-Hey, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
It's really great to be back.
Tonight, we have a mega "Talking Dead,"
covering both "Fear the Walking Dead"
and "Walking Dead: World Beyond."
So in "Fear," we get a close-up look at life
inside Strand's tower, just in time for it
to be attacked by flying radioactive walkers.
Strand took in Grace but exiled Morgan for trying to poison him.
But then we got reunited with Alicia,
but then it looks like those exploding walkers
might be putting her safety in jeopardy, as well.
But then, over on "World Beyond,"
Felix helped Leo and the group flea the CRM research facility.
Poor Percy was gunned down in the escape,
and then Huck not only turned on the CRM,
but also her protege
and "Walking Dead" fan favorite, Jadis.
So will they be able to destroy the gas canisters
in time to save the Portland community?
And then what's going to happen between Strand and Morgan
now that Alicia's back in the picture?
And what's up with Strand wanting to be baby Mo's father?
I have so many questions.
On tonight's show,
we have interviews with the cast and producers,
not one, but two "In Memoriams," plus exclusive sneak peeks
for next week's midseason finale of "Fear the Walking Dead"
and the seriesfinale of "World Beyond."
My guests tonight are Nico Tortorella,
who plays Felix on "World Beyond,"
"Fear's" own Karen David, AKA Grace
and actress and "Walking Dead" universe fan Deborah Joy Winans.
I am Chris Hardwick.
This is "Talking Dead" live!
[Cheers and applause]
♪
Hello.
Alright, our conversation's just beginning.
We want to hear from you. Tweet us,
hit us up on Instagram @AMCTalkingDead,
or you can go over to "Talking Dead's" Facebook page.
You can also go to twdu.com/deadlive
to vote in our polls and make your voice heard,
but for now, please say hello to my guests,
Nico Tortorella, Karen David,
and Deborah Joy Winans are all here.
[Cheers and applause]
Alright. Well, nice to see you in person, everybody.
It's so nice to be back. -Good to see you all.
-Feels good. -Karen, what does it say
about Grace that she's willing to work for Strand
in order to save Morgan?
-Grace will do anything it takes to keep the people
that she loves and cares for safe,
and if that means having to keep the enemy close,
then that's going to be a wise move
so she can keep an eye on him.
And if anyone knows how to navigate
through this whole nuclear fallout, it's Grace.
-Yeah. -Been there, done that.
-Boring. -Now she's, you know,
upped the game slightly a bit, so --
-Yeah, to her, it's just like, "Eh, whatever. Yawn.
Eh, nuclear fallout." -Next?
-Yeah. I do like that that's how they kind of navigate.
They're like, "Eh, the wind's blowing that way today.
Don't worry about it."
Like, I would not go outside at all.
-No, everyone needs a Grace in a nuclear fallout.
-They really do. -I think they do, yes. [Laughs]
-But also Strand's transformation
this season has really been amazing.
What was your reaction to his whole persona, Nico?
-I mean, just having a Colman episode is fantastic,
but Strand is bringing big royal energy
to the "Walking Dead" universe right now.
It's like -- it almost seems like
it's a "Bridgerton"/ "Walking Dead" crossover episode
happening, but I'm here for it.
That portrait scene, right?
Like, that's where we're at. -It was amazing.
-That's where Strand is at. -"She doesn't see me."
"Whoa, what?" Yeah, off -- -Off the roof.
-"Alright, bring it back. Bring it back."
[Laughter]
Actually, that's who -- that's who I thought --
the whole episode, I was like,
"Oh, the artist poisoned him
'cause he threw her painting over the side,"
but then that didn't turn out to be the case.
Well, let's see what you thought on the Internets.
@DiscussingTWD on Twitter says, "Strand and Morgan have
Rick and Negan vibes," and then @PolkaDotPlanet on Twitter
says, "Victor is such a dic........tator."
Nicely done.
There were like nine dots in between "dic" and "tator."
[Laughter]
Gloriel Flores on Twitter says "The way Victor has been acting,
it's not a question of who would poison it, but who wouldn't?"
And then @baybayrose86 on Twitter says,
"Oh, man, Strand is so complex.
My heart just breaks for him." -Yeah.
-But now it's time to see what everyone thought at home.
We asked you on twdu.com/deadlive,
how do you feel about this new Strand?
You love him? He's over the top, and it's amazing to watch.
He's finally embracing who he is.
Or loathe him? He's out of control,
he's unhinged, and needs to be stopped.
And while we're calculating, Deborah Joy,
what do you think?
It's kind of interesting to have --
like, normally, everyone's on one side,
but here, this is very...
-You've got a whole room. -...roundtable.
Now I'm shifting this way. Deborah Joy, what do you think?
-I think I -- both.
I love him because he is so incredible to watch,
and this foolishness of a role.
It's like you see this crazy man continuing to unfold
and for seasons, because this is not new.
This is who he's always been. -Right.
-So I love it, but I loathe it, too.
Like, somebody needs to kill him.
I'm mad Morgan didn't finish the job.
-Well, you're watching someone who has always wanted to be
in the position that he's in. -Yes.
-He's gotten what he's always wanted,
and this -- like, this weird "Twilight Zone" episode
where it's like he can't handle it because it's --
-So fragile. -I mean, he did survive
a nuclear -- you know, the detonation of the nuclear bombs.
You know, he survived that. So he's invincible.
He really feels that he's Superman right now.
-But it's also -- he's also isolating himself
'cause he can't trust anyone.
He's just having that -- 'cause it is.
It does feel like --
-Well, he can't trust anyone because he's constantly
throwing somebody under the bus.
Morgan, the walkers. I was like, "Really, y'all?"
-Sometimes literally throwing people under a bus.
82% said loathe him. 18% percent said love him.
It does really feel like those old British documentaries
where they talk about,
like, monarchies through the centuries,
and they're like "In the medieval times,
you could be king for like a year,
and then your brother killed you."
You know, so -- -Or beheaded you.
-Or -- yeah. So no one could ever trust anything,
and that feels like he's kind of feeling like
he can't trust anyone but himself.
But, Nico, what was your reaction
to seeing baby Mo dangled down the elevator shaft?
-Ugh. -Ooh.
-I mean, immediate anxiety. -Yeah.
-I've been working with babies a lot
over the last few years on camera,
and, I mean, just like holding a baby that's not yours
is like, "Okay."
Like, walking down a flight of stairs
with a baby that's not -- like, on set,
it's a totally different energy, right?
-Oh, you can't -- yeah.
And just seeing this baby just --
"Oh, we're just going to put the baby
down the elevator shaft, okay?" Like, "What?"
-My wife's having a baby in two months,
and I feel I'm going to be like,
"Am I holding this right?
I don't know what I'm doing," you know?
-Is this your first? -First, yeah.
-Wow, congrats. -Yeah, thank you very much.
Yeah. So I understand the, like, "Everyone, you know,
you got to be real careful,"
but seeing that on the show --
obviously, they took safety precautions...
-Totally, yeah. -...but it was -- it was --
it was probably the most stressful for me.
Like, "Guhhh." -Oh, yeah.
-Good thing Grace wasn't there. -Yes.
-She would've lost her mind.
-No, she would not have been cool with that.
-Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no no, no, no, no.
-I hope they don't tell her in the next episode.
[Laughter]
"Don't worry about it. It's fine."
Deborah Joy, were you surprised that Morgan
even at all handed the baby over to a sick Strand?
-Oh, absolutely. I was -- I was very shocked,
but, you know, I love Morgan
because he understands -- he reads every situation.
He knows how to read the room. You know how some people
just don't know how to read the room?
-Right. -Morgan can read the room.
And so he knew he had to take a step and give Strand something
in order to -- to get what he needed back.
You know what I mean? -I still was a little surprised.
-I was, I was. -I was surprised
that Morgan was the poisoner.
I don't think he had a choice. though.
-Oh, I was. I was. Being the poisoner?
Oh, my God. Absolutely. I was completely shocked.
I did not think it was him.
I thought it was -- I thought it was his homeboy
that's like his right-hand man, and I said, "Aw, shoot."
When I saw Morgan's thumb, I said, "Aw, dang. Aw, snap."
-Caught blue-handed. -"Caught blue-handed."
Oh, Nico, genius. -But I get it.
Like, I just had a baby... -Congrats.
-...and, like, you will do anything for that child.
-Congratulations. -You will do anything.
-So much baby energy. -I literally look at my son,
and I'm like, "Oh, it's too cold out.
You need -- what do I need to do?
Oh, I'mma be late. You know what?
Never mind. I'm not coming." -Right.
-'Cause you want to do anything for them.
And so you get why Morgan did this whole situation.
-You get it. -I totally understand.
Well, coming up, we have interviews with the cast,
plus exclusive sneak peeks of the mid--
of this week's midseason finale of "Fear the Walking Dead"
and the series finale of "World Beyond."
But first, before you give thanks
that walkers can't really fly,
let's slow things down and say a final farewell
to all those we've lost on "Fear the Walking Dead" tonight.
[Laughter]
♪
[Walker growling]
♪
-I love the character of Jadis.
I loved writing the character of Jadis in "The Walking Dead,"
and we had been talking for a while
about bringing Pollyanna back.
The idea of bringing Jadis back was also very much about
re-exploring a new version of a character that we'd met before.
Jadis is someone who is very much a chameleon.
She is able to adapt and become who she needs to be
to fit her circumstances so she can survive,
and we saw that on "Walking Dead"
when she was the leader of this community in the junkyard,
and because our show picks up six years
after the events of her leaving with Rick in the helicopter,
it really gave us a chance to see where she's at now,
see how she's adapted and changed,
and explore a new iteration of Jadis.
And it was equally exciting to be able to pepper in some --
some details of, you know, what she's been up to
and how she changed in the six years.
[Applause]
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead."
We're back with Nico Tortorella, Karen David,
and Deborah Joy Winans.
Nico, can you talk about what it was like having Pollyanna
join "World Beyond" as Jadis?
-Yeah, Pollyanna, such a force.
First of all, every show needs a solid bowl cut, right,
and Polly kind of brought it through.
No, it made -- honestly, it made "World Beyond" feel
more like "The Walking Dead." -Right.
-Right? I mean, she's such a staple in the universe
and brings such a legacy with her.
And, like, the first season was pretty much
just the six of us, like, running amok, right?
And the second season now feels like
it's part of a much larger picture,
and Pollyanna brings that maturity to the show
that I think we really needed.
-Obviously, there was a lot of friction
between Felix and Huck, for obvious reasons.
-I don't know what you're talking about.
-Well, they had some issues. -Mm-hmm.
-But does any of that change --
what are Felix's feelings when Huck turns on Jadis?
Is that redemption, do you think?
-I mean, honestly,
there's so much going on at this point
that I don't think that Felix really...
Let's just say this.
-Huck is not Felix's main priority right now,
and, in this standoff,
Felix sees an opening and takes advantage of it.
It could've been anyone in Huck's position, right?
And, like, I wish we got to see more
of the two of them together,
but this is just kind of where they're at now,
and, like, "Huck's either with us or against us,"
and Felix is thinking about everything else, not Huck.
-Deborah Joy, this is from @LaurieReese1970.
What was your reaction when you first saw Jadis
on "World Beyond"? -[Laughs]
I was like, "This hair. Oh, my God."
I said -- when I saw, I was like, "Jadis?
Like, Jadis-Jadis?" -Yeah.
-Like, "Oh, my goodness." I thought it was amazing.
I thought it was such an incredible add.
I mean, I can't stand her. [Laughter]
I never liked her.
But it makes sense.
Like, she is, quiet as it's kept,
she's like a better version of Victor.
-Right? -You know what I mean?
Like, she -- she knows what she wants,
and she's out to get things for herself.
And so her showing up at CRM and being a boss --
like, she's not just a foot soldier,
she's the boss -- made all the sense in the world.
I thought it was a beautiful addition,
but I was thrown off for two seconds.
I was like, "Is that Jadis? That's not Jadis-Jadis."
-And then, a couple episodes back,
I think she talked about how she got into the CRM,
and it's like, "Oh, is that the Rick thing?"
You know? -Yeah.
-Just seeing the shows kind of bleed together...
-They way they come together. -...and weave together
was really nice, but let's -- let's shift
a little bit and talk about the CRM on "Fear."
Rosa wants to know, Karen,
"After Grace's experience with the CRM,
Would she be in favor of taking them down?"
-Oh. You know, when I was watching your episode --
-Mm-hmm. -By the way, you were great.
-Aw, thank you. -Love your work.
-[Chuckling] I appreciate it.
-I was like, "Damn."
I mean, you guys, face-to-face with the CRM,
and having our encounter, our recent encounter,
Morgan and Grace, at gunpoint,
I was like, "Geez, there's no messing with them."
They're like robots, you know?
They -- They are soldiers,
and there's no room for negotiation or anything.
Despite even Grace pleading and saying,
"We have a daughter," that doesn't matter.
None of that matters. They're on a mission,
they're focused to the task at hand,
and there's just no budging with them.
I don't know --
I think Grace now, being in the tower with Strand,
Keep your enemies close, right? I think the CRM,
if she had to, it would be the same thing, too.
Anything that she could do to infiltrate
and to grab information
that she could leak out to the rest of the gang,
I think that would be her priority,
but you can't mess around with that.
-They're wiping out entire cities.
-They're ruthless. -Cities.
-Like, entire populations of people -- gone.
-They're so disrespectful. -Yeah. [Laughs]
-"So disrespectful." -I mean, how dare they?
-Who has the time? -Unreal.
-Disrespect-- it's just not nice.
You know, you can't just take out 100 -- that's not nice.
[Chuckling] "So disrespectful." -Well, come on.
-I mean, it is. It is.
And then hearing Jadis speak so sort of robotically, like,
"Well, they're draining our supply,
and there's not going to be enough.
This is for the survival."
And then you always got to go, like,
"Is it for the survival of humanity,
or is it just for you? I don't know."
-"Feels like it's kind of for you."
"Kind of feels like it's for you."
I think -- oh, I have more questions,
but, actually, we do have to take a quick break,
so we're going to jump to commercial real fast.
Coming up, more interviews with the cast,
plus those exclusive sneak peeks of next week midseason f--
next week, it's the midseason of "Fear,"
but the seriesfinale of "World Beyond."
But, first, before Elton and Silas
go all "American Gladiator" in a death globe down the hill,
let's slow things -- that was amazing.
Let's slow -- it was just like a hamster wheel.
It was just like those little balls
you put a hamster in.
-I felt it was like on "Jurassic Park."
-Oh, it was amazing. Oh, yeah. -Yes, yes. "This is so great."
-It was perfect. -Like a video game.
-Let's slow things down and say a final farewell
to all those we've lost tonight on "World Beyond."
♪
[Walkers growling]
♪
-You should be proud, Hope.
♪
-Could be nice
if it was the two of us doing that.
♪
Once this is all over.
♪
[Gunshots]
♪
-So far in this season, we've seen that Strand's tower
has really become this oasis
in the middle of the nuclear fallout,
the place that everyone wants to be,
and we wanted the tower to come under threat,
but we wanted it to come under threat in a unique way.
So it seemed like the smart play that the Stalkers can make was
if they could take that safety away from the tower.
-The sequence with the walkers and the Trebuchet
was really a group effort and just a home run on
every level from various aspects of our production,
from the actual walkers flying into the building,
struggling with Strand, Frank Iudica,
our special effects, who helped us with the trebuchet,
along with Colin Thurston in props, and, of course,
Bernardo Trujillo production-designing the tower
and the various stages of destruction
as it becomes more and more besieged.
It definitely took a village to accomplish that,
and they really made it come to life in ways
that were so beyond even what we could've dreamed.
[Applause]
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead."
That was great executives producers Andrew Chambliss
and Ian Goldberg on the incredible
flying walker attack featured in tonight's episode of "Fear."
Karen, what does it say about Strand
that he creates this oasis in a nuclear wasteland?
-He's smart. -Yeah.
-He knows the way to gain followers
is to create this safety net, this safe, you know --
this building where it has all the amenities
that you could ever hope or dream for,
and from there, he can control from within.
I mean, talk about a lap of luxury
with his paintings and fine art and -- and whiskey and bourbon.
And can I just say -- Strand, all of us,
when we look at Colman, were like,
What outfit is he going to wear next?
He looks amazing.
And then we all look at ourselves and, like,
"Oh, okay." [Laughter]
But he's crea-- -[Chuckling] There weren't --
there weren't a lot of designer fashions in the submarine,
it turned out.
-Yeah, just a little bit. You know, some -- some suits
and, yeah, more suits and hazmat suits.
It's the hazmat-rubber-suit kind of feel, you know,
that we're going for. -Yeah.
-Hazmat suits are back, though.
-They're back, yeah. [Laughter]
-Have you worn one in 110 degrees?
-Oh, no. -Highly recommend.
Highly recommend. -Leather head to toe, yeah.
-Deborah Joy, what do you think
the whole "Strand's portrait thing" symbolized?
-I just think it symbolized him sort of trying to reconcile
within himself who he is.
Like, we wants to be this amazing leader
that everybody loves and comes to
and thinks that he can just keep them safe and healthy
and whole and happy.
But he's also, like, "If any of that
gets in the way of me having what I need,
you're going to die."
So there's this whole just dichotomy of trying to be
this good versus evil within himself.
And I think the picture, the portrait, was so beautiful,
but he didn't love it because it didn't --
that -- that -- that bad Victor is at the top,
and that's what's not being seen.
It wasn't -- it wasn't in the portrait.
-So do you think that means he hates himself
or he loves himself too much?
-I think he loves himself too much.
But I also think he hates himself a little bit,
because, you know, Alicia,
like, that's the one person that can make him recognize.
"I am not a good person."
-Yeah. He doesn't want to see her.
-Yeah, no. -She's the mirror.
-But he wants to make sure she's alive --
-Wants to make sure she's okay. Yeah.
'Cause that's a weakness to him. -Absolutely.
-But he also -- it's like he took
that thing to the extreme where he was like,
"I should only listen to myself."
-Mm-hmm. -But that's very isolating,
and people are like, "Hey, we want to help you."
"Shut up. No, you can't." -Yeah, and now you're at a place
where you trust nobody. -Right?
People are trying to kill you, and you trying to run the world.
-Right. -That don't work too well.
-It's not working too well. -Mnh-mnh.
-Nico, we've talked about Strand's evolution.
How would you describe Felix's evolution
on "World Beyond"? -Mm.
Yeah, I feel like Felix now is actually a lot calmer
than he was at the beginning of the series.
His world was a lot smaller
at the top of "World Beyond," right?
He was in a safe place,
he was taking care of the ones that he cared about
in a much easier way,
and when he left, you know, and was chasing down the kids,
the puzzle seemed still relatively small.
And now, at the top of the second season,
right, the universe is vast, and the puzzle
is a lot more complicated and disturbed
than he ever thought possible.
And now Will is in the picture again, right,
his primary relationship.
So he has a lot more to live for and a lot more to fight for,
and the kids aren't kids anymore.
As, like, quick as it's been,
they've all grown up in one way or another.
And Felix has let them go. And now he's, you know --
he's here to protect Hope and Leo
and try to get them back and save the world.
But I think that it's a much calmer energy now,
more focused.
-Karen, we have maybe like 45 seconds or so
before we have to go to break, but what would Grace have done
if she knew that Strand all of a sudden
just started calling himself the baby's new father?
-Oh, hell no.
No, not on my watch. Mama bear's going to come out.
[Laughter]
I mean, after -- after losing her baby in Season 6,
having to go through that,
and now the possibility that her now -- the daughter
that unifies everyone together could be taken away,
and under this autocrat, this dictator,
I mean, it's -- it's her worst nightmare come true.
So, no, she would --
she would definitely do everything in her power
to -- to intervene and to stop that,
even if it means putting her life at risk.
-Before we go to break, I want to remind you
to follow FearHQ on Twitch.
They're live four days a week discussing all things horror
and "The Walking Dead," so please check it out
and make sure you tune in next Sunday.
Our guests will be on this show
Jadis herself, Pollyanna McIntosh,
exec producer of "Fear" Ian Goldberg,
executive producer of "World Beyond," Matt Negrete,
plus a surprise guest from "The Walking Dead" universe.
-Dun-dun-dun. -It's going to blow your minds.
And also a very, very big announcement,
so please make sure to tune in next week.
We will be here. Honestly, it is --
it is a very big deal, and we'll be right back.
[Cheers and applause]
♪
-When Morgan needs Strand,
he tries to play on Strand's better angels,
Strand just looks at as an opportunity.
He's like, "Okay." He assesses the situation.
"What do you need? Okay, fine.
I'll give you a couple days,
but you've got to help me, as well.
You've been out there struggling.
Come on in and see what I've built."
I think, ultimately, a lot of times, Strand wants approval.
He wants to be seen for his better self
and what he's able to do to say that he wasn't wrong,
that he's right by following his instincts,
and I think that he really values that from Morgan.
And then, as, you find that, you know,
there are some horrible people out there throwing walkers
that have nuclear waste and stuff inside them
so they would explode and just contaminate everything,
they have to try to work together
to defeat common enemy.
Strand believed that they were working together,
but then he gets poisoned, so that complicates everything.
It becomes a bit of a madness.
Everyone has a reason to try to poison Strand and take him out.
All of this that plays on him,
because he is sort of on his own island that he's built.
It's really a hard place for him to be.
[Cheers and applause]
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead."
That was Colman Domingo on the betrayal Strand feels
after being poisoned.
Can I just say, today is Colman's birthday,
and I want to wish him a happy birthday.
He is one of my favorite people in the world...
-Happy birthday, darling. -...legitimately
one of the most talented human beings I know,
literally can do anything, and he does it flawlessly.
I love you, Colman Domingo, Happy Birthday,
and your performance this episode was fantastic.
And let's just talk --
let's -- people from the Internet reacting to it.
This is from the Twitter account @glennrhee.
"Colman's performance this episode is impeccable."
@SPNWalkingDead --
"I hate they're making Victor the villain this season,
but Colman Domingo is so good at playing this role."
Dalton Ross -- there have been a lot of great
Victor Strand installments on "Fear,"
but Colman is at the top of his game in tonight's episode.
And then Colman tweeted,
"I had the most incredible time with this episode."
Karen, can you talk a little bit about seeing Colman
bring these script pages to life for this episode?
-Watching -- Watching Colman
doing what he does so eloquently
and makes it all look easy,
it's so delicious because you can see
that he is embracing every second of every moment on set,
and he's having so much fun being the naughty one.
-[Laughs] -He loves being naughty.
You know, he's fully embracing this dark side of him,
and he's fully, deeply committed
and to -- to see that enthusiasm and that passion in Colman,
you're never short of inspiration from Colman.
Just watching him perform, his -- his dedication,
his commitment, his hard work, is truly such an honor
to be in any scene with Colman,
no matter how horrible he could be to you
when they say, "Action."
But he's -- he's -- he's just such a joy to work with
and just seeing him just shine
so brightly throughout this season,
I'm just so excited for everyone to see what's to come,
because if you think this is great, well, just --
just you wait. Just you wait.
-So we talked a little bit about being surprised
that Morgan was the one that did the poisoning,
but does Strand need to be taken out at this point?
-Absolutely. Absolutely. 100%. -You do? You think so?
-We were just talking about how amaz--
"The performance is amazing. He's got to go, though."
-It's like, that's the thing. It's -- I love watching him.
-I don't want him to go. -I don't.
I don't want him to go
because I love what I get to see every week.
However, he got to die.
Like, he's terrible.
He's absolutely terrible.
Nobody in the tower is safe.
Like, he was mad at homeboy and threw him off the roof.
Like, it's like he has no control...
-Right. -...over his emotions.
It's like, "I feel this, so I'm just going to do it."
-What about just a demotion?
So we still get Strand, but maybe he's not --
-You can't trust him.
Did you see the way he threw Morgan to the walkers..
-I saw that. I did. -...to save hisself?
He might throw baby Mo-Mo. -No, but here's the thing.
No, he wouldn't do that. -"He wouldn't do that."
No, no, no. He wouldn't do it. Not with --
-But you can't trust him. -No, that's true,
but I almost feel that there is --
somewhere tucked deep down inside,
there is some compassion and empathy within Strand...
-Oh, absolutely. -...and he's turned it off,
okay, big time, but -- -Yeah, it comes on and off.
Like, he -- when -- when Morgan went
and radioed you and came back,
he thought they were going to work together
to defeat everything, and when he saw that blue,
it's like that moment of working together
went way out the window so quick.
-I know. I was so -- I was so happy for a minute,
and then I saw the blue, and I was like, "Ah, damn it."
-And then he was like, "It was you," and I said, "Aw, no!"
-'Cause you see this real human moment
where he's saying to the baby, like,
"I never got the approval from my father," and you start going,
"Oh, my God, of course," you know,
and then, of course, the shields immediately just go up,
and you're like, "Ah, damn it."
But now it's time to see what everyone thought at home.
We asked you at twdu.com/deadlive,
what do you think Alicia will do when she sees Strand?
Forgive him? They survived the nuclear apocalypse.
Maybe they move on from the past.
Or fight him? She's not going to be happy
after she finds out what he did to Will.
While the votes are calculating, Nico,
what do you -- what do you think?
-About the two of them? -Yeah, yeah, do you think she's
ever going to forgive him? Is it possible?
-I mean, I like to believe that forgiveness is always possible.
That's, like, the hopeful person that lives inside of me.
But I don't know here. It's not likely.
-Right. -Yeah.
-I think -- it looks like -- I'm watching the tabulations,
and it looks like "fight him" is really the clear winner.
[Laughter]
What is that? Is that 98% to 2%?
It's like it's some -- oh, 88% to 12%.
12% are like, "Eh, give him another chance.
Come on." It's probably the grandmas.
"Give him a chance."
Everyone else is like, "Fight him."
I do want to talk quickly about saying goodbye
to Ted Sutherland, who played Percy.
-Yes. -I did not see that coming.
-That was so heartbreaking. -It was very, very sad.
-Yeah. You know, I mean, in a lot of ways,
this last block, we shot the last two episodes together,
and it was the end for all of us, right?
Like, we all knew the series was coming to an end,
and we didn't really know what was happening
with each character, and Ted found out, right,
and I'm going to go on record --
Ted, if you're watching right now, okay, this is for you.
Ted is the strongest actor on the show, hands down.
And I think Percy is one of
the most likable characters on this show
in relation to Iris and just the way that it all works.
So we were all heartbroken to see Ted go.
But, like, we all left at the same time, you know?
Like, it wasn't like we went to work the next day
and Ted wasn't there. -Right.
-Like, I ac-- I actually think that was closer to the end
than some other actors, right? -Right.
-So, ah, but that death, like...
-It was heartbreaking. -It was heartbreaking.
-And I get why it needed to happen.
-He was, you know, a charming grifter who knows,
like, magic and who's, like, really sweet.
Yeah, it was a -- it was a --
it was really hard, and I feel the same.
It's like, "Well, I know the show's ending,
but it was still -- it was still real sad...
-Totally. -...to watch that character go.
Before we go to break, I want to show you guys this.
This is a "World Beyond" sweatshirt
with Season 2 artwork on it. -[Gasps]
Is it -- am I not holding this up properly?
I'm sorry. I don't -- I don't go out of the house much.
TWDUShop.com is where this is.
And, of course, everyone in the audience
is going to get one. [Cheers and applause]
Coming up, we have two sneak peeks that I've been promising.
We'll be right back on "Talking Dead."
Now I'm doing it properly. There it is.
♪
[Cheers and applause]
Welcome back. This is "Talking Dead" live,
and now it's time for a video question
from one of our viewers. Before we roll it,
I want to remind you that if you want the chance
to be featured on "Talking Dead,"
send us a 30-second video of yourself
explaining how "The Walking Dead" has impacted you
at fansubmission@talkingdead.tv.
And now it's time for tonight's featured question.
Roll it. -Hi, my name is David,
and I am currently in Colorado Springs, Colorado,
and my question is for Nico.
Can we expect any big fight scenes with Felix
in the series finale? -Ooh.
Can we expect any big fight sequences?
Yes. Yes. [Laughter]
Very, very big fight sequences.
The highlight of this job
was shooting the finale of this series, for sure.
Unreal.
It was also 110 degrees.
Wasn't in a hazmat suit, but... -[Laughs]
-...leather pretty much head to toe
with a pending tornado. -Oh, wow.
-...so we were fighting the clock in Richmond, Virginia.
-Oh, wow. -But more on that
after y'all see the episode.
[Laughter] Lots of fights. Lots of fights.
-Lots of fights in the series finale?
Yeah, it'd be weird. If the series finale was like,
"Well, guys, we -- you know, everything --
I guess it worked out." -Happily ever after.
-"Yay, let's -- road trip," or whatever.
Deborah Joy, what are you hoping to see from Alicia on "Fear"?
-I'm just hoping that she does not run away from,
really, being the leader of this -- this world.
-Right. -I think that that's
what she's called to be, and as crazy as Teddy was --
you know, he wanted to blow everything up, so he was nuts,
but it made so much sense that he saw her
as who was going to rebuild it, and that's what I want.
I want her to not shy away from being the leader
that she needs to be, being hard when she has to be,
being soft when she needs to be, but understanding
that all of that is going to be necessary
to bring this world together and stop the chaos.
-Seems like she's on the right path
'cause she is leading this group, and so it seems --
-And she's leading from underneath.
Like, it feels like she came from up under
to the surface and be like, "What up, Morgan? I need you."
He's like, "Where did you even come from?"
I love it. I love it.
Karen, how would you convince Strand
to let you into the tower?
-Easy. It's like a business card.
I would just say, "For all your nuclear fallout needs..."
[Laughter]
-That sounds like a commercial.
-But that's all she would need to say to him.
-"Hi, I'm Grace.
Are you going through a nuclear apocalypse? Well..."
-Exactly. But she knows that,
you know, that's his Achilles' heel.
He has no experience in dealing with the implications
and the ramifications of a nuclear fallout.
-Mm-hmm. -Grace does.
And, you know, earlier on back in 702,
you do see him sending, through Howard, the message
"Come to the tower. We could use your skills."
So I think that would be an easy sell.
-That would be an easy sell. -It would, it would,
because there's so much that she --
she's got so much information and experience,
and she knows how to handle the gravest of situations,
especially from the nuclear plant back in Season 5.
That's one thing about Grace.
When it comes to the most dire of situations,
she can rely on her methodical, scientific, factual nature.
It's -- It's -- It's kind of fun
to see how that plays off against Morgan's more hopeful,
you know, always hopeful in everything,
trying to see the positive sides
to every situation,
but with Grace, it's just very matter-of-fact.
"No, this is what it is.
This is what we're dealing with."
So I think being very straightforward
with -- with Strand is something that he would appreciate.
Nico, this is from @negansaviors54, on Twitter.
"What will you miss most about playing Felix?"
-Hmm. I mean, besides Felix as a character, I think we all...
working on this project created Felix collectively,
and he's this -- he -- he -- he goes against the stereotypes
of the type of person that he is,
and just bringing that character to life was such a joy.
And, hopefully, it carves more room for actors
and characters in the future.
But this cast, I mean, we spent so much time together.
You know, we shot the first season
right before the pandemic hit,
then the world changed, and then we went back
and shot the second season mid-pandemic,
and, like, we couldn't see anyone else but each other
when we were shooting in Richmond.
We weren't really allowed to even see each other,
but that definitely did not happen.
-[Laughs]
-And we just spent so much time together.
And trauma unites people, right, unites communities.
And I-I really miss a lot of a lot of these kids on this job.
I mean, some of my best friends that I've ever had at work
and we do-- we don't have that anymore,
and we know that we won't have it in the future.
So we actually all were together last week.
We went to Dave & Buster's -- me, Ted, Nic, and Hal.
It was like a little boys' reunion,
which was hysterical 'cause Nic can't go to a bar
'cause he's not old enough, so we went to Dave & Buster's.
Shout-out to Dave & Buster's. [Laughter]
And, yeah, we're going to still find each other.
-Well, it was such a whirlwind, but it's just been
such a pleasure to get to know all of you and to see you,
and I'm sorry it was so fast,
and then we get to see you in person,
but I really -- but we're -- but I --
honestly, anyone who's a part of this universe
is always a part of this universe.
So I feel like we will always -- we'll -- we'll always have it --
we'll always have "World Beyond."
-And we know they do spin-offs, so...
-Yeah, so you know what? -Make a call, Chris.
-Well, before we go to break, I want to remind you
that amcplus.com has episodes of "Fear" and "World Beyond"
a full week early, so go check that out.
And coming up, we have a sneak peek
at next week's midseason finale of "Fear the Walking Dead."
But, first, here's an exclusive look at next week's
seriesfinale of "World Beyond."
Check it out.
♪
-Sweep that warehouse. Secure the containers.
♪
[Both grunting]
♪
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead."
We just have a couple of minutes left,
but here's our exclusive sneak peek
of next week's midseason finale
of "Fear the Walking Dead." Check it out.
[Creaking]
[Lights snapping on]
[Electricity buzzing softly]
♪
[Gun cocks]
-Don't move.
Turn around.
♪
-Do you know what Teddy's doing up there?
Why does he have us down here?
-I found another straggler.
-[Panting]
If you ask me what I see when I look at him,
I will gouge your eyes out.
-I don't care what you see.
We need fresh compost for the garden.
[Walker growling]
-No. No!
[Panting]
No! No! No!
[Cheers and applause]
-Alright. -[Laughs]
Deborah Joy. I know, I know, right?
-Whew!
-So we have about a minute and 15 seconds left.
Karen, what can you tease about what's next for Grace?
-Well, Grace continues to navigate
through her grief each and every day
and trying to be the mother that she can
as best she can to baby Mo.
I -- definitely unified with Morgan
that we need to protect baby Mo at all costs,
especially because she's in arm's reach of -- of Strand,
and who knows what he'll do next?
But also, she knows that Morgan's out there.
She also knows that she's taught Morgan
everything and, you know, how to protect himself
as safely as possible.
I think she's going to try and find as much information
as she can to help everyone outside the tower.
-Excellent. Well, I want to thank you all for being here.
It is so wonderful to see you in person.
Thank you for coming, audience.
Thanks for watching "Talking Dead," you at home.
My guests have been Nico Tortorella, Karen David,
and Deborah Joy Winans.
Be sure to catch Deborah Joy on "A Sisterly Christmas"
airing December 7th on OWN.
Don't forget to go to amcplus.com
to watch the midseason finale of "Fear the Walking Dead"
and the series finale of "World Beyond" right now, if you want.
Next week, we'll be on after "Fear the Walking Dead"
and "World Beyond" to break down everything on both shows.
And, like I said before, Jadis herself,
Pollyanna McIntosh, will be here,
Matt Negrete, exec producer, Ian Goldberg will also be here,
and a surprise guest from "The Walking Dead" universe
you won't want to miss.
Stay safe. Take care of each other.
I'm Chris Hardwick. Goodbye! See you next week!
We did it!