http://nerdreactor.com/2015/07/16/sdcc-2015-the-walking-dead-2/

Executive producer Greg Nicotero hinted a bit about what to not expect from the upcoming season:

“I love the way Scott writes. He’s very bold. I can tell you for the season premiere for season 6, we really want our audience to work at discovering thangs. That’s the way the show works. The show is always is – we plant a few seeds and those seeds will bloom. Then the end of the season, people are in awe. When we did the episode with Tyreese in the background it said Wolves Not Far. We were setting up the whole thread with the wolves back at episode 9. So, the first episode is probably the most bold that we’ve ever done in terms of story structure and storytelling. I am so close to it because I directed it but to me it sings in a completely different world. We’ll never do the same episode twice. We’ll never do the same thing that we do. Like last year’s season premiere was the Terminus thing with the throats being slashed at the trough. Then the season before that, they were at the prison. We will never repeat the same thangs. We owe more to our audience so the excitement about the first episode is, the story structure and the pacing is bold, we’re planting seeds that we want the audience to dig through and find, so that by the end of the episode, they will have put together this episode we created for them. The first episode of this is we’re taking it to a whole different level.”

Does that mean we will be seeing the Wolves finally? Not necessarily. Showrunner Scott Gimple mentioned, “The Wolves are not the main thing this season. There is a lot this season. There’s a lot of left turns and weird thangs that I’ll lie to you about if you want to.”

So what does this mean for our favorite characters?

We last left Rick Grimes executing a belligerent Peter who had just killed Reggie. To help the community adjust to the new world, Rick finds himself becoming a leader for the Alexandrians. Andrew Lincoln commented on Rick’s new stance in Alexandria, “You find a man had been restraining himself for two or three episodes. He realized that he’s – the straw that broke the camel’s back – those last incidence with the walkers coming and Pete slashing Reg. You meet a man who is not willing to compromise. He’s been suffering for quite sometime and I think as regard for security goes, he’s incredibly uncompromising. He knows that the world out there will inevitably get inside the walls. They weren’t up to speed. He’s not necessarily angry with the Alexandrians. He just doesn’t care about them as much as these people.”

As for what is going to happen to Rick? Lincoln answered, “He’s gonna try dating in the apocalypse. Speed dating. There is only one table. It’s never easy for Rick. He’s met this girl and he likes her and he just shot her husband in the head in front of everybody. So the first date is going to be an interesting conversation.”

With the execution of Pete in front of the community, Carl may be facing the consequences of his father’s actions. Chandler Riggs explains, “In the trailer, we saw Ron yelling to Jessie that Rick is dangerous. They just watched him kill his dad in front of him. I’m sure that Ron knew that something was a little off with his dad, but he still respected him and loved him for who he was. Then to see Rick put down that person, when they just come in however long ago… I think that could make Carl a target.”

Gimple added, “It’s actually their association. Carl is Rick’s son. So, whatever went down it’s ‘I wonder if Carl is like that?’ No, it’s ‘Carl is like that.’ And, it does absolutely color the way they look at Carl. Also, Carl can handle himself; that is scary to people in there. ‘Wait, no, he’s a kid, that isn’t how that works.’ Carl is more capable in protecting himself than 90% of the people in Alexandria.”

What does that mean for our other characters next season?

Loyalties may be tested this season with the need to be part of the community for some of our crew. Steven Yeun commented, “I think loyalty is a tough word, because I think – yes they are loyal, but I don’t think Michonne or Glenn are just mere followers. They’ve definitely crossed lines before. Michonne last year [knocked him out]. Glenn has challenged Rick plenty of times, verbally; ultimately he goes with Rick because he trusts him intrinsically. But I think, at this point, it’d be hard press for Glenn to go with the plan he thinks is blindly made.”

Danai Gurira added, “It really has been this decision to live and this decision to live. What does that really look like? Her unpacking and life need. What does it mean? What does it look like? Part of it means I have to go find my people. I think she has been building into that identity of now it means we have to find a place. We have to find a way to function being on the road all the time and not be in dire. There has gotta be something else out there. So I think there is something that she developed into her new identity.”

Daryl Dixon may be feeling conflicted about his relationship with the people of Alexandria, because of his loyalty to Rick. Norman Reedus said, “From wild people to community people, yeah, that will happen. Then, we’ll question that, then we’ll want it. Then we’ll hate it. Yeah. I don’t know if Daryl completely accepted that, but he’s trying. It’s not even like we are going to get it. It’s if we’re willing to step in that direction or not willing to step in that direction. I think Daryl is willing to step in that direction and explore those options.”

We last left Sasha lying in a grave of killed walkers and refusing to accept Alexandria’s way of live. She has been suffering since the loss of Bob and Tyreese. So will we see Sasha be able to rise above the pain? Sonequa Martin refused to answer, but did comment about Sasha’s mentality:

“That was the meeting with death. It was basically in that moment, as Sasha, I didn’t feel that I deserved to live. I was carrying a lot of guilt, a burden too heavy for me to carry. I was in the company of these noble, wonderful men who all hoped for a better life and I never did. And yet, here I am in the land flowing with milk and honey. So it was just too much guilt and the only peace I could get is when I was killing. It was the only thing that made me worthy to be alive. So, then it was just time to be where I felt I should had been in that moment. That being the most elongated moment of peace for me in a long time.”

As for Carol, she will be keeping up her ‘Betty Crocker’ appearance. Melissa McBride mentioned Carol’s relationship with Sam and said, “I don’t know how that is going to evolve from the past season. I don’t think she’s totally closed off to it. We have something in common. ‘This is where we are going to meet, Sam. You want to become a fighter, maybe we can meet there. Don’t come to me with your non-problems. You know, those are just silly little thangs that existed in the old world and you have to meet me in this new one if we are going to hang out and be buddies. We gotta have each other’s back.'”

What about Morgan?! He just came out of nowhere this season to find Rick Grimes. Don’t worry, Gimple revealed, “It’s fair to say we need to know how Morgan got from here to there mentally. So one way or another, we wouldn’t just jump that story. There must be some answers there. There will be. It very much has to do with the story we tell in the present.”