Exclusive: The Walking Dead: World Beyond stars preview season 2
The Walking Dead: World Beyond was developed as a two-season limited series designed to fill in the gaps of what’s happening in other parts of the TWD universe. The Civic Republic (CR) and the Civic Republic Military (CRM) have come into sharp focus in the spinoff, with their helicopters and their clandestine mission. Winter is Coming had a chance to talk with the cast about what’s coming in season 2.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond cast talks growth in season 2
For fans of The Walking Dead: World Beyond, it has been several months between the season 1 finale and the season 2 premiere, but in the show’s timeline it’s been a matter of minutes. While many characters experience growth between seasons, the World Beyond cast hasn’t had a chance to “grow” in the traditional sense, but the revelations from the end of the first season definitely changed them.
I asked the cast how the information from the end of the season — that Campus Colony is gone, Huck is a CRM operative named Jennifer and the CRM was after Hope the whole time — changed things. Their answers were interesting, and revealing.
Julia Ormond (Elizabeth): “You’ve seen people be very challenged in season 1. You see the kids go on a journey, you see how they relate to the outside world, to a very changed world. And the threats of it and whether or not they’re going to be able to deal with that. And I think for Elizabeth and Jennifer/Huck, they’ve done this thing of bringing this genius (Hope), they’ve had this plan to bring her [to the CRM], but there’s been a lot of sacrifice and times of wondering if it’s going to go pear shaped? Is it still going to go wrong?”
Annet Mahendru (Jennifer/Huck): “A lot of things catch her by surprise, too. [Her mother] didn’t tell her about [Campus Colony]. She’s in complete shock because of all the things she has to do. She knows it’s a test on her, too, of her allegiance. And this mission didn’t go the way it was planned, so Huck’s again in shambles and has to figure out another plan to save what’s left of the world. She knows. So the growth, you know, it just doesn’t end. It escalates being back at the CRM and it’s really going to be like a life or death situation for Huck this time around. So put your seatbelt on.”
Alexa Mansour (Hope): “I think [Hope] was forced to grow up really, really, really fast. You know, she’s the one living with her sister with no responsibilities besides when to be at school and doing the day-to-day stuff to being pretty much a prisoner. This is what she wanted and she’s where she wanted to get to [to save her father], but she doesn’t realize that it’s not as good as she thought it was. There are so many secrets. There are so many ulterior motives. You don’t really know who’s there with you and who’s there against you, and she’s alone. She doesn’t have her sister anymore. She doesn’t have Elton, Silas or Felix. So she’s put in this position where she’s like, ‘Okay, I can’t keep screwing around, I have to really get my act together and try to take these people out from the inside.’”