-Welcome to "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
So tonight, we saw how our group is assimilating
into the Commonwealth's way of life,
and it appears that the transition
and the living conditions are better for some than others.
We also discovered there may be a dark underbelly
of the Commonwealth that is directly related
to how the citizens are treated --
or, rather, mistreated, for that matter.
So how will things change
after the terrifying hostage crisis at the ball?
Does Mercer have a Commonwealth revolution on his hands,
and why did Daryl let Pamela's son Sebastian take credit
for capturing ex-trooper Tyler?
We have interviews with the cast,
we have a behind-the-scenes look at the Halloween festival,
and an exclusive sneak peek
of next week's episode of "The Walking Dead."
My guests tonight -- friend of the show, Yvette Nicole Brown,
uh, Michael James Shaw AKA Mercer is here,
also Teo Rapp-Olsson, who plays Sebastian.
I am Chris Hardwick, and this is "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
♪
The conversation's just beginning.
Of course we want to hear from you.
Tweet us or hit us up on Instagram @AMCTalkingDead
or go to "Talking Dead's" Facebook page,
but for now, please say hello to my guests.
Yvette Nicole Brown, Michael James Shaw,
Teo Rapp-Olsson are here.
[Claps hands]
-Hey. What's up?
-Welcome. I'm the audience now. -Whoo!
-I'm the whole audience right here.
[Laughter]
-Um, I'm our whole live audience.
Our audience of one.
Yvette, um, how weird is it
seeing, like, after all this time,
now, like, people having jobs and needing money
and buying records and all sorts of stuff?
It was so weird for me because I thought
that we had reached a place in the apocalypse
where money was no longer a thing.
So the idea that the Commonwealth
is keeping that going and then also,
they're totally okay with some people not having money.
-Right. -Like, when I saw how Daryl
is living with Dog, eating out the same bowl
that the babies are eating out of,
and I just don't understand how it plays out
and why they're letting people suffer
the way they're letting people suffer.
And can I say one more thing about,
uh, Daryl having the kids? -Mm-hmm.
-I don't know why Daryl has the kids.
I feel like they're --
you know, it looked like Carol had a nicer setup.
Um, I know that he loves those babies,
but I don't think that he's actually the best babysitter,
especially while he's trying to become a trooper,
so that part kind of threw me.
Um, so, yeah, it was -- it was an interesting thing
to see for me. -Yeah, I mean, and they're --
I have -- I have also a lot --
there's a lot of interesting Daryl talk
for this episode in particular
of which I think we'll probably get to later in the episode,
but a lot of it revolves around, is he just now --
finally, is he kind of okay with the idea
of, like, I've been a lone wolf for so long,
now I'm just going to figure out how to work within a structure?
I'm going to figure out how to be, you know,
a member of a community and not just --
that's what seems to be happening with Daryl,
but I don't know.
Maybe it's a plan.
Maybe there's a -- -Yeah.
Does it factor into the flash-forward we saw last week?
I don't know. Hopefully, we'll --
we'll talk about that later in the episode.
But I want to talk to Michael about --
Mercer is a legit celebrity within the Commonwealth.
I mean, there's paparazzi, there's a red carpet,
there's a whole thing, people are cosplaying as Mercer.
Um, how does -- how does Mercer feel about that?
-Mercer hates it. [Laughter]
Uh, I think he, uh -- he just really wants to do his job
and, like, keep people safe
and uphold the -- the values of the Commonwealth.
All this, I guess, "bells and whistles" that come around it,
um, he's not really into it.
Um [chuckles] it's not his thing at all.
I-I think he'd prefer to, like, show up to the gala
in the sherbet, no suit. -[Laughs]
-Just -- just keep it real, you know?
-Well, I want to, first of all, welcome Teo
for being on the show.
It is very nice to meet you virtually like this.
And I have to say,
"The Walking Dead" has a long-standing tradition
of people on the show who tend to play kind of jerks,
no offense, uh, being the nicest human beings in person.
We've heard nothing but just the most glowing,
uh, uh, uh, personal reviews
of what a wonderful human being you are, Teo,
and so I'm sure it must be kind of strange
to play this -- this guy, Sebastian,
who's, you know, maybe not the nicest person in the world.
How would you describe that experience
and then also subsequently
Sebastian's role in the Commonwealth?
-Um, well, first and foremost,
thank you so much for having me on here.
Um, it's a blast.
I mean, rarely do you get to show up to work
and get paid to just be a grade-"A," you know,
[bleep] to everybody, so that's great.
[Laughter] [Speaks indistinctly]
Um, I get to, like, smack him on the armor
and, like, "Where were you?"
That's -- That's fun, you know?
I'm not normally going to do that
to, you know, Michael James Shaw,
but it's -- it's good when, you know, cameras are rolling
and they just allow you to do that.
Um, when it comes to Sebastian, I mean,
I was saying this to somebody earlier,
but I think he would perceive himself as second in command.
You know, it's my mom and then it's me,
and this is, uh, a dynastic family.
We've been doing this before the apocalypse,
now into the apocalypse,
and this is all being set up for a day
where I will lead this, you know, small nation-state,
the most powerful thing that exists
in the apocalyptic world now.
-Yvette, uh, what was your first impression of Sebastian?
-There's a phrase I've learned recently,
like in maybe the last five years, "failson."
-Uh-huh. -The son of, like...
-Ooh. -...like, a dynasty
that just kind of keeps tumbling into "success" in some way.
You know, I-I told --
uh, listen, I-I remember when Father Gabriel joined the show
and I just knew Seth Gilliam was so lovely
and I just hated Father Gabriel.
And so I always say, you know,
you hate the character, you love the actor.
So I love Teo, but, my God, Sebastian.
And the other thing I want to say,
why is he always so mad when somebody saves his life?
He is inept at killing walkers,
and every time his life gets saved,
he freaks out.
But I think it's because of his mother,
'cause you notice in this episode,
when he fails, when he failson fails,
he sees his mother, and that's what brings his rage on,
so I feel like there's some dynamic between him and Pamela
that we haven't seen yet that I think will explain
why he's such a horrible human being.
-[Chuckles] Well, let's just -- -I love you, Teo.
-I-I-I think you guys forgot to use the word "beer island" there
or, you know, "suave," but, uh, it's fine.
[Laughter] [Speaks indistinctly]
-It's all -- he's all -- it's all ego.
It's, like, the purest form of -- of ego,
like, that we don't really -- -Yeah.
-We haven't seen this kind of an ego in the apocalypse, really.
-I mean, it's -- it's -- it's hard in a postapocalyptic era
to keep an ego going, and yet, somehow he's managed to do it.
Um, but, yeah, I mean, going off the dynastic thing,
that-- that's a lot of weight on your shoulder.
and I think he's born with a silver spoon,
which is really hard to do in an apocalypse,
but this is about the only place you could do it.
And with that, I mean, comes the -- the -- the responsibility
that he is going to someday be in charge of this place,
and it does kind of feel like, um, you know, uh,
one of those kind of cult of personalities.
He's trying to build,
like, who he is supposed to be to everyone else.
So, to your point, you know, if he's -- if he is shown
to look weak, that's not going to fly.
I mean, I'm -- I'm doing my advanced
military training over there.
I'm -- I'm supposed to be, you know,
learning how to kill walkers by the hundreds.
-Yvette, uh, do you trust Pamela Milton,
and before you answer that, uh,
just want to give a nice shout-out to Laila Robins,
who plays Pamela Milton on the show.
Hopefully, we'll get her on "Talking Dead"
at some point soon.
Uh, do you trust Pamela Milton?
-I do not. Um, there's a moment --
first of all, she's very dismissive of people,
and I feel like anybody that is that high up in politics
that's -- that chooses who they're kind to
or who they pay attention to, they're someone to -- to watch.
And then also, she says to Lance at a certain point,
"I have some questions about Alexandra."
Now, she is living in the Commonwealth,
ruling in the Commonwealth.
Why is she concerned with what's happening
in another -- another, um, settlement?
It has nothing to do with her.
And when Lance went and met with everyone, he said,
"You can stay here, live your life,
or you can come to this great place we have."
Why is she keeping tabs on what's going on outside?
So, um, I --
no, there's something about her I don't trust.
-Well, we have about a minute left in this segment,
but, Michael, how would you describe this dynamic
between Merc-- Mercer and Sebastian?
It's this constant kind of eye roll,
but how would you describe it?
-It's a torrid love affair.
[Laughter]
-[Speaks indistinctly]
-[Chuckles]
Uh, yeah, uh... [Chuckles]
He definitely works Mercer's nerves to the nth degree
and he constantly tries my patience,
but [chuckles] it's --
it's actually kind of hard being Mercer,
with Teo playing Sebastian, um, 'cause he's so silly,
and he brings out the silly side of me.
-Well, coming up, we have interviews with the cast,
we have that behind-the-scenes look at the Halloween festival,
and an exclusive sneak peek
of next week's episode of "The Walking Dead."
But first, before Sebastian gets embarrassed
in front of his mommy, let's slow things down
and say a final farewell
to all those we've lost tonight. -[Laughs]
♪
[Walker growling]
[Bones cracking]
♪
[Growling continues]
♪
[Walker growling]
♪
[Growling continues]
♪
-Tyler, who we met in the episode "Splinter,"
he's somebody who has been pushed
to the brink by this place.
He's not wrong about the fact that there's unrest
and that there are workers who feel left behind.
There are people who, in the middle of a community
that seems like it has so much, feel like they're forgotten,
feel like they're unimportant, feel like they're kicked aside,
feel like they don't get their fair share.
He's not wrong about that.
The Commonwealth really is stratified by class,
but does he make all the right moves himself?
I would say no. He makes some bad choices at times.
There's a desperation there and, like, a sense of not knowing
how to get somebody's attention,
and he's somebody that really is struggling.
So there's elements of him
that, I think, you can really feel for and empathize with,
and then there's elements of him that are more complex.
♪
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
That was executive producer Angela Kang
on the complicated character Tyler
and what he represents within the Commonwealth community.
We're back with Yvette Nicole Brown,
Michael James Shaw, and Teo Rapp-Olsson.
Michael, how does Mercer feel
when Tyler successfully hijacks the gala?
-He's pissed. [Chuckles]
You know, all the protocols that we've set up
and somehow one of our own has, uh, put our people in danger.
Yeah, I think it -- it -- it shakes him a little bit.
You know, he's already in an uncomfortable situation
being, um...uh, attending the gala at first, you know,
and then to have this happen right under his nose
is, um, a little, uh, unnerving.
-Teo, why do you think Sebastian follows Daryl and Tyler
into the haunted house?
-Um, I think it's for two reasons.
One, you know, earlier in this episode,
I've got reason to believe that maybe, uh, Daryl
is not cut out to be, uh, a Commonwealth soldier,
and I don't know if I trust this guy.
And, two, from an optics standpoint,
it already looked great that I'm going out hunting for this guy,
but I don't know if Sebastian actually wants to be the one
to catch, you know, a trained soldier.
Um, and if Daryl does catch him, the better situation
to, "A," test out whether or not I can trust this guy.
And also, if he is going to know his role,
which is, you got to -- you got to kowtow to the Miltons.
-Also, just a sidebar on the haunted house,
Yvette, did you think it was weird a little bit
that in their haunted house,
they have zombies, like, in the haunted house
as part of the attraction? I'm like, I don't --
that is kind of the -- the world is a haunted house.
[Laughing] Does that need to be
the haunted house of the festival?
-Well, you know, remember, I think that
most of these people, uh, for the most part,
are not around, uh, walkers that much.
And so they don't really understand how dangerous it is.
Like, when you -- even when you see Sebastian around them,
he's protected. They're not really as dangerous
as they are out in the world. -Right.
-So I think that they would enjoy just getting to enjoy
the excitement of a walker without the real fear there.
That's what I think. -That's a good answer.
Um, why do you think, Yvette, that Daryl lets Sebastian
take credit for catching Tyler?
-Well, I think Daryl is very shrewd,
and I think he realized early on
that Mercer wants to protect Sebastian, right?
And he also knows where Sebastian falls
into the -- the hierarchy of the Commonwealth.
So I think he's thinking,
"If I can -- I can gain some favor -- favor with Mercer
if I make Sebastian look good," and Mercer says something to --
to Daryl like, uh, you know, "You got to get along."
You know, "Do -- be a team player," basically.
And so this is Daryl trying to show that he's a team player
because he knows that Mercer knows
that Sebastian didn't catch this dude.
-Yeah. -So he's already currying favor
with Sebastian -- I mean, with Mercer by letting Sebastian
be the one to walk him through like a conquering hero.
-And do you think there's just -- do you think
there's just another plan going on with Daryl?
Like, "I'm just going to get as close in
as I possibly can to the inner circle"?
-I think there's always a plan with Daryl,
and I think he and Rosita are both thinking
that, you know -- first of all,
we know that the Commonwealth does these assessments, right?
So they probably -- they've been assessed and --
and the Commonwealth decided that they belong there, right?
But I think also Daryl and Rosita
are always thinking about going out on -- on patrol
and going out to hunt for things.
And I think they're thinking, "If we're in that position,
we have a better chance of getting outside
these walls more often." -Right.
-Um, 'cause I think just being inside, you know,
selling cookies or something would be so boring for them.
They need the excitement. [Laughter]
-Just going -- yeah, they were in an apocalypse,
and now they can just, like, go to an arcade
and have some ice cream, uh... -Right.
-...after they've been, for years, out there.
-Right, they're not -- they're not built for that life.
-Yeah. Teo, is it intimidating at all playing opposite Norman
when you have to, you know, be kind of an asshat to him?
-Uh, yes.
The short answer is definitely yes.
Um, the first thing that we shot --
the first time I got to meet him
was, uh, just outside the -- like, the hall
when we're going to go in, and in the script, it's just, like,
I give him a knowing glance because of him
shooting the arrow through the zombie's head,
um, and we get through like two takes,
and then Jon Amiel, who's the director for this episode,
lovely English guy, comes up to me
and he was just like, "Alright, that was great,
but, like, I really want you to piss off Norman.
Really get in his face." -[Laughs]
-And so I keep, you know, upping the ante to the point
where I'm like adjusting his collar.
And I-I mean, I think he's a great actor,
but I was definitely scared in my head.
I think my internal monologue was just like,
"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me.
Please don't kill me," um, but, uh --
but we got past that. He's a great guy.
Uh, but needless to say, yes, I was terrified the first time.
-Well, the show has a history of that, 'cause I think, Yvette,
you can maybe confirm this,
but aren't there kind of legendary stories about J.D.M.,
like, really trying to get under Andy Lincoln's skin,
like, right before they would shoot
when there was a lot of, like... -Absolutely.
-...Rick and Negan stuff? -Absolutely.
Yeah. Same -- same --
same kind of thing. -Yeah.
Yeah, not that either -- either of these great actors
or you guys need that kind of motivation,
but I think I-I remember J.D. did say
that he wanted to do that -- or, he did that, yeah.
-Michael, let's talk a little bit about, um,
Mercer and Princess.
There's just such a great moment to them --
between them, when he asked her to come in, uh,
and be his date to the gala.
Can you talk about that for a second?
-Mm-hmm. -You know, um...
it's a...
it's the first step, you know?
I think he recognizes her bravery in that moment,
um, and she also looks really beautiful that night...
-Aww. -...and he takes a step
outside of his comfort zone to invite her into his world.
And, you know, i-it's early on.
It's just the first kind of moment
you see them kind of... -Mm.
-...uh... [Chuckles]
be-begin to see each other,
you know, for who they actually are, you know?
-Mm-hmm. -[Laughs]
Well, before we go to break I want --
-Mm-hmm. -I want to -- [Laughs]
Yvette is way on board, all this, by the way.
I can tell. Yvette -- Yvette -- -Let me in it.
Just put me in, coach. I got a lot to say.
-[Chuckles] Well, we only have --
we just have like 15 seconds before the end of this act,
but maybe when we come back or later on
or in the after-after show for the Internet,
we can talk all about it. -Okay.
-Uh, before we go to break, I want to remind you
that if you want early access to episodes of "The Walking Dead"
and to see other shows you'll enjoy,
you can sign up for AMC+ at amcplus.com.
Coming up, we have interviews with the cast,
a behind-the-scenes look at the Halloween festival,
and later the exclusive sneak peek
of next week's episode of "The Walking Dead."
We'll be right back on "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
♪
-The best memory that -- that I'm going to have from this show
is that my daughter plays, uh, a little girl, Celeste,
who, uh -- who's dressed up as baby Mercer,
and to see her play on set was --
see, I'm going to get all emotional right now
because she always talks to me about, "You know, maybe I --
maybe I'll be an actor like you, Daddy."
And a lot of people don't understand
the -- the, uh -- the job description,
that you're not just there to have fun,
but you're there to do a job,
and she just immersed herself in the storytelling.
I was just so, so amazed.
I don't want my kids to be actors.
Unless you absolutely love it, it's just too hard.
People tell you "no" all the time.
"You're not good enough. You're done."
And it just -- it can really tear at your soul, you know?
But I don't know.
Maybe -- maybe she -- she might be, uh, built for it.
I'm still hoping she goes to engineering.
[Chuckles] Be -- Be an engineer.
♪
-Welcome back to "Talking Head: Home Edition"
That was the wonderful Khary Payton
on his daughter Maya officially becoming
part of "The Walking Dead" family.
We're back with Yvette, Michael, and Teo.
Uh, let's have a hand for Maya. Come on.
-Yeah. -Whoo!
-That was so -- and, oh, my go--
and Khary's video about that was just incredible.
Michael, what was it like seeing Maya
in that episode dressed up as Mercer?
-Oh, it was beautiful.
I wish I would've been able to get a picture, um,
sherbet to sherbet, you know? -[Laughs]
-I'm kind of jealous of her helmet.
It's cooler than mine. -[Laughs]
Well, how -- how will, um, the anti-Commonwealth posters
affect this story going forward, Mike?
-You know, it's kind of like "Inception."
You know, once an idea is planted,
it kind of takes on a life of its own.
-Yeah. -Mm.
Teo, how would Sebastian react
to those posters that Rosita finds?
-I mean, scorched earth,
You're going against the -- the greater people here.
I mean, this isn't about the Miltons.
This is about what we stand for and this safe society that --
we're living in a world where you could
either be outside the gates in the apocalypse
or you could be inside the gates,
and you can bob for apples.
And, I mean, I want to bob for apples.
-Yvette, do you think there is a potential revolution
on their hands?
-Oh, absolutely.
Um, I remember there was something
when Daryl and, um, Rosita came out of the building.
There was something painted over on the wall.
They were like three -- two white lines and then "equality."
And I remember -- I want to look at my notes for a minute.
I remember that, uh, Tyler said,
"Resist the Commonwealth," "Visibility for workers,"
and, "Equality for all."
And the only word that remains is "equality."
So I don't know if that was graffiti
that the resisters put up that they whited out
or if there was -- if the resisters whited out some crap
that they didn't think was really true in the Commonwealth,
but I clocked that, and there's very little
in "The Walking Dead" universe that's wasted.
So I think that something is coming
and I think it's bigger than we know.
And then also remember when Tyler had Max, she was saying,
"I'm like you. I'm like you." That's what she was whispering.
And I don't know if she was whispering that to say,
"I'm one of the have-nots, too,"
or she was whispering "Hey, I got my resist T-shirt at home.
Don't kill me. I'm fighting the same fight."
So I don't know which it is,
but I'm excited to see how this is going to play out.
But something's brewing.
-Well, switching topics a little bit.
I'd love to get your reaction about seeing Carol
snooping at the hospital.
And I love when she gets caught, she's like, "I'm snooping."
Like, There's just no -- it was just like,
"I'm not even going to hide this.
I'm snooping, we both know I'm snooping,
and that's just how it is."
-Well, first, the idea that Carol is, uh, a baker
in the Commonwealth instead of one of the troopers
says that when she did the assessment,
she -- she assessed them and realized,
"I'll be better useful if they think
I'm just a nice little lady that makes cookies."
I love when we get to see the other side of Carol,
which is this fierce warrior who's very shrewd,
is always thinking, um, and I was really worried
for the doctor when he came in, Yumiko's brother.
I was like, "He about to die,"
because had he not responded like,
"Oh, hey, Carol, what's going on?"
If he would've bucked up at all, she would've killed him.
So I was like, "They're going to be down
a doctor in the Commonwealth," so I'm happy that she said,
"I'm snooping."
He didn't feel, you know, like it was a problem,
and they were able to come to an understanding
about why she was there.
-Teo, how would Sebastian feel about Carol
working with Hornsby?
-I mean, as long as Hornsby knows
his place, we got nothing to worry about.
I think he would be like, "Oh, good," you know,
"the plebeians are finally helping out here.
This is great," um, versus, you know,
just somebody who's coming in and causing a ruckus
or, uh, you know,
trying to bring up resistance conversations
when, you know, what we should be doing
is -- is coming together for the greater good.
-Teo, do you have a favorite behind-the-scenes memory
of working with Michael on the show?
-Oh, yeah. Um...
[Laughs] He, um --
-Butt flap!
-Butt flap? [Laughs] -This is the fatal butt flap.
Um, uh, so the first --
the first time I'm shooting is, uh, 1107,
and, literally, the first thing I shoot is just us walking by
this group of, you know, our heroes.
We have, like, Eugene, Princess, Ezekiel.
And we're doing this over and over again,
and Michael's in front of me,
and he's in his famous sherbet armor, um,
and we've barely gotten to know each other.
So I don't know why I felt comfortable saying this to him,
but after like take two or three, I was just like, um,
like, "Damn, dude, you know, I-I love,
I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave."
And he was just kind of -- -[Laughs]
Let the -- let the butt flap bounce.
Um, you know, I got to say, if you're ever in proximity
to his posterior, it's --
it's a hell of a show.
It's worth, you know...
[Laughter]
-Yvette, what did you -- I have to know
-I feel a little bit better -- -Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
-I was going to say I feel a little better
about how much I objectified him
when we first got in these boxes before anybody came.
I was talking about his guns and stuff.
But my God, Teo.
-Okay, go on. What, Chris? I'm sorry. I'm flustered.
Go on, Chris.
-So, now, Yvette, I think this is a great --
-I'm blushing right now. You can't see it, but...
[Laughter]
-Yvette, I think now is a great time to ask you,
what did you write in your notebook
about Mercer and Princess?
-Okay, the first thing I wrote was, "Whoo-hoo!!!!!"
with like five exclamation points.
First of all, Paola -- Paola, when she was
was coming for him in all the -- the previous seaso--
the previous season, I was like, "Girl, go on, get your man."
But the idea that he stopped and saw her and came over
and -- and was into her, as well, I was just like, "Yes!"
And then when he -- something about
when he moved the -- the -- the the velvet rope
to let her in and then said,
you know, "She's with me," I'm like, "Yes."
It reminds me of -- go with me, guys --
uh, "Lady Sings the Blues" when Billy Dee says to Diana Ross,
"You want my arm to fall off?"
Like, it literally was that level of heat for me.
And then Princess gets in the party,
she's on the arm of this Adonis,
and then she leaves him to go hang with her friend.
I'm like, "What are you doing?
You with the dude." But my goodness.
I love them together, and I love hearing
Michael say that it's mutual,
and that this is just the beginning.
So it's not him just needing her
to get in to make the party better for him.
He -- He might be feeling her, which I think is lovely,
and I need a new ship, so I'm excited.
-Well, before we go to break,
you can keep the conversation going
by following FearHQ on Twitch.
They're discussing all things horror and "The Walking Dead,"
so please check it out.
Coming up behind-the-scenes look at the Halloween Festival,
and we have that exclusive sneak peek of next week's episode of
"The Walking Dead." We'll be right back.
♪
-What I like about celebrating Halloween in the apocalypse
is that it goes back to -- I don't know.
It felt like very, like -- like, 1950s,
like, things that weren't so scary.
It was just, "Let's dress up,
and let's be cute, Halloween things."
Our costume designer, Vera, did an incredible job.
This was a massive, massive episode for her department,
between the Halloween Festival and then the masquerade ball
that also occurs in the same episode.
It was just a huge amount of work in a way
that is very, very, very different
from anything we've ever done on this show.
-Halloween has sort of, like, returned
to a much more homemade sort of vibe.
And so Vera really came up with some ideas for costumes
that were based on things that they would have,
like, you know, textiles that they have,
like, crafts that people could've made at home,
and so I think like there was a lot of creativity
from the costumes department
in terms of making these different outfits,
especially that the kids were wearing.
You know, we are still in the apocalypse.
These characters can't just, you know, run down to a store
and buy a Halloween costume,
so everything still needed to feel like
it could've been made by hand.
The excitement with this whole concept
is to balance, how vintage are we going,
how modern are we going,
and also this "create an apocalyptic world."
Those three elements we tried to
make believable simultaneously.
-This was probably one of, if not the hardest episodes
for the costume department that we have ever done.
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
That was a behind-the-scenes look
at tonight's episode and the incredible work
that went into the Halloween costuming.
We're back with Yvette, Michael, and Teo.
Um, Teo, the Commonwealth feels grand.
What is it like in person?
Does it have that -- that sense when you're there shooting?
-Oh, yeah. I mean, the second I got on that set, I...
It's weird to say, but it kind of felt like -- like Disneyland,
but, you know, an apocalyptic world.
It was just this massive, massive piece.
And, I mean, it's down to, like, the littlest details.
Like, in the town square, there's this obelisk,
and it's a monument to -- I believe it's World War I.
But, I mean, you can read the writing on it.
I mean, they spared no expense on details.
I had times where, you know, I'm just, like,
between takes, just walking around,
just, like, trying to soak up as much of it as possible.
Um, and, I mean, yeah, it just --
it -- it feels like such an incredible space,
and, especially for all these characters,
a space that they're out of their element.
I mean, you know, most of these people have been
in the sticks for a decade.
Um, so what was cool is it didn't feel like
home turf for them.
And, you know, for myself, Michael, it's like,
this is -- this all kind of is the new world for us,
we haven't been on the show before, um,
and it's -- I feel like it's rare that you get to be
with the series regulars and they, too, are like,
"We don't -- we don't know what's going on here.
This is not our space."
So, really, it's an amazing, amazing space.
-You know, Yvette, I don't mean to, uh, get into old,
sensitive topics here, but how did it make you feel
when Carol was okay with Daryl and Connie flirting?
[Laughs] -No.
-Okay, let me -- I'm -- I'm going to be an adult.
I'm going to be an adult about this.
-Alright. -First of all, everybody knows
that I am a Carol-and-Daryl shipper.
I'm the captain of that ship. I will go down with that ship.
But I have always said canon is canon,
so the dream my heart makes,
if it doesn't become a part of the show,
it's not a part of the show.
So it has not yet become a part of the show.
But I will say this, Miss Angela Kang.
I don't know why we circling back to Ezekiel.
Now, I did my time with that, and we it's 10 years later now.
I got to watch Carol with Ezekiel again.
when she ain't never had a time with Daryl.
I'm very upset about that.
Now, I'm going to say that and set that aside.
Now, Connie -- Lauren Ridloff is, um, wonderful,
and I want every good thing for her,
and Daryl is a good thing. So if they decide that they
going to put those two crazy kids together,
what can I do? I'm just a fan of the show.
But I would love at some point for me to have my moment,
and it might have to happen on the Carol-and-Daryl show,
so I'm okay with it.
I live with canon. That's what I feel about it.
-Did you -- did you notice that there maybe was
a little trouble, uh, in paradise for Rosita and Gabriel?
-Absolutely. It's item number 14 in my book.
I wrote down, "Are they --
Are Rosita and Gabe no longer together?"
It is literally in my book.
Because they're -- they're -- they have the kid
and they're passing the kid around
and it's only been like -- at that moment,
it's only been three months since we last
saw them lovingly reunite.
So I think it's either because Gabriel was out
with Aaron that long and maybe there was some --
you know, the distance, or Gabriel has changed.
Like, he's not the same. He's like a killing machine now.
And the love might be different
because he's kind of a different man now.
But I did notice that they're not staying in the same place.
Now, wait a minute. Let me say this, too.
It's possible they're not together
because she's training. -Right.
-That's the other thing. Maybe she had to separate from him
because she's in basic training,
but, you know, it's one or the other.
-Michael, did you give any tips to Norman
on wearing the trooper suits?
-Yeah, I warned him going 10-1 is quite the challenge.
-What's under there, Michael?
Is it -- is it like a -- is it --
is it, like, some leggings under there?
-They're -- They're actually, um, like, riding pants, um...
-Oh. -...and, like, a rash guard.
Yeah. Super comfy. -Oh.
-[Chuckles] -Okay.
-Sorry, Chris. I just had to know.
-We have a question for, uh --
this is for Teo from @Negan-15 on Instagram.
"Which weapon was your favorite to use against walkers?"
You know, you had this, uh --
I-I-I was really bummed
that you, like, totally pooh-poohed the mace
'cause that's a -- that thing is a really cool,
and you're like, "Bah."
I'm like, "Ah, that's a classic."
But not -- not -- not your favorite.
And then, when you put those hands on the crossbow,
I was like, "Oh, no. Oh, no."
But then you didn't like that either.
So did you have a favorite?
-Ooh, I mean, I got to be real.
That -- the -- going with a war hammer to,
like, a rotting zombie just already
sounded like the coolest thing on Earth to me.
Um, so I was a huge, huge fan of that.
But it was -- it was a close call with that crossbow.
I thought that was awesome.
But, you know, I think there -- there's there's a higher chance
that Sebastian's not, um -- not up
to the stuff of -- of aiming a crossbow,
as he is with just taking a heavy hammer
to the head of a zombie. -[Chuckles]
Michael, why does Mercer have Daryl help Sebastian
with his advanced military training?
-Well, he brings him along because he wants him
to see the other side of the Commonwealth.
There's a bit of, uh, you have to swallow your pride
to survive here,
and I think that's his first kind of exposure
to what's -- what's really at play, um, and that's something
that, I think Rosita, kind of gets right off the bat,
and it's something that, um,
Daryl's a little reluctant to jump on board for,
so I just want to show him
what's really going on, you know?
-Excellent. Well, coming up, a fan is going to join us
and ask a question to our guests.
Uh, we're going to tell you how to do that, as well.
And we have that exclusive sneak peek of next week's episode.
We'll be right back on "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
♪
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
Uh, I want to remind everyone
that if you want to ask a question
live during "Talking Dead,"
please send a video to fansubmission@talkingdead.tv
and share how "The Walking Dead" has impacted you or your life
for a chance to join us, and now it is my pleasure
to introduce this week's featured fan.
Please welcome -- Megan from Hillsboro, Oregon, is here.
-Whoo! -Megan, thank you so much
for being here.
Who is your question for?
Hi, thank you so -- [Chuckles]
Um, my question is for Yvette, and, um...
-Ooh. -...if you had to ship
one character with Sebastian
from "The Walking Dead" universe,
past or present... -[Laughs]
who would you match him up with?
-Oh, Megan, there's so many wonderful...
-Oh, my gosh. -...people to think of.
-Uh, I think it would be Lucille
and not Hilarie Burton Morgan.
-[Laughs]
-The bat!
It would be Lucille.
Or maybe a nice field of flowers with Carol nearby.
You know, those types of things. Those types of things.
That's a great question, Megan. -That's a fan--
-I love you, Teo. -That is a fantastic question.
Megan, thank you so much for being here for your question.
And before you go, I want to show you this.
This is really great.
This is a -- this is some fine-art watercolor of Mercer.
Can you see this okay? There we go.
-It's beautiful. [Chuckles]
-Uh, you're going to get this frame.
-It's beautiful. -This feels very QVC right now.
You're going to get this frame.
You can see the quality craftsmanship of the frame.
This artwork, it's very unique.
Uh, you can get this print today at TWDUShop.com.
But, Megan, you are just getting this for being here
and for being awesome and for asking a great question.
Thank you so much for being with us from Hillsboro, Oregon.
Uh, Teo, would Sebastian be able to use a leg bone
to kill a walker like Rosita did?
It was very resourceful. -God, no. No.
No, this guy barely can get it done with a knife.
Think he's going to be able to break a shin
and stab that right through somebody's eye?
No chance.
-This is from Mary R. on Facebook.
Michael, what would a spin-off
focused on Mercer and Sebastian be like?
[Laughter]
-Imagine "The Odd Couple" are roaming
postapocalyptic America.
-Solving mysteries.
[Laughter]
-Sebastian's like, "I'm tired. Carry me."
"No. Come on." Sebastian's got, like --
he's made, like, an adult Bjorn to carry him around.
[Laughter]
-Mercer has to, like, move one chest plate
so I can, like, lie my head on it.
-Exactly. -Oh, no.
-I-I'd probably feed you to the walkers before the end
of the first season. -Be right back.
I got something I got to pitch to Angela real quick.
-This is from @batmac828 on Instagram.
Yvette, if you'd been killing walkers for years,
would you be able to shift into just, like, a normal job
at the Commonwealth? And if so, what would you do?
What would your job be in the Commonwealth?
-Absolutely. Like, I've always joked
when fans have said -- you know, other fans have been like,
"Why don't you do -- what would you want to do on the show?"
I'm like, "I want to do something
before the apocalypse," like, be, like,
Michonne's cubicle-mate in the office
where there's air conditioning.
So if I was in the Commonwealth,
I would be the person giving the announcement.
"Hello, Commonwealth. It's your girl, Madge,
and I'm here with the -- the cookie recipe of the day."
I'd be -- I'd be the person doing the announcements.
Absolutely. Abs-- or on the red carpet
when they're going to the gala, I would be the one introducing
Mercer and everyone as they're going into the gala.
I would be something in, like, the telecommunications part.
-I would 100% be working at an arcade
or if there was a bowling alley
or, like -- -Yep.
-Or a game store, you know, like board games
or whatever or a puzzle shop.
Oh, puzzle shop. -Oh.
-Oh, come on. -Puzzle shop. Or Legos.
-Yes, absolutely.
-And bowling alley would be great for you
because of your papa. -'Cause of my dad, yeah.
I grew up in a bowling center.
Like, I would totally --
that would be my job in the apocalypse.
I would be working at a bowling center.
Well, coming up, we have an exclusive sneak peek
of next week's episode.
We will be right back on "Talking Dead: Home Edition."
♪
-Welcome back to "Talking Dead."
Now it's time for the exclusive sneak peek
of next week's episode of "The Walking Dead."
Check it out.
[Rattling]
[Thunder rumbles]
[Rain falling]
-Hey, Eugene?
What's this guy do when it rains on his 10-mile run?
-Well, given our recent lack of precipitation,
I've not yet gathered that data.
-Well, you have now. He's here.
We have to get out of here.
-Count off his range.
-What?
-His range -- 50, 40, 30.
-I'm not good at that.
-Just tell me how much time I have.
-Dude, I am telling you how much time you have,
and you have no time.
-Aw, come on. What? -Ooh.
-"What's in the box?"
What's in the -- -Boo! "What's in the box?"
[Laughter] -What if it's just like --
what if it's just something weird, like, "A clown suit?"
Like, what if it's just something weird, you know?
It's like, "Why is this -- What is this in here?"
What -- what do you think, Yvette?
We only -- like, maybe just a few seconds?
What do you think?
-You know, I don't know.
The key to the city, to the Commonwealth.
-[Laughs] -It's a big box for a key.
-It's a big box. Huge, huge key.
-Yeah, it's just like, "Oh, my God, it's a --
it's a -- a Game Boy," like, just, like,
some sort of random, you know, fun thing.
-"Fully charged."
-[Chuckles] -[Chuckles] Fully charged.
-[Laughing] "Fully charged."
That would be a luxury.
Um, Teo, what can we expect from Sebastian going forward?
-Uh, a lot of fun times... -Absolutely.
-...you know, support for the loved ones.
I think that's...
Um, I think he's going to pose a lot of problems
for -- for our crew and especially for these people
who have been living out -- you know, out in the sticks
and the -- and fighting for their lives.
They have to kind of learn a new style.
It feels a lot more Machiavellian.
They have to -- they have to fight with, you know, wit
and -- and figure out exactly how to, you know,
get in my good -- my good graces.
We'll see how that goes for them.
-Michael, can we expect to see more of Princess and Mercer
in the future?
-I can't tell you that.
You know, this is the first move, you know?
We like to take things slow in the apocalypse.
You know, you don't want to rush things.
You know, it was a good date. [Laughs]
@SilverShanaFox on Twitter wanted to know
if you had an official vote
for Mercer and Princess's ship name, Michael.
-Ship name? What you mean?
-Like, the relationship name, the mashing up
of your two names? -Oh, Michael.
-Oh, um...
Princer is pretty cool. -Princer?
-Mercess. -Oh, Princer's pretty cool.
That is. That is. Princer. That's cute.
-Merpress? [Chuckles] I like Princer.
-Miche-- Miche-- M-- Prishell.
-Uh, Yvette, any predictions?
-Um, listen, I think that there's going to be
a full-on revolution.
I think that this is really about to be very bad,
and I think the Commonwealth is going to fall.
And I think that Maggie's going to have something to do with it,
because Maggie is kind of becoming a killing machine,
not unlike Negan the way she takes people out.
Just, "I don't like you, and I'm mad at you.
Boom, boom, boom. You out."
So I think that there's going to be some sort of uprising,
and I think Maggie's going to be on the other side of it.
-Well, I want to thank you all so much for being here.
Um, thank you for watching
"Talking Dead: Home Edition," you at home.
My guests have been Yvette Nicole Brown,
Michael James Shaw, Teo Rapp-Olsson
who have been wonderful. Thank you.
It's so wonderful to see all of you.
This has been a blast. And please make sure
to check out Yvette on Season 2 of "Big Shot"
coming soon to Disney+.
Make sure to tune in next week.
We're going to to be joined by Eugene himself,
AKA Josh McDermitt,
plus the director of next week's episode,
Abraham himself, Michael Cudlitz will be here.
Please stay safe, and take care of each other out there.
I am Chris Hardwick. Thank you so much for watching.
Uh, we'll see you next week. Bye-bye.
♪