When "The Walking Dead" returns to TV Sunday, February 14, expect things to get darker.
That's what showrunner Scott M. Gimple had to tell fans during a conversation with the cast at the 92Y Monday evening.
"This half season is some of the most dark, scary, twisted stuff," said Gimple during a screening of the show's last episode and Q&A with cast members including Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan.
It won't all be gloom and doom, though.
"I think the characters themselves go to some very dark places," Gimple continued. "But, at the same time, we go to some of the lightest places. We actually attempt a comedic episode."
You read that right.
"Intentionally comedic," said Gimple to a few laughs from the crowd.
"So there is comedy, there's actually some sweetness, and then it's interspersed with this incredibly dark stuff," he added.
That sure doesn't sound like "The Walking Dead." Maybe it means we'll see a bit more of Eugene (Josh McDermitt)? He was pretty funny in the season six premiere.
Gimple continued giving vague hints about the rest of the direction for the final eight episodes of the season.
"I think this is also a season that builds a little bit invisibly," he said. "The first half had a lot of sort of separated groups that eventually come together. There's a lot of group episodes in the second half. Yet, there are wheels turning and I'm hoping that all you guys will be surprised when it builds to its conclusion. It's been a bear. It's been a bear, but we're really proud of it."
The rest of the nearly-hour discussion didn't tell fans much about the rest of the forthcoming episodes. The cast and Gimple were tight-lipped about giving away any sort of potential spoilers.
Danai Gurira, who plays the katana-wielding Michonne, was even hesitant to answer a fan question from an 11-year-old about whether she would rather kill Rick or Daryl if forced to choose between the two fan favorites on the series. (Does her silence mean anything for the upcoming episodes? Who knows. Probably not.)
Much of the cast's hesitation to say anything in response to especially tricky questions may have to do with them needing to be cognizant of exactly what occurs in each episode of the series. After months of shooting a series of episodes no one has seen yet, it can be tough to keep the plot details of every episode straight in their heads.
Gimple started talking about Carol's decision to not kill the W man in the first half of season six and the showrunner stopped himself.
"I'm sorry — every time I say stuff like that I'm like, 'Wait. That was episode 8,'" explained Gimple. "I'm finishing aspects of season six. I'm working on aspects of season seven. So, I have no idea where I am."
"We're talking about [season 6b] stuff that we shot in August [2015] and when Scott was talking he started saying, 'Oh when did that happen?' because in the timeline of the show from the beginning of the season until where we are now, like two days have passed," said Michael Cudlitz, who plays the red-haired Abraham, later during the talk.
This comment started an entire mini skirmish about how many days have actually passed in season six so far — something Gimple said Cudlitz didn't need to be specific about for the audience. (For the record, executive producer and director Greg Nicotero recently told Tech Insider it has been two days in the series since season six began.)
"Anyway, [when] we're thinking about the stories, we're thinking about the answers that we're giving to your questions. We really have to dissect when that moment happened," added Cudlitz.
"You know it's like, 'Have we killed Daryl [Norman Reedus] yet?'" he joked.
"We don't know what the hell we're talking about," chimed in Steven Yeun.
Aware that the show is returning on Valentine's Day, Gimple apologized to the crowd for putting a damper on any plans. But he wasn't too sympathetic.
"I apologize for ruining your Valentine's Day," Gimple said to much laughter. "But, I think all your relationships will grow stronger because of it."
"The Walking Dead" returns to AMC Sunday, February 14 at 9 p.m. You can check out our spoiler-free review here.
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