The Walking Dead franchise has very passionate fans, which becomes a double-edged sword for the team involved in the zombie universe. Showrunner of Fear the Walking Dead, which comes to an end this Monday (20) in Brazil, Ian Goldberg is aware that it is impossible to please everyone with what he has prepared for the series’ conclusion after eight seasons.
“We make the series for the fans, we really do. Their passion is what fuels us! We’ve seen what they feel about Walking Dead in the Comic Cons rooms, we’ve seen the love they have for the characters and for this world. It’s a very beautiful thing to experience”, praises the producer in an exclusive interview with TV News.
Goldberg also says that he and his writing partner for the series, Andrew Chambliss, already knew this affection even before taking charge of Fear, in the fourth season. “We were Walking Dead fans, we know how important this universe is to people.”
Of course we always want to do what’s best for the fans, but it’s such a passionate group that we already know that not everyone will agree with the decisions we make. It’s impossible to write something that everyone will like. So we tell the best story possible, the one we believe in, and hope the fans accept it.
Goldberg and Chambliss felt the affection and hatred of fans firsthand throughout the five years they spent at the helm of Fear the Walking Dead. “Some people get very nervous when a character dies. We hope that this reaction happens because they care about that character, because then the death means something. But we will never please everyone.”
One of the controversial decisions made by the duo occurred in the current season. Victor Strand (Colman Domingo), who has been the hero and villain of the saga and is one of the public’s favorites, disappeared for half of the decisive year and only made his appearance in the seventh episode.
“Colman is a brilliant actor and is increasingly busy, but we needed him to be absent for the first part of the season. We wanted to create a mystery about his whereabouts so that his reunion with Madison [Kim Dickens] happened in a surprising way. A lot has happened between the two of them and between him and her daughter, so it can’t just be: ‘My friend, it’s good to see you again!'”, says Goldberg.
“Now, they are two characters who are trying to leave their respective pasts behind. But, when they finally meet again, they realize that perhaps it is not necessary to bury everything they have already done. Their experiences make them stronger”, the producer philosophizes , adding that the two will be essential in this final stretch of the series.
The AMC Brasil channel shows the end of Fear the Walking Dead this Monday (20), starting at 10pm. There will be two episodes in a row, Fighting Like You and The Road Ahead.
