The Walking Dead returned for the second half of its tenth season last night, and about three-quarters of the way through the episode, titled “Squeeze,” something fans were definitely not expecting happened. Generally, the surprises on TWD revolve around a death. In this case, though, the shock involved two characters hooking up that we never would’ve imagined getting together.
The unlikely lovers were none other than Negan and Alpha. The former Savior leader and the head of the Whisperers went out into the woods together at one point, which led fans to think that the famous moment from the comics, in which Negan betrays Alpha and beheads her, was about to occur. Instead, the pair stripped off and started getting it on as explicitly as AMC censors would allow.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview which went live after the episode aired, showrunner Angela Kang explained the thinking behind the decision to switch-up this moment in such a major way. “We always felt like we needed some of the story of Alpha, Negan and their strange relationship,” she said.
Kang went on to say that she tasked writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to use the comics for inspiration in getting the two to the place where they could have sex.
“And he was like, ‘Okay! Not quite sure how to get there! Let me work on it!'” she recalled. “He came back with this whole storyline where Negan thinks he’s about to be killed, but it turns out to be this other thing that sits within Alpha’s animalistic philosophy.”
Kang gave further insight into the mindset of the characters during this moment as well, saying:
“It’s the way she sees exactly who Negan is. She’s not wrong about him being a crass man. Negan being Negan thinks, ‘Well, it’s an opportunity for me!’ It came together in this organic and fun way where the writer had a great take on the relationship from the comic book. We had a fun time coming up with a way to show this to our audience in a way that’s safe for basic cable but also still surprising.”
There’s a nod to the comic book moment in the episode, too, when Negan references how praying mantises cut off their lover’s heads during sex. However, Kang refused to be drawn on whether this hint is going anywhere in the show, saying:
“There are comic book nods, as well as some things that are unique to the show. But I think the comedy of it is very true to Negan. He has a very funny point of view. I love how he handles it.”
The Walking Dead season 10 continues with episode 10×10 “Stalker” next Sunday, March 1st on AMC.
