The Walking Dead has always been different from other zombie movies and TV shows because it’s fueled first and foremost by its characters and their own stories, relationships and rivalries.
Usually the human cast in something like this are just there to be picked off one by one by the flesh-eating monsters. Thanks to the stellar work from the writers and the actors on TWD, though, we’ve grown to care deeply for these people over the years – which makes it all the more emotional and shocking when they meet a grisly fate.
In this new clip that’s surfaced today, seen above, the writers and producers of the hit AMC show talk about what makes our favorite characters so special and why they’re a joy to write for.
“There’s something about The Walking Dead that makes it, I think, very different from certainly any of show I’ve worked on,” says co-executive producer/writer Matt Negrete.
“There’s these great characters, small and large, that are just so much fun to write for,” continued Corey Reed, co-executive producer/writer.
Meanwhile, Scott Gimple explained:
“I think the thing I love most about this show is that it’s this emotional character storytelling,” adding, “It’s all based on these characters that we like and we like hanging out with.”
Reed summed up the video by revealing that his preferred character to write dialogue for is Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan, saying:
“All the characters are pretty awesome but, for me, my favourite character this season had to be Negan. He says things that you just don’t expect to come out of his mouth. Writing dialogue for that character is just a lot of fun.”
Luckily for Reed and Negan fans everywhere, the villain will be back for The Walking Dead‘s upcoming eighth season, with the story perhaps delving into his origins. In the meantime, season 7 arrives on Digital HD, DVD and Blu-Ray on August 22nd.