Latest news with #season2finale
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Walking Dead: Dead City 'finale ending with Negan and Maggie explained
This article contains spoilers about season 2 finale, "If History Were a Conflagration." What's old is new again. That's because The Walking Dead: Dead City brought back the most infamous moment in franchise history when Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) assembled a two-man lineup to play another deadly round of eeny-meeny-miny-moe in the season 2 finale. This time, it was Kim Coates' Bruegel and Gaius Charles' Armstrong down on their knees as Negan decided whom to kill. Even though his bat landed on the latter with moe, the former Sanctuary leader decided he wanted to kill Bruegel first. And Negan made it even more brutal by stuffing Bruegel full of methane and watching him burn from the inside before finishing the job with Lucille. Worried that Armstrong would eventually endanger Ginny (Mahina Napoleon), Negan tried to then finish off the New Babylon marshal-turned-colonel, but was stabbed in the back (literally) by Lauren Cohan's Maggie — who had promised her son Hershel (Logan Kim) she would finally end the man who murdered her husband. But once the group noticed that Ginny had already died and turned to a zombie, Maggie could not finish the job, and instead handed her knife to Negan to finish off the young girl. With a second wave of New Babylon forces marching through Manhattan, Maggie, Negan, and Armstrong holed up in apartment and ended the season with a joint proclamation. 'The truth is there is only one way forward, one way to move on. We got to work through what was, to get to what will be,' Maggie and Negan said, alternating lines as flashes of their journey over the past two seasons appeared on screen. 'We help each other up and the path becomes much clearer now. We move on, together. And we get there.' Ah, but where is there? Entertainment Weekly spoke with Walking Dead chief content officer and Dead City executive producer Scott M. Gimple about what went down in the finale, and what that big ending speech means moving forward. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Tell me about going back to the eeny-meeny-miny-moe scene and giving Negan another lineup with Bruegel and Armstrong. SCOTT M. GIMPLE: The biggest thing in The Walking Dead is change. If you look at Rick Grimes when he started, and you look when he ended, you're haunted by who you were, those ghosts. And Negan is especially haunted by that. I mean, he was told to become that again. He is like, 'I don't want to become that again.' And yet, here we are. He resisted it, but here we are. What about putting the twist on it where he lands on Armstrong but then kills Bruegel instead? Well, I guess maybe that does represent change. The relationships between those two characters in Armstrong and Negan, even with everything, they're pretty good. I mean, Armstrong did him a major solid. Bruegel is charming and funny, but there were no solids given. Whose idea was it to do another Negan lineup? Was that showrunner Eli Jorné and the writers? There are things I go to all of the shows with, whether they're little ideas or whether they're universe things, but this was the twisted mind of Eli, and I think it was brilliant. We've seen a whole lot of methane on this show, but not used that way. And I remember Kim Coates being like, 'How is this going to work?' And I remember Greg Nicotero being like, 'Oh, I know exactly how this is going to work!' I thought it was one of the more incredible gags we've seen in a while. And I hate to see Bruegel go. I think with The Walking Dead at its best, you're always hating to see the character go because you're like: I want that. I want to keep seeing that. I got to know Kim throughout this whole thing, and he's a remarkable dude. And one of the funniest, most sneakily charismatic dudes I've met. He's so good. If the Emmys actually honored shows like this, just hand him the Emmy now. He's so good in this role. Oh, I would bang that drum. Listen, if it's not at the Saturn Awards, I am going to flip out. It's a fantastic world. It's a crazy situation. Yet his portrayal of the character surmounts all of that. You know what I mean? We're in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and there's insane walker fights, and even the twists that we have on the walker fight, there's crazy stuff going on, but it's just like, 'Oh no, that's a real person. That's a real, magnetic person.' And that's the thing that grounds these fantastic worlds into reality for the audience. The reason for me why replaying the lineup act works here is the fact that Maggie has to watch it again. That's sort of the real impact of her having to go through that again. Talk a little bit about her role in that scene. There's a lot going on there with Maggie. She's bringing some major baggage into that. And I'm not just saying of the past, I'm saying of the last hour, and it's a tribute to Lauren to play all those different levels. Reacting to things is some of the hardest acting there is. You could say a line, you have this thing to do, but to play an expression, to play a feeling, not an easy thing. I don't worry about it with Lauren. Here's the question for me: If Negan was not about to bash Armstrong's head in, do you think Maggie goes and stabs Negan in the back? If she doesn't have to go at that second to save Armstrong, does she go through with it and stab him? That is a fantastic question. I mean, I can answer it. I've told you this many times: I totally can answer that question, but I'm not right in as much as that the audience is right. And, of course, same thing with anybody who works on it. Once it goes to the audience, it's theirs. So I can tell you what I believe. I think she would've anyways. From where she's at, and considering what shook her from finishing the job with Ginny — yeah, it's my opinion that she would've, because she hadn't yet changed. What can you say about closing the season on this speech that Armstrong starts and then Maggie and Negan kind of lob back and forth on? I always advocate on these shows, especially these short order shows, for real conclusion, and the network and the showrunners can take it where they want. I advocate for it. If I ruled with some kind of iron fist, I would have conclusion, but I was in the role and I want people to express themselves as they must. That said, this bit felt like a very important emotional conclusion, that real change had finally been achieved between these two characters. That Maggie had gone to the very brink of extinguishing Negan. She didn't. Negan had gone through a journey where he was forced to become something he really didn't want to be. And I think there's been a big, big change between the two of them and then within themselves, which I like quite a bit. Does that mean moving forward that they're not going to be ping-ponging as much in terms of like, 'Alright, we're working together, but now we're not'? Are you saying that they're sort of forming more of a — I don't want to call them a cohesive unit, which would be sort of a weird term for these two…. I would use the word détente. Okay, that works. I think they'll forever be in a better place. Whether or not it's like, 'Okay, I'm not going to kill you' — I mean, that's a big achievement. Whether or not it extends far beyond that, we're all just going to have to wait and see. I don't think they're going to be fist-bumping anytime soon, but I think I see at the end, they have to have this reconciliation. It is such a funny thing because it's been so many years since that happened, and when I say so many years, I'm saying in our world watching the show — anybody who that happened to would be completely justified for the rest of their lives to completely and utterly hate the person who did that to them. There's no doubt about it. But in this story, you can see how corrosive that hate or that anger can be to the person who is hating. And I think it's been a long road for the audience and a long road for the character. And it seems that this is the beginning of another way. You are indicating that there is more story to tell, so does the immediate story after this include a fight against New Babylon? Is that what the next chapter in this story appears to be? They're marching on the island. We see the second wave coming in. Is that what our protagonists are going to be up against? I don't like saying one way or another, but I will say we've surprised you in the past as far as, it seems like they're going to be a Terminus forever, or it seems like this or it seems like that. You never know. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Doctor Who's Archie Panjabi teases high-stakes final showdown and reveals all about the Rani - "I have always wanted to play a baddie"
Doctor Who season 2 finale The Reality Wat sees battle rage across the skies as the Unholy Trinity unleash their deadly ambition. The Doctor, Belinda and Ruby have to risk everything in the quest to save one innocent life. Ahead of their final showdown, we caught up with the Rani herself, Archie Panjabi, to find out what to expect... Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and add to your Watchlist NH/EP/JA2 Archie Panjabi (The Rani) Welcome to the Whoniverse! How did this all come about? I received a text from Phil Collinson (Executive Producer) who asked me if I would like to be on Doctor Who. I nearly dropped my phone. Phil was there when I did my very first television job, so it already felt special. When he told me him and Russell wanted me to play the Rani… what else could I say other than 'when?'. I was so excited. Was it hard to keep the secret from your friends and family? It was pure agony. The Rani is such an iconic character, and fans had been speculating and hoping for her return for a long time. Since Christmas 2023, I've been watching the show and seeing the excitement grow around Mrs Flood. I knew the truth behind the theories, and it was pure agony to keep quiet- but it was worth it. Were you a fan of Doctor Who before? I grew up with Doctor Who. I didn't get to watch every episode, but it was definitely my wild escape... with the time travel, the monsters and this quirky character of the Doctor. I thought the sonic screwdriver was the best thing on the planet. Now, as the Rani, I finally get one. I did try to sneak it off set [laughs], but they were guarding it like the Crown Jewels. There were two: a dummy and a chic steel one. I thought if I brought it home, I'd be the coolest parent in town, in the universe. What do you think makes Doctor Who so special? It's something that everyone has grown up with, particularly in the UK. There's something so magical about this Time Lord who jumps into this blue box that can take you anywhere. It makes the weird feel wonderful and the impossible feel just within reach. It's genius. I think people love it for being so whimsical and adventurous. Mrs Flood and the Rani have such a great dynamic on screen, what can you tell us about this? And how was it working with Anita Dobson? Anita has a wicked sense of humour and we got on like a house on fire. That relationship was effortless, and I hope the audience get to feel that chemistry on screen. When I met her, she gave me a big hug. I knew this was somebody I would not only connect with for the purposes of Doctor Who, but I would be in touch with for the rest of my life. In terms of their relationship on screen, they're a riot. They're united in purpose on their mission, but their dynamic isn't exactly subtle. The Rani is the leader, and Mrs Flood's Rani hovers behind. But the real fun kicks in when we see these two characters alone and they turn into bickering sisters. It was a lot of fun to play. What was it like filming the bi-generation scene? Anita and I had to stand side-by-side and twist the upper halves of our body to an angle where we could look at each other. We needed to give the illusion we were joined at the hip. It was very awkward but hilarious. We spent the whole day filming this scene, and let's just say by the end of that scene, we got to know each other extremely well [laughs]. It was really hard to keep a straight face. The Rani is such an iconic character in the history of Doctor Who. What can you tell us about her and your approach to the character? The Rani is iconic. There's a reason fans yearned for her return. She's brilliant, she's unapologetic, and she's totally out of sync with any moral compass. I have always wanted to play a baddie. So the Rani for me is an absolute treat. She's a wild force. She'll burn anyone or anything to get what she wants, dancing with chaos like it's her birthright. I took that fire and made it my own, and I had a blast doing it. What was it like working with Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu? It doesn't matter how many jobs you've done, or how much you prepare walking into something new is always nerve-wracking. But Ncuti and Varada were rockstars, they made me feel like part of the gang from day one. It all comes down to the energy on set. Everyone on that set, the crew, the producers, the whole cast, just made it so easy to relax, have fun and step into the character. Playing that character is a blast, but being with such a warm and welcoming group made it something very special. What was your reaction to seeing the sets in Wish World and The Reality War? Stunning! I don't think I've ever had a set so vast and mesmerising. I was intimidated by it when I first saw it. It's just huge. It's the endoskeleton of this beast. Everything in it is carved from material that looks like bone, the tables, the chairs, even the computer monitors. It was breathtaking. You have such an incredible catalogue of work. How does Doctor Who compare to your other roles? I've always wanted to play a baddie. I don't think I could have played a character like the Rani had I not done the work I've done before. I think each of those roles brought something to give me the experience to play something like this. It was great fun. Did you watch the previous episodes with the Rani? Absolutely. I had seen it before, but I watched it again. She's unforgettable. I was keen to capture her essence, her strength, her presence, but also avoid mimicking her. We're both different Ranis, but I did want to give that nod to her. But at the same time, I wanted to embrace Russell's script and dialogue and make her my own. Wish World ends on a massive cliffhanger. What can you tease about the finale, The Reality War? In the finale, we see the Time Lord and the Time Lady go head-to-head in a high-stakes showdown. Who is going to win? Who will claim the victory? And you don't know what happens next. If you could travel in the TARDIS to any time and place in the universe, where would you go? I think I would jump into that beautiful blue box and head to Ancient Egypt when they were building the pyramids, which I think are stunningly breathtaking, and have a drink with a Pharaoh and work out how on earth they managed to move those massive stones. They're incredible structures. On a final note, how would you sum up the finale? The finale is like two chess players – who will make the final move and play checkmate.
