The stars of smash hit drama The Walking Dead have revealed that even they do not know how the final series will end, as the highly anticipated second part of season 11 launches on Disney+.
The final season of the popular programme is being released in three parts, with 11a released in 2021.
Following an explosive cliffhanger ending to part A, which saw Leah release a missile launch on characters including Maggie, Negan, Gabriel and Elijah, many fans were left wondering who survived.
However, the first episode of The Walking Dead 11b, which was released on Monday, February 21, finally answered the big question.
(Image: AMC)
The episode, No Way Home, saw the survivors of Leah’s attack trying to make a deal with her, while a surprise time jump at the end showed Maggie and Daryl’s friendship come to an end.
With tensions rising, the first episode of 11b seems to hold some clues as to what could be in store for the characters next.
However, speaking to Daily Star and other press, stars of the show including Eleanor Matsuura (Yumiko), Paola Lazaro (Princess) and Lynn Collins (Leah) have revealed that they do not know how the series will end.
Asked how they felt when reading the scripts for the final series, Eleanor Matsuura said: “I haven’t read the final episode yet, I don’t think anyone has. That’s still something that is yet to come.
“To be honest, I never take anything for granted on this show. I really, even though I know the broad strokes of how the season is going to end, so much has changed since my last conversation with [writer] Angela [Kang]. Things shift all the time.”
Eleanor also teased that no character is safe in the final series, adding: “There could be a few more surprises in store. That is part of the legacy of the show – this show has always been something that has taken pride in the surprises and keeping the audience on their toes.
“Characters aren’t safe a lot of the time, and that is one of the reasons why it keeps you interested.”
(Image: HBO)
Following Leah’s attack in 11a and the deal that the survivors have tried to strike with her, actress Lynn Collins also explained that fans will see Leah wrestle with her own identity and the choices she makes in the moment, saying: “She is this multi-dimensional character. I think the writing is crazy amazing. The writers have done such a great job.
“She is super complicated, which we all are. Who is she going to be? We just don’t know. That is the thing – who is Leah?
“She is in the middle of chaos, trying to figure out who she is, what she believes in and what she wants. This is why this show is so exciting.
“You see these characters in that moment, having to make decisions. Who am I? What do I do?”
Like Eleanor, Leah is unsure of what will happen to her character in the end, but explained that she knew the broad arc of what to expect in the final series, saying: “When they proposed the arc of the character to me – so I knew I would be in season 10 and season 11 – she [Angela] basically said at the end of the pitch, that it basically comes down to, is it power? Or is it love?”
She added: “They pitched the whole arc to me except the end. I didn’t know what actually happened to Leah until September or October.
“Even now, I’m still here because I’m still shooting [the scenes] and they’re still trying to figure it out.
“At the end of the day, as someone who wants to direct film and TV, I want people to come away from my work and be like, huh, I have questions – or this opened something in my heart. I want to talk about it with someone.
“Leah is going to continue to polarise people for sure. I took this role because I knew that.”
Eleanor Matsuura and Princess Juanita actress Paola Lazaro were also not revealing any spoilers ahead of the remaining episodes of 11b, but did hint at what fans could expect from their characters.
“I think there might be, but I don’t know, some love for Princess. Maybe some love – that’s all I say. Maybe,” said Paola.
Eleanor added: “Yeah, not a lot of love for Yumiko, but definitely a different lifestyle that she has been thrust into. That had huge consequences for Yumiko.
“She’s also dealing with the fact that she has been reunited with her brother, who she hasn’t seen for forever. That’s not an easy relationship – that is complicated too.
“She is trying to deal with and survive within the Commonwealth, as best she can. I don’t know how long that is going to last for her, but we’ll see.”
With the end looming on the horizon for The Walking Dead, fans across the world will be sad to see the popular TV series coming to an end after 12 years and 11 seasons.
The stars of the show have also not underestimated the impact that the series has had in their own lives, with Paola saying: “I’m very excited to be part of the end of the show and part of this season.
“It has had a huge impact on my life – I have gotten to meet people from all over the world that are part of the fandom and part of The Walking Dead family.
“I’m forever thankful for getting to know people from all over the world. That has been a huge blessing. I’m excited. I’m sad for it to end, but always remain thankful for it to have happened in my life.”
Eleanor also reflected on the universal appeal of the programme and why she thinks the series has been so popular, saying: “I’ve never been a part of a show that has been this huge. The multiverse just reaches so many people.
“There are very few people in the world who do not know what The Walking Dead is.
“Then on a personal level, the actors I get to work with everyday – I know it is a special experience that I might not get to repeat again.”
She added: “There’s so many different characters you get to explore and so many different situations.
“It is more a show about characters that we love and their journeys and relationships with each other, than it is a zombie show.”
“I think the audience connect with the characters, and say, hey, that is like me – or I would like to believe that I would be like that in that situation,” said Eleanor, adding: “I think everyone can see themselves in someone in The Walking Dead.”
New episodes of The Walking Dead: Season 11b air weekly on Disney+
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
