A Certain Doom” will debut on Sunday, October 4 at 9 PM EST. Take a look at an extended trailer, also unveiled during the panel.
The virtual panel was divided into two parts. The first group consisted of chief content officer Scott M. Gimple, showrunner and executive producer Angela Kang, executive producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the episode, and cast members Norman Reedus (Daryl), Melissa McBride (Carol), Ross Marquand (Aaron), and Khary Payton (King Ezekiel).
Hardwick took a ton of questions from fans on social media, which mostly covered where the characters stand and what to expect from them in the yet-to-be filmed Season 11. Kang revealed that while the upcoming season is still in the works (and will not have its usual October premiere), fans can look forward to an extended Season 10. Six additional episodes are set to debut early in 2021.
Many questions surrounded Beta (Ryan Hurst) and what he’ll be doing now that Alpha (Samantha Morton) is dead. As seen in the clip, the former country singer seems to have found a new adoring audience—a walker horde.
Kang elaborated, “We talked about liking the walkers and the sounds of the walkers. You know, he’s soothed by it. And so that’s the closest thing that you have to a screaming fan base that follows him around and, you know, also kind of guides him.”
When asked if Reedus would like another match up with Hurst’s hulking character, the actor said, “I don’t know. He’s a big guy…A lot of Excedrin went down the day after that first fight.”
Payton chimed in, “People don’t realize how huge that dude is.”
The second half of the panel included Kang, Gimple, and Nicotero along with The Walking Dead cast members Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Josh McDermitt (Eugene), Seth Gilliam (Gabriel), and newcomer Paola Lazaro (Princess).
The big question: how will Maggie feel about seeing Negan among her peers since he murdered her husband Glenn with his trusty Lucille? Morgan’s popular villain has gone through a bit of a redemption arc even though he still has hints of his old self here and there. The actor pointed out that it would be interesting to see how he reacts to Maggie and Glenn’s child since Negan seems to have a weakness for kids.
Morgan explained, “Well, I mean, I think that Negan definitely has a soft spot for the younger generation. And we’ve seen that numerous times. I think he has a relationship with young kids and it’s very honest. And I don’t think that he would shy away from letting this kid know who he is and try to work through it. I mean, I’m not a writer on the show, but that may be a way that Maggie sees a different side of Negan as well. I think initially she’ll just want to kill him. We’ll see what happens. I mean, Negan has gone through such a journey in the last couple years. It’s been such a joy to play. But this, you know, this redemption arc is amazing and yet we still know that in there is Negan. And I don’t know that that will ever go away. And so he’s going to be walking a fine line, especially with Maggie.”
At the end of the panel, a fan asked McDermitt what he missed most about not being on set for the long-running show. The actor, who always brings humor to the table, was quick to answer.
“Filling up my lungs with JDM’s [Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s] musk. The guy smells great.”
The Walking Dead returns for the Season 10 finale on Sunday, October 4 at 9 PM EST. To watch the entire panel, click here.
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