BETTER CALL SAUL the Fifth Season on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is another of AMC’s hit series with BETTER CALL SAUL the Fifth Season.

Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) finally tells Kim (Rhea Seehorn) about the name Saul Goodman, the cellphones and how it gave him business. Offering to help her run a con on a client, Kim declines – at least while he is in the room. Nacho (Michael Mando) discovers that Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) is dealing with bad cocaine and Lalo (Tony Dalton) helps him prove it.

One problem is that Lalo is up to something and Gus wants to know what it is by asking Nacho. The tables quickly turn when Nacho sneaks into the Salamanca house and rescues Lalo’s cocaine that Domingo dropped right as the cops show up. Mike (Jonathan Banks) is reeling from Werner’s death and decides to drown his sorrows and then turns on Kaylee for asking to many questions. Jimmy wants to settle things with Kim and ends up in the elevator with the DA and works on more plea bargains. Leaving the courthouse, he is met by Nacho and they get in a car.

They end up going to see Lalo who makes a demand of him, to get Domingo out of prison. After a bit of legal Saul shuffling, Jimmy realizes that this will not be the last time Lalo uses him. Wanting his father to get out of drugs and live a safer life, Nacho wants to sell his fathers’ shop and dad is not happy. Kim pushes for a Mr. Acker to leave his home to make way for another business, wanting to help him, he makes it clear her help is not wanted.

So, she asks the developer to use another site for the build and leave Mr. Acker his home, to no avail. That is when she turns to Saul to do more than she can. Stacey (Kerry Condon) makes it clear she is not thrilled to have Mike watching Kaylee and later that night, what happens to Mike confirms her fears. Jimmy thinks the only way to help Kim and Mr. Acker is to find something incriminating to use on the developer.

Once they find something useful, Jimmy takes on the meeting to make sure that the developer knows they are in for serious money. Kim gets a little upset about it demanding that she and Jimmy need to get married or she is gone. Nacho tells Mike that Lalo intends to rat out dealers to the police and that brings the cops out.

Now that each other’s secrets are safe, Jimmy and Kim seal it with a kiss. No time for anything else as Lalo wants Saul to get bail. That does not mean the chaos is finished as Nacho is asked to take out something that belongs to Gus. In the meantime, Saul gets Lao bail and Jimmy has to deal with Howard.

In Mexico is Lalo’s bail money and Jimmy is told to pick it up with a pay out for himself. Kim hates the idea feeling it puts him in a bad position. He should have listened as a shoot out occurs from an unexpected Mike and the two men now must walk home. When Kim asks Lalo where he and does not get an answer. Finally, back home, Jimmy pays Lalo’s bail and is told Lalo is going back to Mexico. He does not tell Lalo or Kim what really happened.

However, Lalo is a little itchy about the story and asks Jimmy to repeat it, but Kim is angry that her husband even has to and makes that clear. Moving on with business, Lalo and Nacho go on to another business proposal that leads to a set up on Lalo. He is not going down without a fight and information about who is trying to end him.

Odenkirk as Jimmy/Saul is such an amazing actor to pull off the craziness of these two roles meshed into one. He is surrounded by an awesome cast which does make him shine but lets not, for one moment, not shine the spotlight on Odenkirk. I have although thought he has the amazing ability to choose such interesting roles and Jimmy/Saul is perfection.

Seehorn as Wexler is a woman who wants to be seen as straight forward but that’s hard to do when the man you love is Jimmy/Saul. Giving the ultimatum this season is probably the only thing keeping them both safe from the secrets of their lives. Banks as Mike is an actor who I have been watching for so many years and it is not surprising that he just slides into this role with such ease.  

Dalton as Lalo is makes it all look so smooth and easy. Jimmy/Saul certainly does get the short end with him and it is difficult not to realize this is a character that runs deep and secretive. Esposito as Gus is a man who is in one hell of a mess from different sides. Using legitimate fronts for his dealings, keeping the cartel happy is not going to be easy. Mando as Nacho is playing what ever side is going to save his life and that is not a bad way to go in this environment.

Esposito as Gus is the character I am always fascinated by and it is quite possible due to the fact that I’m fascinate with Esposito as an actor. He always brings something unique to the roles he plays and as Gus he does the same thing but I think with a touch more.

Other cast includes Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Dennis Boutsikaris as Rich Schweikart, Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa and Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

The Bluray includes the Bluray Exclusive of Deleted Scenes, Tell Me Again, The Good, The Bags and The Ugly, Bagman – The Ambush, Bagman – The Cannon Roll and Effects for This! Also included is Cast & Crew Commentaries on Every Episode, Gag Reel, Commercials & Training Videos and Crystal Balls.

The Episodes include Magic Man, 50% Off, The Guy for This, Namaste, Dedicado a Max, Wexler v. Goodman, JMM, Bagman, Bad Choice Road, and Something Unforgivable.

BETTER CALL SAUL has seven Prime Time Emmy Nominations in 2020 including Outstanding Drama Series.

The series brings AMC another feather to its cap as its programming getting better and more amazing with every how it creates. Each series brings such a diversity of storytelling that is unique, unusual, intense, and unexpected. There is something to be said for the platinum age of television and BETTER CALL SAUL shines in it.

Just when I think I have the next move figured out – I do not and I completely okay with being proven wrong. These characters and the actors who portray them give so much that I am riveted from start to finish.

With so much down time, catching up to the fifth season of BETTER CALL SAUL is a fantastic way to spend some couch time! Coming in on three bluray discs, there is 522 minutes of catching up and getting a look at the inside world of Jimmy/Saul.

AMC's NOS4A2

Moderator Clark Collins

Jami O'Brien, showrunner and executive producer

Joe Hill producer

Zachary Quinto

The season begins eight years after season one and Vic is determined to destroy Charlie. He sets his sights on a person who means the most - Wayne. Currently on AMC and BBC.

First season is relatively faithful to the book, second two?

Joe: I think the second season is faithful to the book to the spirit of the book and the characters. I do think that with I think every single episode the show has become more itself. It has been more comfortable in its own skin and found its own particular approach, style and tone. I think nothing shows that like the intricately engineered fifth episode which is almost kind of a horror movie. I love the second season and I think in some ways the second season it more exciting and more emotional involving than the first. And it does do some different things but all those keep in the spirit of the novel. I think it is important that it’s not just that it has ideas, that it explores its own ideas and that it takes a few unexpected turns because you don't want people who have read the book to be too comfortable and know what is happening all the time. I'm very happy with how the television show has expanded on and developed the mythology and the underlying concepts of the book.

Manx has become more terrifying and we learn his backstory.

Zachary: I think that's one of the things that season two does is give much more context, particular for Charlie. It flushes out the journey he's been on that led him to this place. IN addition to the novel, Joe also wrote a graphic novel called The Wraith which is more centered around the relationship with his car, daughter and wife and that's something we incorporated into season two which I'm grateful for. We go back into Charlie's life into his childhood to understand some of the traumas and the abuses and abandonments he's struggled with over the years. The accumulative weight which breaks him and paints him in a more sympathetic light which is always good when you are playing such a reprehensible and morally bankrupt character like Charlie Manx. You understand that he didn't start out that way and he had some unfortunate circumstances that befell him over the years that led him to this place. I did enjoy that stuff.  It was fun to immerse part of the narrative into these different time periods and be able to explore some of those other relationships and the long-term impacts that they have.

There are new adults in season 2.

Joe: In the first season we visited Parnassus which is a nightclub of nightmares. It's a place where nightmares hang out together and swap horror stories over a pint. That interests me. The world of Charlie and Vic have other people in it and I was curious to get into that. We have a character called Hourglass who is somewhat of a Charlie Manx fanboy and excited to do some business with him. So, we brought him into the story and he added an interesting wrinkle to what was there in the original novel.

Jami: In addition to the Hourglass who is the new villain who joins Team Manx but there is also Lou who met at the end of last season. We spend a lot more time with him this season as a series regular on the show and I think a fantastic character. He is a favorite from the book, he was one of my favorites from the book and think Jonathan does such a beautiful job playing him. He is just a good hearted, hardworking Dad and he loves Vic and loves Wayne. He doesn't have a superpower, but Joe Hill told me once that his superpower is his humor and his calm. I think you really see that come out in the first few episodes. I mean in Episode 3 Charlie Manx almost gets Wayne and in the writer’s room the way we talked about it was the only reason why he doesn't is because Lou is a good Dad. Lou realizes something is going on and his action is what thwarts Manx from stealing Wayne. That not a magical bridge, that's just him and the forces of goodness within him.

He seems at home with the supernatural.

Jamie: Its tough because you can burn storytelling time. The audience so knows so those conversations are tough. Last season there was a line in an episode where Lou says to Vic after they have their encounter with Manx and they are in the hospital where he says, 'listen, I read comic books, I know there is a lot of stuff out there'. I think that is such a great way to sum up that character and kind of move past the 'so what now? You have a what?'

Joe: That's my favorite line from the first season.

The relationship between Zachary and young star Mattea.

Zachary: The kids on the show are pretty spectacular, they are so professional and prepared and very funny. They are funny miniature adults. They have a precociousness fostered by working in this environment. Jason and Mattea have been at this for a while, they are old pros. It was cool, to have that psychological component to the character and figure out how to communicate in a way to make sure they are saved and protected. That is really important, so it was a cool addition to work with those guys more in Season 2 than the first.

How did you cast them?

Jami: They auditioned, Mattea send in an audition and Jason did in season two. They are both spectacular and you can see it on the show Zach was part of the casting process with Jason. Mattea, I think the kid is a star. Jason, you can see him becoming more and more comfortable as it went on and he ended up directing scenes. There is a scene later in the season and I won't say with who because I don't want to give anything away but it is with one of the adult actors who had a question and Jason was like 'listen, you are mad at me because of this and we are going over here…' and it was really charming.

Joe: One of the things that I think is really interesting is that Vic has a lot of unresolved feelings about her own mother and you can feel her discomfort and her struggling to figure out 'how do I do this'. She is always questioning herself, 'am I doing this well' and you know she feels awkward. She would rather fight vampires than be a Mom. That she knows how to do, what the worse that can happen? The worse that can happen is she dies! What I think is interesting of course is the Charlie is totally confident around kids and kids love him. How can they not, he is the President of fun.

Working relationship with Ashleigh.

Zachary: I just love her; she is so deeply committed to her relationship with her character and everyone else on the show. She has got a really generous spirit and she is really concerned with the wellbeing of others and she is so enormously talented. You know this is her first big American television show and I think this is a significant moment for her. So, it’s been really interesting for me who has been at it for a while to witness that and find ways that I can support that for her. It's been a real pleasure along the way and the pleasure was enhanced midway through the season when she showed up on the set with the absolutely cutest dog I have ever seen. She adopted a dog named Elton and my dog Skunk and Elton would have play festivals in our trailer when we were on set for long hours so that was really lovely as well. Ashleigh is just great and it has been an absolute pleasure working with and getting to know her. I'm also sorry she isn't with us today but she's pretty phenomenal.

Clutch of female characters.

Jami: You know they are all, with all of them we take our cues from the novel. The reason why I wanted to adapt the book is because I fell in love with Vic McQueen. I think that what is interesting about her and Ashleigh talks about this a lot is that it's not a lot of necessarily a physical strength with Vic. She doesn't work out all the time, she's not a strongman and lifts stuff all the time but she has more courage than certainly than I do, almost more than anyone. Again there is a part in the book where I was like 'I love this kid and I'm in' was the first time she went to Sleigh House when she is after Charlie Manx and she finds a stranger stuck in the back of The Wraith that she has never met before and without thinking twice she just goes after this kid to try and save him which is what gets her into trouble with Manx and why she ends up caught in the laundry shoot which we dramatized in season one. I think that that heart and that courage was the thing that I found so refreshing about the character. Maggie as well, Maggie in the book is super smart, her strength is her ability to solve puzzles. She is a librarian; she is in the know and I would say her curiosity and her super powered brain are her strengths. You know the same with Tabitha, in the novel Tabitha comes in kind of later than she does in the book and she is a slightly different character, she is still I think fundamentally an investigator. She is still a person that is fundamental curious about the world who has an ingrained sense of justice and who cares about the people she works with. Those are our three main adult characters and again we just went with the book. Millie is not in the novel, actually she is in the novel a little bit at the end, but she doesn't have as big a role in the novel as she does in the series. She's also in The Wraith so we see some of her backstory. In the series some of it was being fascinated by her and the source material and kind of flush her out a little bit but also, she is a fantastic actor. When we saw her in season one, we were like 'what else can we do with her? Her scenes with Zach are so great'. So we decided to open her up as well and that character, you know it’s funny because she is in Christmasland and her soul is drained so where can you go with this character really so we thought 'maybe when Manx dies, that opens up a tiny little place inside Millie where she has room to think beyond Christmasland for just a moment. When she does, she takes advantage of it and of course in Episode 3 she meets the ghost of her mother and that kind of keeps opening, and opening and opening. She is starting to struggle with who she is and where she sits on the pole of with Mom and Dad. She's been a Daddy's girl her whole life and I think she's starting to question whether or not it was the best choice.

Joe: In a way for me the second season is a way about growing up and about whether or not you can even accept growing up. I was thinking earlier while Jami was talking that in some weird way that season 2 is what would happen to Buffy the Vampire Slayer if she didn't have to stay in high school for eight seasons. What if she actually had to graduate and go on and be a young woman and what would her life be like. Then I was thinking about Millie and I was thinking its also about you can't stay a child forever. What does happen when you start to move away from childhood.

Your Henchman Darri who is always teasing and taunting.

Zachary: Darri is one of my favorite people that I've worked with in a long time. I absolutely love him and he's so talented and so incredibly nice and smart. I really love him. On our Christmas break I actually had an amazing trip to Iceland for twelve days and got to spend time with his family there. He was so welcoming, and it was a magical place. It was incredible and I'm so grateful that the show introduced me to Darri and I got to travel there and I can't wait to go back when we are allowed to travel again. I think the dynamic between the characters is rich and fun in season two, Manx is incredibly manipulative and he's used to cycling through these rather either over ambitious or dimwitted and in some cases both kinds of assistants or henchmen. Bing proves to be more than meets the eye in season 2. At a certain point he gets mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore and we get to see the results of that which I think was really fun and the coolest things from this season and what we got to do together and how the narrative got flipped on its ear at a certain point along the way. I felt really happy to have him in this world with us.

Was there one plotline you were particularly happy about?

Zachary: For me it was Episode 5 when we got the script written by Tom Brady, I remember the sequence in the book and it was one of my favorites in the book so I was curious as to how it would play out in the show. When I got the script, I thought it was going to be a nightmare. The structure of it and the points of view of it. There is a lot of it that keeps changing and shifting and I thought that this was going to be impossible to shoot. How is this going to happen, but I can tell you its going to be miserable. It was actually the most fun episode of the season for me. I was watching it all come together and watching the director calculating everything she needed to capture. It blew me away with everyone working together. I don't think that there was any experience in the two seasons that exemplified it more than this episode. It was all hands-on deck.

Joe: It’s just a masterful piece of storytelling. Tom Brady wrote such a great script and beautifully directed and it’s great when a show gets to have a moment like that where you feel like you are seeing something you haven't seen before.

Jami:  It is an iconic moment in the book when Wayne gets taken and I remember when I read it that 'oh Vic gets to spend some time underwater here'. How are we going to do that? For season two when I was talking to our production designer, I asked, 'can we even do this' and was told yea we can do it. I wasn't on set when they shot the episode and when the director's cut came in I watched in in awe. I read it in the book and I thought we really have to honor this and when I read Tom Brady's script I thought how the hell are they going to do this and then I kept waiting for the phone call from Rhode Island what said 'Jami we can't do this scene so lets cut it' and that phone call never came. I think they did a phenomenal job and I'm echoing Zach that it's really a testament to our team and I'm really proud of it. I also want to say I love the Manx backstory talking about the fun of the season.

Joe: I have a favorite, but I can't talk about it because it would be spoilers. There is something that happens in 9 and 10 that I've wanted to see since I knew we were making a television show. I just remember and I want to add that when I read episode 5 and saw that Ashleigh was going to be spending time in the water, I remember talking to Jami and I said that's pretty cool that she's in the water for half the episode. She said they would be shooting in Rhode Island in late October and I said 'oh'.

Jami: It was an indoor pool.

Joe: There you go.

Getting Tom Savini, prosthetic make up effect’s artist and actor.

Jamie: Joe! That was a character Joe pitched and we wrote it into the script and Joe said 'I love him, he's the best character in the script and I think Tom Seveni should play him' and I said I said that would be great, do you want to ask Tom Seveni if he'll do it. He did and - he did. So that was Joe Hill.

A King-Hill family friend>

Joe: I love Tom. So, when I was a kid I had a stint as a child actor and was the kid in CREEPSHOW which was shot in 1982 which was a different era. They didn't have the same kinds of rules about child labor on television and film sets. So, they didn't have a babysitter or a nanny or anyone to watch me when I wasn't acting and they asked Tom Seveni to look after me. So I spent a whole week in Tom Seveni's trailer watching him artistically disfigure movie stars and create amazing monsters. He was like my first rock star, he had this black leather jacket and these Spock on Star Trek eyebrows and he wore motorcycle boots and I don't think he knew how to talk to kids so he just talk to me like I was an adult. On lunchbreak we would look at his great big book of autopsy photos and I just loved him. I was so glad decades later we were able to renew our friendship, he is a terrific filmmaker ad such a gifted comic actor and has done bits and bobs in a Tarentino movie. He really is just exciting to watch on the screen. He does a lot of hand acting and of course he is the master of gross out of special effects from DAWN OF THE DEAD and FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH, he is one of my heroes so it was really great to pull him in.

Zachary: Yes, it was good to have him, I think we were all excited. I know Joe Harlow who is our makeup special affects leader was especially excited to have him. It's always fun to watch that world, it’s such a close knit world and in so many ways, people align themselves in so many ways from the leaders in the field so I think Joe was inspired by Tom's work and with me being from Pittsburgh I have a long history with Tom so I was really grateful to get to meet him. He was only there for a day sadly so it wasn't a deep interaction but the main feeling was that I wished we could have been able to hang out longer, but it was great to have him there.

Jami: Zach, was there anything in a script that you were shocked by and made you think I can't believe they did this?

Zachary: Episode 7 for me was something that I loved when I read it and the structure and the present-day Manx story line as it relates to the flashback Manx storyline. I wasn't shocked by it and the way we were able to shoot it was a little bit like a movie. Jami, you had just come back from L.A. I really enjoyed that part of the process and also what I got to do with Darri in that episode, I wasn't shocked but grateful for the structure and challenge of it.

Jami: I thought of it as a little play and an opportunity to watch you and Darri and I'm excited for people to see it.

Where is the prosthetic gross Zachary?

Joe: Its on your front door.

Jami: It's in Joe Harlow's warehouse for all I know.

Can you tease?

Joe: As bad as things seem they can always get worse.

Jami: You’re going to see some unexpected action from Bing. He is great in the first half of the season and you see him get a little more work to do in the second.

Zachary: I feel like the Bing stuff is some of my favorite that we have to look forward to. We are building to an ultimate showdown of sorts. I think we have been playing a lot in the track to this moment. The last half of the season is going to ramp up and drive us into the conflict between Vic and Charlie. I'm excited to share it.

AMC's THE WALKING DEAD: World Beyond

Moderator Chris Hardwick

Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer

Matt Negrete, Showrunner and executive producer

Aliyah Royale - Iris

Alexa Mansour - Hope

Julia Ormond - Elizabeth

Joe Holt -Leo

This new group is the first generation surviving the apocalyptic world. Two sisters and their friends leave their safe place and jump into an unknown world. Some will become hero's, some will become villains, but they will all find the truth they seek. Airing October 10th 2020.

Start with the broader pictures of how this fits into The Walking Dead Universe?

Scott: Rick woke up after a two-week coma to find out the world had changed. These two sisters don't wake up from a coma, but they do wake up from the way they look at life. They go out and find a new world. They start from a place of safety but not ignorance. They leave to do something heroic. The thing they have in common is The Walking Dead is bad things happen, but love exists.

Matt: Monument Day is one of the two events from the pilots. The other is the Night the Sky Fell. It’s an intense series of flashback because bad things are literally falling from the sky. At the same time this is the last time our characters experienced fear. We pick up ten years later and the day of reflection is Monument Day. They are thinking about reflecting on the monuments of the past reflecting on how they were and what they mean to them. It really is a solemn day of reflection thinking of the people from the past. They are the first generation of the apocalypse. There real life is so much different than we know today. In the time since it has been and adjustment of survival and being part of a community unlike any community we have seen so far. They are not ignorant, they know how walkers work or "empties", they know how to kill them in theory but not having done it before.

Why call the walkers "empties"?

Matt: I started thinking about something that Robert Kirkman had put in one of the comics who used a phrase from the show so I'm stealing from Robert Kirkman.

Scott: I believe it was Jesus who used the word.

Matt: Thematically it felt relevant to the show, Iris in the pilot dreams she is dead because she felt empty inside, so I thought there was a cool parallel to it.

Is Hope's name a reflection of her outlook?

Alexa: No. I don't think they could have picked a name further from the truth. She is living by 'whatever happens happens' and it doesn't fit her. So much irony. If Iris' name had been Hope it would have been more on point.

Iris is the more hopeful?

Aliyah: She is a fiercely loyal friend. She will take on any role that you need her to. She felts responsible for everyone around her. The thing about Hope is that she is Iris' hope. If hope isn't there by her side, it is a double team effort. Iris can't do it without Hope.

Alexa: I think Iris is always there to catch Hope when she falls. I think Iris is Hope's hope. Its so true because Irish has the idea to leave to go on this mission and Hope pretends to be a badass and is so scared. She looks at Irish and she convinces her. Hope will ditch school; Irish gets her out of everything.

How did you establish that bond?

Alexa: I thought someone else got the role. I didn't know who Iris was going to be. I get a txt from Aliyah and she says, 'we have this little video from AMC' and I went to help her. I was like 'yes, let’s do this!'. She ended up living with me the whole shoot.

Aliyah: No. It’s funny, I think especially when we walked on stage from New York Comic Con, the fans end up knowing more about the characters than the actors do. I'm ready to be part of a community that genuinely care about the characters. It’s awesome.

Tell us about Leo.

Joe: Dr. Bennet is a renounced biochemist and geneticist. He goes off to teach and impart the wisdom of what he has discovered about trying to cure this plague. He goes off to another community to help them along.

What is your signature weapon?

Joe: It's hard to get past Lucille and it was a fantastic weapon. I thought it was a long hammer but after seeing Lucille I'm getting a baseball bat and putting things on the end of that bat.

Talk about Elizabeth who is introduced arriving on a black helicopter, the same kind that took Rick Grimes away.

Julia: She is basically a high up figure in a soon to be discovered new community. I wasn't originally tap into The Walking Dead, so when it came up I thought I'll binge watch that because a million people can't be wrong. When The Talking Dead came out I didn't really latch on after the whole of the first episode. I ended up binging everything and going on to Fear The Walking Dead and becoming a complete fan. Even towards the end when the credits would role I would say 'nooooo!' I turned into a complete fan.

Joe: I had not watched the show either. About 10 days ago I decided to get into this thing, and I've watched 90 episodes and I don't know if its healthy but now I'm an addict of the show. Whatever you guys are doing, it works.

Scott: Andy Lincoln hasn't watched it.

Does Elizabeth know where Rick is?

Julia: If Elizabeth knows where Rick is, I'm not sure she would tell you. If Elizabeth tells you I'm not sure if you should believe her. I, Julia, will not answer because I like my job. You will have to watch and find out.

The world is different than Fear and WD, does it affect Worlds Beyond?

Matt: For Nebraska its notoriously flat so one of the things we were thinking about and wanting to establish an obstacle for our characters that was a point of no return. We started thinking about what would attract empties for miles and found tire fires can be seen from miles. These huge piles of tires can burn for decades so we started thinking about what could be more awesome than a pile of tires for our characters to go through as a point of no return.

What was your first "empty" kill like?

Aliyah: I am absolutely terrified of zombies, walkers - it’s not my thing. It’s probably the one thing in the world that scares the life out of me.  The undead is not for me. The first night on the set and the first time I saw a walker, I opened the door to catering, 12 of them walked out. It's pitch black dark and they all walked out in single file, I don't know where they were going, and I was mortified.

Didn't you throw up on an empty?

Aliyah: It took me time to do that. I was mortified.

Alexa: I thought I could handle this and I'm not going to be scared. When they catch you off guard it’s pretty scary. I was sitting outside my trailer minding my own business, there was this girl and she comes up and says, 'hey Alexa' and I walked straight into my trailer. I was terrified. I'm getting more use to it when I see them eating granola bars and I thought 'okay, they're just like us'. They can't run very fast so keep that in mind.

Scott: Don't get confident.

Second session.

Hal Cumpston - Silas

Nicholas Cantu - Elton

Nico Tortorella - Felix

Annette Mehendru - Huck

How do Hal, Nicholas and Nico's characters factor into the story?

Matt: Our group is on a cross country quest this season and they are along for the ride. Elton is the brains of the operation and an old soul in a lot of ways and this is his one chance to see the world. Silas is this loner with a secret and has a dark past and hoping to escape it which is easier said than done. Felix is the girl’s guardian while the girls are away and like a big brother and Hope's nemesis in some ways. Felix puts her in the slammer in a lot of ways. Huck is Felix's partner in crime, and we see Huck feels responsible for Hope being out there and wants to bring the group back safely before anyone gets hurt.

Why does Elton dress in a suit?

Nicholas: When you mesh the suit in 100-degree weather it gets a little uncomfortable in the elements. It is impervious to walker bites and it’s like being a walking teddy bear. I went through three suits because I kept growing and by the end of a few episodes the suits were not fitting.

Scott: The suit was durable; it was not specifically made for walkers.

You know martial arts?

Nicholas: Elton is a black belt in karate and taken up teaching kids how to defend themselves, I had to learn a lot of karate for the show learning strength, moves and stances.

What can you say about Silas?

Hal: I'd say that you look at him compared to the other teenagers leaving the community and hopefully he can provide some help killing zombies. I don't know because he is not as useful as he thought. His strength is that he doesn't have a malicious bone in his body. He can't not be a nice person all the time. That's not the most necessary skill to have. Even though there are zombies out there, he doesn't talk to anyone in the community and is shunned in this community. Its better going out with zombies than living in a community that doesn't talk to you.

Felix is ahead of security on campus, what does that entail?

Nico: First and foremost, he is responsible for keeping people safe. The community has been together for some time. There is a wall surrounding the university and one of Felix’s' main job is to teach the younger generation how to protect themselves. It is physical activity as well as mental and emotional wealth and heath and activity. This is the most physically challenging job that I've had in the best ways. We started fight training right away and went you get to set you have to put it all together and shoot it at every angle to get everyone's coverage and its a lot. Its also the most rewarding work I think I've ever done and proven I want to be an action star for the rest of my life.

Huck is also on the security team.

Annette: Huck spends a lot of time alone in the wilderness so she's very excited to join a team where she has a clear purpose. She knows the only way to bring the world back together is get with the best group possible. She's happy to be part of the community and be partners with Felix. It’s a fantastic friendship and partnership. They are well trained and got some of the best training to be in this position. It's been a lot of fun going on this adventure with everybody.

How much will the CRM play into the show?

Scott: It is a huge part of the show. We find out a great deal about them. They are a very mysterious force. They are incredibly secretive, regardless we go into that community a bit but get some tantalizing hints. We see Elizabeth and other people. They are a constant presence in this story, and it explains a lot toward what we have seen in the other shows and invites new questions. This is me not being coy.

What kind of new zombies are there?

Matt: Its interesting because we are now 10 years after everything fell apart and with that is 10 years of decay. I'm a big fan of disgusting walkers. There is one empty that sort of takes from that and I didn't expect it when I pitched it to Greg and his team. I was driving in Richmond and I saw a sketch that Greg forwarded and I almost heaved. There were holes in the Empty and its so great. Anything that maximizes total disgust we are doing it.

If you were to cross over to the other Walking Dead Universes where would you go?

Nicholas: I think Eugene and Elton would be a powerhouse for the ages. I think we could safe absolutely everything. Both of our characters are intellectual and curious about the world around them. He wears the cool best and the vests - I have the suits - we'd be a killer duo.

Has your character had any post-apocalyptic tattoos or are they all your own?

Nico: That is a good question with a complicated answer. It is no secret that I'm heavily tattooed and we talked about what made sense for Felix. We collectively came together with a bad ass concept that is visually striking but also honors the past and the ones that Felix has lost in a very special way. We landed on something so cool.

Did you shoot the whole season?

Matt: We shot all the first season; it is in the can and ready to air. We are in the midst of writing season two. Half of my stress of this panel is to not say anything spoiler-y. We wrapped up postproduction right around the time everything shut down.

Harder or easier to make a story line that doesn't have a graphic novel storyline?

Scott: It's harder because of the brilliance Robert Kirkman supplied and even the new stuff that get you to the moments in the Walking Dead, that said its easier in some ways because its total discovery. People don't have an expectation. It’s very exciting to surprise people. So it goes both ways. This show still has so much that is drawn and inspiration from Robert. The story values of The Walking Dead are consistent and all through the stuff we do.

What was the importance of telling the story from kids’ point of view?

Scott: The Walking Dead has been on ten years and Fear The Walking Dead is six years so we wanted to do something knew. We wanted to tell a different story from a different point of view. It has been an incredible source of inspiration and characters. We want to show the audience a different world beyond The Walking Dead.

AMC'S THE WALKING DEAD

Moderator Chris Hardwick

Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer

Angela Kang, Showrunner and Executive Producer

Greg Nicotero

Norman Reedus

Melissa McBride

Ross Marquand

Khary Payton

The season 10 finale which never aired will premier Sunday, October 4th at 9 p.m., followed by the series premier of The Walking Dead: World Beyond and an all new episode of The Talking Dead.

We saw that Beta is coming and walkers are acting strangely?

Angela: Beta is being Beta and he was use to Alpha telling him what to do. We learned about him and he's had to find some other voice to tell him what he needs to do now being the Beta Alpha hybrid. He and Alpha talked about liking the walkers and the sound of the walkers because he soothed him.

Greg directed the season ten finale.

Greg: I love the last few shots of episode 15 with Beta and the thousands of walkers advancing on the towers. I have to give Angela and the writers a huge thumbs up. It felt like every episode gave you something more than the episode before. It was a great ride. We know the people know how to move within the heard putting the walker guts but never had to maneuver in a herd with human beings mixed in. They can't be as stealthy because the Whispers are in the group of walkers.

Daryl is dealing with a lot, what was the most interesting part of the arc?

Norman: There were a lot of trust issues with Carol. It's like watching a friend have multiple breakdowns and act on them but it’s also putting members of the group in danger and losing people. There was that sort of heartbreak there. With Michonne leaving and he promises her he'd take care of the children and trying to play daddy and trying to support his friends while taking care of the group while being attacked. Mentally it was pretty exhausting having to go from all directions, but it was a hard thing for Daryl to watch his friend go through that. Also, keep up appearances for Judith that he's there for her as well. He had to be in a lot of different places at once. He basically said, leave me alone I have a house in the woods and if you left me alone and I got a dog. He's a character that will always be there but he's always being brought in. He's constantly being put in situations and apart of him likes being Uncle Daryl. He has moments with Judith and the snowball fight we had when we came back to Alexandria, those moments of kindhearted laughter he needs that as well. He's never really the guy that initiates them.

Is Daryl itching for a rematch with Beta?

Norman: I don't know he's a big guy. Me personally, Norman, there is that kind of 'come get me' that we joke between each other, but I took a lot of Excedrin the day after that first fight.

Khary: That's saying something because most people don't realize that guy is HUGE!

Norman: He's a big guy.

People are worried about RJ and Judith, who would be the best guardian candidates?

Scott: The real reason I won't answer that is, if you look at Judith's history of parents and guardians, they are the one in danger. Judith can take care of herself and RJ. Anyone gets in that position with Judith, she came in under a crazy situation. I'm not as worried about RJ and Judith as I am the people taking care of them.

How would you compare Carol from the beginning to the end of the season?

Melissa: She is in the same place but different, same water different boat. I don't know. She's trying to make some amends for where she left out. She was out getting respite and perspective and get out of the eye of the storm. She comes back and is blinded by this enormous grief and to the detriment of her friendship with Daryl. She blows up a lot of things. What I loved about the end episode is the talk she had with Kelly and she needed that so badly to remind herself that she is a lone wolf and to not lose yourself and embrace that and be okay with it.

Norman: I can hear you now by the way.

Angela: They are starting from a bad place and the thing about Daryl and Carol is that they have one of the coolest relationships on the show. It is fun to write for Norman and Melissa. It is complicated, they can be real in ways not that others can which means the hurt runs deeper. You start from one point and they have a long road to travel. We are writing some stuff so we will see where they land.

Ezekiel, running away or running toward adventure?

Khary: A little bit from column A and a little bit from column B. I think there are aspects of his life that he wants to leave behind. He has failed relationships, memories of loved ones that have come and gone and a community build that has been toppled. I think he is looking for a fresh start. He is a guy that has a clock on him. He has that tick tock in his brain that says he is not long in this world. And in this world where no one has much time he feels like he has less since he has cancer. He is going to fit his bucket list some way somehow. He is taking a dive into the unknown. Sometimes there is no planning it. They say you never know how far the road stretches in front of you and in this case, he started peddling so let’s see how far he goes.

What is keeping him hopeful?

Khary: The adversity gives him hope, even that thing on his neck gives him hope. That's one more thing that hasn't stopped him yet. I think you can get beaten down by an avalanche of things that come your way and you can let them fall on top of you or let them fall and get out of the way and climb on top. Use all of that crap to stand up on top of it and take you higher. For me, I see him looking at all this happening in his life and all this loss and all the times he was supposed to die and it hasn't gotten him yet. Moving forward, every obstacle in his path he can point to this thing on his neck and say, 'what else are you going to do to me?' - to me that's my character in a nutshell. He started off being positive in his search for the light and he's becoming more aggressive now in his search for his light. The Kingdom was this thing he radiated out for someone to come and find the light, now he's grasping for it.

Aaron is separated and meets the mask stranger?

Ross: It’s a huge introduction to a character like when we see Michonne. I'm happy to see it all come together because it’s exciting but looks like something out of a horror movie.

If Judith had told Daryl the truth would he have followed her?

Norman: Not at that moment. I feel like you have to take care of the kids and the rest of the group. If he followed Michonne at that moment, they could have used his help so no. Michonne can take care of herself.

Ride a tiny size Judith motorcycle for the rest of your life or a unicorn tattoo on your back?

Norman: I did get one of these do it yourself tattoos kit, so I'd get the tattoo.

Working with Jeffrey Dean Morgan for the first time?

Melissa: It was very exciting because there was so much anticipation. It was delightful.

How did they make the lump of your neck look so real?

Khary: It was the magic of the Nicoterium. It's actually a murder hornet bite and that's how you know we are ahead of the times.

Nicotero: We brought them in. We got a wide of cotton and shoved it down his throat. We actually had two prosthetic pieces so one was a full wrap around and it went underneath his wig and up to his hairline and then we had a stick on.

Ross get a new love interest.

Ross: Aaron came very close with Jesus hinting with some sort of relationship. At this point there are so many threats coming from so many angles that love isn't Aaron's thought process right now. Maybe he shouldn't have someone because Eric died, and Jesus died. Maybe he can just be fond of someone.

The season because of the quarantine?

Angela: Obviously Covid has disrupted a lot of workplaces including ours and our writers have gone remotely for the past few months. We will get back as soon as we safely can. We won't be airing season 11 episodes this year as we normally will. But we are excited to announce an extended season 10 and there will be six extra episodes that follow the finale and those will run in early 2021 if all goes well and we are working on those now and will have more to share soon.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Lauren Cohan

Josh McDermitt

Seth Gilliam

Paola Lazaro

Lauren Cohan is officially back!

Lauren: Maggie feels like doing Comic Con in her slippers is a great way to go forward. She's thinking about a casserole and comfy things. What can I tease? Nothing. I think the most important thing is that she is coming back, not just a visit. Its moving from pen pals to real life friends. Her and Carol have been writing each other. I really feel like I never really left on every level. I was so lucky because I spent a whole month catching up so when Maggie comes in I wasn't overwhelmed from seeing everyone. It was a good catch up and get to know new cast. I'm interested in learning what it takes to direct, it was mind bending to have the opportunity to learn.

Directing Lauren again?

Nicotero: I went to set early that day and went into her trailer and we started giggling and laughing. Lauren and I got really close and we play guitar online. We have had a lot of great actors come back in cameos, or a day or two but knowing Lauren was coming back as part of the family…when you are part of The Walking Dead family you never truly leave. I was really excited to sit in the trailer and it felt really good and really natural. I learned a lot from Lauren. She taught me a lot about how to work with actors and directing and I took a lot of that and I feel like that made me better.

Lauren: The biggest moment was the circle with Mr. Jeffrey Dean…that's when we got really close. Not a fun scene but we got close.

Nicotero: Twelve pages of dialogue in one night.

Maggie and Negan seeing each other?

Angela: I mean Negan killed her husband and burned down her house so its not going to be an easy road for either of them. Negan has been on this whole other journey while she was gone. She hasn't seen any of that. Hilltop was destroyed and the man that was in jail is out walking around. These two have to figure out how to occupy the same space. These two amazing actors and we will try to write to their abilities.

Jeffrey: I mean I did save some of her friends while she has been away. I'm hoping some people stick up for me with her.

Negan has evolved and has a soft spot.

Jeffrey: Negan has a soft spot for the younger generation. I think he has a relationship with young kids because they are very honest. I don't think he'd shy away from who he is with the kid and deal with it. I think initially Maggie will want to kill him. Negan has gone through such a journey in the last few years and the redemption arc has been amazing. But in there…is still Negan and I'm not sure that will ever go away. He will be walking a fine line, especially from Maggie.

What if Rick and Michonne has decided to kill Negan?

Josh: Boring. We would have had to grow our own tomatoes.

Scott: We talk about the butterfly affect a lot and showed it with Michonne's last episode. I think if they had killed Negan the conflicts would have been different with the community. Maybe Rick would be dead. Maybe that herd would have run through a community. Maybe the Whispers would have wiped them out. It's the butterfly effect.

Gabriel has had a tremendous arc.

Seth: I feel great, the more power the better. I think Father Gabriel has embraced the inner voice in him that is the communication with God. He failed the first go around locking his flock outside the church. He thinks God has given him a second chance at leadership and he is going to do the right thing. He made some hard decisions and he didn't do a lot of consultation and surviving the way he has he feels he has got a purpose. He is justified in listening to his inner voice.

What does Eugene see in Stephanie that he didn't see in Rosita?

Josh: He hasn't seen Stephanie so. I don't know that he's thought about what she looks like. They have similar interests and connects on a level he didn't with Rosita. She laughs at his weird references and has some of her own weird references. I think Rosita and Eugene have an awesome relationship now but when we first met them it was a bit more adversarial and built on lies. They were able to get past that but what he is building with Stephanie is a more solid foundation. I think he's excited about that because she is someone more like minded. It will be interesting to see what they don't like about each other. Maybe Eugene snores and Stephanie doesn't like that. I think that if you've ever been in a relationship and you grow that's a place that's lacking in Eugene's life. I'm not saying he will be in a relationship but I'm hoping there is more there. He has never really experienced a relationship. I would hope he would get a chance for that.

As Princess, what has it been like for you?

Paola: Honestly, its mostly been online. I don't leave the house or try not to. Most of the interactions have been online. Apart from my dad saying 'look there is a stalker at the fence' my family plays with me. Its been really beautiful because I've been able to share with the world something, I've worked so hard for and share a character that has a huge heart. I've always been a transparent person and me sharing my struggles with the audiences and it’s created a beautiful conversation with them. I'd love to have scenes with Negan because both of our characters are wild, and I have to admit my favorite character is Carol. I just want Carol to like Princess, I'm a big fan of Carol.

How is this quarantine affecting the show?

Angela: These are unprecedented times and we are trying to approach things with the best creativity we can. At the same time sometimes the limits that are placed on you bring out creativity. We still have a lot to do. We want everyone comfortable shooting and safe when we do it. It's not a huge burden for us, we get to sit and make up stories in our heads and these actors bring them to life.

Hershel meeting Judith.

Lauren: I want to meet little Hershel! I have watched this season be such a torch with how the writers have written young people and see the world through these young people’s eyes. I feel really excited because Kaylee is so good and who ever we find for Hershel is going to start some illuminating conversations. I'm super jazzed.

Does Negan want Lucille back or get a new weapon and call it Rick?

Jeffrey: That could be a step back. Look, I think it would be great to get Lucille back but we may have moved past that at this point. I tend to forget how long it’s been since I've seen Lucille. In The Walking Dead era it’s been ten years. We will see, I wouldn't be scared to see and hold her again. In the comic book when he loses Lucille, I miss that scene, we never got to do that scene and I've always loved it. Lucille represented so much to him beyond a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. We've moved so far from that; we will have to see what Scott and Angela do with that.

What do you miss most about being on set?

Josh: Filling my arms with JDF musk. The guy smells great.

Jeffrey: I miss Josh's timing is what I miss.

Is there anything playing Father Gabriel that's been difficult to adjust to?

Seth: Wearing all that black. I go back and think I'm comfortable with it and then the heat, it's brutal. I'm gamy, sweating and no matter how much Axe I spray. The eyeball I love, it takes two or three minutes to put it in and I get babied by the staff about it. It’s a cool look.

What animal companion would you get and the name?

Paola: I would want an animal named Risky and I'd want an eagle that can fly above the walkers. Less chance of getting bit.

If you could create a series with one character who would you chose?

Scott: I'd go right to Glenn because I miss working with Steven and it would be funny. I will say we are working where we are looking at past characters. We are looking at where we can take a peek early into the apocalypse.

How will you continue to include diversity in the show?

Angela: I think inclusion is a core value of The Walking Dead showing people from all walks of life. The message is that there is no one type of person to be a survivor. I think it’s part of the message of the show, it’s not what we do to put on a public face. We try to ensure it by continually hiring amazing actors looking for diversity from all axis. We do that behind the camera as well.

Excited to see in the finale?

Angela: It’s been a million years since we worked on it. Greg did an amazing job directing it and the actors and I'm excited for people to see what happens with Beta, Carol and her revenge arc, Daryl and his leadership role, the commonwealth group and come to a pretty cool point on their journey, return of Maggie and Negan has a key role. I'm really excited to see the whole group doing their thing and face what is in front of them.

Nicotero: The last five minutes takes it to a whole new place.